"How reliable is the 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier?"

"Based on 254 NHTSA complaints, the 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier has a median complaint mileage of 54000 miles. The most common issue is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM."

"What are common problems with the 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, accounting for a significant portion of the 254 total complaints filed."

2002 Chevrolet Cavalier: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 254 complaints

254

Total Complaints

54,000mi

Median Mileage

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

19,164 25th Percentile

54,000 Median Mileage

77,115 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

STEERING

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

AIR BAGS

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I WAS REAR ENDED. I WAS AT A FULL STOP. MY SEAT BROKE. I ENDED UP IN A RECLINING POSITION. THE ACCIDENT SCENE INVESTIGATOR-POLICE OFFICER TOLD ME THIS WAS A DEFECTIVE PART AND THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.THE EMERGENCY ROOM DOCTOR SAID I SUSTAINED MORE INJURY BECAUSE THE SEAT BROKE AND IF I WAS HIT..."

"ON ABOVE TIME AND DATE, I WAS TRAVELING DOWN A STREET AT 25 MPH WHEN I HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND COME FROM MY DRIVER SEAT. IT CAUSED ME TO SHIFT TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SEAT, CAUSING ME TO BRIEFLY SWERVE ON THE ROAD. FORTUNATELY, THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD AT THAT TIME. SINCE I WAS NEAR M..."

"CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 55MPH ON HIGHWAY, THERE WAS VIBRATION AND PULSATION ON DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE. VEHICLE SLID AND THE AXLE BROKE. WHEEL AND RIM CAME OFF, VEHICLE HIT MEDIAN, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY, ONE PERSON WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT. *AK *TT"

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