4 Star Reviews for 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier

Overview & Reviews

Average Score

4.09/5 Average
70 Total Reviews
This Year's Model Updates:

The 2.4 twin-cam engine benefits from reliability, emissions and fuel economy enhancements, and new front brake linings increase pad life. Minor interior and exterior revisions have been made, and Fern Green Metallic and Sandrift Metallic replace Bright Aqua and Deep Purple on the paint chart.

Pros:
  • Affordably priced and roomy enough for a family of four. Z24 is a stylish, speedy, low-buck sport coupe.
Cons:
  • You get what you pay for in terms of comfort and convenience.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 70.00
  • Freakin sweet - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
    By -

    Bought this car off of a friend for 500 bones as a beater car (I hate car loans! never again!) to get to work and back. Got the car at 230,000 miles, now have 245,000 and still runs like a champ! Starts funny, struts are messed up, but still runs great like the first day we signed the title over. Ive owned a 2002 camry and got less value off of that than my little cavy. That Toyota was junk, go GM!

  • Mostly reliable for 10 years - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
    By -

    Reliable car for ten years, but then the car started overheating when idling even though the thermostat and radiator have been replaced. A small oil leak later occurred at the rear of the engine. An AC hose near the firewall was designed poorly because it created a hole due to rubbing on another part. The side window motor failed. Otherwise no other major parts have been replaced. A previous inspection showed the code for a transmission problem but it works fine. There is no body rust and the original exhaust system is still used. The top is in good shape. Although the body is in good shape, I was hoping to get more mileage out of the car.

  • Good little car! - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
    By -

    I have had this car for 6 years now and I just loved it. I had to replace starter, alternator, battery 2x, struts, and other basic repairs most of which were under warranty at the time. The engine started to burn oil a little over a year ago, but Ive never had any major problems. Its got some get up and go and has been pretty reliable. It has 177k on it and now its showing signs of expensive repairs to come. It wears brakes and rotors pretty bad, and now needs new shocks in the rear, and just replaced another strut. It was really great in the beginning, but with age comes problems. Not a bad car for a young person and they are fairly inexpensive.

  • Gave me some good years. - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
    By -

    But not sad to see it go. Just traded this car in for a new 2010 Mazda3. Honestly, I must have had a runt of the litter, because I have no idea how people are getting ~30 MPG out of this car. I was getting about 19 MPG (combined highway/city) pretty consistently out of it for the last 3-4 years, thats not great. The functional component themselves (engine, transmission, brakes, etc.) held up great over the long haul, but the interior comfort and cosmetics have broken down pretty bad over the life of the car. It was a good car, but it was time for it to go.

  • Somewhat ordinary, but very reliable car - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
    By -

    We bought our 1999 Cavalier in 2000 when it was just over a year old. Its been a very reliable car. We now have 146,000 miles on it and it still gets us where we want to go without any problems. We just replaced the transmission this year at 141k miles, but other than that no major problems in ten years! I find the car somewhat boring to look at and drive, but with reliability like this who can complain!

  • 224,000 miles and just getting started - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
    By -

    I acquired this car from my son after turning my 4 door car over to my children for their family use. I immediately noticed the 35 mpg plus highway gas mileage with the 4 speed automatic transmission. The air is ice cold in the summer & very warm in the winter. Visibility, ride & handling is very good. This car runs all day at highway speed, uses no oil or has any fluid leaks. Replacement parts are inexpensive. This is truly the most reliable, least cost per mile vehicle ive ever owned. At 300,000 miles I may change the transmission fluid for the first time. I cant imagine any foreign vehicle delivering this value.

  • high mileage review - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
    By -

    I now have 220,000 miles on my 1999 cavalier rally sport. It is still a daily driver with no fluid leaks or problems. It has the original exhaust & fuel deliver systems. The 4 speed automatic works perfectly & the car delivers 33 to 35 MPG routinely. The heat & air conditioning systems are also very good. This vehicle will beat the reliability of any toyota or honda. At 300,000 miles I may treat it to a transmission fluid change.

  • Slow but steady wins the race - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
    By -

    I have been driving this car for over 10 years without any problems. It has 180,000 miles on it and no major repairs. Replaced exhaust due to rust, but I live in the snow belt so lots of road salt. An edging of rust just starting along the bottom of the doors. With Nokia tires I have driven this car thru blizzards and floods. As a single mom, I need reliability. It has never left me stranded. It is a no-frills version, so there were no gadgets to breakdown. Still gets 30 mpg and the interior still looks like new. Seats have been very durable. I dont think you can go wrong buying a used Cavalier if you are looking for basic transportation. This has been the best car!

  • Good Buy - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
    By -

    Good overall car. When I purchased this car it had all original parts except the radio (this was a good sign). The bad news was once I bought it some of the 10 year old parts broke. I had the computer system fail ($300), then the drive pulley ($200) then the slave cylinder broke (the clutch was also replaced since the it is so hard to get to it was worth doing it at the time, $700). Overall the car drives great. With regular oil changes and tune ups I think Ill get another 100k miles out of this car.

  • Fun economy convertible - 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier
    By -

    I bought this car new. I had to take it back three times to have them fix the wind noise. They finally figured out that they had to adjust the rear window stop so it would fit flush with the front window. Ride is quite harsh, you feel all the bumps, but engine is peppy. Power top works easily. Could have used overdrive gear for better fuel economy.

Chevrolet Cavalier Reviews By Year:
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