Faults:

3 weeks after I got the car, a valve on the fuel return line got stuck open and it sounded like a diesel engine when idling. The dealer fixed it for $90.

The back window got unglued and there was water leaking inside the trunk. A $140 fix...

The fuel pump went bad during a very cold winter month. The cheapest new pump I found was $240, and labour was $145.

The console light bulb for the shifter was burned, fixed it in 15 minutes and for $0.80 while the dealership was asking the previous owner around $100.

General Comments:

For an economy car, I really love my Cavalier. This coupe looks really good and it goes a long way on a tank of gas. The ride can't compare to my previous car (1994 Pontiac Grand Prix), but for a compact I find it to be above average.

Good performance from the engine, although the tranny requires a little time to get used to.

Hope to keep it for a good while without it needing costly repairs, but parts are usually cheap.

Faults:

When idle, the car would shut off and NO ONE was able to fix it. I had to do some research for others who've had the same problem and take it to Chevrolet... Fuel pump went bad, dash board cracked, gear shift knob is broken off (no, I have never been in an accident), but I think it heat rotted. Recall on rear left indicator, brakes use to squeak ALL THE TIME!

General Comments:

Besides all of the drama that I have been through with this car, I must say that when it is up and running, it is great, no issues at all.

The material that makes up the car is kind of cheap, but you have to realize that it is one of Chevy's cheapest cars!

Faults:

Clearcoat on roof is flaking away.

There was a mysterious noise coming from the front driver side wheel only over bumps, that disappeared with new tires around 98,000 miles.

Manual transmission shifter cover-thing falls off (super-glued back in place).

Switch that turns on the rear lights when in reverse gear went out around 96,00 miles(self replaced for $15).

The right side vent director is broken and you can't adjust the position of the air.

It seems like Chevy cut a lot of corners when making this car, which results in poor material quality. But overall I still can't help but love this car.

General Comments:

The overall mechanical operation of the car has been in tip-top shape. Clutch and shift operation is smooth, engine idles and runs like a dream, steering is right on par, gas mileage is still above average, tires last a long time, undercarriage has surprisingly little to no rust. Other than some pretty cheap design qualities, this car has really been a trooper.

My fiance' and I have been sharing this car for the past 2.5-3 years and it has never failed us once. Always starts. Always runs smooth, even when we're not. Always seems up for whatever we throw at it.

We take a lot of road trips, and it seems to love them just as much as we do. On a 1500 miles round trip from Ohio to upstate NY and back, we were getting about 41mpg highway. We tend to average 35mpg mixed city/highway miles in our everyday life, and the car has never even made a hiccup.

We plan on taking it out on a 4000 mile road trip soon. God help us, but I have a pretty strong feeling that this little guy is up for the challenge.

This car is by no means a sports car. It seems very sluggish getting up to speed, but I was recently surprised at the stability that it has on the road. I have always thought that it seems pretty planted on the road, but I have never really tested it. That is until I nearly hit some deer in rural Ohio. while traveling late at night there were three deer in the middle of the road, one laying down right in the center of the lane. I still have no idea how I didn't spin off the road or hit one of them. While going about 65 and without slowing down (much), I was able to steer around them. The car barely even seemed to notice.