2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND SUDDENLY THE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR. THE CONTACT DOWNSHIFT AND ENGAGED THE PARKING BRAKE. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP AND WAS DRIVEN TO HIS RESIDENCE WITH CAUTION. THE CONTACT DETECTED THAT THE REAR BRAKE LINE HAD COMPLETELY RUSTED. THE BRAKE LINE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 104,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Mileage: 104,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS FRONT BRAKES WERE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT AFTER 10,000 MILES. IN ADDITION, THE HYDRAULIC BRAKES CONTINUED TO LOCK ON THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING IN FORWARD OR REVERSE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS THAT INDICATED THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT THE WARNING INDICATOR SYSTEM ALSO FAILED. THE DEALER INSTALLED AN ATS LIGHTING SYSTEM TO ENSURE THE WARNING PANEL WOULD ILLUMINATE IF THERE WERE ANY FURTHER FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS LESS THAN 65,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 76,500. UPDATED 02/10/09. *LJ THE DEALER REPLACED THE ABS SENSOR LIGHT. UPDATED 02/11/09. *JB

Mileage: 65,000

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE BRAKES LOCK WHEN THE CONTACT DRIVES OVER A BUMP IN THE ROAD. HE WOULD HAVE TO PUMP THE BRAKES IN ORDER FOR THEM TO UNLOCK. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A SPRING IN THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE THAT CAUSED THE BRAKES TO LOCK. THE SPRING WOULD TRIP A SENSOR ON THE DASH AND THE VEHICLE WOULD STOP. THE DEALER IS REPAIRING THE FAILURE AND IS ALSO INSTALLING AN ABS SENSOR LIGHT FOR THE BRAKES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000. UPDATED 02/05/09 *BF UPDATED 02/0909. *JB

Mileage: 76,000

AT APPROXIMATELY 30000 MILES MY CAR WOULD SHAKE OR BOUNCE, SOMETIMES VIOLENTLY, WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE CHECKED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED, THOUGH THE PADS WERE OK. THE ROTORS WERE TURNED AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS UNTIL THE PROBLEM RETURNED. AGAIN THE ROTORS WERE TURNED, AND THIS TIME THE PADS REPLACED. BUT A FEW MONTHS LATER THE PROBLEM RETURNED YET AGAIN. NOW THE ROTORS HAVE TO BE REPLACED, AS WELL AS THE PADS. A CO-WORKER SAID HE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM ON HIS 2002 CAVALIER. HE WAS TOLD AT A CHEVY DEALERSHIP THAT THE ROTORS WERE TOO SMALL ON THE CAR AND WARPED EASILY DUE TO THIS DEFECT. THIS SEEMS TO ME TO BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE SINCE ROTORS THAT ARE TOO SMALL MAY CAUSE A BRAKE FAILURE. *JB

THE BRAKE ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED FIVE TIMES IN THE LAST THREE YEARS DUE TO DEFECT.*AK *BF *NM

Mileage: 12,000

SINCE PURCHASING MY 2002 CAVALIER I HAVE HAD TO HAVE MY ROTORS TURNED (2) TIMES AND THEY ARE IN NEED OF IT AGAIN (THIRD TIME). I HAVE ONLY PUT 39450 MILES ON MY CAR AND AFTER THE SECOND TIME I BEGAN TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT BRAKING FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME. I HAVE BEEN DOWNSHIFTING WHEN GOING DOWN HILLS INSTEAD OF APPLYING MY BRAKES. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY THIS IS OCCURRING SO FREQUENTLY. I HAVE ONLY HAD TO REPLACE MY DISC BRAKES ONE TIME. I HAVE NEVER HAD A VEHICLE IN WHICH I HAD TO HAVE THE ROTORS TURNED SO FREQUENTLY. ESPECIALLY SINCE APPROX 10000 MILES ARE HIGHWAY MILES WHERE VERY LITTLE BRAKING OCCURS. *JB

Mileage: 17,350

SINCE PURCHASING MY 2002 VEHICLE I HAVE HAD TO ALREADY PUT A NEW BATTERY, NEW ALTERNATOR, NEW TIRES (ACCEPTABLE) TWO SETS OF BRAKES AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STILL IS ON AND NO ONE CAN FIND OUT WHY SO THEREFORE I CAN'T GET AN INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE UNTIL LIGHT IS OFF. HELP. *NM

WHEN BRAKING CONSUMER HEARD A GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR BRAKES. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Mileage: 6,000

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES STEERING BECAME HARD TO CONTROL. AS RESULT, VEHICLE SLED INTO A POLE. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED DUE TO THE DAMAGE. ALSO, DUAL AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. *AK

Mileage: 46,000

I HAVE ALREADY REPORTED A COMPLAINT TO GENERAL MOTORS AND HAVE A FILE #. I WARNED THEM AND EXPERIENCED MYSELF THAT THE ABS WERE DANGEROUS AND I WAS EXPOSED TO NEAR ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THE BRAKES FREEZING AND SKIDDING WHEN HITTING A BUMP OR PATCH OF ICE. THE BRAKES SKID AND DO NOT STOP. THIS COMPLAINT WAS PUT IN OVER SIX MONTHS AGO. NOW MY DAUGHTER WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. SHE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT THE BRAKES SKIDDING AND NOT STOPPING. *JB

CONSUMER WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A ROTOR PROBLEM DUE TO HIS DRIVING HABIT. *LA *CB

Mileage: 18,329

FRONT ROTORS WARPED PREMATURELY, ABOUT EVERY 10000 MILES. GRINDING NOISE HEARD AT LOW SPEEDS, WHETHER IN GEAR OR COASTING & NOT BRAKE RELATED. PREMATURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING ENGINE TO SHUT OFF. *AK

Mileage: 10,000

CHARGED 165.00 FOR A SERVICE THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *JB

CONSUMER NOTICED VEHICLE SHOWED PREMATURE WEAR OF BRAKING SYSTEM . BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES.*AK

MY ROTORS WERE FIRST CHECKED APPROXIMATELY MARCH 2003 WHEN I COMPLAINED OF THEM CAR SHAKING WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE CAR HAD APPROXIMATELY30,000 MILES AT THE TIME. THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR STATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE TURNED WHICH I AGREED BUT SAID IT WAS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX AND I WOULD PROBABLY BE BACK. SO IN JULY 2003, AT APPROXIMATELY 35,000 MILES, I RETURNED COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME THING. AT THIS TIME, THEY WERE TWO THIN TO BE "TURNED" AND I NEED NEW ONES. WHICH I HAD TO COMPLAIN IN ORDER TO GET NEW ONES BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TO CHARGE ME FOR THEM. (SEPTEMBER 2003) A FRIEND OF MINE BOUGHT A 2003 CAVALIER WHICH THEY HAVE HAD APPROXIMATELY 5 MONTHS WITH 20,000 MILES AND THEY HAD TO HAVE THEIR ROTORS TURNED ALREADY. THEY COMPLAINED TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET THEM FIXED AT THE DEALER AND THE SAME DEALER AS MINE SAID THEY COULDN'T DO NOTHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE SHE TOOK IT TO ANOTHER PLACE BUT THEY WOULD HAVE REPLACED THEM. SHE TOLD THEM THAT AS SOON AS THEY WERE SHAKING AGAIN THAT THEY WOULD BRING IT IN FOR NEW ROTORS. PLUS I HAVE HEARD OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT ROTORS ON CAVALIERS AFTER I BOUGHT MINE CONCERNING BRAKES. THEY NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS - RECALL!!!*AK

CAR SHAKES WHEN APPLYING BRAKES, TOOK THE CAR TO REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THE BRAKES CHECKED OUT. HE STATED THAT HE ROTORS USED ARE TOO THIN ,AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT HE CAN DO TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. ROTATING THEM WILL BE ONLY A TEMPORAY SOLUTION. HIS ADVISE WAS THAT I SHOULD TAKE IT TO THE DEALER AND COMPLAIN.*AK

Mileage: 13,000

AT 13,000 MILES MY CAR WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE DEALER SAID THE ROTORS WERE WARPED, THE DEALER TURNED THEM AND THE SHAKING STOPPED. THE DEALER SAID THIS COMPONENT WAS ONLY WARRANTED FOR 12,000 MILES, BUT REPAIRED THE CAR AT NO COST. AT ABOUT 26,000 MILES THE CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE AGAIN WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC SAID THE ROTORS WERE AGAIN WARPED, BUT THEY COULD NOT BE TURNED BECAUSE THIS WOULD MAKE THEM TOO THIN. HE RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE ROTORS WITH AN AFTER MARKET SET DUE TO THE FACT THE GM ROTORS SEEM TO WARP PREMATURELY.*JB

Mileage: 13,000

WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THERE IS A GRINDING AND A FLAPPING NOISE. CAUSE IS UNKNOWN. THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PH *TT

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES AT ANY SPEED REAR BRAKES SQUEAL. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*JB...*AK

WHILE DRIVING ABS FAILED, CAUSING A MAJOR ACCIDENT.*AK. CONSUMER STATED HE WAS TRAVELING ON A DRY STREET, THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM BRAKED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN AND WHEN HE ATTEMPTED TO APPLY THE BRAKES, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE, TO AVOID A COLLISON, CONSUMER DOWN SHIFTED TO 3RD GEAR, NOTICING THE ABS LIGHT WAS LIT, CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE INTO A PRIVATE FRONT YARD STRIKING A LARGE ROCK, THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE FRONT TIRE, WHEEL, HUB CAB, RIGHT PASSENGER DOOR, BUMPER, FENDER, ROCKER PANEL, THERE WERE NO INJURIES. *JB

WHILE DRIVING ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STALL OUT AND DIE . AFTER INSPECTION OF VEHICLE, DEALER DETERMINED THAT SPACES BEHIND FIREWALL WERE OMITTED DURING MANFACTURING. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

WHILE DRIVING ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STOP. AFTER INSPECTIING VEHICLE, DEAELR DETERMINED THAT SPACE BEHIND THE FIREWALL WAS OMITTED DURING MANUFACTURING. *AK