1990 Chevrolet Cavalier Recalls

No recalls on record Updated July 2026

No NHTSA recalls on record for the 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Complaints by component

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
9
8fires
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
4
1fires
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
4
2fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
3
SEAT BELTS
3
1crashes1injuries
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:SWITCH/WIRING
3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
2
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:SWITCH
2
Total complaints70

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“Knocking at start up for a good amount of time. When putting on the brake pads the pins wouldn't move to replace the brakes. Had to compress the pins loose with a c-clamp. Also, I've got some kind of leak on the passenger side that's a combination of antifreeze & oil. Which I think is caused from…”

SERVICE BRAKES · reported 2014-11-02

“1. Left front tire hit a pot hole at 50 mph in eastbound #1 lane ramona expy, perris ca. 2.tire compression caused the rim edge to slice open the high ply turn-up and steel sidewall stabilizer. This high ply turn-up comes off the rim bead at a 45 degree angle. If the tire is compressed past a…”

TIRES · reported 2005-08-25

“1. Left front tire hit a pot hole at 50 mph in eastbound #1 lane ramona expy, perris ca. 2.tire compression caused the rim edge to slice open the high ply turn-up and steel sidewall stabilizer. This high ply turn-up comes off the rim bead at a 45 degree angle. If the tire is compressed past a…”

WHEELS · reported 2005-08-25

“1990 cavalier gear shift moved to neutral when touched by consumers leg. *ts the consumer was driving about 65 mph when this occurred. The consumer's son's leg touched the gear shift and caused it to go into neutral. As a result the vehicle stalled and would not restart immediately. The consumer…”

POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION:FLOOR SHIFT ASSEMBLY · reported 2004-06-16

“Tread serarated from tire while traveling 40mph. *ak”

TIRES · reported 2002-06-04

“While trying to start vehicle there was some smoke coming up from ignition switch. Contacted dealer, and they were not willing to do any work.*ak”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH · reported 2002-04-01

“Hard to start vehicle. Strong smell of fuel. Erratic idle. Engine dies and is difficult to start again. No service engine light. Took to chevrolet dealer who only replaced the fuel pressure regulator. Could not find any codes in computer. I have replaced several parts which control the idle speed.…”

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE · reported 2002-02-13

“Hard to start vehicle. Strong smell of fuel. Erratic idle. Engine dies and is difficult to start again. No service engine light. Took to chevrolet dealer who only replaced the fuel pressure regulator. Could not find any codes in computer. I have replaced several parts which control the idle speed.…”

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL · reported 2002-02-13

Defect investigations

Investigation EA92024 Opened 1992-06-26 · closed 1994-01-31

STICKING THROTTLE

There is no summary currently available

Investigation PE93090 Opened 1993-10-08 · closed 1994-02-28

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES

There is no summary currently available

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 1990 Chevrolet Cavalier as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.