NHTSA Complaint #10197831 — 2001 CHEVROLET CAVALIER

THIS CAR HAS BEEN A LEMON SINCE I BOUGHT IT. IT HAD 14 MILES ON IT AT PURCHASE. BEFORE IT HAD 5,000 MILES, THE STRUT MOUNTS HAD TO BE REPLACED TWICE. WHEN IT HIT CLOSE TO 60,000 MILES THE TRAC OFF/ CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS KEPT COMING ON. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED SOME COMPONENT IN THE FUEL SYSTEM TO PACIFY ME BUT STATED IT HAD TO DO WITH THE GAS CAP NOT BEING ON RIGHT. NOT THE PROBLEM AT ALL BECAUSE I COMPLAINED TO CHEVROLET AND THEY REPLACED THIS PIECE YET AGAIN (WAS REPLACED BEFORE) AND I DROVE IT OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP TO NC AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON THE WAY DOWN THERE. WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, SHORTLY AFTER THE TRAC OFF LIGHT COMES ON AND IT MAKES A NOISE LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS READY TO FALL OUT OF IT. SEEMS THE PROBLEMS START WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO CLIMB A HILL WHICH TO ME HAS NEVER SOUNDED LIKE A PROBLEM WITH THE GAS CAP! NOW IT'S COMPLETELY OUT OF WARRANTLY, AND I REFUSE TO DRIVE IT BECAUSE I'M AFRAID IT'S GONNA DIE ON ME SOMEWHERE. HUBBY DRIVES IT LOCALLY AND HE'S GOTTA SHIFT IT INTO SECOND OR THIRD TO TRY TO KEEP IT FROM DOING THAT. SOMETIMES IT WORKS, SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T. YOU CAN'T USE THE CRUISE CONTROL BECAUSE IT AUTOMATICALLY KICKS THE LIGHTS ON BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION CAN'T STAY AT AN EVEN KIEL. WHEN YOU GO TO STOP, YOU HAVE TO PUT IT IN PARK, SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, WAIT A MINUTE, TURN IT ON, PUT IT IN SECOND AND THEN GO. THE TRAC OFF LIGHT THEN GOES OFF AND SOMETIMES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES OFF TOO. (50/50 CHANCE OF THAT ONE). THE RPM GUAGE FOREVER REVS UP TO 4-5 WHICH ALSO KICKS ON THE LIGHTS. I DONT' KNOW. ANYONE CONSIDERING PURCHASING THIS CAR BETTER RUN NOT WALK TO A FOREIGN CAR DEALERSHIP AND BUY SOMETHING TRUSTWORTHY. I JUST BOUGHT A NEW CAR. TOYOTA COROLLA S AND I'M EXTREMELY HAPPY! NO MORE CHEVROLET CAVALIER'S FOR ME! THIS CAR HAS BEEN A LEMON SINCE I BOUGHT IT. I FEEL CHEVROLET AND THE DEALERSHIP PACIFIED ME ITL IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEN SAID, "TOO BAD!". NEVER AGAIN WILL I BUY A CHEVY. *JB