2003 Chevrolet Cavalier Fuel System, Gasoline Problems
Owners have filed 340 complaints with NHTSA about fuel system, gasoline problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier, 50% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 66,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “fuel pump” (90% of reports).
- 340fuel system, gasoline complaints
- 66,000median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,100typical repair cost reported by owners
- 36%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Fuel pump: mentioned in 306 of 340 complaints (90%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical fuel system, gasoline repair on the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier at $1,100, and half of them between $930 and $1,350.
Based on 65 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2004–2011), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do fuel system, gasoline problems happen?
Based on 319 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 340 complaints, 3 mention a crash.
Chevrolet Cavalier fuel system, gasoline complaints by model year
| Model year | Fuel System, Gasoline complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Cavalier | 8 | 3% | 60,113 |
| 2004 Cavalier | 9 | 3% | 78,000 |
| 2003 Cavalier | 340 | 50% | 66,000 |
| 2002 Cavalier | 13 | 7% | 60,000 |
| 2001 Cavalier | 22 | 9% | 45,560 |
| 2000 Cavalier | 29 | 9% | 44,500 |
| 1999 Cavalier | 10 | 4% | 92,500 |
| 1998 Cavalier | 6 | 2% | 76,984 |
| 1997 Cavalier | 19 | 4% | 56,200 |
| 1996 Cavalier | 15 | 3% | 84,651 |
| 1995 Cavalier | 8 | 3% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists fuel system, gasoline for the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Chevrolet Cavaliers have fuel system, gasoline problems?
No. NHTSA has 340 owner complaints about fuel system, gasoline for the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier (50% of the 678 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier fuel system, gasoline?
No recall currently lists fuel system, gasoline for this vehicle.
At what mileage do fuel system, gasoline problems start?
The median reported mileage is 66,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix fuel system, gasoline problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,100 (half paid between $930 and $1,350), from 65 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about fuel system, gasoline problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier?
The most frequent phrase is “fuel pump”, in 306 of 340 complaints.
Other 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier problems
See all 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier problems or fuel system, gasoline problems across all Cavalier years.