1987 Chevrolet Cavalier problems & reliability
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1987 Chevrolet Cavalier. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts | 6 | 25% |
| Steering | 6 | 25% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 13% |
| Power Train | 2 | 8% |
| Seats | 2 | 8% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 8% |
| Tires | 2 | 8% |
| Structure | 1 | 4% |
| Visibility | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was traveling home from work yesterday evening. I was doing between 35 - 40 mph. All of a sudden I heard a loud noise. I pulled over to check my tires for a flat or see if something was hanging below my car. No flat, nothing hanging. But my tire tread had separated from my tire. I purchased those tires brand new…”
Tires · filed Jun 10, 2004
“Consumer has been experiencing constant blowouts and flats with the tires. One incident led to the vehicle slamming into a street curb. *jg”
Tires · filed Jan 23, 2003
“Belt that holds drivers seat to the floor broke and the car could not be driven. Seat belt on drivers side sometimes will not pull out.”
Seat Belts · filed Oct 16, 2000
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- STICKING THROTTLE
Engineering Analysis EA92024 · opened Jun 26, 1992 · closed Jan 31, 1994
- BRAKE PERFORMANCE
Engineering Analysis EA90041 · opened Aug 29, 1990 · closed Mar 30, 1992
- BRAKE INEFFECTIVENESS
Engineering Analysis EA89010 · opened Jan 17, 1989 · closed May 8, 1990
- POOR BRAKING
Preliminary Evaluation PE88085 · opened Jul 27, 1988 · closed Jan 17, 1989
Technical service bulletins
1 manufacturer communication (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1987 Chevrolet Cavalier.
Information regarding snow intrusion into rear drum brake assemblies. **mr
000524001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2000
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 1987 Chevrolet Cavalier in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1987 Chevrolet Cavalier?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.