Faults:
I bought this used from a Nissan dealership and opted to not extend the one year left on the warranty. Nothing seemed to need fixing right away.
Towards the end of the first year, the drive shaft started clunking during turns. Not a CV boot or joint, though. After some research, it turned out to be a "kind of" warranty issue with the steering knuckle needing lubrication. My mechanic suggested I just let it be until it got too annoying, as it would be quite pricey to fix. Still making the noise, but louder now.
Tires seem to wear quickly, not sure why.
Interior dash vent fan starting clicking last year. Not worth fixing.
New rattles seem to appear regularly. The dash in particular is very creaky.
The CD player stereo is a weird oval shape, so is not easily upgradeable to something better.
General Comments:
Really wishing this car would run itself into the ground. It's a pig to drive and has terrible body roll going around the mildest corners at the slowest speeds. Despite having a 2.2L engine, the pickup is awful. The transmission is clunky at best and feels like a tractor's or an old pickup truck's. The seatbelts cut into my neck (I'm 5'5" tall) and never seem to fit right. The stock floor mats shifted easily and frequently ended up under the clutch pedal, blocking it. Had to replace them with heavier rubber mats.
Good points:
The paint is quite pretty once polished by a pro detailer, and the clear coat is very hard, so it doesn't scratch easily.
The back seat is large enough for adults in a pinch.
The trunk is quite large. Big enough for two full sized suitcases side by side.
Only give this car oil changes and brake jobs, hoping it will disappear one day, as there is absolutely no resale value on it.
Way, way overpaid for this piece of crap. But it's reliable enough that I can't justify getting rid of it yet.
23rd Oct 2009, 22:23
Not only that, they're deathtraps! Last-gen Cavaliers got HORRIBLE crash-test ratings. To prove the point, my friend had an '02 Cavi and someone ran a red light and it tore the whole front bumper off her '02 Cavalier, which was promptly replaced by her insurance with an '05 Cavalier! This is due to the extreme depreciation compared to how much she owed on it, the '02 got wrecked so she got an '05. These cars are a risky buy and do NOT hold value.