1997 Chevrolet Cavalier

Summary:

A money pit

Faults:

Everything.

General Comments:

This was my first car, and I was in love with it the moment I SAW it.

It was only 2 years old when I purchased it. It drove well for the first couple of months, then all of a sudden everything started going wrong. It began to leave me stranded, and the cost to fix everything was beginning to add up. If it wasn't the starter going out, it was head gaskets.. which I had to replace the entire head and transmission. Then the trunk tore up and I had to use a cord to tie it down.

I ended up telling the finance company to come repo it because I couldn't afford to keep the thing because of all the repairs I was having to make.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 21st August, 2011

1997 Chevrolet Cavalier 2.2L

Summary:

My FIRST, and hopefully LAST car. (:

Faults:

Other than when I first bought the car, it had been sitting at the dealership for approx. a year, and it took a few weeks for my gas and fluids to jump back into place. My engine light came on a few months after I bought the car, but it's not a big worry, I've got it checked out, and it's just stuck. Nothing serious!

General Comments:

I love this car. My boyfriend persuaded me to buy a Cavalier after his sister had two, and were great to her before she got a new Cobalt. I listened and it's the best choice I ever made! My car only has close to 79k miles on it. I'm planning on keeping my car running well past 300k miles! Everything I could hope for in a car. (: GOOD JOB CHEVROLET! <3.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th February, 2011

14th Feb 2011, 16:26

"My engine light came on a few months after I bought the car, but it's not a big worry, I've got it checked out, and it's just stuck."

Who told you that? I have had a few things getting stuck, like pop corn between the teeth, but not a check engine light. Get the codes scanned at a parts store for free and write them down. Then let them clear the codes and see if the CEL returns. If you get the same codes again, you have a problem that takes more than a toothpick. Google for the trouble codes and you will find out.

16th Feb 2011, 14:40

Good luck hitting 300k, but I strongly advise that you do check that the dealer covered all of the maintenance.

Research your Cavalier too, you may need to change a few parts to avoid head gasket issues.

1997 Chevrolet Cavalier 2.2

Summary:

I hate this car!!!

Faults:

I HATE THIS CAR!!!

When I first got this car, I was happy. It was reliable, and it ran well. Then all of a sudden... things changed. It started to annoy me! Basically within a few months I had to replace my drive belt, belt tensioner, thermostat, water pump, coolant reservoir.

It's horrible on gas, the bearings and struts are about to go. Then it started over heating, because the head gasket is cracked!!! Which means I've basically gotta scrap it now.

If you're reading this and you're thinking about buying a Chevy Cavalier. Or any of the other American made money pits like Chrysler, Ford, GM... etc STAY AWAY!!! Go Japanese! That's what I will be doing from now on. I will never buy another American made car!!!

General Comments:

I HATE THIS CAR!!!

I will never buy another Chevy Cavalier!!!

It's a MONEY PIT!!!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 31st January, 2011

1st Feb 2011, 11:48

My Horizon's been doing well for me (an American car), most of those 80s and 90s GMs weren't well made.

1st Feb 2011, 12:04

Yeah, good idea, go from a decently made car to a car that won't stop, rusts out in 3 weeks or needs a tranny, timing belt or heads every year.

I think it's more shop carefully before you buy and do research on the car before buying. If you think imports have anything on domestics then you're sadly mistaken.

1st Feb 2011, 17:06

That can happen with a 13-year-old car with 197,000 km's, especially if it wasn't maintained or treated well by the previous owner. However, I would suggest that just because this high-mileage 1997 Cavalier developed problems, it's not indicative of every Chrysler, Ford, and GM as you suggest. That is a pretty broad statement to make, that one bad Cavalier means that every Japanese car is better than every American car.

197,000 km's is only 122,000 miles, and I can say that I currently own a 9-year-old Ford with that many miles, and have had no problems. My family owns a 1997 Mercury with 180,000 miles and no problems. So, buy whatever you feel comfortable with, but you may well get a '97 Corolla or Accord that has not been taken care of, and have problems with it too.

1st Feb 2011, 17:07

Yeah, right, all Japanese cars won't stop. Every single one is unsafe. They all rust away within weeks of buying. Oh, please, buy a domestic car from a company that went bankrupt. They have always made 100% perfect cars.

1st Feb 2011, 18:35

You bought a 13 year old car. Ever heard the term: you get what you pay for...

3rd Feb 2011, 04:40

Pretty ironic that thanks to Clinton in the 1990s, this particular car got exported to Japan for a few years with Toyota badges in place of the Chevy ones. Worst Toyota ever! Now these same cars have ended up in New Zealand & Australia as grey imports from Japan (which flicked them off soon as they could). Parts here are impossible to source as they're not Toyotas, despite the badge.