"How reliable is the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier?"

"Based on 748 NHTSA complaints, the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier has a median complaint mileage of 63871 miles. The most common issue is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE."

"What are common problems with the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE, accounting for a significant portion of the 748 total complaints filed."

1996 Chevrolet Cavalier: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 748 complaints

748

Total Complaints

63,871mi

Median Mileage

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

39,500 25th Percentile

63,871 Median Mileage

109,012 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

AIR BAGS

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

STEERING:RACK AND PINION

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD WITHOUT APPLYING ACCELERATOR; APPLIED BRAKE, NO EFFECT; VEHICLE SPUN AROUND IN 360 DEGREE CIRCLE; SHIFTED INTO REVERSE. THE DEALERSHIP COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM, THE ONLY THING THEY FOUND WAS THAT THE GAS COVER WAS LOOSE AND STATED THAT MAYBE THAT IS WHY ..."

"WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE LURCHED FORWARD WITHOUT APPLYING ACCELERATOR; APPLIED BRAKE, NO EFFECT; VEHICLE SPUN AROUND IN 360 DEGREE CIRCLE; SHIFTED INTO REVERSE."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28