Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 47 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.
The 25 most recent of 47, in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE COULD BE RESTARTED AND THE VEHICLE FUNCTION NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,914 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,914.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, IT MADE A LOUD POPPING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 41,000.
MY SON WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT AND AS HE DESCRIBES IT, EVERYTHING BUT THE RADIO WENT DEAD ALL BY ITSELF (THE ENGINE DIED AND THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES). OBVIOUSLY THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS THE CURRENT RECALLS. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE CAR ISN'T ON THE LIST. I'VE COMPLAINED TO CHEVY AND AM GETTING THE RUNAROUND BY MULTIPLE MEMBERS OF THEIR "CONSUMER SUPPORT TEAM" (WE'VE ASSIGNED YOU A SERVICE REQUEST NUMBER BUT I AM TO WAIT UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN AND THEN BRING IT IN "SO WE COULD START REVIEWING ON YOUR CASE"). I TOOK IT TO MY OWN MECHANIC AND HE RAN A BUNCH OF TESTS BUT COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE THE CAR TO DIE. *TR
WENT TO START CAR TO GO TO STORE AND IT WOULD NOT START. LUCKILY IT WAS AT HOME WHEN IT DECIDED TO STOP WORKING. TOWED TO GARAGE AND THEY SAID IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. THE GARAGE REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND IT FIXED THE NO START ISSUE. I HAD NO IDEA THAT THIS WAS THE PROCESS TO START A RECALL INVESTIGATION OR I WOULD HAVE SAID LONG AGO. THERE HAS BEEN LOTS OF RECALLS LATELY ON GM AND THIS SAME CAVALIER DECIDED NOT TO START TWICE AFTER THE FUEL PUMP, ONCE IN 2011 WAS THE TIMING CHAIN THEN AGAIN DECEMBER 2012 THAT I STILL HAVE TO DIAGNOSE WHICH LED ME TO RESEARCH RECALLS. EACH TIME THE CAR STOPPED WORKING LUCKILY IT WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY EACH AND EVERY TIME. THE TIMING CHAIN THERE WAS SOME WARNING, IT WOULD SOMETIMES BUCK, OTHER TIMES IT WAS FUSSY ON STARTING AND IT WOULD STALL AT STOP LIGHTS. I WILL REPORT A NEW ISSUE IF I CAN FIND OUT THE 3RD UNKNOWN 2012 ISSUE. *TR
WAS IN THE FAST LANE AND CAR SHUT OFF AND TRIED TO RESTART BUT IT WOULD NOT. WAS STUCK IN THE ROAD CARS HONKING CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. *TR
WAS AT A STOP LIGHT AND CAR JUST KONKED OUT AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. I TRIED AND TRIED BUT TO NO AVAIL. HAD TO PUSH IT INTO A GAS STATION ABOUT 100 YARDS, NOT EASY AS A 50 YEAR OLD FEMALE (NO ONE STOPPED TO HELP ME, JUST SPED BY). I HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON-LINE THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN HABITUAL PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL. IT ONLY HAS 71,000 MILES ON IT AND I JUST PURCHASED THE FIRST PART OF 2012???? WHAT IS UP? THIS MANY PROBLEMS SHOULD HAVE INVOLVED A RECALL! *TR
I HAVE A 2003 CHEVY CAVALIER STALLS : CHANGED THE FUEL PUMP , PRESSURE SOLENOID SWITCH ,TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH SOLENOID .TIRED OF THIS AND NO ONE DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT STILL STALLS AND ALL EVERYONE CAN DO IS GUESS AT WHAT IT IS I HATE MY CAVALIER THE LAST THREE YEARS I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER GOT THAT FIXED AFTER THREE CONVERTERS HELP. *TR
I AM THE OWNER OF A 2003 CHEVY CAVALIER AND I HAVE 2 COMPLAINTS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLS AS THERE ARE MANY WITH THE SAME 2 PROBLEMS, FIRST EVERY GAUGE IN MY CAR QUIT WORKING NO RPM, NO GAS GUAGE AND NO SPEEDOMETER. SECOND EVER SINCE I BOUGHT MY CAR FOR NO REASON AT ALL IT WOULD JUST STALL AT REDLIGHTS WHEN I WOULD TAKE OFF, DEALER SAID NO PROBLEM, I HAVE NEARLY WRECKED MANY TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS, THE LATEST WAS TODAY I HAVE READ MANY FORUMS THAT SAY THEY FOUND OUT IT WAS THE FAULTY PLASTIC FUEL PUMP, WHY NO RECALL THIS IS GOING TO GET SOMEONE KILLED. *KB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING OR AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WITHOUT INCIDENT WHENEVER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, BUT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN ALMOST ONE YEAR LATER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000. UPDATED 5/2/11 *CN UPDATED 05/13/11
ABS, TRAC OFF AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS STAY ON. THERE IS A TSB ON THIS BUT SINCE IT AFFECTS BRAKE OPERATION THIS SHOULD BE A MANDATORY RECALL. *TR
I WAS DRIVING MY CAVALIER TO PICK UP MY WIFE. AS I APPROACHED AN INTERSECTION, THE SYSTEM COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AND I COULD NOT RESTART THE CAR. I WAS ABLE TO STOP AT THE BEGINNING OF A LEFT TURN LANE AND PUT MY HAZARDS ON. WITH THE HELP OF MY PASSENGER AND A POLICE OFFICER, WE MOVED THE CAR ACROSS 2 LANES OF TRAVEL TO THE SHOULDER. THE CAR HAD 116,000 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE ONLY WARNING BEFORE THE CAR LOST ALL POWER AND DRIVE-ABILITY WAS THE BATTERY LIGHT TURNING ON BRIEFLY. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT INTERMITTENTLY WHILE IN IDLE THE VEHICLE STALLLED. AS A CONSEQUENCE, HIS RISK FOR A VEHICLE CRASH INCREASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE TECHNICIANS HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000.
I OWN A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER LS SEDAN WITH APPROXIMATELY 86,300 MILES ON IT. WITHOUT WARNING THE CAR DIED AND WOULD NOT START ON A BUSY JULY 4TH WEEKEND ALONG I-55 NORTH BOUND NEAR LITICHFIELD, IL. I T WOULD NOT RESTART, AND SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION RESULTED IN THE FACT FINDING THAT IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. APPARENTLY THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE. I REQUEST THAT GM BE REQUIRED TO RECALL THIS MAKE AND MODEL TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM AND REIMBURSE OWNERS FOR OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES. I HAVE ALWAYS OWNED AMERICAN CARS, BUT AN SERIOUS CONSIDERING A TOYOTA NEXT YEAR. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND THE BRAKES FAILED. SHE THEN NOTICED THAT THE STEERING BECAME STIFF. SHE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER AND HAD IT TOWED TO HER DESTINATION. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. SHE IS IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. SHE WOULD NOT BE COMPENSATED FOR THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RECALL AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.
I PURCHASED MY 2003 CAVALIER BRAND NEW WITH 106 MILES ON IT (IT HAD TO BE DRIVEN FROM PITTSBURGH TO HARRISBURG). IN LATE SEPT. OR EARLY OCT. MY CAR BEGAN RATTLING AT STOP LIGHTS. THE DAY AFTER THE RATTLING STARTED, MY CAR STALLED AT MY PLACE OF BUSINESS AND WOULDN'T START AGAIN. A TRIPLE A MECHANIC WAS CALLED AND COULDN'T DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS EXCEPT HE THOUGHT IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP. AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A GARAGE, I WAS TOLD THAT OIL WAS NOT MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH MY ENGINE CAUSING FRICTION AND IN TURN CAUSING MY ENGINE TO EXPAND BREAKING MY TIMING CHAIN AND BASICALLY RENDERING THE ENTIRE ENGINE USELESS. THE MECHANIC ASKED ME IF MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR OIL LIGHT WAS LIT ON MY DASHBOARD BECAUSE WITH A PROBLEM WITH THE OIL PUMP, ONE OF THOSE LIGHTS WOULD HAVE LIT UP, WHICH I RESPONDED NO. HE THEN THOUGHT THAT THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING WHICH WAS NOT TRUE BECAUSE WHEN HE TURNED THE KEY, ALL THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS LIT UP. HE THEN WENT ON TO TELL ME THAT MY OIL LEVELS WERE NORMAL AND THAT MY TIMING CHAIN SHOULD LAST FOR 25+ YEARS. THE MECHANIC WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT I SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET BECAUSE HE BELIEVE THAT WITH THE LOW MILEAGE OF MY VEHICLE AND THE RELATIVE NEW-NESS OF THE VEHICLE, THE ONLY CAUSE FOR THIS ISSUE WOULD BE A DEFECT. I CONTACTED CHEVROLET VIA EMAIL AND WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD RECEIVE A RESPONSE IN NO MORE THAN 48 HOURS. AFTER HEARING NO RESPONSE, I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE BBB AND STILL HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING. *TR
MY 2003 CHEVY CAVALIER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING INTERMITTENT STARTUP ISSUES AND OCCASIONAL "CHUGGING" WHILE DRIVING - SEEMED LIKE THE CAR WOULD LURCH AHEAD AT TIMES, HAS ALSO BRIEFLY STALLED AT LIGHTS. ON 10/11/08, THE CAR WOULD BRIEFLY TURN OVER AND START FOR LESS THAN A MINUTE, SHUT OFF, AND AFTERWARDS REFUSED TO START. HAD CAR TOWED FROM MY RESIDENCE TO MECHANIC SHOP WHO ALERTED ME THAT FUEL PRESSURE WAS LOW. FUEL ELECTRONICS WERE FUNCTIONING AS PER COMPUTER CHECK, TURNED OUT TO BE A BAD FUEL PUMP. CAR IS AT ~110,300 MILES. HAD SPARK PLUGS, FUEL FILTER, ENGINE BELT REPLACED IN MARCH & APRIL OF 2008. *TR
COMING HOME FROM MILWAUKEE AT 12:30 AM WITH SON AFTER SEEING RACE IN SLINGER, WI. ON INTERSTATE, CAR LOST COMPLETE ENGINE POWER AND BECAME DEAD. CLOSEST GM DEALERSHIP IN WATERTOWN, WI WENT OUT OF BUSINESS LAST YEAR (PER TOW TRUCK DRIVER). HAD TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED A BAD FUEL PUMP AND A PRICE OF OVER $800. CAME TO PICK UP WITH A TRAILER AND ASKED FOR HELP PUSHING CAR ON TRAILER. THEY SAID YOU COULD DRIVE IT UP AS THE MECHANIC TAPPED THE FUEL TANK AND IT STARTED. DROVE AROUND THE BLOCK A FEW TIMES LAST WEEK WITH NO PROBLEMS. I EXPLAINED THIS TO GM, TOLD THEM ABOUT THEIR POOR DESIGN AND THAT THIS IS NOT SAFE BECAUSE IT WILL FAIL AT ANY TIME AND COULD CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT. WAS GIVEN CASE #71-648948392 (TOLD NO RECALLS WERE AVAILABLE PER MY VIN #). CHECKED ON INTERNET (TOPIX.COM) AND OVER 400 HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS. *TR
THE CAR STALLS AT LOW SPEEDS (UP TO 15 MPH) AND HAS BEEN INCREASINGLY DOING SO LATELY. I WAS NEARLY HIT BY A TRACTOR TRAILER WHEN THE CAR STALLED AS I WAS CROSSING A HIGHWAY. MY WIFE HAS BEEN NEARLY HIT SEVERAL TIMES AND I AM FEARING THAT IF A RECALL ISN'T GIVEN ON THESE CARS PEOPLE, INCLUDING MY WIFE AND I, MAY BE SERIOUSLY INJURED. WE ARE GOING TO TRY TO REPLACE THE FUEL PUMP TO SEE IF THIS HELPS THE PROBLEM. THE MILEAGE IS APPROXIMATELY 77,000. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL WHENEVER THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE FELT AS IF IT WERE SLIPPING, WHICH EVENTUALLY LED TO IT STALLING OUT COMPLETELY. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 67,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE, BUT IT WOULD NOT START FOR APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AGAIN, BUT DID LATER IN THE DAY AND WAS DRIVEN INTO THE CONTACT'S DRIVEWAY. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 35,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP FAILED AND MADE THE REPLACEMENT. A FEW DAYS AFTER THE REPAIR, THE HEADLIGHTS STOPPED WORKING AND THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS REWIRED. RECENTLY, THE ENGINE FAILED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT DOES NOT YET KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE IS STILL AT THE DEALER FOR REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 73,000. UPDATED 06/16/08 *BF
ON AT LEAST 10 OCCASIONS, MY CAR HAS STALLED UPON DECELERATION. HAS HAPPENED ON HIGHWAY, STOPPING AT LIGHTS AND WHILE SLOWING DOWN TO TURN. MY CAR HAS 15,000 MILES ON IT. CANNOT DETERMINE SOURCE OF PROBLEM. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT HAD TO MAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE. ONCE STARTED, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PROPERLY. ON TWO OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 35-55 MPH, THE ENGINE FAILED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.
THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS BEEN DAMAGED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIR SHOP SAYS THAT THE DAMAGE WAS A RESULT OF UNBURNED GASOLINE GOING INTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHEN THE COIL FAILED. THE COIL ASSEMBLY FAILED AND TWO CYLINDERS STOPPED FIRING. I ONLY DROVE THE CAR ABOUT ONE-MILE TO THE REPAIR SHOP AFTER THE FAILURE (WHICH HAPPENED SUDDENLY). THE COIL ASSEMBLY HAD TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF ABOUT $400. AFTER IT WAS REPLACED, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON AND THE REPAIR SHOP SAYS THAT THE ON-BOARD COMPUTER DIAGNOSTICS INDICATES THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER HAS FAILED. THE CAR CANNOT HAVE ITS REGISTRATION RENEWED WITHOUT A FUNCTIONING CATALYTIC CONVERTER, WHICH WILL COST ABOUT $500 TO REPLACE. *TR
2003 CAVALIER ENGINE STALL ON RED LIGHTS/ COMING TO STOP/ TURNING CORNERS AT LOW IDLE SPEEDS CAUSING A LOSS IN POWER STEERING AND ABS. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ACTIVE, IMMEDIATE RESTART IS AVAILABLE, HOWEVER WHILE TURNING HAS NEARLY CAUSED ACCIDENTS. BELIEVED TO BE CAUSED DUE TO FAULTY WIRING TO INTAKE TEMP SENSOR. *TR
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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