Problems with 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The cluster board has gone out. it does not light up, the speedometer, the fuel gage and rpm gage all does not work. chevy has already recalled trucks for this problem but i have a cavalier and on ebay you can buy a fixed cluster board and send back your old one and get 100.00 back so it must be a big problem not just my car. *tr

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

Speedometer fails to read correct speed. has not read correct speed since car reached 55,000 miles on odometer. occasionally speedometer will reset itself, but after 10-15 minutes driving, will climb on its own and stick above 110 mph. dealer states is gm manufacture issue, but will not recall / repair. *tr

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

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

Problem is with instrument cluster. first tach starting failing now and then. now engine temp gauge is doing same thing. sometimes tach works sometimes it doesn't. temp gauge sometimes works, sometimes shows engine hot, sometimes cold when engine is at operating temp. problem started while car was being driven. so far, nothing has been done to fix problem, mechanic says cost to fix is $375.00. *tr

I have a 2003 chevrolet cavalier 4 dr. sedan with 28, 550 miles. today when i went out the speedometer was on 35 mp and didn't go down. as the day wore on it went up to 90. this is a safety issue and chevrolet should have to have a recall to fix this. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet cavalier. she stated that when the driver depressed the horn it was inoperable. the mechanic was unable to diagnose the failure; however, he felt that the relay could have caused the failure. as of march 26, 2008, the mechanic had not repaired the vehicle. the failure mileage wa 9,000 and current mileage was 11,000. updated 04/29/08 *bf

I have a 2003 chev cavalier. owned it from the time it had 4 miles on the odometer. recently i noticed that the speedometer wasn't reading quite correctly. i first noticed it when the speedometer read that i was going 15 miles an hour over the speed limit and people were tailgating me. i didn't realize why until when i came to a stop my speedometer was stuck at 20mph. over time i have noticed that this problem has only gotten worse. every now and then it will read at 60mph at a dead stand still. but that is not even the half of it, it still got worse. at a stand still it would read 100mph+ and when moving it would go back over and start at 0mph. ridiculous!!! i have received two tickets because of this problem. also, on top of all of that, my temperature gauge will sometimes read 260 degrees. i've checked the water and anything that would be causing my temp to read excessively high and there are no other problems. the whole dashboard cluster is messed up. sometimes my fuel gauges won't even read correctly. the problem has just gotten out of hand. i have been told it can cost as much as $1,000 to fix this problem. *tr

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

The instrument panel speedometer and thermostat gauge are not working correctly, but are giving erroneous readings. the instrument panel has failed for the second time. the car was purchased in 2003 and the first instrument panel one was replaced about three-years later for the same problem. the cost to us then was about $500. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet cavalier. the contact stated that the speedometer displays 60 mph when he is traveling at much lower speeds. the speedometer also becomes stuck at a lower speed when he is driving at a much faster rate. the rpm's in the vehicle will either not move at all or go up as far as possible while driving in first gear only. the rpm's will then become stuck and not move back down. the vehicle has not been inspected by the dealer. he must restart the vehicle in order for the speedometer dial to return to its regular position. the dial does not move at all in cold weather conditions. the contact has gotten pulled over while driving 20 mph (85 mph) over the speed limit when he thought he was traveling 65 mph. he believes that the failure could have been a manufacturer defect. the failure mileage was 50,000 and current mileage was 86,000. updated 03-06-09 *bf the speedometer would stick at 50 mph. the consumer stated when he increased or decreased his speed the speedometer would still register at 50 mph. updated 03/11/09. *jb

Just driving along. the speedometer starts to jump, slow, speed up, and stop. per phone conversation 1/14/08 problem with speedometer not working, not vehicle slowing down. smch *tr

I just watched a report about speedometer going haywire on gm trucks and suv's. well, i wanted you to know that my 2003 chevy cavalier is also having this problem and it is scheduled for service on friday to the tune of $400.00. *tr

Cluster stops working. read about this on several forums. should be repaired by dealer for free if this is an ongoing complaint! *tr

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

The speedometer does not work properly it can say that i am going 90 when i am going only 35 also the heat gauge next to it will go way over into the speedometer area which then they hit each other which causes them to not work properly also the gas gauge does not work right either when i get low enough for the check gauge light to come on it will start going up saying that i have a half tank of gas even though i know that i do not. *tr

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. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

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

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

Horn stopped work. went to take daughter to get license and it didn't work. checked fuses and still did not work. i took to the deal and they said i had to get the horn module and air bag replaced. i haven't had the car three years yet. *nm

I have replaced fuel pump 3 times. cluster panel works occasionally. *tr

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

I have a 2003 chevy cavalier and the instrument panel has stopped working. i purchased the car in 2005 and in about 2006 it started acting up. at first the gauges would flicker in and out one at a time sometimes reading incorrect speeds or fuel level and sometime not working at all. they would sometimes seem to be affected by the temperature and other times not. i took it in and the mechanic fidgeted with the fuses and it started working again and he said that was the problem. so each time they acted up i would adjust the fuses & they would start working again until even that didn't work. so i went to buy new fuses and the employee at the part store checked my fuses and said they were working fine. i haven't been able to afford to have it fixed. in about 2008 or 2009 i had some other work done on the car and the mechanic said that he had actually seen other cavaliers with the same problem and that the panel needed replaced. my dad wants to fix my car but we are waiting to afford it and not sure if that will fix the problem. i have looked online and seen many other complaints about the same problem and i am wondering why there isn't a safety recall to fix the problem that is obviously characteristically a problem with the chevy cavalier in more than one year. i don't believe that this is something that the consumer should have to worry about and pay for when it is obviously a manufacture default. it is not only monetarily inconvenient but it is a safety problem. you are unable to know how fast you are actually going, or how much fuel you actually have. there is a reason we have those gauges and it isn't simply to look pretty. i would appreciate if someone would take the time to look into this and realize that this is a serious issue for a lot of people. thank you. *tr

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

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

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

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

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

Dt: the contact stated the horn stopped working. the vehicle was taken to a dealership, and they stated the horn module went out. the airbag would have to be replaced to repair the problem. therefore, no repairs have been made. *ak

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

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

Please also see complaint odi number 10218011, involving the second instrument panel that will have to be replaced. this complaint involves the first instrument panel that had to be replaced. the speedometer and thermostat gauge did not work correctly and gave erroneous readings. this is a separate complaint about a similar problem as listed above that occurred several years ago. that problem was repaired at a cost to me of about $500. i did not keep all the paperwork, but i suppose that the jack schmitt chevrolet service department will have that data. the "incident date" listed is an estimate, i do not recall the date or year exactly, it could have been in 2006. mileage at the time is unknown. *tr

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

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet cavalier. the contact stated that the vehicle could not be shifted out of park. when the contact inserted the key into the ignition switch, it became difficult to turn and the overhead light did not turn off. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 8,161.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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 else's complaint my fuel pump went bad as well and had to have it replaced. *tr

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!

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

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