Defect
THE ENGINE AIR CLEANER PLASTIC TRIM COVER COULD FALL OFF THE AIR CLEANER ASSEMBLY AND LAND ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD CREATING A FIRE HAZARD. CONSEQUENCE OF…
Remedy
REMOVE THE TRIM COVER AND DISCARD.
1985 Chevrolet Cavalier Recalls
Recalls on record Updated July 2026
The 1985 Chevrolet Cavalier has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 121,505 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
Defect
THE ENGINE AIR CLEANER PLASTIC TRIM COVER COULD DETACH FROM THE AIR CLEANER ASSEMBLY AND FALL FORWARD ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD. CONSEQUENCE OF DEFECT: IF THE CAR IS BEING OPERATED AT THE TIME OF DETACHMENT, AN ENGINE…
Remedy
REMOVE THE TRIM COVER AND DISCARD.
Complaints by component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
1fires
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
Total complaints4
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“Fire erupted in the dash were the radio was located ruining the vehicle, the vehicle was off and parked and the engine was not affected. Nlm”
“While driving about (30) mph on dry roads, the back brake on the right side went out and caused the front brake on the left side to go out. This almost caused an incident. Vehicle has not been seen by dealer. *ak”
“Electrical fire.(ohio state police report)”
“Whenever accelerator pedal is depressed, the throttle cable would stick. Will be taking vehicle to dealer. *ak”
Defect investigations
Investigation DP86019 Opened 1986-09-12 · closed 1986-12-22
SUDDEN ACCELERATION
There is no summary currently available
Investigation EA87006 Opened 1986-12-16 · closed 1988-09-19
POWER ST. ASSIST
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM THE MANUFACTURER:GM HAS DEVELOPED A SPLITRING FIELD REPAIR KIT AND IS EXTENDING THE WARRANRY ON ALL 1982-84 A,J, AND X, BODY CARS AND 1985 C,BODY CARS.THE WARRANTY APPLIES TO CARSTHAT ARE FOR 50,000 MILES OR 5 YRS.IT INCLUDES REIMBURSEMENT FOR PREVIOUSREPAIRS.ANALYSIS:WEARING OF THE RACK…
Investigation EA87007 Opened 1986-12-16 · closed 1987-08-07
SUDDEN ACCEL
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION FROM MANUFACTURER:ANALYSIS:STATUS: GM RESPONDED BY LETTER DATED 12 FEBRUARY 1987.EA CLOSED ON8/7/87.===
Investigation PE86031 Opened 1986-02-18 · closed 1986-06-10
UNDERHOOD FIRES
There is no summary currently available
Investigation PE88027 Opened 1988-02-09 · closed 1988-05-11
HEADLAMP SWITCH FAILURE
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Sources & methodology
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1985 Chevrolet Cavalier as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.