Chevrolet Cavalier Steering Problems
Owners have filed 349 complaints with NHTSA about steering problems on the Chevrolet Cavalier across 11 model years. The 1997 model year has the most (83). The words owners use most often: “rack pinion” (23% of reports).
- 349steering complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 34mention a crash
- 24mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 23%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.
- Rack pinion: mentioned in 82 of 349 complaints (23%)
- Steering column: mentioned in 41 of 349 complaints (12%)
- Making turn: mentioned in 19 of 349 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do steering problems happen?
Based on 120 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 349 complaints, 34 mention a crash, 8 a fire, 24 an injury.
Chevrolet Cavalier steering complaints by model year
| Model year | Steering complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Cavalier | 8 | 3% | 45,000 |
| 2004 Cavalier | 16 | 5% | 130,012 |
| 2003 Cavalier | 19 | 3% | 65,000 |
| 2002 Cavalier | 16 | 8% | 72,810 |
| 2001 Cavalier | 26 | 11% | 37,000 |
| 2000 Cavalier | 28 | 9% | 40,578 |
| 1999 Cavalier | 31 | 13% | 62,500 |
| 1998 Cavalier | 54 | 16% | 78,484 |
| 1997 Cavalier | 83 | 15% | 84,005 |
| 1996 Cavalier | 49 | 10% | 52,000 |
| 1995 Cavalier | 19 | 7% | 179,850 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Steering:rack and pinion
Model years: 1996, 1997, 1998
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles and mini vans have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These and some other retainers used in vehicles assembled between january 1, 1996 and october 31, 1997, could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
Risk: If this occurs, the pinion shaft can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began january 24, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020, pontiac at 1-800-762-2737, or oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The whole steering column is loose The pins are all backed out Iâm afraid to drive it I think this is a manufactured design flaw
Just purchased a 2002 chevy cavalier for our daughter and have been trying to find out if any of the 5 recalls were performed on this vehicle or not. The nhtsa recall page isn't working at this time and the chevy local dealership isn't willing to help. Can someone please provide some assistance??
The steering wheel is loose. Pins on tilt mechanism are gone. Don't know when it fell out. Noticed when cleaning car when i tilted the steering wheel up.
My car has the same problem with the instrument cluster that was recalled for other gm vehicles. The fuel level gauge, temperature gauge, rpm, speedometer.... None of my gauges work. They gave the wrong readings, the hand wouldn't return to their starting positions, then the hands went lower than…
Engine shakes when first started n when idling, but not when driving. Hoses n belts r not in good shape. Not sure about the air bags but seen on this site that there was a problem. I have seen that there are or where, quit a few recalls that were not taken care of. Especially safety ones.
Frequently asked questions
Do all Chevrolet Cavaliers have steering problems?
No. NHTSA has 349 owner complaints about steering for the Chevrolet Cavalier. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Chevrolet Cavalier steering?
Yes: 1 safety recall list steering. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about steering problems on the Chevrolet Cavalier?
The most frequent phrase is “rack pinion”, in 82 of 349 complaints, followed by “steering column” (41).
Other Chevrolet Cavalier problems
See all Chevrolet Cavalier problems.