1992 Chevrolet Cavalier RS from North America - Comments

Replaced the alternator at 60,000 miles.

Radiator leaked and had to be replaced around 130,000 miles.

The brakes usually need a considerable amount of work every 12-15,000 miles.

A small short in some wiring killed a battery or two.

The brake light switch became worn and sticky, and needed replacement. (Brakes lights would be ON when I came out of the house in the morning!! This killed ANOTHER battery after a few days.)

There are no leaks in the window seals, yet my carpeting is WET most of the time! (Frozen in the winter :) ) The occasional puddle forms on the floor in the back seat after a heavy rain storm. If anybody has any insight on this, please comment here, or e-mail dstroyer@dstroyerradio.com.

Spark plugs have to be replaced once a year, otherwise the car is extremely difficult to start in damp/wet weather.

The cigarette lighter was dead when I bought the car.

The passenger-side taillight lens fell off (The adhesive between the lens and the housing went bad). I replaced it 3 years ago, and now the new one is loose, also. A piece of electrical tape seems to be holding it on okay now :)

This is one TIGHT car! Not a rattle to be heard, and cornering is a charm.

0-60 acceleration is loud, but solid.

Besides the wet carpeting, the car looks brand new on the inside.

Some rust starting to form on the lower parts of the doors, and inside the edge of the trunk lid, otherwise the car looks excellent on the outside.

The problem with the car leaking is probably due to a hairline crack in the fire wall. The water will leak and drain to the back floor board. Out side of the windshield there is the area that I believe is called the cow or cowl area, water will drain to the outside of the fire wall, but if a seal or weld is broken the water will flow inside the car. If you can't locate the exact problem try spraying under coating in that area it should stop it or at least slow it down. If you locate the exact area then try applying some jb weld. I have no know problems with my cavalier leaking, but I did have a beretta with this problem.

The previous poster hits the nail on the head.

Peel back the carpet and firewall pad and follow the body seam sealer from the door to the console area. when you see a rusty spot, there will likely be a crack or worse yet a hole.

Seal with new body seam sealer.

Try filling bigger holes as the previous poster suggests.

Ya, what they said.

All the GM J-Bodies seem to have this problem, no matter what the year. I had an 1985 Buick Skyhawk that had this problem really bad. I was convinced the floor had a hole in it, and I spent forever trying to find a hole in the floor that wasn't there! It was only a couple of years after I got rid of the car that I found out what it was. However, I was luckier than my friends 1992 Pontiac Sunbird - he had this same leak, and it shorted out his wiring system, and his car caught fire and burned up right outside his house just after he got out of it from a drive!