1997 Chevrolet Cavalier Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 58 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier, 11% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 80,650 miles. The words owners use most often: “applying brakes” (14% of reports).
- 58service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- 80,650median miles at failure
- 8mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 10%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.
- Applying brakes: mentioned in 8 of 58 complaints (14%)
- Front brake: mentioned in 6 of 58 complaints (10%)
- Stopping distance: mentioned in 6 of 58 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems happen?
Based on 4 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 58 complaints, 8 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 2 an injury.
Chevrolet Cavalier service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Cavalier | 13 | 5% | 43,000 |
| 2004 Cavalier | 13 | 4% | 40,000 |
| 2003 Cavalier | 30 | 4% | 15,000 |
| 2002 Cavalier | 22 | 11% | 17,350 |
| 2001 Cavalier | 32 | 13% | 14,000 |
| 2000 Cavalier | 41 | 13% | 35,900 |
| 1999 Cavalier | 45 | 19% | 83,044 |
| 1998 Cavalier | 54 | 16% | 79,003 |
| 1997 Cavalier | 58 | 11% | 80,650 |
| 1996 Cavalier | 54 | 11% | 69,995 |
| 1995 Cavalier | 25 | 9% | 72,012 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists service brakes, hydraulic for the 1997 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 chevrolet cavalier. The contact stated that when engaging the brakes, all the brake fluid leaked from the brake line. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician stated the brake lines were corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was…
Sold my 1997 chev. Cavalier to a 17 year old girl. Her dad took car for test drive before cash purchase. He went 200 feet down the street then backed up into my driveway. He said brake warning lite came on and brake pedal went to floor. We saw brake fluid pouring from under car. The brake line was…
I heard of a recent recall concerning the abs braking system on gm vehicles. It sounds like what has happened to my son''s 1997 chevrolet cavalier. When coming to a stop at below 10 miles per hour, for no reason the abs system kicked in making it very difficult to stop safely. I had to pull the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Chevrolet Cavaliers have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 58 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic for the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier (11% of the 540 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 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier service brakes, hydraulic?
No recall currently lists service brakes, hydraulic for this vehicle.
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?
The median reported mileage is 80,650 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier?
The most frequent phrase is “applying brakes”, in 8 of 58 complaints, followed by “front brake” (6).
Other 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier problems
See all 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier problems or service brakes, hydraulic problems across all Cavalier years.