This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
This car will not start. And when it does start it back fires. I have replaced the starter, the flex plate the sensors, and the muffler, and nothing seems to work and no mechanic can tell me what's wrong with. I even went out and bought a car code reader and it says emissions but still no luck.
Gas gauge on the instrument panel does not work, it registars higher than the amount of gas in the car. I spent over $450 dollars at the garage trying to troubleshoot why the car stopped running while driving and wouldn't restart. The garage could not find the problem. I discovered myself after the 3rd time, that putting gas in it fixes it, and realized the gas gauge was not registering empty, when the cat was empty, and I was simply running out of gas.
Purchased used 2000 Cavalier in 2006. First problem (which has continued for 5 years) is that the service light will come on when the car is cranked unless the headlights are first turned on. If you turn the headlights off while driving, the service light comes on. It will not go off unless you turn the car off and restart it (with headlights on). Second problem is that fuel hand does not reflect accurate amount of gasoline in tank. It goes up and down while driving (with the check gauges light on). Or sometimes it is stuck on E or stuck on F regardless of how much fuel is actually present. Third problem is that car intermittently overheats and is always losing coolant. I have replaced thermostat, water pump, & radiator. Three different mechanics cannot find a leak in the cooling system (despite pressure testing, compression testing, & block testing). We are baffled why it cannot retain constant coolant levels. This is a very frustrating situation as I am left without reliable transportation.
My car would intermittently not start. Would run fine, start several times while driving to different locations and then not start. Left me and my young daughter stranded, would not have been good if it were in a bad part of town or had I not had family close to come get me. Now I can't get it to start at all, don't hear the fuel pump prime. A mechanic told me to hit gas tank with mallet while trying to start it. It started by doing that, and I was told the fuel pump is bad and needs to be replaced, which is going to cost over $700...money I don't have. This I am finding to be a very common problem with this car....check out this discussion forum for many more complaints of the same problem at........ www.topix.com/forum/autos/Chevrolet-Cavalier/tvinic5tfu5sfsi5H............. this car really needs to be recalled for the fuel pump, it is defective and dangerous.
When I purchased my used 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier in April 2003 about 1 month I started having problems. After putting gas in my car I would drive a little and then the gas gauge would go down to appear that the car was almost empty but it wasn't. while driving one day the car just shut off it had gas in it I had just put gas in it but the gauge dropped to appear to be almost empty. I had to get my car towed to the shop I was told my fuel injection went out. Not even a month after that my car stalled at a red light and my temperature gage went in the hot zone my car wouldn't start I had to get it towed again to the shop but they could not find the problem. Now here it is June 2003 my car is sitting in the drive way right now as I am typing this information. My son was driving home at 1:00 a.M. this morning from work when the car overheated again and started smoking. He said smoke was also coming out of the battery and he also heard noise coming from the rear of the car today is Saturday and my car has to sit in the driveway until Monday morning that when the dealer opens. I feel that something should be done. I don't think it is fair for dealers to be able to sale cars that are in this kind of condition and the car is suppose to be certified. I am making payments on the car and I am having all these problems. It is dangerous to be driving and the car decides to cut off especially at 1:00 a.M. I have to be at work at 3:45 a.M. and my son gets off work at 1:00 a.M. this is very, very dangerous for the both of us.
While driving on three different occasions at 65 mph and without prior warning vehicle cutt off, causing loos of all power. Also, vehicle has lost a great amount of fuel, problem may be linked, causing occupants of vehicle to get sick. (ak consumer states no one knows as of yet, the first time dealer replaced battery, the second time they did nothing, the third time they replaced filter in gas line or tank.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Decatur, MI, USA