U.S. public vehicle records

2000 Chevrolet CAVALIER: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

312 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

58,500 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2000 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 120 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 22 of 312 complaints (7.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	48	15.4%
Engine operation	38	12.2%
Steering behavior	38	12.2%
Electrical and battery issues	30	9.6%
Fuel system concerns	26	8.3%
Transmission and shifting	11	3.5%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System

Electrical System:Ignition:Switch

Unknown Or Other

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Steering

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Electrical System	22
Electrical System:Ignition:Switch	19
Unknown Or Other	18
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	17
Steering	17
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	15
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump	15
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	15

Electrical System: 22; Electrical System:Ignition:Switch: 19; Unknown Or Other: 18; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 17; Steering: 17; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 15; Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump: 15; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip: 15

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 22; 25,000 to 49,999: 21; 50,000 to 74,999: 30; 75,000 to 99,999: 23; 100,000 to 149,999: 16; 150,000 and above: 8

50,000 to 74,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (30). 192 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2018

2023

2000: 27; 2001: 46; 2002: 47; 2003: 50; 2004: 62; 2005: 19; 2006: 14; 2007: 5; 2008: 10; 2009: 4; 2010: 5; 2011: 7; 2012: 2; 2013: 2; 2014: 5; 2015: 4; 2016: 1; 2018: 1; 2023: 1

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 48 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 38 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 38 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Examples from the source records

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10000461 · 2003-01-01 (January 1, 2003)

MOSTLY WHEN IT RAINS THE WIPERS WILL STICK OR JUMP AT THE TOP AND ON THE WAY BACK DOWN. WHEN I USE DELAY OR MIST ONLY. WHEN I HAVE IT ON 1 OR 2 SPEED THEY WORK JUST FINE.

Owner-reported narrative. 46,210 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000461 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10001081 · 2002-12-13 (December 13, 2002)

LIGHT COMES ON, ON DASH CONSUMER HAS TAKEN VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AND THEY TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH VEHICLE.WHEN HE WAS ON VACATION,RADIATOR HOSE BUSTED. WHEN HE RETURNED HOME , HE WENT TO THE DEALER, AND WAS REIMBURSED SOME OF HIS MONEY BACK BY THE DEALER. ALSO, WAS TOLD BY DEALER WHEN DASH LIGHT INDICATOR THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH BATTERY. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10001081 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10002601 · 2003-01-13 (January 13, 2003)

CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHIC CAUSED LOSS OF POWER STEERING. PLEASE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002601 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10002604 · 2003-01-13 (January 13, 2003)

CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEED, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN, WHICH CAUSED LOSS OF POWER STEERING. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002604 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003353 · 2003-01-24 (January 24, 2003)

CRACKS IN DASH BOARD PLASTIC. GAS GUAGE STOP WORKING, TRAC LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF AND MAKES THE CAR PULL SIDE TO SIDE IN THE SNOW AND RAIN. DEALERSHIP WILL NOT RETURN ANY OF MY PHONE CALLS (MARINE CHEVROLET IN JACKSONVILLE NC), LIGHTS ON DASH BOARD GO ON AND OFF ON THIER OWN. GUAGES ON DASH WORK SOMETIMES THEN STOP WORKING.

Owner-reported narrative. 200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003353 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003383 · 2003-01-25 (January 25, 2003)

MY CAR BEGUN CUTTING OFF WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON OR ABOUT THIS DATE. I TOOK IT TO THE CHEVY DEALER ON 11/27/02 AND THEY CHANGED THE FUEL LINE. ON 12/02/02 IT WAS STILL CUTTING OF SO I TOOK IT BACK. THIS TIME THEY CHANGED THE WIRES, PLUGS, AND 02 SENSERS. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT IT IS NOW 01/25/03 AND MY CAR IS STILL CUTTING OFF. I HAVE BEEN TO THIS DEALERSHIP (SIR WALTER CHEVROLET - RALEIGH NC) SEVENTEEN TIMES. THEY HAVE CHANGED SEVERAL MAJOR PARTS.( CRANK SHAFT SENSOR, 2 CATYLIC CONVERTERS, MODULES, AND OTHER PARTS. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND…

Owner-reported narrative. 53,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003383 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003513 · 2003-01-27 (January 27, 2003)

NOV.7,2002 CAR WON'T START. DEC.11,2002 WON'T START. TOOK CAR TO POTAMKIN CHEVORLET DEC.19,2002. I WAS TOLD THERE'S WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR AND THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE BATTERY. JAN.13,2003 CAR WON'T START. CAR WAS TOWED TO LIBERTY CHEVORLET. WAS TOLD CAR NEEDED BATTERY AND STARTER. ALSO TOLD IF PROPER TEST WAS DONE, POTAMKIN SHOULD HAVE PICKED UP THE PROBLEM. CURRENTLY HAVING PROBLEMS WITH CAR. CAR STOPS WHILE DRIVING. LIBERTY UNABLE TO FIND PROBLEM. ALSO SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR,NEW, MY INTERIOR LIGHTS FLASH ON AND OFF WHEN I BRAKE HAR…

Owner-reported narrative. 32,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003513 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10004995 · 2003-01-31 (January 31, 2003)

TIMING CHAIN LOOSE/TENSIONER WEARING OUT. FIRST HAPPENED AROUND 60,000 MILES, AT THIS TIME THE CHAIN, TENSIONER, AND GEARS WERE CHANGED. WORKED FINE FOR A WEEK AND A HALF, THEN SLOWLY STARTED TO RATTLE AGAIN UNTIL THE NOISE WAS WORSE THAN BEFORE IT WAS FIXED. BROUGHT TO CHEVY DEALERSHIP, CAR STAYED THERE FOR 5 DAYS, SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG, CHARGED ME $250 FOR DIAGNOSTIC LABOR AND TOLD ME IT WAS A NORMAL NOISE. THEN I CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE, THE WOMAN I SPOKE TO WAS ALL READY TO HELP ME OUT UNTIL SHE SPOKE WITH THE DEALER…

Owner-reported narrative. 60,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10004995 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

00V201000 · Interior Lighting

Reported: 2000-07-20 (July 20, 2000)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE BI-FUEL OPTION FAIL TO COMPLY WITH FMVSS NO. 101, "CONTROL LOCATION, IDENTIFICATION, AND ILLUMINATION." THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS IN THESE VEHICLES ARE AT FULL ILLUMINATION LEVELS AND CANNOT BE ADJUSTED. THE STANDARD REQUIRES AT LEAST TWO LEVELS OF ILLUMINATION.

Consequence: THIS COULD MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO SEE OBJECTS OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE FUEL TYPE INDICATOR SWITCH ASSEMBLY, WHICH INCLUDES THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ILLUMINATION CONTROL.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

04V036000 · Electrical System:Ignition:Switch

Reported: 2004-01-27 (January 27, 2004)

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE ENGINE FAILS TO START AND THE DRIVER HOLDS THE KEY IN THE "START" POSITION FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD, HIGH CURRENT FLOWS THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND SOMETIMES PRODUCES ENOUGH HEAT TO MELT INTERNAL SWITCH PARTS.

Consequence: IF THE SWITCH IS DAMAGED, A FIRE COULD OCCUR IN THE STEERING COLUMN, EVEN WITH THE ENGINE OFF AND THE KEY REMOVED. THE FIRE COULD SPREAD TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR, WHICH COULD INJURE OCCUPANTS OR CAUSE DAMAGE TO ADJOINING STRUCTURES.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A RELAY KIT IN THESE VEHICLES TO PREVENT HIGH CURRENT FROM FLOWING THROUGH THE IGNITION SWITCH, AND CHECK THAT YOUR CAR WILL START WITH A PROPERLY CHARGED BATTERY AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH. OWNER NOTIFICATION WILL BEGIN ON MARCH 1, 2004. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668, BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080, OR OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537. CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CHECK THEIR VEHICLE ONLINE BY GOING TO WWW.MYGMLINK.COM AND ENTERING THE VEHICLE'S IDENTIFICATION NUMBER.

NHTSA campaign record ↗