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EnginePart report

1999 Chevrolet Cavalier Engine Problems

Complaints
3about this part
Share
1%of 240 total for the year
Median mileage
160,000miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 3 complaints about the engine of the 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier, 1% of the 240 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 160,000 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“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. …”

NHTSA complaint #11015464, filed 2017-08, 198,000 miles

“Engine shakes when first started n when idling, but not when driving. Hoses n belts r not in good shape. Not sure about the air bags but seen on this site that there was a problem. I have seen that there are or where, quit a few recalls that were not taken care of. Especially safety ones.”

NHTSA complaint #11242805, filed 2019-08, 54 miles

“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”

NHTSA complaint #11005891, filed 2017-07, 160,000 miles

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
200510%
200472%
200341%
200131%
200041%
199931%
199810%
199741%
199610%

Other parts of the 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier

Brakes
51 complaints
Electrical system
47 complaints
Engine cooling
44 complaints
Steering
31 complaints
Air bags
24 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
20 complaints
Fuel system
17 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
15 complaints
Exterior lighting
11 complaints
Suspension
11 complaints
Vehicle speed control
11 complaints
Other or unknown
9 complaints

← All problems reported for the 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology