Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier. The contact stated that in 2005 when she made a right turn at 15 MPH, the steering wheel made a clicking noise and began to vibrate. The failure continued to occur. There were no warning lights that would allude to the cause of failure. The contact also noticed that the steering wheel would unlock and turn involuntarily when it was supposed to be locked. The fuel gauge was also defective. She also noticed that the lights on the instrument panel, and headlights, were also faulty. The bulbs in the left rear turn signal and brake light burned out and melted after they were used three to four times. The contact called the local dealer to ask about related recalls and was informed that there were no open recalls for her vehicle; however, the contact found eight recalls for her year, make and model vehicle. …
I was on my way to my dentist appointment, suddenly a hissing noise came from the car.all of the dashboard lights came on and I knew I was in trouble.I was on a busy intersection in the city.I had to act in a split second and steer quickly off of the nearest side ride.the steering wheel was locking up.I had just enough power to get safely off of the street in time and to keep from getting hit from behind.I was in motion on a city street.the car was trouble from day one.I believe it was a flooded out car sold to the unsuspectithat unsuspecting person was me.I got suckered out of over $2400. I have paid for at least 2 new cars with the money I have spent on this lemon.by the way the shady owner don't feel responsible at all for scamming my money out of me.
Takata recall: fuel gage nas never worked since being bought, turn signals ( both right and left) barely worked when bought and went out completly the next day, power steering locks up occasionally and and cant turn wheel,shift gear linkages will only shift manually under the hood, car will die or struggle to continue running unless foot is always pushing on gas, engine occassionally backfires, and not quite sure if the fuel pump is working properly or gone out
When exiting the freeway after driving approximately 30 minutes, the Cavalier quit running at the top of the ramp. This was at evening rush hour and several cars were behind, trying to exit. I could not restart the vehicle. Cars were honking as I was in the lane and could not get out of the way. We had the vehicle towed. We had the entire fuel pump/sender unit replaced. Vehicle then seemed to operate okay, but two days later after driving on the freeway again, the exact same problem occurred. This was morning rush hour and the exit lane on the off-ramp had no shoulder... Cars were coming quickly up the ramp and I was nearly hit more than once, even with my hazard lights on. Towed vehicle again. Told that it was a fuse. Replaced fuse and took vehicle again. Same problem happened a third time. I replaced fuse. Took to dealer who said that wire was loose from fuel pump replacement. …
To make a long story short, my car started smoking through the ac vents one day and I described this to a Chevy 800 # rep and he said that it was covered under recall # 04002 ignition circuit thermal events. I take it to the dealer, they said they fixed it. I go to pick it up and the burned wires under the dash were not replaced, the theft system light was still on and the car still would not shut off even with the key out of the ignition. I called the 800# back and told him I was given the run around and now this guy claims that he never told me that the damage to my car was not covered under the recall and that it would have to come out of pocket. This is ridiculous. The description of the recall fits exactly what happened with my car and now they are trying to get away with not fixing my car. I want it fixed! …
I purchase a used 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier from a Chevrolet dealer in hamilton nj. Since the time of purchase in late 2001, the car has been in service many times for the windows and locks not working among other things, and has had three driver's side window regulators replaced. Each time I was told a new regulator was put in. When I questioned the quality of the regulators, the dealer told me my complaint was with GM and not them because they get their parts from GM. How can the window regulators be "bad" three times in less than a year? Besides the windows, I've had problems with automatic locks not working and the drivers side door not closing. The car is still under warranty but what happens when the warrenty expires and I need yet another window regulator? …
The high beams and day time running lights fail intermittenly. The wires rubbed underneath the battery tray. (found corroded splices in the harness under the battery tray) the running light indicator on the dashboard was off again and the high beam indicator was always on when the headlight switch was in either position. The problem with the running lights was yet another corroded and shorted out a wire form the electrical harness. (found wiring c101 corroded and circuit 1200 at c101 was repaired) the check engine light was not caused by a bad sensor, but another bad wire leading to a sensor. (found wiring to the vent solenoid bad) there was a loud clunk noise in the rear when hitting large bumps due to worn rear strut mounts.
Two issues left consumer stranded in 1999 2.2l Chevrolet Cavalier catastrophic failure of input shaft/input drum assembly on 3t40 transmission, left operator without any forward or reverse drive gears while drive was engaged and rolling. Managed to avoid crash. Remedy was replacement of transmission with remanufactured transmission. Incipient worsening of starting times. Poor factory ECM calibration in all or most 1999 2.2l cavaliers can leave operator stranded in warm starting condition. Results in poor initial running and large amount of unburned hydroarbons released to atmosphere. A technical brochure exists to remedy the situation, but no recall. Dealer wants $90 to reprogram ECM.
Dt: the consumer was complaining about electrical problems for 3 years. The car has been to the dealer once and to a repair shop 4 or 5 times for electrical problems. The dealership installed a wiring harness kit, and that did not correct the problem. The consumer called the manufacturer, and they would not refund her any money. The consumer received NHTSA recall 04V036000 concerning electrical switch. The consumer has had the recall work done. The vehicle is a 1999, Chevrolet Cavalier. Speed was not a factor in the vehicle. Updated 01/04/06. Updated
Tl contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier. When the contact attempted to start the vehicle, it would not start; however, the instrument panel indicators illuminated. There were no prior warning indicators before the electric system failed. NHTSA campaign id number 04V036000 (electrical system:ignition:switch) was referenced. The contact was advised to replace the ignition switch first and then the dealer would complete the rest of the safety recall repair. The current mileage was 112,319 and failure mileage was 112,019.
Related recalls
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
On certain passenger vehicles. If the engine fails to start and the driver holds the key in the "start" position for an extended period, high current flows through the ignition switch, and sometimes produces enough heat to melt internal switch parts.
Remedy: Dealers will install a relay kit in these vehicles to prevent high current from flowing through the ignition switch, and check that your car will start with a properly charged battery and, if necessary, replace the…
Electrical complaints in other Cavalier years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier?
NHTSA has 47 complaints about the electrical system of the 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier, 20% of the model year's 240 complaints. The component named most often is ignition › switch (8 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier electrical problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 04V-036 (switch, Jan 27, 2004). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 1 injury to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.