1992 Chevrolet Cavalier problems & reliability
134 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1992 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.
10 complaints report injuries (16 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier vehicles were involved in 2 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 48 | 36% |
| Electrical System | 21 | 16% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 15 | 11% |
| Seats | 12 | 9% |
| Seat Belts | 10 | 7% |
| Visibility | 10 | 7% |
| Steering | 8 | 6% |
| Power Train | 7 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 5% |
| Structure | 6 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“New tires and valve stems were installed on my car in november of 2007. After about 8,000 miles two valve stems have failed in the course of two weeks, one about may 7 th 2009 and another on may 19 2009. First failed stem was replaced may 8th. Am no waiting for information from the seller of the stems if they will…”
Tires · filed May 20, 2009
“The body seam putty on and around the windshield and firewall dries out, then cracks, and allows water to enter the interior of the car. As a result, my front floor pans on the passenger and driver side are rusting as is my firewall. My front carpet is most always wet and musty smelling unless I pull the carpets back…”
Structure · filed Feb 26, 2008
“1992 chevrolet cavalier. The piece at the center of the driving wheel can come loose, interfere with steering, and cause an accident. The center of the driving wheel has a piece which is over the horn. His came off as I was making a sharp u-turn on a two way street. It jammed in between the steering wheel and my turn…”
Steering · filed Apr 13, 2007
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
13 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1992 Chevrolet Cavalier. The 10 most recent:
Anti-lock braking system (abs) front wheel speed codes - jumper harness. *tt
00966 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
Abs front wheel speed codes - jumper harness. *tt
00966B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
Owners of some vehicles equipped with hydra-matic 3t40, 4t60, 4t60-e or 4t65-e transaxles may comment on a grinding and / or growling noise that is noticeable when standing in park on a hill or slope with the engine…
990730030A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2001
Information regarding snow intrusion into rear drum brake assemblies. **mr
000524001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2000
Some vehicles equipped with hydra-matic 3t40, 4t60 or 4t60-e transxales may comment on a grinding and / or growling noise that is noticeable when in park on incline. *tt
990730030 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 1999
Some v6 engines may, on a very infrequent basis, have an oil odor condition that is generally encountered after the engine's oil has been changed.typically the odor lasts approximately 1000 miles after the change of oil…
876002A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 1998
Vehicles may exhibit a clattering noise at idle speed originating from the timing chain and front cover area. *yc
98876121A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 1998
Complaints that the abs indicator lamp is "on". *yc
9709015015A · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 1997
Comment that the abs light is on with diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) 46 and 86 set as current or history. *yc
970801735026 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 1997
Grinding and/or growling noise in park on incline.*sd
9573T4001 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 1995
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 1992 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 1992 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.