1996 Chevrolet Cavalier Air Bags Problems
Owners have filed 73 complaints with NHTSA about air bags problems on the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier, 15% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 89,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “air bag” (48% of reports).
- 73air bags complaints
- 89,000median miles at failure
- 34mention a crash
- 30mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 16%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Air bag: mentioned in 35 of 73 complaints (48%)
- Bags deployed: mentioned in 14 of 73 complaints (19%)
- Driver passenger: mentioned in 12 of 73 complaints (16%)
At what mileage do air bags problems happen?
Based on 9 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 73 complaints, 34 mention a crash, 30 an injury.
Chevrolet Cavalier air bags complaints by model year
| Model year | Air Bags complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Cavalier | 6 | 2% | 66,500 |
| 2004 Cavalier | 15 | 5% | 50,000 |
| 2003 Cavalier | 18 | 3% | 27,000 |
| 2002 Cavalier | 14 | 7% | 33,000 |
| 2001 Cavalier | 21 | 9% | 48,000 |
| 2000 Cavalier | 18 | 6% | 130,000 |
| 1999 Cavalier | 24 | 10% | 96,044 |
| 1998 Cavalier | 34 | 10% | 100,000 |
| 1997 Cavalier | 78 | 14% | 100,000 |
| 1996 Cavalier | 73 | 15% | 89,000 |
| 1995 Cavalier | 20 | 7% | 115,635 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Air bags
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. Because of certain calibrations in the air bag's sensing and diagnostic module, an inadvertent air bag deployment could occur in a low speed crash or when an object strikes the floor pan.
Risk: Air bags deploy with great force and can seriously injure unrestrained occupants who are too close to them.
Fix: Dealers will recalibrate the air bag sensing and diagnostic module.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owned a 1996 chevrolet cavalier. While the contact was making a u turn, another vehicle crashed into the driver side of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed. The driver sustained injuries to the head, right shoulder, and left knee. The passenger…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 chevrolet cavalier. While driving approximately 25 mph, the contact's vehicle was struck on the driver's side by another vehicle. The driver side air bag did not deploy during the crash; however, it suddenly deployed while the contact attempted to exit the vehicle. The…
Tl* the contact owns a 1996 chevrolet cavalier. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to respond without warning. As a result, the contact crashed into a stop sign and the air bags failed to deploy. A police report was not filed and no…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Chevrolet Cavaliers have air bags problems?
No. NHTSA has 73 owner complaints about air bags for the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier (15% of the 503 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier air bags?
Yes: 1 safety recall list air bags. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do air bags problems start?
The median reported mileage is 89,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about air bags problems on the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier?
The most frequent phrase is “air bag”, in 35 of 73 complaints, followed by “bags deployed” (14).
Other 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier problems
See all 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier problems or air bags problems across all Cavalier years.