NHTSA Complaint #10112176 — 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER

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