Problems · NHTSA complaints

2003 Chevrolet Cavalier problems

Owners filed 705 complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier with NHTSA between Nov 2002 and Jul 2025. The most-cited component is fuel system, gasoline (343).

Complaints
705
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
32
Reported by owners
Fires
6
Reported by owners
Injuries
21
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Fuel system, gasoline343
  2. Electrical system115
  3. Exterior lighting60
  4. Engine and engine cooling45
  5. Fuel system, other39
  6. Visibility37
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic30
  8. Suspension23
  9. Steering21
  10. Equipment21
  11. Air bags20
  12. Power train17
  13. Vehicle speed control13
  14. Structure12

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20021
200346
200468
200548
200618
2007116
2008179
200988
201050
201135
201211
201310
201413
201510
20167
20170
20182
20190
20200
20212
20220
20230
20240
20251

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Fuel system, gasoline

343 reports3 crashes
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 16, 2014Fuel system, gasoline, EngineODI 10588817

Electrical system

115 reports3 crashes4 fires
“MY CAR HAS THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THAT WAS RECALLED FOR OTHER GM VEHICLES. THE FUEL LEVEL GAUGE, TEMPERATURE GAUGE, RPM, SPEEDOMETER.... NONE OF MY GAUGES WORK. THEY GAVE THE WRONG READINGS, THE HAND WOULDN'T RETURN TO THEIR STARTING POSITIONS, THEN THE HANDS WENT LOWER THAN THEIR STARTING POSITIONS TO THE POINT THEY ALL DIDN'T WORK ANYMORE. THIS CAR NEEDS TO BE ADDED TO THE GM RECALL LIST FOR THE SAME PROBLEM.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 2, 2021Steering, Electrical systemODI 11414789

Exterior lighting

60 reports5 crashes1 related recall
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH ENTERING THE HIGHWAY, THE TURN SIGNAL LAMPS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHEN ACTIVATED AND RESULTED IN A CRASH. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON THE REAR DRIVER SIDE AND SPUN ONTO THE ROADSIDE. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. ALL THREE OCCUPANTS IN THE VEHICLE WERE SEVERELY INJURED AND REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V524000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. ...UPDATED 02/19/16 *BF UPDATED 09/20/16*LJ *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 2, 2015Exterior lighting, Air bagsCrash reportedODI 10787770

Engine and engine cooling

45 reports1 fire
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 7, 2012Engine and engine cooling, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 10483675

Fuel system, other

39 reports
“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 complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 3, 2012Fuel system, otherODI 10464032

Visibility

37 reports2 crashes2 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN THE DEFROSTER WAS ENGAGED AND THE CONTACT BEGAN TO SEE BLACK SMOKE COMING THE VENTS. THE CONTACT MERGED ONTO THE SIDE SHOULDER AND SECONDS LATER, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE FROM THE VENTILATION SYSTEM. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 9/27/11 *CN UPDATED 3/29/12 *CN”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 22, 2011VisibilityFire reportedODI 10421039
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.