1996 Chevrolet Cavalier Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 54 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier, 11% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 78,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “transmission failed” (9% of reports).
- 54power train complaints
- 78,000median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 25%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.
- Transmission failed: mentioned in 5 of 54 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 5 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 54 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet Cavalier power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Cavalier | 16 | 6% | 58,000 |
| 2004 Cavalier | 23 | 7% | 45,000 |
| 2003 Cavalier | 16 | 2% | 10,000 |
| 2002 Cavalier | 13 | 7% | 38,350 |
| 2001 Cavalier | 34 | 14% | 51,763 |
| 2000 Cavalier | 26 | 8% | 42,156 |
| 1999 Cavalier | 20 | 8% | 68,527 |
| 1998 Cavalier | 16 | 5% | 40,000 |
| 1997 Cavalier | 26 | 5% | 47,513 |
| 1996 Cavalier | 54 | 11% | 78,000 |
| 1995 Cavalier | 17 | 6% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I replaced the battery on my 1996 chevrolet cavalier 2.4l with manual transmission about 3 days ago. Today as i was driving to get gas the vehicle started to idle low as if it was not getting enough fuel to the engine. As i came to a stop it got worse and then i check the dash for any indication of…
While turning into a gas station and car began to make clunking, sputtering noises. It stalled then began to go again, then just stopped and sat their halfway in the oncoming lanes. The engine just revved in any gear. The car was pushed into the gas station to aviod a head-on collision and a chunk…
While driving on a back road between 25-30 mph vehicle started pulling to left. This resulted in the vehicle crashing into an embankment. Upon impact, the vehicle turned around and went backwards 15 yards. The vehicle was totaled. The driver had to climb out of the window to exist the vehicle. The…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1996 Chevrolet Cavaliers have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 54 owner complaints about power train for the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier (11% 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 power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 78,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier?
The most frequent phrase is “transmission failed”, in 5 of 54 complaints.
Other 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier problems
See all 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier problems or power train problems across all Cavalier years.