2000 Chevrolet Cavalier Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Cavalier years
- About as many complaints as other years 6th of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 315 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier. That ranks 6th out of 11 Cavalier model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (69 complaints, 22%), typically at around 59,700 miles. Complaints mention 25 crashes, 8 fires, 21 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 315owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 25complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 69 | 22% | 59,700 | “ignition switch” (20%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 54 | 17% | 56,000 | “please provide” (11%) | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 41 | 13% | 35,900 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 29 | 9% | 44,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 28 | 9% | 40,578 | — | — |
| Structure | 27 | 9% | 64,941 | — | — |
| Power Train | 26 | 8% | 42,156 | — | — |
| Suspension | 21 | 7% | 46,678 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 19 | 6% | 35,900 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 18 | 6% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 14 | 4% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 13 | 4% | 55,850 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 13 | 4% | 82,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 3% | 99,586 | — | — |
| Equipment | 6 | 2% | 46,870 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 6 | 2% | 30,750 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 5 | 2% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 2% | 167,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 4 | 1% | 131,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 1% | 112,426 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 1% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 1% | 37,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 185,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 167,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2000 Chevrolet Cavalier recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:ignition:switch
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles. If the engine fails to start and the driver holds the key in the "start" position for an extended period, high current flows through the ignition switch, and sometimes produces enough heat to melt internal switch parts.
Risk: If the switch is damaged, a fire could occur in the steering column, even with the engine off and the key removed. The fire could spread to the interior of the car, which could injure occupants or cause damage to adjoining structures.
Fix: Dealers will install a relay kit in these vehicles to prevent high current from flowing through the ignition switch, and check that your car will start with a properly charged battery and, if necessary, replace the ignition switch. Owner notification will begin on march 1, 2004. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, buick at 1-866-608-8080, or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537. Customers can also check their vehicle online by going to www.mygmlink.com and entering the vehicle's identification number.
Interior lighting
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with the bi-fuel option fail to comply with fmvss no. 101, "control location, identification, and illumination." the instrument panel lights in these vehicles are at full illumination levels and cannot be adjusted. The standard requires at least two levels of illumination.
Risk: This could make it more difficult to see objects outside the vehicle when driving at night.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel type indicator switch assembly, which includes the instrument panel illumination control.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Erratic fuel gauge (EA02028) — opened Sep 30, 2002, closed Dec 30, 2003.
- Engine stall due to fuel starvation (PE02066) — opened Sep 6, 2002, closed Nov 3, 2003.
- Erratic fuel gauge (SQ01002) — opened Jan 26, 2001, closed Sep 30, 2002.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the interior passenger side directional signal began blinking rapidly while activated. Additionally, the contact stated that an onlooker observed that the exterior driver side indicator light was…
Ignition gets very hot when key is turned can smell plastic ignition or batt 1 circuit problem.clearcoat is peeling.lug nuts coming loose
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet cavalier. While stopped at a red light, the contact was informed that the rear brake lamps failed to illuminate. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
Unnecessary gas odors. Seat belts keep unlocking. Steering
Reporting this as a defect on car list above .i'm pa. State inspection station. This is just one of many we see and reject for rust out unit body rear frames . I feel the public should be aware of they own one these models car could buckle on a rear end collision. I did not see this on your site to…
Other Chevrolet Cavalier years
← 1999 Cavalier · 2001 Cavalier →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Cavalier | 287 | 0 |
| 2004 Cavalier | 330 | 1 |
| 2003 Cavalier | 678 | 1 |
| 2002 Cavalier | 196 | 0 |
| 2001 Cavalier | 243 | 1 |
| 2000 | 315 | 2 |
| 1999 Cavalier | 240 | 2 |
| 1998 Cavalier | 345 | 4 |
| 1997 Cavalier | 540 | 7 |
| 1996 Cavalier | 503 | 7 |
| 1995 Cavalier | 270 | 4 |
See all Chevrolet Cavalier problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine and engine cooling, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 69 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Cavalier model years, the 2000 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.