The Chevrolet Cavalier is a compact car built from 1981 to 2005 over 4 generations. Most were assembled in the United States — 94.9% of those on record. Between 1988 and 2005 it grew 5 cm longer and gained 83 kg. Engines offered: 4-cyl, V6. Worth buying? It depends heavily on which year you buy at 3.5/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).
What the Cavalier is
The Chevrolet Cavalier is a compact car that Chevrolet built from 1981 to 2005 — 25 model years. Our measurements put it at 4 generations, the current one starting in 1995. It has been offered with 4-cyl, V6 power. Its closest siblings in the Chevrolet range: Nova, Volt, Sonic.
Where the Cavalier is built
A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 3,424 Cavaliers on record.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United States | 1G1, 4G1, 161, 1GT | 1982-2005 | |
| Mexico | 3G1 | 1991-2004 |
Check your own: the first three characters of a Chevrolet VIN decide which of these 4 lines your Cavalier belongs to. What every character in a Cavalier VIN means →
Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Chevrolet Cavalier adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.
Cavalier generations, and what changed
These boundaries are not copied from a brochure — they fall out of the measurements. Where the Cavalier's length or wheelbase jumps between consecutive model years the platform changed: a facelift moves a bumper by centimetres, a new generation moves the whole car — for the Cavalier that gives 4 distinct generations below.
| Generation | Length | Wheelbase | Weight | vs previous | Weight change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982-1987 | 439 cm | 257 cm | - | - | - |
| 1988-1991 | 453 cm | 257 cm | 1083 kg | +14 cm | - |
| 1992-1994 | 463 cm | 257 cm | 1108 kg | +10 cm | +25 kg |
| 1995-2005 | 458 cm | 264 cm | 1166 kg | -5 cm | +58 kg |
Between 1988 and 2005 the Cavalier gained 5 cm in length (+1.1%) and 83 kg in weight (+7.7%). Cars did not so much grow as thicken — crash structures, airbags and equipment weigh more than the metal they replaced, and on the Cavalier that is 83 kg against 5 cm. Full dimensions by year →
Chevrolet Cavalier tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment Cavalier owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What engines does the Chevrolet Cavalier have? Power & range
The Chevrolet Cavalier is offered with 2 powertrains — 3.1L 6-cyl, 2.2L 4-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 2 for the Chevrolet Cavalier, against one or two on most rivals.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V6 | 3.1L · 6-cyl | Automatic 3-spd | FWD | Regular |
| 4-cyl | 2.2L · 4-cyl | Manual 5-spd | FWD | Regular |
Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
The Cavalier by the numbers
What the federal and market records say about the Chevrolet Cavalier. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.
| Topic | Cavalier | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 111 campaigns | NHTSA, all years |
| Owner complaints | 5,297 filed | What breaks and when |
| Reliability | 3.5 / 5 | Best and worst years |
| Used value | 59 listings | What it sells for now |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car is the Chevrolet Cavalier?
The Cavalier is a compact car, built from 1981 to 2005 across 4 generations. Engines offered: 4-cyl, V6.
Where is the Chevrolet Cavalier made?
Across 3,424 cars in our records the split is: the United States (94.9%), Mexico (5.1%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the plant's manufacturer and country — that is where these shares come from, not from a press release.
How many generations does the Cavalier have?
4 by our measurements, the latest starting in 1995. We draw the boundaries where length or wheelbase jumps between model years — a facelift moves a bumper, a new generation moves the whole car. Over its life the Cavalier grew 5 cm longer and gained 83 kg.
What is the Chevrolet Cavalier warranty?
New models carry 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.
Is the Cavalier reliable?
It scores 3.5/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.
How do I check a specific Cavalier?
This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.
More in Chevrolet
| Model | Years | Recalls | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet Silverado | 1999–2026 | 444 | 27 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Chevrolet Equinox | 2005–2026 | 64 | 109 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Chevrolet Camaro | 1981–2026 | 204 | 25 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Chevrolet Traverse | 2009–2026 | 75 | 23 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Chevrolet Tahoe | 1995–2026 | 169 | 24 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Chevrolet Corvette | 1981–2026 | 153 | 21 mpg | 4.0/5 |
Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.