Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
Windshield on passenger side failed. Plastic cap that by friction holds elbow/joint of both control arms to wiper pivot point separated and is worn and will not hold. Now the driver side cheap plastic cap has failed. The motor works fine. Independant repair man says he sees this " all the time" part very poorly engineered no retaining clip, cotter nut,or screw to give structural support.
There are numerous things, and the delaership has convinced GM, because I wrote GM about the problems with this, that I am making this stuff up to get an SUV. First the radio wasn't working, they put the cable back on said it was loose, its still not sounding like a radio should. Next was the popping in the front end, dealership turned rotors, under warranty back brakes squealed real loud they said it was dust I had to pay for that. Back brakes still squeal, front end still pops like a bad cv joint. Trunk wouldn't shut had to keep slamming it. Took it back they greased it worked for awhile starting to get hard to shut sometimes. Brake lights and back lights and cruise control quit working . Took it to dealership at least 5 or 6 times till they finally replaced it how long it will last I don't know. …
Chevrolet Cavalier z 2003, multiple failures. 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.
My driver's side power window will initially go down. When I attempt to power the window up, it goes approximately one to two inches then stops. I have to continue driving or leave my car running until the window is up. It is very unsafe to leave my car in any lot or parking space with the window down. On average every 10 minutes it will go up another inch or two. This happens every time I power the window down. I will not leave my window down. Elements will damage the interior, and it leaves me susceptible to vandals. I have two children and I consider this malfunction unsafe for me the driver and my children. I paid $18,000 for the vehicle, I will not allow this to go unfixed, however I feel it is the company's responsibility to recall and repair the issue.
2003 Chevrolet Cavalier experienced problems with brake lights, turn signals, and tail lights.** answer required***. The brake lights and tail lights shorted out many times, the tail light socket was also replaced. The consumer received a recall letter #04V524000. The consumer took the vehicle to have the service performed, however that did not seem to remedy the problem. The vehicle has been in the shop on numerous occasions regarding this problem, the consumer did not believe her vehicle was satisfactorily repaired. The cd would not eject. The right side power window made a noise when it was rolled down.
I have a 2003 Cavalier and had the fuel pump go bad at 67,000 miles. I researched on the web and it seems that there is a tremendous amount of 2003 cavaliers that have had this same issue. I have replaced 3 of the 4 window motors in the past 18 months. I have twice had my climate control switch fixed, as it was stuck only on vent. And most recently at 69000 miles I have to replace my fuel pressure regulator. In my educated opinion, this seems to be an awful lot of repairs for a vehicle of this age and with this record.
HVAC cable bent and then snapped. Now I can't defrost the windshield I ran off the road today because I could not see. I reported this problem to GM over a year ago and they didn't seem to care. They never responded to my letter. This is a big safety issue. I have had it fixed by a mechanic 2x and should not only be reimbursed, but should have this problem fixed. It still does not work right. Had the actual cable replaced and then just had the kink corrected on it and it broke again the next day.
Went to roll up drivers side window when it started to rain heavily and window failed to roll up. Rain, driven by wind from high rate of speed on freeway, poured into vehicle which fogged up window and hindered safe operation of vehicle. Was forced to pull over to shoulder of road until rain stopped to safety restart vehicle. Chevy dealer stated that this was not covered by warranty so I had to pay to have motor replaced.
On 2003 Chevy Cavalier the wiper motor transmission assembly is made up with a plastic snap bushing . When it wears out the wiper does not work. The arm comes apart. On my Cavalier it happened 4 times in the last 2 and half years .3 times drivers side 1 passenger. When you are on the road in a down pour it is hard to see where you are going . Some one is going to get killed because of this problem. Jess appleby
Window & Wiper complaints in other Cavalier years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier, 3% of the model year's 678 complaints. The component named most often is power window devices and controls (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 58,000 miles, and 24% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to windows, wipers & sunroof problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.