The contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the interior passenger side directional signal began blinking rapidly while activated. Additionally, the contact stated that an onlooker observed that the exterior driver side indicator light was not illuminated when indicator was activated. The vehicle was driven to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the interior lighter fuse needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The contact stated that when the weather was cooler, the exterior indicator light was experiencing the failure; however, during warmer weather, the indicator lights operated properly. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,800.
The worst 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical69
- Engine58
- Brakes45
- Fuel system43
- Steering28
- Body27
- Transmission26
- Suspension21
- Lights19
- Airbags18
- Visibility14
- Acceleration11
- Locks5
- Seat belts5
- Tires5
- Wheels4
- Seats2
Specific symptoms reported on the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
Stalling 36Fuel pump 20Won't start 16Check engine light 14Headlights 12Fuel gauge 10ABS 9Steering noise 9No deployment 8Loss of power 8Overheating 7Power steering loss 6Ball joint 5Grinding brakes 5Harsh shifting 5Jerking 5
Recalls 2
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 04V036000 · Recall details
Interior lighting
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 00V201000 · Recall details
See all 2 recalls for the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
Defect investigations
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 the circuit card) will cause incorrect readings to register on the fuel gauge.gm reported in their response to odi dated january 13, 2003 that the primary cause of erratic fuel gauge operation is excess elemental sulfur in fuel.gm reported that abnormal levels of sulfur sporadically occurred in certain parts of canada and the u.s. Resulting in reports of fuel gauge malfunction.gm modified the sending sensor for vehicles built after october 2000.it made a second sensor modification for vehicles built after january 2003.gm also issued a customer satisfaction campaign (gm number 00101) in december 2000 for u.s. Customers in the state of maine and issued several service bulletins informing dealers of the availability of sensors with improved corrosion resistance.the complaint trend indicates that complaints peaked in late 2000 to early 2001.warranty claims declined since peaking in april 2002.based on the number of complaints and the indication of a declining trend, further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
EA02028
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 restriction.analysis of the odi complaint database shows that despite these restrictions, the subject vehicles stall at a rate that is comparable to those of many peer vehicles.additionally, none of the relevant warranty repair rates exceed 1% at 36 months of exposure.one related crash involves a stalled vehicle that was rear-ended on the roadway, while the remainder involved minor collisions or scrapes.the sole injury consisted of bruising from a low speed frontal crash. Given these circumstances, further expenditure of agency resources is not justified in this matter.the preliminary evaluation is therefore closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency will take further action in the future if warranted.
PE02066
Erratic fuel gauge
There is no summary currently available
SQ01002
Technical service bulletins for the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier 383
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating...
- This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the...
- Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles
- GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities
- This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves...
- This bulletin provides information for use on a Product Assistance Claim (PAC), which is formerly known as...
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS)...
- This technical bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake...
- This service bulletin provides service information to technicians on guidelines to replace Oil Cooler, Oil...
- This PI bulletin advises the technician on the proper way to install the pistons in an engine.
2000 Chevrolet Cavalier fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4‑cyl | FWD | 20-21 | 25-31 | 22-24 |
| 2.4L 4‑cyl | FWD | 19-20 | 28-30 | 23-24 |
What 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Ignition gets very hot when key is turned can smell plastic ignition or batt 1 circuit problem.clearcoat is peeling.lug nuts coming loose
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet cavalier. While stopped at a red light, the contact was informed that the rear brake lamps failed to illuminate. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 170,000.
Unnecessary gas odors. Seat belts keep unlocking. Steering
Reporting this as a defect on car list above .I'm pa. State inspection station. This is just one of many we see and reject for rust out unit body rear frames . I feel the public should be aware of they own one these models car could buckle on a rear end collision. I did not see this on your site to have been reported thanks ken at c&w performance pa. Station # e7 .
I had the air conditioner replaced. The tech said the tensioner needed to be replaced. One week later I returned and had a new belt tensioner installed. About a month later the new air conditioner had premature failure. I had it repaired under warranty and also had a new drive belt installed during the repair. About one year later I began hearing a chatter when accelerating from stop position and had excessive vibration. I took to the shop and they said the belt tensioner was bad. This seems excessively short life span for a replacement part of good quality. Today the shop tried three different tensioners and still it was not correcting the issue. I even double checked the belt routing pattern to ensure it was correct. I dont understand what the problem is with the belt tensioners for this vehicle. All my prior ford vehicle never had this problem with their tensioners of same design. Please look into this problem as a belt that breaks or slides of a pulley due to a faulty tensioner can cause immediate loss of power steering resulting in hazardous and potentially fatal driving conditions and situations. Also the backlighting on the odometer does not work.the odometer registers milage driven but the backlight does not work at all.please look into and dont wait for someone to have to die before this issue become important.thanks.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet cavalier. The contact stated that the dashboard cracked causing sharp edges. The contact also stated that there were cracks were near the air bags. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 96,000.
While pumping my tires with air I noticed my two back tires (a different brand from the two front tires) had cracking in between the treads all the way around the tires. This must be a manufacturers defect and an obvious safety concern. Here is tire information (and designations) as designated on the sidewall: rear driverside tire: achiles platinum made in indonesia (5n1) manufactured by multi strada arahsarana tubeless steel belted radial 195/70 r1491h mold no. 03-02 e4 (encircled) 0228041 dot 5kjn hp 3606 thread: 1 polyester, 2 steel, 2 nylon; sidewall 1 polyester threadwear 280 traction a temperature a oddly enough, the rear passenger tire seems to match the above information with two exceptions: threadwear 420 traction aa temperature a mold no. 03-03 we bought tires from figueroa tires in los banos. We don't have a receipt to confirm this. These tires must have been purchased before 04/29/10 since we did find a service order receipt from walmart tire & lube express dated 04/29/10 that states in the TPMS and tire disclaimer receipt: actions: replace one or more of the tires on the vehicle...reasons: visible tire cut, puncture, bald spot, or other irregularity.
After accelerating over 35mph vehicle continues to accelerate. Vehicle able to stop but you can still hear and feel the motor to continue to accelerate and the vehicle starts to jerk around. Its very unsafe and no one at the car shop able to tell me exactly what is wrong. I've had several things fixed and still having the same problem. The vehicle sometimes after starting up will accelerate on it own.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet cavalier. The contact stated the vehicle was difficult to start and the steering wheel became loose. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Compare the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
Other model years
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Questions about the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier
Is the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier reliable?
Owners have filed 315 complaints about the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier, close to a typical Cavalier model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier?
Electrical system, with 69 complaints, typically around 60,000 miles. Next is engine (58).
How many recalls does the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier have?
2 recalls, covering electrical system and interior lighting.
Was there a recall on the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier electrical?
Yes, 1 recall: 04V036000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Chevrolet Cavalier have the most electrical problems?
The Chevrolet Cavalier model years with the most electrical complaints are 2005 (211 complaints), 2004 (185 complaints) and 1997 (107 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier get?
Official estimates for the 2000 Chevrolet Cavalier range from 22 to 24 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.2L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 20-21 city and 25-31 highway.
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