general problems of the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier - part 1

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 this common problem listed as a recall when many have complained??.

Instrumet cluster problems for a few years. Fuel sending unit has been replaced at about 52,000 miles after quiting twice while driving highway speed of 55 mph. Dealer claimed the car quit because of a bad battery the first time and did not diagnose the problem correctly. It was not the battery. The fuel sending unit intermittently reads well beyond full and interfears with the temperature gage function. Now speedometer is stuck at 85 mph while turned off. I was driving with the cruise doing 67 mph, I slowed down to make a turn at an at grade insection to a road posted at 55 mph. I completed the turn and sped up. The speedometer read 58 mph but it felt llike I was gong about 30 mph. I stopped at another intersection and the speed dropped to 40 mph. I made the turn and acelerated and the speed went to 110 mph but I was not going near that fast. The car is in driveway turned off but the speedometer reads 85 mph. Most recent issue is steering rack and k-frame rusted out and needed to be replaced. Mechanic stated he never saw a steering rack rust out or a k frame rusted as bad as the one on this vehicle. We are the original owners.

Instrument cluster needs to be replaced. The cluster blinks in and out.

July 2009 ignition lock cylinder was stuck. I had it replaced for $362. 75 at Chevrolet dealership. August 2014 ignition lock cylinder was stuck. I had it replaced for $488. 83 at Chevrolet dealership. September 2015 ignition lock cylinder was stuck, my key came out of lock and the car was still running. I had to come off of the clutch to purposely make the car cut off and had to unplug the battery. The 2003 Chevrolet is not included in the recall but it needs to be. My ignition lock cylinder has failed me 3 times in the past 6 years. Thankfully, I'm alive and able to tell you all about this. Chevrolet & gm knew about the lock cylinder recall when I had mine replaced last year.

Instrument cluster gauges malfunction periodically and lock into one position or dont work at all. Cant tell what your speed is , temp is, rpm etc! this I think is a safety issue and should be addressed. I see this is happening to many people as I have investigated it on line. This is pretty much whats happening. . . Read more...

The entire instrument cluster panel completely went hay wire and the speed would increase and decrease. Everything was flashing to the point it was actually scary. I pulled over to the side of the road and it stilled continued. I finally decided to continue home and after about 6 miles it finally just stopped. I researched this problem on the internet and have found that so many more have experienced the same thing happening but some have had their car actually start on fire. Please advise if there is any recall in the near future before someone has to lose their life over this. Thank you so much for any consideration.

Irratic instrument panel. . Sometimes after turning ignition key on all panel lights stay on (beyond normal)and all guages go off. . Sometimes ok when starting but some lights come on (air bag, service eng, abs gas guage, etc) after driving . . Sometimes all instr guages go out completely while driving including speedometer. . . They sometimes come back on and sometimes not. . . I entered my make and year on google to see if other owners have similar problem and found out many do. . Interesting to note that while researching on google I found out chev trucks in year 2003 had a recall due to faulty instrument panel controls but the autos were not recalled. . I feel this is a definite safety hazard since I sometimes have to drive with no speedometer, gas guage and an airbag light that stays on. I do not feel safe driving this vehicle for any length of time and have to resort to only short trips (grocery store, dr appts, etc) I would like to know why gm has not recalled this 2003 chev Cavalier. . Esp when they have recalled the same yr and make trucks for faulty instr panels. . I feel this faulty instr panel is placing me in a very dangerous position each time I get behind the wheel and needless to say do not feel safe driving this auto at all. . .

The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, all of the illuminated gauges and interior lights switched off independently. The contact mentioned that the vehicle failed to stop. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 710,000.

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 their starting positions to the point they all didn't work anymore. This car needs to be added to the gm recall list for the same problem.

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. . .

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.

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.

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.

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!!.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier. The contact stated that the key seized in the ignition and they were unable to shut the engine down. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000 and the current mileage was 130,000. Updated 08/19/lj.

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.

All gauges work erratically or not at all. Lots of other people having similar problem. . Read more...

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.

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.

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.

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.

Cluster stops working. Read about this on several forums. Should be repaired by dealer for free if this is an ongoing complaint!.

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.

Cluster defect: purchased a 2003 chevy Cavalier brand new off the lot in December of 2002. Just after 5 years and approximately 55,000 miles, we are driving down the highway during snowfall while the speedometer stated we were traveling at 65 miles per hour, we did not know that the speedometer was not reading correctly until we got to a corner and the speedometer showed we were driving at about 20 mph when we were flying at atleast 50 mph which indicated the speedometer was about 30 mph off. Then the tachometer would stop working, get stuck, or not operate correctly. I then began to have problems with all of the gauges, the gas gauge needle would go backwards on top of the temperature gauge causing the temperature gauge to stop working then all gauges would malfunction, then they would stop working completely. I took it into the chevy dealership, they came back to me and said it's working fine, there's nothing wrong with it. And again and again and again the gauges continue to go haywire chevy stated when I took the vehicle in that they have never heard of such a complaint and I told them to look it up on the internet, there are hundreds/thousands of complaints regarding this problem. Currently none of my gauges are working and am having to use a gps to navigate speed and fill my vehicle up every 4 days because I have no idea when the car is on empty. It is high time something be done about this. Chevy recalled a bunch of other models, but not the cars. Something has to be done about this and quickly before someone is killed. Or does it take a death or many more to get someone's attention that this problem needs to be addressed. Please investigate this defect further. There are too many of us out there that are dealing with this problem and are just keeping quiet about it. This problem definitely warrants a recall and fast. Meadowcreekdrive@yahoo. Com.

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. Updated 11/29/2005 -.

2006 Chevrolet cobalt & 2003 Cavalier. Consumer writes in regards to both vehicles power steering and cutting off problems. The consumer stated the Cavalier, cut off, just like the cobalt. However, the cobalt was recalled. The Cavalier cut off weekly since it was purchased. The power steering was replaced during a recall. It was replaced at 35,000 miles and again at 68,000. Updated 08/07/14.

There is a recall on the vehicle I need to get fixed.

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. 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.

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?.

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.

Problems with vehicle's turn signals being blown out. 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.