2003 Chevrolet Cavalier Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Cavalier years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 678 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier. That is the most of any Cavalier model year in the database (11 years). The most reported problem area is fuel system, gasoline (340 complaints, 50%), typically at around 66,000 miles. Complaints mention 31 crashes, 6 fires, 18 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 678owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 31complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 340 | 50% | 66,000 | “fuel pump” (90%) | $1,100 |
| Electrical System problems | 106 | 16% | 60,000 | “instrument cluster” (11%) | $770 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 57 | 8% | 13,192 | “turn signal” (39%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 43 | 6% | 52,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 37 | 5% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 37 | 5% | 49,380 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 30 | 4% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 22 | 3% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 19 | 3% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 18 | 3% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 16 | 2% | 16,742 | — | — |
| Power Train | 16 | 2% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 13 | 2% | 32,750 | — | — |
| Structure | 11 | 2% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 8 | 1% | 10,302 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 1% | 24,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 4 | 1% | 58,850 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 1% | 67,692 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 0% | 59,925 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 3 | 0% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 0% | 63,503 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 0% | 77,700 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 189,587 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Chevrolet Cavalier recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:turn signal
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the rear lamps that provide stop and turn signals and tail lamp functions stop working because of inadequate contact between the bulb and socket. In addition, if one bulbs were to become inoperative while the vehicle was operating in cruise control, the cruise control would disengage when the remaining bulb was activated. If both lamps were to become inoperative, the cruise control would not engage.
Risk: An inoperative brake lamp will not convey the driver's intention of stopping to drivers in following vehicles, and an inoperative rear turn signal lamp will not convey the driver's intention to turn to drivers in following vehicles. Both of these failures can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear lamp bulb socket assemblies and apply grease or replace them if necessary. The recall began on january 18, 2005. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
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
- Engine stalling - fuel pump failure (EA07015) — opened Nov 1, 2007, closed Oct 28, 2008.
- Fuel pump failure (PE07033) — opened Jun 28, 2007, closed Nov 1, 2007.
- Turn signal malfunction (EA04028) — opened Sep 14, 2004, closed Nov 22, 2004, led to recall 04V524000.
- Turn signal malfunction (PE04043) — opened May 14, 2004, closed Sep 14, 2004.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
There is a recall on the vehicle I need to get fixed.
The steering wheel is loose. Pins on tilt mechanism are gone. Don't know when it fell out. Noticed when cleaning car when i tilted the steering wheel up.
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…
Takata recall
Cluster of dashboard indicators (speedometer, gas guage , engine temp, rpm) all are not working now. They were going off and on at times when driving but now nothing works...my mechanic informs me this is a common problem with this make and model. No recall found. Very dangerous to drive why wasn't…
Other Chevrolet Cavalier years
← 2002 Cavalier · 2004 Cavalier →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Cavalier | 287 | 0 |
| 2004 Cavalier | 330 | 1 |
| 2003 | 678 | 1 |
| 2002 Cavalier | 196 | 0 |
| 2001 Cavalier | 243 | 1 |
| 2000 Cavalier | 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.
Similar Chevrolet models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier?
Owners most often report fuel system, gasoline, electrical system, exterior lighting problems. The top one, fuel system, gasoline, accounts for 340 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 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 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.