Your vehicle report
2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 678
- Received Nov 2002 to Jul 2025
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Fuel pump fails and engine stalls236 complaints · 35% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Instrument cluster or speedometer fails53 complaints · 7.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine suddenly shuts off while driving49 complaints · 7.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V524000On 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 31 crashes, 6 fires, 18 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 1 |
| 2003 | 42 |
| 2004 | 66 |
| 2005 | 42 |
| 2006 | 17 |
| 2007 | 105 |
| 2008 | 179 |
| 2009 | 86 |
| 2010 | 49 |
| 2011 | 35 |
| 2012 | 11 |
| 2013 | 10 |
| 2014 | 13 |
| 2015 | 10 |
| 2016 | 7 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 2 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 678 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 236 | 35% | – | |
| Instrument cluster or speedometer fails | 53 | 7.8% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 49 | 7.2% | – | |
| Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates | 35 | 5.2% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 15 | 2.2% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 14 | 2.1% | – | |
| Turn signals work intermittently or fail | 14 | 2.1% | – | NHTSA recall #04V524000 |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 12 | 1.8% | – | |
| Heater blows cold air, defroster fails | 12 | 1.8% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 10 | 1.5% | – | |
| Tail light sockets melt and burn | 9 | 1.3% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 8 | 1.2% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 7 | 1.0% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 7 | 1.0% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 7 | 1.0% | – | NHTSA recall #04V524000 |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 7 | 1.0% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 7 | 1.0% | – | |
| Manual clutch wears out or fails early | 6 | 0.9% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 5 | 0.7% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 4 | 0.6% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #04V524000November 1, 2004256,025 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: turn signal
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.
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.
Remedy
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN