CHEVROLET CAVALIER · model year

1984 CHEVROLET CAVALIER

10 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports. 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 1984CHEVROLETCAVALIER carries 10 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 0 fires, 4 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 1984 CAVALIER is suspension:front with 1 filings, followed by power train:driveline:constant velocity joint (1) and power train:automatic transmission (1). 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 1984 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.

10
Complaints
3
Crashes
0
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

10 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SUSPENSION:FRONT1
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR1
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY1
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER1

Recent Complaints

20010123SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

THE DRIVERS SEAT LOCK IS EXPERIENCING RECALL (84V011) PROBLEMS. NLM

19990722CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

THE VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM THE REAR AND IN TURN, HIT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF IT, AND THE REAR LAP BELT BROKE AT THE BUCKLE. DEALER HAS NOT SEEN VEHICLE. *AK

19980820ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

HEAD GASKET FAILS EVERY 11,000 AND 12,000 MILES AFTER REPLACEMENT. DEALERS NOTED PROBLEM IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR OF THIS VEHICLE. *AK

19970624FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY

THE GAS LINE IS LEAKING AND THE LINES ARE CORRODED. DEALER SUPPOSE TO BE TRYING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BY PUTTING DOUBLE CLAMPS ON THE LINES. THIS IS A SAFTY RELATED PROBLEM. THE GAS THAT IS LEAKING COULD START A FIRE . *AK

19960530STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP

THE POWER STEERING PUMP IS CAUSING ERRATIC TURNING SITUATIONS. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK

19950712CrashSEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

DRIVER'S SEAT BELT DID NOT LOCK UP, RESULTING IN DRIVER HITTING THE WINDSHIELD TWICE. *AK

19950615POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AT 22,000 AND IS GOING OUT AGAIN/ VEHICLE OFTEN JOLT WHEN SHIFTING GEARS. *AK

19950615POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER

REPLACED TORQUE CONVERTER. *AK

19950420CrashSUSPENSION:FRONT

VEHICLE SWERVED OUT OF CONTROL, RESULTING IN ACCIDENT AND INJURIES. *SKD

19950420POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT

CV JOINT CRACKED.

Compare 1984CHEVROLETCAVALIER to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1984 CHEVROLET CAVALIER have?
The 1984 CHEVROLET CAVALIER has 10 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 0 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1984 CHEVROLET CAVALIER?
The most-complained component for the 1984 CHEVROLET CAVALIER is SUSPENSION:FRONT with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:CONSTANT VELOCITY JOINT and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 1984 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 1984 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.