NHTSA Complaint #10312149 — 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER

CLUTCH PEDAL STARTED TO STOP SHORT. WHILE DRIVING THROUGH LIGHT SNOW I PRESSED THE PEDAL TO SHIFT GEAR BEFORE A SLIGHT TURN AND INCLINE THE PEDAL STAYED DOWN. THE LACK OF POWER TO THE WHEELS WITHIN 5 SECONDS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO FISHTAIL AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE EVEN WHILE TRYING TO BRAKE AND GO INTO THE SPIN TO CORRECT. THE VEHICLE SPUN AROUND GOING BACKWARDS THEN THE FRONT END TRIED SWINGING BACK AND HIT THE CENTER MEDIAN DAMAGING THE FRONT END-BUMPER RIPPED OFF, REINFORCEMENT BENT/FOLDED, FENDERS WARPED, BOTH HEADLIGHTS BROKEN, CONDENSER SLIGHTLY FOLDED TO LEAK, RADIATOR SUPPORT WARPED, FRAME BENT. THE SLAVE CYLINDER WAS LEAKING...AGAIN THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME. PEDAL WOULD START TO STOP SHORT THEN THE SLAVE WOULD START TO LEAK. FIRST TIME THE DEALER REPLACED THE SLAVE AND EVERYTHING WAS WORKING. THEN THIS HAPPENED. I WAS TOLD THAT BECAUSE THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS "JUST OUT OF THE REPAIR WARRANT BY 800 MI THEY-THE DEALER- WAS "LIABLE FOR NOTHING" AND WOULD DO NOTHING TO HELP." THE VEHICLE'S SLAVE WAS REPLACED AND EVERYTHING WAS WORKING-WITH THE CLUTCH-WHEN IN 2009 THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER AGAIN...AGAIN...AGAIN AND THE MASTER CYLINDER FOR THE CLUTCH WAS REPLACED.-PROBLEM WAS SOLVED. HAVE NOT HAD A PROBLEM SINCE......THIS WHOLE ISSUE SHOWS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT PROPERLY DIAGNOSED WHICH CAUSED THE SECOND FAILURE AND THE ACCIDENT. *TR