Total Complaints
17 filings
CHEVROLET CAVALIER · model year
1983 CHEVROLET CAVALIER
17 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1983CHEVROLETCAVALIER carries 17 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1983 CAVALIER is vehicle speed control with 2 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition (2) and engine and engine cooling:engine (2). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 1983 CAVALIER, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
17
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE) | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20000522FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND FLAMES BEGAN TO COME FROM UNDER THE HOOD, THE PLASTIC OVERFLOW TANK WAS MELTED AND THE PLASTIC CAP MELTED. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT) NLM
19980308ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
#2 PISTON BROKE BETWEEN OIL RING SLOT AND COMPRESSION RING SLOT CAUSING ENGINE FAILURE.
19960425VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
PLASTIC VALVE MELTED/LODGED AGAINST THE THROTTLE PLATE, CAUSING LOSS OF ACCELERATOR CONTROL PRIOR TO RECALL, RECALL REPAIRS REFUSED.
19960425SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
MASTER CYLINDER REPLACED. *SD
19960425STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
POWER STEERING LEAKS. *SD
19960425POWER TRAIN
ODOMETER FRAUD. *SD
19960425ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
SPARK PLUGS REPLACED. *SD
19960425VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS. *SD
19960425CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING ACCIDENT. *SD
19960425FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL
FUEL LINE DEFECTIVE AFTER RECALL. *SD
19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE (EGR VALVE)
EGR SOLENOID REPLACED. *SD
19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
GASKETS REPLACED. *SD
19960425ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
BATTERY FAILURE. *SD
19960425ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
DEALER INSTALLED HARNESS UNDER HOOD. *SD
19960425ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGNITION WIRE REPLACED. *SD
19960425ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
ECM REPLACED DUE TO STALLING. *SD
19960425ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE LEAKS OIL ON BRAKE/ACCELERATOR PEDALS. *SD
Compare 1983CHEVROLETCAVALIER to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 2 Open
EA25007Engineering AnalysisOpen
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
PE23022Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
PE20016Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
EA20002Engineering AnalysisClosed
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
PE20011Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Fuel Line Leak
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1983 CHEVROLET CAVALIER have?▼
The 1983 CHEVROLET CAVALIER has 17 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1983 CHEVROLET CAVALIER?▼
The most-complained component for the 1983 CHEVROLET CAVALIER is VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE.
Is the 1983 CHEVROLET CAVALIER safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1983 CHEVROLET CAVALIER; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.