6th Aug 2003, 22:24
Maybe the author is hard on his cavalier, but that's no excuse for most of the problems he's having. Just because he might be a bad driver does not mean he's lying in this review.
The air bags didn't deploy! PLEASE! That alone is a huge problem!
Thermostat going in 5000 miles is pathetic, and no amount of hard driving should cause that. If it wasn't destroyed in the accident, it should not have been affected.
Brake fluid leaking out of cap would signal crappy quality. Again, if it wasn't destroyed in the accident, it shouldn't have been affected.
Antifreeze leak could be due to accident.
Some of the other problems, like new tires in 3000 miles is obviously due to driving habits.
As far as his driving habits destroying a Lexus in 5000 miles, that's outrageous. The only things that should fail due to hard driving in the first 100k miles are the clutch, tires, brakes, etc (maintenance items). Everything else should take it, assuming you drive hard, but right (know how to shift gears, don't take bumps too big for the car, etc). If you do donuts all day in the parking lot, the only thing that has any business failing is the tires.
21st Dec 2003, 00:42
Its quite possible that a fair bit could have been damaged from the wreck, but then we don't know where the car took the hit. Also this driver is a lot harder on his vehicle than doing simple donuts. Taking the rpms up to 6000 and then dumping gears is going to kill any vehicle before long. Goodbye powertrain.
The Cavalier has it's ups and downs.
Yes the front brake pads and rotors wear out prematurely. Replace them at Midas and your problem is solved.
The car has very little sound proofing, and is noisy enough to be aggravating when you're in the car alone with the radio off, but it gets you from A to B.
There's been the issue of fuel sensors, though Shell has admitted that it is their gasoline additives that causes the problem. Once GM cleans or replaces your fuel sensor, stop going to Shell gas stations and the problem doesn't happen anymore.
The steering is substandard, but again this is an economy car, not a sports sedan. Putting up with sloppy steering isn't so bad when your only alternative is waiting outside in the middle of winter for a bus.
The seats are uncomfortable. You may want to purchase an aftermarket seatback and cushion.
Other than that it's not a bad car for the price. Just remember to keep up on the regular maintenance and drive it for what it is, an economy car, not a hot rod.
4th Dec 2007, 19:49
If its anything other than a frontal collision, the airbags would not deploy. Sorry, but the airbag is a non issue if it was anything other than a frontal crash.
4th Jun 2008, 14:49
Any complaints after an accident are drivers fault! I got in a wreck with my car and there were a lot of problems following the accident. There were more clinks and clanks even after it was fixed at a dealership. Cannot blame a cheap car for breaking if you break it yourself!
24th Jan 2009, 20:30
I was also in an accident, but for me it was into a curb when the brakes failed. I got the brakes fixed and the front wheels realigned, and now it goes like normal. For me this Cavalier seems like a very sturdy car, and trust me, I beat the crap out of mine and it takes it without complaining.
18th Jun 2003, 14:28
Wrecked at 2000 miles, huh? Yeah, here's a driver who's comments should be taken seriously...