1990 Chevrolet Cavalier Recalls
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
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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
“Tread serarated from tire while traveling 40mph. *ak”
“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”
“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.…”
“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.…”
Defect investigations
STICKING THROTTLE
There is no summary currently available
ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
There is no summary currently available
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.