NHTSA Complaint #10025959 — 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER

ENGINE AND VEHICLE SPEED SOMETIMES, BUT INTERMITTENTLY, DO NOT RESPOND TO DRIVER CONTROL - VEHICLE ACCELERATES ON ITS OWN. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, HAD TO RIDE BRAKES TO CONTROL SPEED. THIS HAPPENED FIVE TIMES WITH INCREASING SEVERITY OVER A PERIOD OF TIME - ON THE SIXTH TIME THE VEHICLE REACHED 60MPH WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR BEING TOUCHED. REVIEW OF ODI COMPLIANTS SHOWS AN INCREASING NUMBER OF SIMILAR RELATED COMPLAINTS ON THIS MODEL WITH AGE. HAD PURCHASED CAR TO GIVE TO MY NEWLY LICENSED DAUGHTER, WHO, DUE TO LACK OF EXPERIENCE, WAS INITIALLY UNSURE IF THE PROBLEM WAS WITH HER OR THE CAR. THE LAST TIME SCARED HER, AND THE DEALER'S REP SAID "IT WAS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN". DEALER DID A GOOD JOB IN PERSISTING WITH THE PROBLEM, WHICH WAS FINALLY (AFTER TWO DAYS) TRACED TO THE ACCELERATOR CONTROL CABLE DUST COVER COMING LOOSE AND WEDGING ITSELF BETWEEN THE CABLE AN ACTUATOR IN A DIFFICULT TO DETECT LOCATION.*AK