Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 18 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
JUST PURCHASED A 2002 CHEVY CAVALIER FOR OUR DAUGHTER AND HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND OUT IF ANY OF THE 5 RECALLS WERE PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE OR NOT. THE NHTSA RECALL PAGE ISN'T WORKING AT THIS TIME AND THE CHEVY LOCAL DEALERSHIP ISN'T WILLING TO HELP. CAN SOMEONE PLEASE PROVIDE SOME ASSISTANCE??
CAR WOULD JUST NOT TURN OVER. CAN NOT HEAR FUEL PUMP RUNNING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS WHEN A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REMOVED BY HIS INSURANCE COMPANY AND HE COULD NOT CONFIRM IF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED OR WHAT STARTED THE FIRE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,000. UPDATED EVOQ 06/08/10.*JB
THE ENGINE QUITS RUNNING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITHOUT ANY WARNING. AFTER PULLING OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD,THE ENGINE MAY RESTART IMMEDIATELY OR AFTER A FEW MINUTES. A TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THIS AS A FAULTY FUEL PUMP. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. A LOCAL MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT HIS FUEL PUMP FAILED AND HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING $500 TO REPAIR IT. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147,000.
MY 2002 CHEVY LOOKS LIKE IT NEEDS A FUEL PUMP. 3YEARS AGO I HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THE TOW SAID IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP AND I HAD THE FUEL FILTER CHANGED NOW SINCE THEN IT RAN OK. I STILL EXPERIENCED HESITATION BUT AFTER HEARING THE COMPLAINS. I WANT TO ADD MY CONCERN. *TR
2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD GONE OUT. *KB
WHOLE VEHICLE FILLED WITH GAS FUMES. CHECK GAUGES LIGHT WENT ON AND FUEL GAUGE FAILED IN IDLE. REPLACED FUEL PUMP AT DEALERSHIP AT A COST OF 770.72. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WITHOUT WARNING, THE VEHICLE LOOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE VEHICLE RESTARTS. THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE AND IT LOOSES POWER AGAIN. THIS CONTINUES UNTIL THE VEHICLE REACHES THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. NO OTHER REPAIRS HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED. UPDATED 02/21/06. *JB
MY CAR IS TWO AND A HALF YEARS OLD AND HAS A LOT OF HIGHWAY MILES. I HAD 80,000 MILES ON THE CAR (I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LOG WELL OVER 220,000 MILES ON PAST CARS OVER 5-6 YEARS DUE TO HIGHWAY MILEAGE). ONE NIGHT WHILE DRIVING HOME THE "TRAC-OFF" LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND THE CAR WOULD OCCASIONALLY LOSE SPEED. EVENTUALLY THE TRAC OFF LIGHT STAYED ON THE CAR BEGAN TO DIE OUT ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROLE. AS A RESULT I HAD MY CAR TOWED IN AND THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. TOTAL COSTS WERE WELL OVER $800.00. I WROTE TO GM BUT WAS REJECTED ON REIMBURSEMENT. THE FUEL PUMP PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM AS I'VE LOOKED AT COMPLAINTS THE FIRESTONE AUTO REPAIR CENTER SAID THE DESIGN/PLACEMENT OF THE FUEL PUMP HAS CAUSED THEM TO BURN OUT. *NM
CONSUMER STATED FUEL FILLER NECK DEVELOPED A BLOCKAGE. AS A RESULT, WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO FILL HE VEHICLE FUEL LEAKED ONTO THE GROUND. *AK
WHEN DRIVING, CAN SMELL COOLANT AND SEE GREASY FILM ON WINDSHIELD. WHICH MAKES ALL OCCUPANTS THIRSTY. (THIS WAS EVEN BEFORE IT HIT MORE THAN A HUNDRED MILES) OVERFLOW COMPARTMENT FOR COOLANT STARTED OVERFLOWING AND LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE KEEPS MOVING AROUND, AND STAYS ABOVE NORMAL MOST OF THE TIME. WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR JUST DIED OUT ON ME, I RESTARTED THE CAR AND MOVED OFF THE BUSY HIGHWAY. WITH ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER SHOP BUT WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE HEAT SENSOR WAS OUT AS WELL AS THE THERMOSTAT. THE GAUGE CONTINUED TO MOVE UP AND DOWN. I HAD A FUEL PUMP REPLACED BUT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE PART. THIS WAS ALL IN THE COURSE OF THREE MONTHS. *JB
FRONT ROTORS WARPED PREMATURELY, ABOUT EVERY 10000 MILES. GRINDING NOISE HEARD AT LOW SPEEDS, WHETHER IN GEAR OR COASTING & NOT BRAKE RELATED. PREMATURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING ENGINE TO SHUT OFF. *AK
CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED, THEN STOPPED. HE WAS UNABLE TO GET IT RESTARTED. THEN, CALLED THE DEALER/MECHANIC, WHO SENT SOMEONE TO PICK UP CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS LATER CALLED, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE FUEL SENDING UNIT. CONSUMER INSISTED THAT THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS TOO NEW. ALSO, CONSUMER COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BECAUSE THE TRAFFIC WAS STILL FLOWING AT NORMAL SPEED WHEN VEHICLE STOPPED SUDDENLY.*AK CONSUMER WAS IN THE LEFT LANE PREPARING TO MAKE A TURN WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. LUCKILY, HE WAS ABLE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND TURN ON HIS HAZARD LIGHTS. *PH
THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAD ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE SERVICE. *JB
FUEL GAUGE FAILURE, READS FULL WHEN FUEL TANK IS ON EMPTY. THIS RESULTS IN VEHICLE STALLING OUT WHILE DRIVING. CAUSE UNKNOWN.*AK
TRANSMISSION NOISE/IDLE PROBLEM. I HAVE TWO MAJOR COMPLAINTS ABOUT MY CAVALIER FIRST: THE 5SP MANUAL TRANSMISSION. I'VE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION 5 TIMES, AND THE IDEL 4 TIMES. WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR IT HAD A HIGH PITCHED NOISE IN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR. I TOOK THE CAR BACK THE FIRST WEEKEND I OWNED IT TO HAVE IT CHECKED. DEALER COULDN'T DIAGNOSE. I TOOK THE CAR BACK A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER. THEY HEARD THE NOISE AND SAID IT WAS THE EXHAUST. THEY PUT A NEW EXHAUST SYSTEM ON IT. NEEDLESS TO SAY IT DID NOT FIX IT. I TOOK THE CAR BACK AGAIN A FEW MONTHS LATER, THEY SAID IT WAS SYNCHRONIZERS. TSB 02-07-29-001 SERVICED. AGAIN, THE CAR WAS NOT FIXED. BUT THIS TIME CHEVY TOLD ME IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO THAT. (WHY ON EARTH WOULD THEY REPLACE PARTS, AND DO THE TSB IF IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO THAT) THEY TOLD ME I COULD GET A SECOND OPINION, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY THE SERVICING DEALERSHIP OUT OF POCKET. SECOND: I'VE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS 4 TIMES. WHEN DRIVING IN BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC. I HAVE TO SLIGHTLY REV THE GAS TO LET THE CLUTCH OUT TO MAKE THE CAR MOVE. THE IDLE WILL STICK. I'VE HAD IT STICK ANYWHERE FROM 2500RPM - 4000RPM. (THE LINKAGE/PEDEL DOSEN'T STICK BUT SOMETHING WITHIN THE COMPUTER, OR FI IS NOT RIGHT. DEALERS DIAGNOSIS "COMPUTER CONTROLS THE IDLE" "NO CODES" "NO PROBLEM". NOTHING FURTHER WAS DONE. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED ME TO ALMOST REAR END OTHER CARS ON MULTIPLE OCCASSIONS NOW OTHER THAN THESE PROBLEMS I'VE ALSO HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE STARTER. IT WORKS 99% OF THE TIME CORRECTLY. OTHER TIMES IT GRINDS, SOMETIMES DISENGAGES, TURNS OFF, AND SOUNDS LIKE A DEAD BATTERY. THE DEALER ALSO CAN'T FIND THIS PROBLEM EITHER.
WHEN REFUELING VEHICLE IT DOES NOT ALLOW FUEL TO GO IN THE TANK. FUEL WILL SPILL ALL OVER CONSUMER. CONTACTED DEALER, AND THE DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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