2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Steering Problems
15 NHTSA complaints on file
Steering Issues in the 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER
15 steering complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. Of these, 1 involved a crash, 0 involved a fire, and 0 resulted in injury.
15
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
All Steering Complaints
THE STEERING WHEEL IS LOOSE. PINS ON TILT MECHANISM ARE GONE. DON'T KNOW WHEN IT FELL OUT. NOTICED WHEN CLEANING CAR WHEN I TILTED THE STEERING WHEEL UP.
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.
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...
METAL ON METAL NOISE FOUND OUT SHOES AND ROTORS ARE DAMAGEDDAMAGED. I HAVE NO MONEY. V CAN'T FIX THIS. SMELL INSIDE OF LEAK. TEMP RUNNING HIGH. 200.
STEERING WHEEL AND SHROUD BECAME TOTALLY DISENGAGED AND FELL INTO MY LAP WHILE TRYING TO TURN ONTO LIVERNOIS ROAD MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO STEER VEHICLE.LUCKY I WAS LEAVING POST OFFICE AFTER MAILING LETTERS AND NOT WHILE ON FREEWAY. *TR
POWER SUDDENLY SHUT OFF, CAUSING POWER STEERING TO FAIL, WHICH MADE ME WRECK INTO A DITCH. IT ALSO CAUSED THE AIRBAGS TO NOT DEPLOY AND PREVENTED SEATBELTS FROM LOCKING INTO PLACE WHEN THE BRAKES WERE HIT. *TR
I HAD BEEN READING ABOUT RECENT RECALLS WITH GM, ESPECIALLY IGNITION SWITCHES. I HAVE A 2003 CHEVY CAVALIER AND IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A BAD IGNITION SWITCH. I FIRST NOTICED WHEN I WENT TO START THE CAR IN THE MORNING, A DAY AFTER COMING HOME FROM WORK. GOOD THING IT HAPPENED THEN BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE BEEN STRANDED OFF SITE. I WENT TO START THE CAR, NOTHING HAPPENED EXCEPT WIPERS AND RADIO DID NOT WORK AS WELL WHICH I THOUGHT WAS STRANGE. FINALLY THE RADIO AT LEAST CAME ON AT SOME POINT, BUT CAR STILL WOULD NOT START. AFTER IT WAS FIXED THEY SAID THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS BAD AND THE MECHANIC ASKED IF I HAD LOOKED FOR THE RECALL ON IT. I SEARCHED ONLINE BUT DID NOT FIND IT. I KNOW MY CAR IS OLDER, HOWEVER OF ALL THE CARS I EVER OWNED AND I HAD MANY, I NEVER...
2006 CHEVROLET COBALT & 2003 CAVALIER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO BOTH VEHICLES POWER STEERING AND CUTTING OFF PROBLEMS. *SMD 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. *JB UPDATED 08/07/14 *JB UPDATED 09/24/14. *JB
MY SON WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT AND AS HE DESCRIBES IT, EVERYTHING BUT THE RADIO WENT DEAD ALL BY ITSELF (THE ENGINE DIED AND THERE WAS NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES). OBVIOUSLY THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS THE CURRENT RECALLS. I CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE CAR ISN'T ON THE LIST. I'VE COMPLAINED TO CHEVY AND AM GETTING THE RUNAROUND BY MULTIPLE MEMBERS OF THEIR "CONSUMER SUPPORT TEAM" (WE'VE ASSIGNED YOU A SERVICE REQUEST NUMBER BUT I AM TO WAIT UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN AND THEN BRING IT IN "SO WE COULD START REVIEWING ON YOUR CASE"). I TOOK IT TO MY OWN MECHANIC AND HE RAN A BUNCH OF TESTS BUT COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING THAT WOULD CAUSE THE CAR TO DIE. *TR
DRIVING AT LOW SPEED. STEERING WHEEL EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE SIDE PLAY. MADE APPOINTMENT AT LOCAL MECHANIC (NON-DEALER) STEERING HOUSING TAKEN OFF AND FOUND ONE OF TWO PINS IN THE STEERING COLUMN FOR THE TILT MECHANISM HALF WAY OUT OF HOUSING. MECHANIC REINSERTED PIN AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTAKE PIN IN HOUSING. EXPERIENCED NO SIDE PLAY AFTER REPAIR FOR ABOUT 1 WEEK AND PROBLEM HAS RESURFACED. *TR
TRANS AXLE WENT OUT APRIL 09 WITH A HORRIBLE MESS OF OIL, STEERING RACK REPLACED 6 MONTHS LATER, DRIVER SIDE WINDOW/ MOTOR PROBLEM, FUEL PUMP WENT 75,000 A BIT SHY OF A YEAR LATER. NOW MY DEFROST ISN'T WORKING; POSSIBLY THE SWITCH 85,000. HAD BRAKES DONE TWICE SO FAR WITH LEAKS; THIS INCLUDES HYDRAULICS, ROTORS, PADS, SHOES ETC. MY STEERING HAS SEIZED WHILE DRIVING. THIS CAR HAS BEEN A VERY EXPENSIVE INCONVENIENCE. *LN
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC SHOP AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE STEERING PUMP FAILED. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCES PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 96,000.
CHEVROLET CAVALIER Z 2003, MULTIPLE FAILURES. *BF THE DEFROSTER WOULD NOT CLEAR THE WINDOWS, THE HEATER DID NOT WORK, THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED BECAUSE THERE WAS A SPLIT IN THE CENTER OF THE STEERING WHEEL. WHEN THE CONSUMER MADE A RIGHT TURN A NOISE WAS HEARD. THE LEFT REAR TURN SIGNAL BULB WAS REPLACED, THE RIGHT REAR BRAKE LIGHT BULB. THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, THE DEALER LUBED THE FRONT SWAY BAR BUSHING. THE TIRES WERE OVER INFLATED, SO THE VEHICLE WOULD SWAY WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS, THE BLOWER MOTOR, AND HEATER CONTROL WAS REPLACED. THE ABS LAMP ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE NEEDED BRAKE PADS. THERE WAS MOLD ON THE DRIVERS FRONT DOOR. THE AC COMPRESSOR WAS REPLACED. THE WINDOW WENT DOWN EXTREMELY SLOW, THE DEALER LUBED THE WINDOW TRACK AND REGULATOR. THE FOG LIGHT BULB WAS INOPERATIVE, THE DOOR LATCH WAS INOPERATIVE. *JB
I OWN A NEW 2003 CHEVY CAVALIER WITH SEVERAL PROBLEMS. HAD TO REPLACED 2 SPACERS, A STRUT MOUNT, SEVERAL STEERING PARTS AND PART OF THE REAR LIGHT. *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE CAN SLIGHTLY ROCK THE STEERING WHEEL FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE CONSUMER ASKED IF AN OCCASIONAL POPPING IN THE STEERING IS NORMAL IN HER VEHICLE AFTER TESTING FOUR OF THE SAME MODELS. *TC
WHEN COASTING TO A STOP AND DEPRESSING CLUTCH, CAR IDLE SPEED WILL DROP BELOW THE NORMAL IDLE SPEED OF 800 RPM. SOMETIMES, THE IDLE SPEED WILL BOUNCE AROUND BETWEEN 400 RPM AND 800 RPM. OTHER TIMES, THE ENGINE WILL STALL. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT, BUT WILL USUALLY OCCUR MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE FIXING ITSELF. THE STALLING ENGINE IS A CONCERN BECAUSE OF THE LOST OF POWER STEERING MAKING TURNS. DEALER UNABLE TO DUPLICATE PROBLEM. *JB
Other 2003 CHEVROLET CAVALIER Problem Areas
Fuel System Gasoline
193 complaints
Fuel System Gasolinedeliveryfuel Pump
162 complaints
Electrical System
57 complaints
Electrical System Instrument Clusterpanel
31 complaints
Exterior Lightingturn Signal
31 complaints
Engine And Engine Cooling
28 complaints
Fuel System Other
23 complaints
Exterior Lightingbrake Lights
18 complaints
Suspension
13 complaints
Air Bagsfrontal
12 complaints
Fuel System Otherdeliveryfuel Pump
12 complaints
Service Brakes Hydraulic
11 complaints
Engine And Engine Coolingengine
10 complaints
Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentsdiscrotor
10 complaints
Exterior Lighting
9 complaints
Visibilitypower Window Devices And Controls
9 complaints
Unknown Or Other
8 complaints
Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac System
8 complaints
Fuelpropulsion System
7 complaints
Air Bags
6 complaints
Equipmentapplianceair Conditioner
6 complaints
Exterior Lightingtail Lights
6 complaints
Electrical Systemwiring
5 complaints
Equipment
5 complaints
Exterior Lightingheadlights
5 complaints
Structurebody
5 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control
5 complaints
Vehicle Speed Controlcruise Control
5 complaints
Visibility
5 complaints
Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac Systemwindshieldelectrical Heating Element
5 complaints
Engine
4 complaints
Equipmentelectricalradiotape Deckcd Etc
4 complaints
Power Train
4 complaints
Power Trainautomatic Transmission
4 complaints
Power Trainmanual Transmission
4 complaints
Electrical Systemalternatorgeneratorregulator
3 complaints
Electrical Systemhorn
3 complaints
Electrical Systemwiringinteriorunder Dash
3 complaints
Electronic Stability Control Esc
3 complaints
Exterior Lightingturn Signalflasher Unit
3 complaints
Fuel System Otherstoragefuel Gauge System
3 complaints
Latcheslockslinkagestrunk Lidlock
3 complaints
Power Trainclutch Assembly
3 complaints
Seat Belts
3 complaints
Seat Beltsfront
3 complaints
Service Brakes Hydraulicantilocktraction Controlelectronic Limited Slip
3 complaints
Structure
3 complaints
Structureframe And Membersunderbody Shields
3 complaints
Suspensionfront
3 complaints
Tires
3 complaints
Electrical Systemignitionswitch
2 complaints
Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust System
2 complaints
Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systememission Control
2 complaints
Fuel System Gasolinefuel Injection Systeminjectors
2 complaints
Service Brakes
2 complaints
Service Brakes Airantilock
2 complaints
Service Brakes Hydraulicantilocktraction Controlelectronic Limited Slipabs Warning Light
2 complaints
Suspensionrear
2 complaints
Vehicle Speed Controlcables
2 complaints
Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac Systemheater Core
2 complaints
Visibilityrearview Mirrorsdevicesexterior
2 complaints
Air Bagsfrontalsensorcontrol Module
1 complaint
Electrical System12v24v48v Battery
1 complaint
Electrical Systemignition
1 complaint
Electrical Systemignitionanti Theftcontrol Module
1 complaint
Electrical Systemignitionmodule
1 complaint
Electrical Systemstarter Assembly
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingenginegasoline
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingenginegasolinebelts And Associated Pulleys
1 complaint
Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systememission Controlcatalytic Convertor
1 complaint
Equipmentmechanicalaccessory Scissorscrewbottle Jacklift
1 complaint
Exterior Lightinghazard Flashing Warning Lights
1 complaint
Exterior Lightingheadlightsswitch
1 complaint
Fuel System Gasolinedelivery
1 complaint
Fuel System Gasolinedeliveryhoses Linespiping And Fittings
1 complaint
Fuel System Gasolinefuel Injection System
1 complaint
Fuel System Gasolinestoragetank Assembly
1 complaint
Power Trainclutch Assemblypedalhand Levermotorcycle
1 complaint
Seat Beltsfrontretractor
1 complaint
Seat Beltsrearother
1 complaint
Seats
1 complaint
Service Brakes Airantilockabs Warning Light
1 complaint
Service Brakes Airantilockwheel Speed Sensor
1 complaint
Service Brakes Hydraulicantilocktraction Controlelectronic Limited Slipcontrol Unitmodule
1 complaint
Service Brakes Hydraulicfluid
1 complaint
Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Components
1 complaint
Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentsdisc
1 complaint
Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentsdisccaliper
1 complaint
Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentsdiscpads
1 complaint
Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentsdrum
1 complaint
Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentsdrumdrum
1 complaint
Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentsdrumshoeslinings
1 complaint
Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentsmaster Cylinder
1 complaint
Service Brakes Hydraulicpedals And Linkages
1 complaint
Steeringcolumn Lockinganti Theft Device
1 complaint
Steeringhydraulic Power Assist System
1 complaint
Steeringhydraulic Power Assistpump
1 complaint
Steeringrack And Pinion
1 complaint
Steeringrack And Pinionrack
1 complaint
Suspensionfrontcontrol Arm
1 complaint
Suspensionfrontmacpherson Strut
1 complaint
Suspensionfrontspringsair Suspensionlines And Fittings
1 complaint
Suspensionfrontwheel Bearing
1 complaint
Tirespressure Monitoring And Regulating Systems
1 complaint
Tiressidewall
1 complaint
Vehicle Speed Controlaccelerator Pedal
1 complaint
Visibilitydefrosterdefoggerhvac Systemfanmotor
1 complaint
Visibilityglass Siderear
1 complaint
Visibilityrear Window Wiperwashermotor
1 complaint
Visibilityrearview Mirrorsdevicesinterior
1 complaint
Visibilitywindshield Wiperwasher
1 complaint
Visibilitywindshield Wiperwasherlinkages
1 complaint
Visibilitywiper
1 complaint
Wheels
1 complaint
Wheelshub
1 complaint
Wheelsrim
1 complaint