Problems · by component

1999 Chevrolet Cavalier service brakes, hydraulic problems

46 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier cite service brakes, hydraulic, 19% of all 247 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
46
19% of all complaints
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE REAR BRAKES WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL MODULE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AND THE BRAKES WOULD BE CLEANED AND ADJUSTED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED AFTER THE REPAIRS AND THE ELECTRONIC TRACKING SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. THE TECHNICIAN REPLACED THE CRANK SHAFT SENSOR AND THE COMPUTER. THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 213,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 25, 2011Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10437230
“I BROUGHT A 1999 CHEVY CAVALIER IN DEC 08'. SINCE JAN 09' I HAVE BEEN HAVING SEVERE LOCKING OF THE REAR BRAKES. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO THREE DIFFERENT MECHANICS SO FAR AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSIST. CURRENTLY I AM UNABLE TO PASS A MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. AT ALL THREE FACILITIES I USED TO TRY AND REPAIR THIS PROBLEM I WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON AMONG GM VEHICLES. I HAVE SPENT AT LEAST APPROXIMATELY $600 DOLLARS ON THIS PROBLEM AND IT STILL PERSIST. THE MECHANICS THAT I HAVE TAKEN IT TO HAVE ADJUSTED THE BRAKES SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE REAR BRAKES ARE STILL LOCKING FOR WHAT SEEMS LIKE NO APPARENT REASON ALL THREE MECHANICS SAY THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY LOOKS GOOD BUT I AM STILL NOT ABLE TO PASS INSPECTION. I WAS TOLD AT THE MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION STATION THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL CAUSE ME TO FISH TAIL EITHER CAUSING INJURY TO PASSENGERS IN MY CAR OR POSSIBLY OTHERS. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 2, 2009Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10267545
“WELL, I HAVE A 1999 CHEVROLET CAVALIER, THE BASIC MODEL, NOTHING FANCY. THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF. I WAS TOLD IT WAS JUST THE LIGHT AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. THE FRONT END SHOOK, CAUSING THE WHOLE CAR TO VIBRATE, AND SOMETIMES CLICKED WHEN DRIVING ON THE ROAD. THE ONLY WAY I HAVE FOUND TO STOP IT WAS TO STEER THE WHEEL A BIT, BUT THAT MADE ME GO INTO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. THERE WAS NO REAR DEFROSTER, MAKING IT VERY HARD TIME TO SEE OUT OF THE BACK WINDOW WHEN IT WAS ALL FOGGED UP. WHEN I ATTEMPTING TO STOP SOMETIMES THE BRAKES TOOK A MINUTE TO START WORKING OR THEY JUST PULSATED, AND IT WAS HARD TO STOP FAST IF I HAD TO, I COULD GO ON AND ON SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THE CAR, BUT I THINK ONE GETS THE DRIFT ABOUT IT . WHEN I WENT TO THE RECALL PAGE THERE WERE MORE THINGS ON IT THEN I WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT, THE ONLY RECALLS I KNEW ABOUT WAS THE IGNITION, ,AND THE HOSE FOR THE COOLANT THE WAS LEAKING BECAUSE IT WAS RUBBING ON SOMETHING. WHEN I WENT TO GET THE IGNITION FIXED THEY DIDN'T TIGHTEN THE NUT ON THE STARTER AND I HAD TO SOMEONE ELSE DO IT. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT THE STARTER FAILED, BUT THEN I FOUND OUT IT WAS THE NUT WHICH WAS NOT TIGHTENED DOWN…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 17, 2007Suspension, Service brakes, hydraulic, VisibilityODI 10188117
“THE ANTILOCK BRAKES IN THE CONSUMER'S 1999 CAVALIER ACTIVATED AT LOW SPEEDS. *TS THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS PULLING IN AND OUT OF A DRIVEWAY, APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, WHILE DRIVING IN PARKING LOTS AND WHILE PARKING. THE ABS LIGHT BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE CONSUMER PULLS THE ABS FUSE TO DEACTIVATE THE SYSTEM. *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 21, 2006Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10151877
“BRAKE LIGHT AND ABS LIGHTS ARE ON. THE ABS MOTOR PACK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, AND WAS TOLD BY MECHANIC THAT THIS IS A FREQUENT PROBLEM. BAD MOTOR PACK DUE TO CORROSION IN GEARS IN MOTOR PACK. THIS CAUSES ABS TO "SHUT OFF" BUT ALSO FOR BRAKES TO DRAG, STICK, PREMATURE BREAK WEAR, AND WARPED ROTORS. MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS ISSUE. NEWER DESIGN OF MOTOR PACK CONSISTS OF ELECTRONIC SOLENOID. CHEVROLET NEEDS TO RECALL THIS. *NM”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 11, 2005Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10144925
“I OWN A 1999 CHEVY TAHOE THAT I HAD CALLED THE CHEVY SERVICE CENTER ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE BRAKING ON THE VEHICLE. AT THAT TIME THEY TOLD ME THERE WERE NO RECALLS OR OTHER COMPLAINTS ON FILE. I NOW READ ABOUT A RECALL THAT EXPLAINS THE SAME PROBLEMS I'VE HAD WITH MY VEHICLE SO I CALLED THE CHEVY SERVICE LINE AGAIN AND GAVE THEM THE FILE NUMBER THAT THEY GAVE ME WHEN I CALLED SEVERAL YEARS AGO. THEY DO NOT HAVE RECORD OF MY CALL OR FILE NUMBER ANY MORE. CHEVY TOLD ME BECAUSE I LIVE IN COLORADO INSTEAD OF ONE OF THE STATES THAT THE RECALL IS FOR, THAT IT DOES NOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE. I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT MY VEHICLE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THIS RECALL DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAD CALLED YEARS AGO TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE BRAKING SYSTEM AND DESCRIBED TO THEM WHAT THEY ARE NOW RECALLING OTHER VEHICLES FOR, ONLY IN DIFFERENT STATES. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 23, 2005Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10137464

Showing 6 of 46 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.