Fuel System complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Please call about these problems with these cars, [redacted] is how I think anything will get done, just called today 02-20-15. Gas gauge went out 02-07-15 ( mileage 40000) and is hitting against my temp gauge so I don't know how hit my car is getting. I replaced my temp gauge back in 01-07-12 mileage(29111) cause it was hitting against my speedometer<--- this was not replaced but I dont think till this day it shows the right speed. Air bags did not work back in 2006 crash no fault of the car then, someone hit me, so dont even know if they will. Called GM about that in 2012 and told me there was nothing that could be done. Forgot to tell kimmy about this problem today. Good luck getting these problems fixed. I have to drive my kids and family around only car I have so I hope something is fixed before we get hurt. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier. While driving 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled and the fuel gauge displayed the incorrect fuel level. While the vehicle was parked, a family member noticed fuel leaking onto the ground. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 45,000.
My 2004 Chevy Cavalier 2.2l base/sedan is well maintained. Three months after the purchase the fuel pump stopped working. Replaced by dealership under warranty. A year later the fuel pump was replaced again. Warranty period over. Cost me $896. Recently the fuel pump stopped working while I was driving. I was making a left turn at the intersection and proceeded to make the left and all of a sudden the engine stalled and steering froze forcing me into the light post after the turn. This caused two other vehicles to collide to avoid hitting me. The service garage diagnosed the problem to be the fuel pump. Cost me $750 and $1900 for front end damage. I contacted the dealership head office and the declined comment. Instead they blamed be for not replacing the fuel filter. Again, this vehicle has always been maintained and serviced at the dealership, as well as the filter/fuel pump. …
I have a 2004 Chevy Cavalier ls sport. Well lets first start off with my drivers side window motor. It went out about a year and half ago and we fixed it this summer. Apparently it is a huge problem but of course no recall on it so paid almost 300 dollars myself to fix it. Then after that when I would start my car and put it into drive, the car would sputter and the ABS and trac off lights would come on. Next about 5 months ago I noticed that my gas gauge was fluctuating a little. Didn't give it much thought but then 2 months ago my temp gauge was going haywire. Called the dealer and they said that there was no recall and we would have to pay to have it fixed. Well we all know money is tight so I have left it. Low and behold late last week, the MPH gauge said I was going 100 MPH in a 35 zone. I had to take a double look. Dealer again says no recalls. …
While driving home from work, my 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier suddenly stalled in traffic. In order to prevent a serious accident, I attempted to pull the vehicle to the side of the road. Without power steering (due to the vehicle stalling), control was limited and I ultimately ran into a snow bank. Luckily, I was able to get the vehicle off the road far enough to prevent a more serious accident involving other vehicles. The car would not restart, and I was forced to leave the vehicle on the roadside and get a ride home. At home, I performed an internet search and found that many other drivers had similar problems with the same vehicle, most of which are the result of premature failure of the fuel pump. Using information obtained from other owners with similar problems, I was able to get the vehicle started and running intermittently in order to get it home. …
2003 Chevrolet Cavalier- at 64,000 miles fuel pump died while parked at a store upon restart $700.00 replacement. At approximately 60,000 miles front clunking noise started, dealer could never find a problem, now at 76,000 miles, having front upper strut mounts replaced. Found alot of complaints online about same issues. I determined cause of front clunk on my own. Also, was in collision that involved front driver side, down driver side front fender, airbags did not deploy, don't know if they should have. Noone was hurt, was slow speed crash. Still cannot believe no recall on fuel pump or front suspension. Apparently GM doesn't want to foot the 700.00 bill for the fuel pump defect.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier. The contact stated the vehicle had been parked for approximately 4 hours when a fire started under the dashboard. The contact stated the vehicle was removed by his insurance company and he could not confirm if the vehicle was destroyed or what started the fire. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileages were 80,000. Updated evoq 06/08/10.
My car is two and a half years old and has a lot of highway miles. I had 80,000 miles on the car (I have been able to log well over 220,000 miles on past cars over 5-6 years due to highway mileage). One night while driving home the "trac-off" light would come on and the car would occasionally lose speed. Eventually the trac off light stayed on the car began to die out along the side of the role. As a result I had my car towed in and the fuel pump was replaced. Total costs were well over $800.00. I wrote to GM but was rejected on reimbursement. The fuel pump problem seems to be a common problem as I've looked at complaints the Firestone auto repair center said the design/placement of the fuel pump has caused them to burn out.
Related recalls (1)
Fuel system, other › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with bi-fuel compressed natural gas (cng) vehicles. The cng fuel line and the cng high pressure regulator coolant lines can contact other fuel (gasoline) and brake lines on the vehicle. Abrasion from contact can cause a leak in the brake pipe, fuel pipe, or both.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and reposition the cng fuel and coolant pipes and reposition/repair any damaged fuel or brake pipes as necessary.
NHTSA investigations
Unintended vehicle acceleration
On September 23, 2003, the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated September 8, 2003 from mr. Donald friedman, petitioning the agency to open a defect investigation into unintended acceleration involving [model year] 1996 and 1997 general motors j-cars.in support of his petition, mr.
Engine stall due to fuel starvation
Odi opened pe02-066 to evaluate the scope and consequence of engine power-loss due to fuel starvation induced by in-tank modular fuel pump strainer restriction.the subject pumps use an external ?sock? Strainer to filter fuel flowing to the pump inlet.this filter can sometimes become clogged, resulting in a reduced flow of fuel to the engine.GM has subsequently modified the strainers to reduce this…
Erratic fuel gauge
Odi opened ea 02-028 to review complaints of consumers reporting that their fuel gauge was incorrectly displaying the amount of fuel in the gas tank.the fuel gauge receives an electrical signal from a fuel tank sending sensor circuit card.a float arm in the tank moves electrical contacts that rub against the card as the level of fuel rises and falls.disruption of the electrical signal (such as caused by corrosion of…
Fuel pump failure
An engineering analysis has been opened to further investigate the scope, frequency and potential safety-related consequences of the alleged defect.general motors (GM) has identified an issue with accelerated motor brush wear in the fuel pump assembly of model year (my) 2001 through 2003 Chevrolet vehicles that can cause the pump to stop operating.general motors indicated that peroxide or sulfur, which are both…
Engine stalling - fuel pump failure
Odi's analysis of the stalling incidents that have resulted from subject component failures found that they can occur at any speed and generally result in a no restart condition.these are generally considered to be factors that increase the potential severity of stalling incidents.however, these incidents have occurred at relatively low rates in the subject vehicle population when compared with prior investigations…
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Cavalier years have fuel system problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2003 (383), 2000 (43), 2001 (29), 1997 (23) and 1996 (18) model years. Fuel System complaints make up 56% of all complaints for the 2003.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Cavalier fuel system problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 00V-053 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings, Feb 28, 2000). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Cavalier fuel system problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 66,000 miles; 21% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the delivery › fuel pump (226 mentions), followed by the storage › fuel gauge system (21).
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.