General Comments:
Never Again! This is actually my second (and LAST) Cavalier!
I used to own a 1998 Cavalier Z24, and it never had ANY issues, but then it was totalled in an accident in 2004, and my insurance company cut me a check, so I went out and bought an 01 Cavalier Sedan from the car auction, thinking it would be good like my 98 model.
Boy was I wrong! It overheats when I idle in traffic, gets horrid fuel efficiency because of the mechanical problems, I just had a few major repairs done as well, (see my list of repairs)
And I DO keep up with the manufacturers maintenance, but they found sludge building up around the engine, so this Cavalier's days are numbered.
My check engine light came on steady, and when I went in for an oil change they ran the diagnostic on the computer and saw it was an emissions message, and replaced the 02 sensors.
With the monthly repairs I have been paying for, I've decided I may as well make payments on something new.
GM has just lost another customer for LIFE. I am going to the Toyota dealer next Saturday to pick up my new Camry, and have this headache of a car sent to the scrap yard.
3rd Apr 2009, 14:03
I just purchased a 2001 Z24 about a month ago. It had 160000km and I've put on another 5000.
So far, I love this car. It has plenty of zip, especially in the lower gears and can climb steep hills easily.
The suspension is tight, so it handles well, but you do feel the bumps. The interior is comfortable, but pretty basic.
I picked mine up for 2500 and had previous owner add-ons like a Clarion stereo and a 200w amplifier, a cold air intake and an anti corrosion box. I feel I got a good bargain over all and I love driving it.