2003 Chevrolet Cavalier Body and structure Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 2%of 678 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 90,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the body and structure of the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier, 2% of the 678 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 90,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“On or about march 8th, 2014, I noticed that holes had appeared on the drivers and passenger side of the vehicle on the bottom and when I went to further exam the hole, I then realized the underside of the car is completely corroded. The sheet metal on the passengers side is coming off in sheets and the hole has become much larger in size. Also, the vehicle pulls to the left and right pretty strongly. The inside floor of the car feels squishy like the floor is going to fall out. Higher speeds seem to make more sheet metal fall off.”
NHTSA complaint #10573211, filed 2014-03, 109,801 miles“I have noticed a lot and I mean a lot of these cavaliers have had horrible frame problems I use to work on cars everyday until the last year when I got out of the mechanics field an now I own a 03 chevy Cavalier its a two door 5 speed 2.2 I was on my way home from the store and I felt something rubbing so I stopped an got out to find out my k frame was horribly rotted an broke now this vehicle is 13 years old but as rotted out as it was it wasn't something that just happened its been bad I was just the lucky owner that the frame gave out on an I demand to know why this isn't a recall another…”
NHTSA complaint #10825225, filed 2016-02, 200,000 miles“1. Both brake lights went out w/in month of each other. In the months of july and august. 2. Brakes noisy, september 3. Trunk would not open, october 4. Brakes noisy, again, november 5. Car turns off in the middle of an intersection after making a complete stop and trying to speed up. Freaking out, I pressed the gas and moved the key in the ignition, then put car in park and got it to start, november. It just seems to me that I have a disfunctional car that when I dont have something wrong with one thing I have to go in to the dealer for another. …”
NHTSA complaint #10071186, filed 2004-01, 7,000 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10680126, filed 2015-01, 189,587 miles“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #10115838, filed 2005-03, 1,666 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10213818May 31, 2022This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint…
- 10197294May 12, 2021This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint…
- 10123211Oct 2, 2017This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have a loud tick or rattle noise under the hood at all operating conditions…
- 10114894Oct 14, 2015This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vibration complaints that are one of the most challenging complaints to accurately…
Body and structure: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 14 | 5% |
| 2004 | 13 | 4% |
| 2003 | 11 | 2% |
| 2002 | 9 | 5% |
| 2001 | 14 | 6% |
| 2000 | 27 | 9% |
| 1999 | 8 | 3% |
| 1998 | 28 | 8% |
| 1997 | 20 | 4% |
| 1996 | 13 | 3% |
| 1995 | 9 | 3% |
| 1994 | 13 | 6% |
| 1993 | 8 | 5% |
| 1992 | 6 | 4% |
| 1991 | 1 | 2% |
| 1990 | 1 | 2% |
| 1989 | 5 | 12% |
| 1987 | 1 | 4% |
| 1986 | 1 | 6% |
Other parts of the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
383 complaintsElectrical system
106 complaintsExterior lighting
57 complaintsEngine cooling
43 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
38 complaintsBrakes
34 complaintsSuspension
22 complaintsSteering
19 complaintsAir bags
18 complaintsEquipment
16 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
16 complaintsVehicle speed control
13 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology