Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 08089-B | 11/01/2008 | 08089-C | 10027804 | General motors corp: special coverage adjustment; analog onstar deactivation. *pe updated 2/17/09. *pe | 02/09/2009 |
| 04083 | 11/01/2004 | 10014001 | No dielectric grease being applied to rear light bulb socket. *eh | 04/27/2005 | |
| 01592 | 01/01/2004 | 10005438 | 2003-2004 generation 5 onstar steering wheel control function explanation. sit bulletin 1416474. *tt | 02/27/2004 | |
| 090903 | 09/09/2003 | 10005059 | The body control module (bcm) may set a false code of b3785. gm voicemail log. *tt | 01/28/2004 | |
| 01411 | 11/18/2003 | 10004215 | False code b3785. service vme. *tt | 11/21/2003 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY - CABLES | |||||
| 010803 | 01/08/2003 | 10005129 | Positive battery cable could interfere with the coolant fan. gm voicemail express. *tt | 02/02/2004 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - SOFTWARE | |||||
| 08089-B | 11/01/2008 | 08089-C | 10027804 | General motors corp: special coverage adjustment; analog onstar deactivation. *pe updated 2/17/09. *pe | 02/09/2009 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - FRONT UNDERHOOD | |||||
| 3648 | 10018915 | Hesitation on acceleration after internal engine repairs - check injector harness orientation. *tt | 01/24/2006 | ||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 01/20/2012 | 100000 | ||
| When driving on a long trip, i noticed that the speedometer kept increasing after each time i stopped the car. when i stopped, the speed read 25. i went 45 mph, it went to 70 mph. etc. it now rests in vertical position facing down. the gas gauge has also begun to go haywire. i also noticed that the car would longer can go into cruise control (without working for a few minutes then shutting off), i am thinking because of the speedometer or cluster. either way, it now no longer works at all. seeing everyone's complaints on here and with government motors not doing anything about it, i will not put my trust in their brand on any future vehicles. this also happened on my 2005 cavalier. good thing for a gps... | |||
| 06/27/2012 | 200000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 51900 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet cavalier. the contact stated that when driving at various speeds, all of the gauges on the instrument panel cluster failed. the vehicle was taken to a dealer and they advised him that the cluster needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered to pay half of the repair cost. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 51,900. kmj | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 51900 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet cavalier. the contact stated that when driving at variou speeds he noticed that all the gauges on his instrumental panel cluster had failed. the vehicle was taken to a dealer and they advised him that the cluster needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered to pay 1/2 of the cost. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 51,900. tb | |||
| 01/03/2012 | 155000 | ||
| Speedometer stopped working and is stuck on 52 mph. fuel gauge is stuck on full, temperature gauge is pointing to nowhere, and the tacometer is pointing at zero. it seems to be a common problem with this vehicle. | |||
| 06/30/2010 | 89000 | ||
| The instrument panel stopped working. i ordered 2 used ones they did not work. i had the dealership rebuild it and it still does not work. i have searched online and several people have the same problem. gm has recalled this item on several models but not on the cavaliar as of yet. i have spent hundreds and still have not fixed the problem. no speedometer, gas guage. | |||
| 02/26/2011 | 63000 | ||
| 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. kmj | |||
| 02/26/2011 | 63000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet cavalier. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds the speedometer will not illuminate nor the temperature gauge. also, the fuel gauge has failed by not reading correctly. the vehicle has not been inspected nor has it been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 63,000. tb | |||
| 06/13/2009 | |||
| All gauges work erratically or not at all. lots of other people having similar problem. read there stories here: http://www.carcomplaints.com/chevrolet/cavalier/2005/electrical/gauges_have_gone_haywire.shtml | |||
| 05/03/2011 | 81075 | ||
| I was driving and had been in my car for about five min and smoke started coming out of the bottem of where the radio and heater controls are..at that time i pulled over and saw flames in the dash and it was growing and i called 911 fire and we closed the doors and waited til the fire truck got there and handeled the fire. it completly destroyed my dash steering column front windshield and head liner...all my instrument panels and wiring are fried. i believe it was a faulty wiring system...if not would like to know how this could have been prevented and how do i fix my car.. | |||
| 06/13/2009 | 90000 | ||
| I am the original owner of a 2003 cheverolet cavalier. it has 120000 miles on it. a couple of years ago i noticed my gas gage seemed to be stuck, the car had approx 90000 miles on it at the time. a couple of months later my rpm gauge started doing the same thing. about a year after that my speedometer started to also go haywire follwed by my oil gauge. my whole instrument cluster no longer works. it has not been fixed because i can't afford it and it has not been recalled. but after looking at how many cavalier have had this same problem i believe it should be recalled. | |||
| 01/10/2011 | 68244 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet cavalier. the contact stated the instrument cluster panel has failed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated the parts will take two weeks to be ordered and the repairs are not under warranty or recall. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage were 68,244...mw | |||
| 12/16/2010 | 63000 | ||
| While in park my 2003 cavalier tachometer reads at 5 rpm while driving at 30mph my tachometer reads over 7 rpms. the engine sounds normal contacted chevy and was told they did not have enough complaints to do a recall when it is a safety issue it should not matter the number of complaints i can not afford to pay 500 to fix this with no guarantee it will work | |||
| 12/11/2010 | 88478 | ||
| Driving at 60 mph just died on the interstate,pulled over started back up also at 60.000 miles fuel pump went out nothing but problems with this 2003 cavalier they are a lemon,why isn't something done????? before someone gets killed if they haven't already!! | |||
| 11/15/2009 | 80000 | ||
| About a year ago, my speedometer went crazy (~80,000 miles), and a few days ago my fuel gauge followed suit (117,000 miles). i saw the same problem widely mentioned on the internet, including an actual recall on the trucks which use the same instrument cluster. dealer said repairs would be $300-$500 which i couldn't afford, so i just used the tachometer to gauge my roadspeed. can't live without the fuel gauge though. | |||
| 12/11/2010 | 88478 | ||
| Driving at 60 mph just died on the interstate,pulled over started back up also at 60.000 miles fuel pump went out nothing but problems with this 2003 cavalier they are a lemon,why isn't something done????? before someone gets killed if they haven't already!! | |||
| 11/15/2009 | 80000 | ||
| About a year ago, my speedometer went crazy (~80,000 miles), and a few days ago my fuel gauge followed suit (117,000 miles). i saw the same problem widely mentioned on the internet, including an actual recall on the trucks which use the same instrument cluster. dealer said repairs would be $300-$500 which i couldn't afford, so i just used the tachometer to gauge my roadspeed. can't live without the fuel gauge though. | |||
| 12/11/2010 | 88478 | ||
| Driving at 60 mph just died on the interstate,pulled over started back up also at 60.000 miles fuel pump went out nothing but problems with this 2003 cavalier they are a lemon,why isn't something done????? before someone gets killed if they haven't already!! | |||
| 11/15/2009 | 80000 | ||
| About a year ago, my speedometer went crazy (~80,000 miles), and a few days ago my fuel gauge followed suit (117,000 miles). i saw the same problem widely mentioned on the internet, including an actual recall on the trucks which use the same instrument cluster. dealer said repairs would be $300-$500 which i couldn't afford, so i just used the tachometer to gauge my roadspeed. can't live without the fuel gauge though. | |||
| 12/11/2010 | 88478 | ||
| Driving at 60 mph just died on the interstate,pulled over started back up also at 60.000 miles fuel pump went out nothing but problems with this 2003 cavalier they are a lemon,why isn't something done????? before someone gets killed if they haven't already!! | |||
| 11/15/2009 | 80000 | ||
| About a year ago, my speedometer went crazy (~80,000 miles), and a few days ago my fuel gauge followed suit (117,000 miles). i saw the same problem widely mentioned on the internet, including an actual recall on the trucks which use the same instrument cluster. dealer said repairs would be $300-$500 which i couldn't afford, so i just used the tachometer to gauge my roadspeed. can't live without the fuel gauge though. | |||
| 11/01/2010 | 82100 | ||
| I have a 2003 chevrolet cavalier that is on it's second instrument cluster and now it has gone bad, no speedometer, no fuel gauge and no temperature. i've researched this problem and there are hundreds of complaints like this. if gm is in such great shape as recently reported, then why can't your organization instruct them to make good on the safety of their vehicles? i can't sell the vehicle because no one wants to buy a vehicle that they have no idea of how fast they are going or how much fuel is in the tank. | |||
| 01/08/2010 | |||
| My entire instrument panel on my 2003 chevy cavalier has stopped working. first it was the gas gauge that stopped about 2 years ago. i just learned to live it. then recently my speedometer and rpm meter stopped working as well. i have had multiple price estimates done and none have been under $500 and i just plain and simple can't afford to have it done while i'm currently unemployed. i have researched other cases of faulty instrument panel and there are literally thousands of complaints on gm models including the cavalier. this is certainly not safe and i'm assuming it's illegal to drive without a speedometer but still after years of complaints to gm of faulty instrument panels there has been no recall. | |||
| 05/28/2003 | 20000 | ||
| I bought my 2003 cavalier brand new. while it was still under warranty i took the car in because it was malfunctioning. the situation was i was driving on the highway and went to shift gears and when i held the clutch in the rpm's dropped all the way to 0 and the car stalled. when i took the car in i was told they could not duplicate the issue, so there was no problem. since than this has only gotten worse. while driving it stalls on average of 5 times a week which is not safe especially on the free way. also to add to everyone elses complaint my fuel pump went bad as well and had to have it replaced. | |||
| 12/25/2009 | 108000 | 1 | |
| I own a 2003 chevrolet cavalier ls and on dec. 25 when i turned on the rear defrost button smoke started to come out from inside the steering wheel column. i could not get the rear defrost to turn off so i had to turn off the car and remove the fuse to it. shortly after this incident the power windows have stopped working and the fuse to them is still good, i replaced it just in case but the windows still do not work. the odometer has also stopped working so i have had to guess my speed. i feel that this is a huge safety concern since the rear defrost does not work i cannot see out the rear window on cold days, i also cannot tell how fast i am driving which can cause an accident, and the power windows have stopped working. the car is due for inspection next month and i cannot afford to fix these problems, this is my only vehicle and rely on it to get to and from work everyday. i have also placed a complaint with general motors concerning this issue as i feel that the problems that have occurred are a result of poor or hurried workmanship in that area of the vehicle's manufacture. *tr | |||
| 09/23/2009 | 75000 | 1 | 02/09/2007 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet cavalier. the contact stated that within a few minutes after parking her vehicle, it caught fire. the fire department extinguished the fire. the vehicle was destroyed. the contact stated that the electrical system caused the fire. prior to the failure, she noticed that the windows opened after the vehicle was turned off. when she turned the air conditioner off green smoke emitted into the vehicle and the fire started immediately after the green smoke was present. the dealer and manufacturer have not been notified. the vehicle identification number is unavailable. the current and failure mileages were approximately 75,000. updated 10/21/09 *bf the consumer stated when she turned the ac switch to off, smoke began to emit from the vehicle. the consumer stated even though the car was off, the ac was still on. updated 10/20/09 | |||
| 01/14/2009 | 10000 | 1 | |
| January 14,2009 my car almost caught on fire due to acid from my battery liking into the battery pan. i had to unhook the battery and take it out of the car. my step son was driving by my house when my cars lights were on andthe car had been sitting for about 3 hours. i went outside and the lights were very dim. i tried to start it up and the car started smoking and i immediately turned the car off. there were sparks so i had to put out the small flame and remove the battery. i had the car towed to parker pontiac buick gmc that same day. the small fire burned through my windshield washer fluid line the cost to me for repair of the small fire was about 487.00. *tr | |||
| 03/23/2009 | 50251 | 1 | |
| My speedometer is going crazy and is at the 6 o'clock position. next the temperature gauge went all the up and both of these stayed after turning off the car. the car is also make a strange noise. *tr | |||
| 09/13/2008 | 92000 | 1 | |
| Purchased a 2003 chevy cavalier in sept. 2008 for my daughter to go to college. had a carfax report done and found nothing, clean report. 2 days after purchase, inst. cluster went bad, not working at all. dec. 08 the fuel pump went bad. after researching the internet, i have found thousands of the same complaints as mine. i have even found websites advertising to rebuild the cluster as so many are defective. now if this isn't enough to see the major problem, i don't know what is. i feel that enough information is out on the internet to warrant a recall on both issues before the public has to spend all their money to fix gm's faulty parts that break down so quickly. just these 2 repairs cost $500.00 each. *tr | |||
| 12/07/2008 | 1 | ||
| The gauges in these cars go crazy i didn't spend money to fix it instead i went online and found a ton f people this happened to the gauge cluster in the cars go haywire and you can not tell. some go in the speedometer mine went in the temp gauge and the fuel gauge now people have been to mechanics and they can not find what is wrong with them mine first went about 4 months ago and the only way for me to reset my gauges is to pull the fuse out and reset it otherwise it will not reset back to e or 0 and the thermo gauge has gone into my speedo needle so then i can not tell how fast i am going at first i thought it was just me and no big deal but then i went online and found so many people wit this problem why should we have to fix something that gm obviously didn't get right i don't think its right at all especially because its with alot of people now the gauges go crazy all the time not just when it rains or its cold but constantly i am pulling the fuses out. *tr | |||
| 12/22/2008 | 89000 | 1 | |
| I was checking to see if there was a recall on a 2003 chevy cavalier fuel pump because i was traveling on the highway and the fuel pump went out costing me almost $800. also the motor for two of my power windows have went out. *tr | |||
| 11/16/2008 | 80100 | 1 | |
| Fuel pump failure; car just died on the turnpike; had to be towed to mechanic. car was under warranty; speedometer doesn't work; its moves all around and is not accurate; still not fixed never happens when the mechanic has it; car has trouble starting; have to crank it 2-5 times to turn on. still not working mechanic cant find anything wrong with it. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2007 | 75000 | 1 | |
| Cluster stops working. read about this on several forums. should be repaired by dealer for free if this is an ongoing complaint! *tr | |||
| 07/28/2008 | 74400 | 1 | |
| This does not involve a crash related complaint, it may be considered a minor defect related issue. i am a repair facility, we have a transmission removed from a 2003 chevy cavalier for repair, the warranty company that i am working with needed to verify miles, so we hooked up the battery with the transmission out of the car, the odometer moved forward 17 miles. every time i hook up the battery and disconnect it, the odometer moves forward 17 miles. i thought maybe it was an isolated issue to this car, so i disconnected the transmission wiring harness to a 2005 chevy cavalier, then connected and reconnected the battery, it also rolled the odometer forward with each connection at a rate of 8 miles. no one at gm has ever heard of this, i will continue to test other products to see what happens. *tr | |||
| 06/23/2008 | 96000 | 1 | |
| Speedometer sticks, will not return to zero. as you increase speed it goes up from there, after a while it reads over 100 mph even if you are sitting at a stop sign. it is very intermittent. if you turn the ignition on and off a few times it may reset. then it will be ok for a few days then do it again. *tr | |||
| 01/01/2007 | 40000 | 1 | |
| My 2003 chevrolet cavalier ls has a malfunctioning speedometer, gas gauge, and sometimes temperature gauge and tachometer. the vehicle had not sustained any damage that could have possibly caused the malfunction; this problem is solely the result of poor manufacturing. after searching online and calling chevy i confirmed that the problem is with the gauge cluster, an electronic component behind the dash. this cluster costs $500 to replace, presumably with one that works properly, a concept which is hard to imagine with the chevy cavalier. somewhere in the manufacturing process general motors must have decided to cut a few dollars and get some cheap parts, because the malfunction is widespread and consistent in all the reports i've read. this issue absolutely needs to become a recall so that chevy is forced to pay the $500 replacement fee; and monetary justice aside, malfunctioning gauges could create potentially life-threatening dangers. it is not a recall yet, but is absolutely needs to become one. *tr | |||
| 02/02/2003 | 0 | 80 | 02/01/2003 |
| Since i purchased the vehicle the radio has turned off by itself it also erases any programmed stations. the windows don't always go up , it happens off and on , it happens to one window and not the other and then reverses. *jb | |||
| 07/24/2005 | 1 | 05/06/2003 | |
| Dt: 2003 chevrolet cavalier. the contact's daughter was driving the vehicle. while driving, all of the lights on the dashboard came on and then went off. about an hour later the contact's vehicle crashed because she could not steer it. the contact stated it was a clear day, there was not a lot of traffic , and no reason for her to lose control. there was a code found, b2625 for display dimming pulse. it appeared to be a problem with the lighting display. there no indication that there was power failure at the time of the accident. a police report was taken. the contact's daughter sustained bruises and had a backache. there has not been any repairs to the vehicle at this time. *ak updated 11/29/2005 - *nm *jb | |||
| 05/20/2003 | 02/10/2003 | ||
| I bought my 2003 cavalier in feb. 2003. within months of purchase i began to have problems with my tail lights. my left tail light burnt out completely (both turn signal and brake light). it was brought into the dealership in which they replaced the socket, bulb and greased the socket. in the following months, my left tail light continued to fail. two of those times i was pulled over by the local police. also during the summer of 2003, my battery died, although no lights were left on; my car stalled while in drive waiting at a stop light; my window motors died and had to be replaced; my locks failed to work properly which also had to be replaced. this past year i've had even more problems. as of recently, both left and right tail lights failed, and both were replaced, and the right one went out yet again. the trunk was leaking, which caused mold to grow in my trunk and damaging personal effects, and also causing the right socket and wires to become corroded. the socket and wires were replaced again, and the leak was fixed, but dealer refused to replaced fabric in trunk. driver's side window motor died yet again, and was replaced. cd player stopped working. dealership ordered and installed new system. currently i have problems with my power steering upon ignition when cold outside, squeaking sounds over front tires while going over bumps and turning, and all air vents, except passenger side are not functioning properly. dealership looked at vents but stated that they were operating as designed. over the past 2 years, my new car has been back to the dealership about 15 times. way to go gm...another winner! | |||
| 10/10/2003 | 34000 | 50 | 07/18/2003 |
| Starting in october 2004, the dashboard lights in my 2003 chevrolet cavalier began turning off anytime i drove the vehicle with the headlights turned on. i took the car into a chevrolet dealership four times regarding this problem and it has never been resolved. the first time i took the car in, the dealership informed me that they could not replicate the problem and were unable to conduct any repairs. the second time, the dealership still could not replicate the problem, but replaced the multi-function switch. the third time, i took it to a different dealership and they made a highly educated guess repair. the fourth and last time, the dealership made no repair attempt and basically told me to not bring the vehicle in again unless i am able to bring it in with the dashboard lights turned off. at this point, i am driving the vehicle with a flashlight in the car so that i can see my speed and other gauges when the dashboard lights are off. while they do not turn off every time i drive with the headlights on, they are off quite frequently. at the worst, i fear this will cause an accident. at the least, i assume i will be pulled over at some point for driving with a flashlight on in the car. while i understand that the dealership has not been able to replicate the problem, it is very dangerous. i have a 5-year extended warranty and gm is required to warrant all electrical problems under it. from internet research, i can tell that gm has multiple problems with the electrical systems in the 2003-2004 cavaliers and i feel this is one more manifestation of that manufacturing problem. *nm | |||
| 06/06/2003 | 500 | 20 | |
| While driving approximately every two months the brake light will illuminate the dash board. the fuel pump blew out. the heating a cooling went bad. the vehicle makes noise when making right turns. consumer has not found out what it is as of yet. the vehicle has been into the dealer at least twenty times. *nm | |||
| 12/03/2004 | 33033 | 5 | 05/11/2004 |
| Consumer experienced electrical problems with vehicle. while driving, all the lights cut off including the interior lights. the consumer took the vehicle to be serviced three times within the last two weeks. they explained to her that they could not find the glitch and until they do she would have to drive the vehicle as it is. *jb the theft service shuts down in the vehicle. the airbag light came on. when the defroster or heater is on the consumer smells a burning smell. *tc | |||
| 10/11/2004 | 24000 | 4 | 06/06/2003 |
| First problem with my car was a short in the brake lights. chevrolet repaired that. then the horn would work randomly. chevrolet replaced that. the a/c failed to work on the driver side. chevrolet repaired that. then the keyless entry randomly stopped working, chevrolet told me they cannot find anything wrong the keyless entry still doesn't work properly. then the car started turning off while i was driving. chevrolet again told me they could not repair the problem due to nothing registering on the computer. my car turned off mid turn and i hit a brick wall. chevrolet investigated the accident and told me my car didn't turn off. i got my car back last tuesday and my car turned off again. i made an appointment to bring my car back to chevrolet and its turned off again. i guess chevrolet will never be able to repair my problem. *nm | |||
| 08/14/2004 | 10000 | 4 | 11/20/2003 |
| Tail/turn light bulbs constantly burning. replaced them many times. when replaced can notice electrical fire smell and light bulbs plastic base is melted. have made an schedule to take to dealer, but noticed many other complaints regarding the same matter, from other consumers. is anything being done? is there a fix for it? *jb | |||
| 01/20/2004 | 4 | ||
| While driving at any speed vehicle stalled. consumer restarted the vehicle, and took it to dealer for inspection. mechanic that computer needed to be reset and reset it. however, the problem recurred. *ak | |||
| 11/30/2003 | 4 | 05/21/2003 | |
| Problems with vehicle's turn signals being blown out.*mr the vehicle's turn signal lights have blown on several occasions. although the dealer continued to repair them, they continue to blow. the consumer believes she was sold a lemon. *nm | |||
| 03/28/2003 | 15804 | 1 | 06/27/2003 |
| My car has been dying at red lights and while i am driving it! it takes several tries before the car will restart. it is only 9 months old. my car dealership told me i can bring it in but the will probably not be able to detect the problem. therefore, they will probably not be able to repair anything. *ak | |||
| 03/24/2003 | 6500 | 3 | 06/18/2003 |
| The tires shake and vibrate around sixty miles/hr. so i took them to sam's club to their tire center in december of 2003. they rotated and balanced the tires. i drove the car for one month, then the tires started doing the same thing over again. about one month later, i went back to sam's club and they balanced my tires again. so here it is march of 2004, the tires are doing the same thing again shaking and vibrating around sixty miles/hr. i called goodyear , they told me to bring the car in. they looked at the tires, and said that the rear tires were worn on the inside, and that i would have to take the car back to the dealership to get the tires fixed. they could not diagnose the specific origin of the vibration. basically, for a brand new car, we should not have these kind of problems at 24,000 miles (as stated by mechanics from goodyear, sam's club and firestone). 5. cruise control switch- if right turn signal is used when cruise control is activated, the cruise control will automatically deactivate itself. 6. power failure- car all of a sudden lost power while at a stoplight. 7. a/c & heater- a/c and heater make loud noise. 8. rear turn signal light bulbs burned out 4 times on each side. gm replacement bulbs last only 1 to 1 1/2 month. *nm | |||
| 06/06/2003 | 300 | 4 | 05/06/2003 |
| Within a week of recieving my car it began to stall when comming to a stop otherwise it would idle wrong. if it did not die it would idle high. *ak | |||
| 09/12/2003 | 1 | ||
| The turn signal and brake light comes on and off intermittently and the cruise control doesn't work. the mechanic from the dealer ship noted that the electrical socket was melted. fill in additional information. *ph | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | |||
| 05/02/2005 | 20500 | 1 | 01/21/2003 |
| Just wanted to clarify my call resulting in odi number 10133041. according to the mechanic, prior to the belt breaking, my car's alternator had a hard spot. this means that it would seize and let go. my understanding is that the alternator should not seize unless there is a collision which in turn stops the engine. this car has never been in an accident. *ak this random seizing, i believe, is what caused my undiplomatic, steering and braking problems - with loss of control ranging from 1/2 second to 2 seconds at a time. on the report associated with the alternator repair, i again reported braking problems (not just the documented noise), and the oddball sensation in the steering wheel. both lines of complaint were attributed to the seizing up of the alternator. to me, this means that my life, and the life of anyone else on the road with me - was and still is still at the mercy of a weird alternator, whose intermittent failures result in loss of power to the steering pump, and the brakes - resulting in complete loss of control of the car until the backup kicks in - which takes from 1/2 second to 2 seconds. i wish to make very clear - i do not blame the dealer for lack of ability to adequately repair what is an inherent design flaw. in addition, in the course of research, i have learned that most all new cars regardless of manufacturer are designed the same way. this is a serious hazard, and needs to be addressed on an industry wide scale. at this stage, steering, acceleration, and braking are all erratic. sound in the front tires is like a clip-clop. i am not a mechanic, but in reading the descriptions placed here, i must also wonder if the crashes and airbag failed deployments in several posts were also due to a seizing alternator prior to the mva.*ak | |||
| 02/18/2003 | 1392 | 4 | 01/21/2003 |
| Dt: the consumer owns a 2003 chevrolet caviler. was losing control of the steering and the brakes. it started in the winter. the consumer stated the direction that car was headed was the way it stayed. also, she noticed that there was a hum in the steering wheel which lasted a couple of seconds each time. the consumer contacted the dealer, and they said that it did not sound to them as dangerous. a couple of months later the problem finally came to ahead in june. lights came on the dashboard. the belt broke, and the alternator seized. when the car was repaired by the dealer they concluded the alternator and the belt malfunctioned. also heard a grinding noise in the brakes. the dealer never did any repairs to the steering. the consumer said that the key was hot after it had been in the ignition. and the steering wheel was tight when turning to the right. the car went back to the dealer , and she did not have the tightness to the steering. but, the car was still pulling to the right. the brakes were spongy. there was a popping sound in the front wheel. there was a delay in the speed of the car. and almost had a collision. *ak | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 700 | 1 | |
| Various problems with 2003 chevrolet cavalier.*mr the vehicle tail light shorted out three times then the circuit shorted out. the gas gauge would fluctuate. cold starts. the vehicle would hesitate at stop light or stall out completely. the driver' s side speaker blew. the cd player would eject the cd while it was playing. the rpm gauge bounced. the fuel pump was replaced. the alternator made noise. *nm | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||
| 10/30/2006 | 44975 | 1 | 09/20/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 50 mph on dry road conditions, all gauges except the rpm gauge lost power and stopped functioning. also, the daytime running lights would not turn off, and an error message was displayed on the instrument panel. the contact plans to notify the manufacturer after filing a complaint with the nhtsa. updated 11/30/2006- these failures were caused by a dead cell in the battery. *nm | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 05/10/2004 | 1050 | 1 | 07/30/2003 |
| I bought my car from apple valley chevrolet in august 2003. the car had 64 miles on it when i drove it off the dealers lot. after the car exceeded 1000 miles it started having an electrical problem with not keeping rpms and shutting off. when the car shuts off i no longer have power steering after this hrepeatedly happened, i informed the dealership of the problem that i was having and took it to them three times and they told me that if it did not come up on their computer that they could not fix it and that there was no problem. *akthe problem has yet to be resoved , no satisfation.due to this being my primary mode of transportation, my car has around 18,000 miles on it now and i have a roaring sound coming from the drivers side wheel. i notified the dealership of the problem and they told me that it would be fixed on may 11,2004. the dealership did not want me loan me a rental and told me and my mother that if i needed a vehicle that i could pick up my car and drive it in that condition. my parents refused to allow me to drive the car in that unsafe condition, my mother got on telephone with the supervisor of maintenance and they agreed to have me pick up a loaner from thrify loan in martinsburg. my mother took me in to pick up the vehicle. i was notified that they had fixed all problems with my vehicle and that i could pick it up, today may 17, 2004. i picked my car up from the dealership today. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - ANTI-THEFT CONTROLLER | |||
| 10/11/2004 | 24000 | 4 | 06/06/2003 |
| First problem with my car was a short in the brake lights. chevrolet repaired that. then the horn would work randomly. chevrolet replaced that. the a/c failed to work on the driver side. chevrolet repaired that. then the keyless entry randomly stopped working, chevrolet told me they cannot find anything wrong the keyless entry still doesn't work properly. then the car started turning off while i was driving. chevrolet again told me they could not repair the problem due to nothing registering on the computer. my car turned off mid turn and i hit a brick wall. chevrolet investigated the accident and told me my car didn't turn off. i got my car back last tuesday and my car turned off again. i made an appointment to bring my car back to chevrolet and its turned off again. i guess chevrolet will never be able to repair my problem. *nm | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - MODULE | |||
| 01/26/2008 | 4 | 01/04/2005 | |
| I have replaced the ignition control module 4 times in this car. it fails such that the engine in only running on 2 cylinders. testing has shown the coil packs are ok and the problem is with the icm computer. *tr | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - SWITCH | |||
| 05/18/2006 | 55000 | 5 | 05/14/2003 |
| 1. vehicle made a moaning noise when turning at approximately 55,000 kms (and 3 years old). replaced power steering pump and steering rack. 2. random clunking from the front end at approx. 56,000 kms. replaced front bearings and transmission mount. 3. car lost power, had to be towed to dealership. dealer couldn't find a problem, insisted the car was fine. i insisted on them taking it out again. car broke down, had to be towed back to dealer again. replaced catalytic converter and fuel ignition switch. 4. burned through 4l of oil and puffed out black smoke. dealer couldn't locate problem. happened again approx. 2000 kms later. faulty piston rings, engine replaced entirely. at 61,000 kms. now at over $11,000 cdn warranty repairs on a well maintained low mileage car. 5. random clunking noise in front is back. going to dealer tomorrow. warranty: expired. *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - INSTRUMENT PANEL | |||
| 12/10/2012 | 84000 | 1 | |
| The problem is with the speedometer. i was traveling at what i thought was about 40 mph and i looked down and my speedometer showed 65 mph. when i cam to a stop my speedometer only went down to 25 mph. the next morning it was down to 0. one week later it went up and didn't go below 35 mph and it has kept increasing. now when i get in the car the speedometer is at 95mph. this is a huge safety issue. please issue a recall for these items. the cost to repair is $500 and makes it too expensive for it to be feasible. *tr | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY | |||
| 08/12/2003 | 8 | 04/01/2003 | |
| Chevrolet cavalier 2003, problem exist with the passenger side blinker/brake light continues to operate incorrectly. *bf the starter cylinder was replaced. *jb the dealer replaced the brake light bulb and blinker bulb on several occasions. | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING | |||
| 03/01/2007 | 73000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet cavalier. while driving 30 mph, the vehicle shut off in the middle of the road without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the fuel pump failed and made the replacement. a few days after the repair, the headlights stopped working and the electrical system was rewired. recently, the engine failed and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the contact does not yet know the cause of the failure and the vehicle is still at the dealer for repair. the failure mileage was 73,000. updated 06/16/08 *bf | |||
| 06/15/2005 | 35000 | 1 | 06/15/2004 |
| 2003 cavalier engine stall on red lights/ coming to stop/ turning corners at low idle speeds causing a loss in power steering and abs. check engine light active, immediate restart is available, however while turning has nearly caused accidents. believed to be caused due to faulty wiring to intake temp sensor. *tr | |||
| 10/16/2005 | 3 | 11/10/2002 | |
| My speedometer is not reading correctly at times that are not predictable. today for instance it has lost speed by reading at 5 mph when i am driving at 40 mph! it has even read at 85 mph when i was only driving at 50 mph! i have taken this problem to dealership and still no result. now my temperature dial is going bonkers. i have seen several post on sites about the dashboard/car electrical problems! i now have my first speeding ticket due to the result of this! *jb | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 700 | 1 | |
| Various problems with 2003 chevrolet cavalier.*mr the vehicle tail light shorted out three times then the circuit shorted out. the gas gauge would fluctuate. cold starts. the vehicle would hesitate at stop light or stall out completely. the driver' s side speaker blew. the cd player would eject the cd while it was playing. the rpm gauge bounced. the fuel pump was replaced. the alternator made noise. *nm | |||
| 11/19/2003 | 15 | 6 | |
| While driving at any speed heater did not work. vehicle was taken to the dealer, and heater was replaced. also, on two different occasions dealer replaced wiring harness and connection wires. on another occasion entire brake light assembly was replaced along with the sockets. in all, vehicle had been to the dealer six times in seven months.*ak | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - WIRING - INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | |||
| 12/01/2005 | 41000 | 100 | 05/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the temperature gauge in the instrument cluster goes all the way around which interferes with the speedometer's reading. the two needles sometimes hit each other. also, the gas gauge continues to go around. the dealership told the contact that there are two locations in the united states that can repair the instrument cluster, and it would have to be sent to them. *ak updated 2/9/2006 - *nm | |||
| 12/28/2005 | 58758 | 2 | 12/20/2005 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while driving the vehicle at 65 mph the speedometer went erratic, and the temperature gauge went up to 260 degrees. the vehicle was taken to a local garage, and they determined the instrument cluster panel was defective, and the vehicle needed to be taken to a local dealership for repairs. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| There is a clicking noise coming from under the dash. took vehicle to dealer, and dealer was rerouting the throttle cables.*ak | |||