Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. 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. 383 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 383, in the owner's own words
I WAS ONE BLOCK FROM HOME AND MY CAR STALLED IT WOULDN'T START BACK UP. I FOUND MY SELF AT THE INTERSECTION. THE MECHANIC SAID IT IS A BAD FUEL PUMP. THE CAR ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT THIS TIME LAST YEAR . ALSO LAST YEAR MY GAUGE TO MY ENGINE TEMPERATURE WENT OUT OF CONTROL. I CAN'T TELL THE ENGINE TEMP. ANYMORE.
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
COASTING DOWN HILL ON A DIRT ROAD, GOT TO THE BOTTOM AND ENGINE HAD DIED. ROLLED TO A STOP AND WOULD NOT RESTART. TOWED TO A MECHANIC, REPLACED FUEL PUMP. THIS HAPPENED TWICE MORE AND EACH TIME THE FUEL PUMP WAS BAD. THE LAST FUEL PUMP ONLY LASTED 3 MONTHS AND LIKE THE TWO PREVIOUS PUMPS, IT WAS BRAND NEW!! THIS IS 3 BAD FUEL PUMPS IN A YEAR AND MY WALLET CAN'T AFFORD TO KEEP THIS UP. WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL ON THIS? *TR
MY BOYFRIEND WAS DRIVING OUR CAR. I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. WE HAD BEEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE FOR ABOUT A MILE. THEN THE CAR STALLED. MY FRIEND REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG WHEN HE HIT THE GAS PEDAL AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE, SO HE PLACED IT IN NEUTRAL, STEERED AND SIGNALED UNTIL HE GOT US AND THE CAR SAFELY OFF THE ROAD. AFTER, THE CAR WAS TOWED INTO THE DEALERS SHOP THE MECHANICS SAID IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP THAT HAD FAILED TO WORK. THEREFORE, A NEW FUEL PUMP WAS INSTALLED IN THE CAR. *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
WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT TOP SPEED WHEN CAR DIED. GOT TO SIDE OF ROAD AND HAD IT TOWED. HAD TO HAVE FUEL PUMP REPLACED. A YEAR LATER THE NEW FUEL PUMP WENT OUT. A YEAR LATER THAT PUMP WENT OUT. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE FOURTH FUEL PUMP WENT OUT AND IT IS IN THE SHOP AGAIN. CAR IS NOT SAFE AS THIS HAPPENS SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING AND LEAVES YOU WITH NO CONTROL IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC MOVING AT TOP SPEED. *TR
I'VE OWNED TWO DIFFERENT 2003 CHEVY CAVALIERS AND IN BOTH CARS THE FUEL PUMP WENT OUT AFTER A YEAR OF OWNING THE VEHICLES. I WENT THROUGH TWO FUEL PUMPS IN MY FIRST CAVALIER AND I BOUGHT ANOTHER CAVALIER AFTER THE FIRST WAS WRECKED AND MY SECOND CAVI LOST ITS PUMP NOW. I KNOW OF CARS WITH 3 TIMES THE AMOUNT OF MILES ON IT WITHOUT HAVING A SINGLE FUEL PUMP PROBLEM. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. HE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WHO ADVISED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,000.
MY GAUGE CLUSTER WENT OUT WHILE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. VERY UNSAFE, I WAS UNSURE OF THE HEAT OF THE ENGINE AND IT IS ONE OF THE HOTTER DAYS OF THE YEAR!!!! LOOKED ON-LINE AND FOUND HOW COMMON THIS ISSUE IS. I CANT SEE HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE, HOW HOT MY CAR IS, HOW FAST IM GOING, OR HOW HARD MY CAR IS WORKING. IF THIS PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IS FAILING SO WIDELY IT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED!!!!!!!!! VERY VERY VERY UNSAFE. TRIED TO TAKE TO ADVANCED AND THEY WONT READ THE CODE AS ITS NOT A STANDARD CODE (?) GM YOU ARE LOOSING CUSTOMERS FAST AND PUTTING THOUSANDS OF LIVES AT RISK BY LETTING THIS CONTINUE TO GO PAST YOU AND ALL FOR THE SAKE OF A LITTLE MONEY TO FIX A PROBLEM YOU SOLD TO US? IF YOU CAN RECALL THE SAME ISSUE ON SOME OF YOUR TRUCKS YOU CAN ON THIS CAR AS WELL, DISCONTINUED OR NOT. *JS
OWNER OBJECTS TO GM'S ASSERTION THAT THIS IS NOT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT. VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED WITHOUT NOTICE AND LEFT AUTO OCCUPANTS IN A DANGEROUS POSITION. ENGINE STUMBLED ONCE AND THEN STALLED WHILE DRIVING DOWN SNOW- COVERED ROAD. HAD TO BE PUSHED OUT OF TRAFFIC. ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. WAS TOWED TO REPAIR FACILITY AND IN-TANK FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED. OWNER HAS ALWAYS BEEN CAREFUL TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST 1/4 TANK LEVEL AS THIS FAILURE HAS BEEN WIDELY PUBLICIZED. EARLIER MODEL 1993 CAVALIER WENT TWICE THIS MILEAGE WITHOUT ANY FUEL PUMP FAILURES. *TR
TL- THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK OIL AND BATTERY WARNING LAMPS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE TO TEH CONTACT WITH REPAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 123,769. KMJ UPDATED 01/25//12 *BF UPDATED 01/27/12
AT APPROX. 67K MY FUEL PUMP FAILED. I PURCHASED AND INSTALLED A NEW FUEL PUMP, ADHERING TO THE MANUFACTURERS INSTALLATION RECOMMENDATIONS. LESS THAN 6 MONTHS LATER THE NEW PUMP FAILED. THE HAS BEEN A RECURRING PROBLEM NOW FOR AT LEAST 10 FUEL PUMPS. THIS INSTALLATION RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE NOT CHANGED AND I HAVE HAD THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT POWERS THE PUMP CHECKED OUT AS WELL. IN EACH CONDITION IT WAS A NO START "FAILURE", LEAVING ME STRANDED IN EACH CASE AND COSTING ME HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS IN TOWING FEES THAT ARE NON-REFUNDABLE. EVEN THOUGH THE AUTO PARTS STORES HAVE BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO HONOR THE WARRANTY MOST TIMES I HAVE STILL HAD TO PAY FOR AT LEAST 5 OF THE 10 FUEL PUMPS. THAT'S A 1 TO 1 RATIO. I HAVE ALSO READ ABOUT THE CONDITION WITH BRUSHES IN THE MOTOR WEARING OUT. SOME OF THESE PUMPS HAVE PROVIDED 30K MILES OR MORE AND OTHERS NOT 3K MI. THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM AND I FOR ONE WILL NOT BE SHOPPING FOR ANOTHER CHEVY UNTIL THIS PROBLEM ACKNOWLEDGED AND RESOLVED. I AM RESEARCHING MY PURCHASES/EXCHANGES TO VERIFY THE DATES AND WILL REGISTER EACH ONE OF THEM INDIVIDUALLY. *KB
I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 6 AM ON A DECEMBER MORNING IN 2010 WHEN THE 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER I WAS DRIVING CUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. I HAD TO PUSH THE VEHICLE INTO A PARKING LOT TO BE TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD WENT OUT AND IT WOULD COST ROUGHLY $450 TO FIX. THE MILEAGE AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS ROUGHLY AROUND 87,000 MILES. *TT
SPEEDOMETER GOES HAYWIRE SO YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING. OTHER GAUGES (FUEL, TEMP) ALSO ERRATIC. SEEMS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY GM VEHICLES AND IS VERY DANGEROUS! *TR
MY CAR WOULD NOT START AFTER I TURNED IT OFF. I BANGED ON THE GAS TANK WITH A HAMMER, WHILE A COWORKER CRANKED THE ENGINE OVER AND THE FUEL PUMPED KICKED IN. THIS RESULTED IN THE CAR STARTING; HOWEVER I PLAYED IT SAFE AND HAD IT TOWED HOME. I REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS SINCE. STILL UNFORTUNATE THAT THE FUEL PUMP BARELY LASTED 100K. I BELIEVE CHEVY SHOULD GIVE YOU A FUEL PUMP FREE OF CHARGE IF THERE IS A FAILURE WITHIN THE FIRST 200K MILES. PLAIN AND SIMPLE FUEL PUMPS SHOULD NOT FAIL AS OFTEN AS THEY DO WITH THIS MAKE/MODEL. IT'S IS DANGEROUS TO EVERYONE'S HEALTH, AND I HOPE NO ONE EVER GETS HURT FROM IT. *TR
MY HUSBAND AND I WENT LOOKING FOR A CAR AT THIS DEALERSHIP ON OCT. 31, 2010. WE FOUND THIS CHEVROLET CAVALIER (2003). WHEN WE BOUGHT THE CAR IT HAD NO INFORMATION ON IT; SO I CHECKED ON CARFAX AND FOUND THAT IT HAD COUPLE OF RECALLS ON IT; BUT NOTHING ABOUT THE FUEL PUMP. SO NOW THE CAR GO'S OUT WON'T START. I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS. WE ARE ON A FIXED INCOME AND CAN'T AFFORD THIS RIGHT NOW. THERE WAS A RECALLED THE CARS FROM 1998 TO 2002 AND FIXED THE PROBLEM. WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE IT FIXED OR GET RID OF IT OR TRADE IT IN. *TR
I HAD LEFT MY MOTHERS AND DROVE APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES AND STARTED SLOWING TO MAKE A TURN INTO OUR LOCAL GROCERY STORE WHEN MY 2003 CAVALIER STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART BACK. UPON CHECKING I DISCOVERED THERE WAS NO FUEL TO THE FUEL RAIL.I HAD JUST OVER 1/2 TANK OF FUEL IN THE TANK. I HAD ANOTHER TURN KEY AND THERE WAS NO WHIRRING TO INDICATE FUEL PUMP WAS OPERATING. I CALLED TOW SERVICE AND TOWED IT HOME. I DROPPED THE TANK AND REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED. ANOTHER SYMPTOM NOT LISTED IN THE COMPLAINTS WHEN MY PUMP FAILED ALL THE GAUGES ON THE DASHBOARD WOULD REGISTER (FUEL GAUGE AND TEMP GAUGE) THEN WOULD DROP TO 0 AND WOULD FLICKER CONTINUOUSLY WHEN KEY WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION. UPON PURCHASING NEW PUMP ASSEMBLY THAT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED AS WELL. YOU CAN NOT PURCHASE A NEW HARNESS TO RESOLVE ISSUE HAD TO CUT THE FUEL PUMP LEADS OFF OF PUMP WIRING HARNESS AND PURCHASE A NEW CONNECTOR AND SPLICE THEM TOGETHER. I FEEL THERE MAYBE MORE CUSTOMERS WITH THESE VEHICLES THAT HAD SERVICE DONE IN A LOCAL SHOP THAT WAS NOT REPORTED TO NHTSA OR TO GM. AS THIS REPAIR WAS VERY EXPENSIVE AT THE TIME AND MANY WOULD SEEK REPAIRS FOR LOWER RATES THEN OFFERED BY A DEALERSHIP. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING MPH AND ABOVE, THE SPEEDOMETER AND TEMPERATURE GAUGES WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE. IN ADDITION, THE FUEL GAUGE WAS PROVIDING INACCURATE FUEL LEVEL READINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER INSPECTED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 63,000.
2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER GIVING OFF FUMES FIRST TIME I FILLED IT TO THE TOP WITH GASOLINE. THAT EVENTUALLY SET OFF A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON THE DASH. I USED MY OBD2 SCANNER AND IT WAS A CODE FOR A HIGH EVAP LEAK. IT WAS TOO DIFFICULT TO FIND THE LEAK AT MY HOME, SO I HAD THE DEALERSHIP DO A SMOKE TEST AND REVEALED A CRACK AT THE SEAMS OF THE GAS TANK. DEALERSHIP SAID NO RECALL FOR THAT MAKE AND MODEL. ESTIMATE FOR REPLACEMENT AND LABOR WAS $1,000. I FOUND A SALVAGE YARD GAS TANK FROM A LOW MILEAGE OLDSMOBILE ALERO AND THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP REPLACED IT. MECHANIC MENTIONED IT IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE TO FIND A CRACK AT THE SEAMS OF A NEWER GM SMALL CAR WITH A PLASTIC GAS TANK. I RESET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CODE MYSELF AND THE PROBLEM NEVER REAPPEARED. *KB
FUEL PUMP FAILURE AT 80,340 MILES. PUMP FAILED IN THE DRIVEWAY. REPAIR COST: $695 + TOWING. *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
ON MAY 31, MY 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER LS SPORT STALLED ON A HIGHWAY. I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND MY POWER STEERING WENT OUT, BUT I WAS LUCKILY ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I IMMEDIATELY EXITED MY VEHICLE AND CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR A TOW. AFTER RECEIVING DIAGNOSTICS AT A CHEVY DEALERSHIP, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT MY FUEL PUMP HAD GONE OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE COST OF THIS AND REPLACING A FUEL FILTER WAS CLOSE TO $1,000. MY CAR ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT, I HAD PREVIOUSLY REPLACED THE FUEL FILTER 1 YEAR BEFORE AT ANOTHER GM DEALERSHIP, AND I PERFORMED REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON THE VEHICLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE USER MANUAL. WHEN I WENT HOME I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE WITH THE CAR, AND LO AND BEHOLD I CAME ACROSS HUNDREDS OF PAGES WHICH DESCRIBED THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM I HAD. ON ONE FORUM ALONE, THERE WERE OVER 700 POSTS WHERE OWNERS OF THE 2003 MODEL CAVALIER HAD FUEL PUMPS GO OUT AT AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE AS MY CAR, WITH REPAIR COSTS RANGING FROM $300-$900. I CONTINUED TO RESEARCH THE ISSUE, AND FOUND THAT THE NHTSA HAD RESEARCHED A LARGE NUMBER OF CONSUMER COMPLAINTS REGARDING FUEL PUMP FAILURES WITH THE 2003 MODEL CAVALIER ' INVESTIGATION #EA07015 AND #PE07033. GM DOCUMENTS IN BOTH OF THESE CASES INDICATED A LARGE NUMBER OF MALFUNCTIONS IN MODELS UP TO 2003, THEN A SHARP DECREASE IN FAILURES IN THE 2004 MODEL. *TR
2003 CHEVY CAVALIER 2DR/STANDARD. TWO MONTHS AND COUNTING MY CAR STALLS ON STOP LIGHT. OCCASIONALLY, SHAKES WHEN I START, AFTER PUTTING GAS IN, IT WON'T START RIGHT AWAY (IT TAKES FIVE MINS OR LESS)...CHK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON...YES, OIL CHANGE REGULARLY, TUNED-UP DONE, NEW BATTERY, NEW IDLE VALVE, IT HAS BEEN CHECKED, BUT MY CAR STILL STALLS AND I CAN SMELL BURNED OIL WHEN I'M WARMING MY CAR AND GIVE SOME REV...PLEASE NEED HELP MY CAR IS IMPORTANT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER AND BY THE WAY I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO BUY EXPENSIVE PARTS IF THE MANUFACTURER MESSED THIS MODEL...HELP PLEASE . *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
Data on this page last refreshed .