IllustrationTHE ENGINE QUITS RUNNING WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITHOUT ANY WARNING. AFTER PULLING OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD,THE ENGINE MAY RESTART IMMEDIATELY OR AFTER A FEW MINUTES. A TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THIS AS A FAULTY FUEL PUMP. *TR
2002 Chevrolet Cavalier
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 140.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Cavalier years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
280–25K
1625–50K
3150–75K
1275–100K
9100–150K
6150K+
102 reports with mileage · 94 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 35 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Service Brakes, Hydraulic. Review the 22 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
24 crash reports4 fire reports19 injury reports
Fuel System, Gasoline complaints
13 reportsTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. A LOCAL MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT HIS FUEL PUMP FAILED AND HE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING $500 TO REPAIR IT. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 147,000.
MY 2002 CHEVY LOOKS LIKE IT NEEDS A FUEL PUMP. 3YEARS AGO I HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM AND THE TOW SAID IT WAS THE FUEL PUMP AND I HAD THE FUEL FILTER CHANGED NOW SINCE THEN IT RAN OK. I STILL EXPERIENCED HESITATION BUT AFTER HEARING THE COMPLAINS. I WANT TO ADD MY CONCERN. *TR
2002 CHEVROLET CAVALIER STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE RESTARTED AND WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD GONE OUT. *KB
WHOLE VEHICLE FILLED WITH GAS FUMES. CHECK GAUGES LIGHT WENT ON AND FUEL GAUGE FAILED IN IDLE. REPLACED FUEL PUMP AT DEALERSHIP AT A COST OF 770.72. *TR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WITHOUT WARNING, THE VEHICLE LOOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE VEHICLE RESTARTS. THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE AND IT LOOSES POWER AGAIN. THIS CONTINUES UNTIL THE VEHICLE REACHES THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. NO OTH…
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WITHOUT WARNING, THE VEHICLE LOOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING. AFTER A FEW MINUTES, THE VEHICLE RESTARTS. THE VEHICLE IS DRIVEN A SHORT DISTANCE AND IT LOOSES POWER AGAIN. THIS CONTINUES UNTIL THE VEHICLE REACHES THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. NO OTHER REPAIRS HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTED. UPDATED 02/21/06. *JB
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 …
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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. *NM
CONSUMER STATED FUEL FILLER NECK DEVELOPED A BLOCKAGE. AS A RESULT, WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO FILL HE VEHICLE FUEL LEAKED ONTO THE GROUND. *AK
WHEN DRIVING, CAN SMELL COOLANT AND SEE GREASY FILM ON WINDSHIELD. WHICH MAKES ALL OCCUPANTS THIRSTY. (THIS WAS EVEN BEFORE IT HIT MORE THAN A HUNDRED MILES) OVERFLOW COMPARTMENT FOR COOLANT STARTED OVERFLOWING AND LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE KEEPS MOVING AROUND, AND STAYS ABOVE NORMAL MOST OF THE TIME…
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WHEN DRIVING, CAN SMELL COOLANT AND SEE GREASY FILM ON WINDSHIELD. WHICH MAKES ALL OCCUPANTS THIRSTY. (THIS WAS EVEN BEFORE IT HIT MORE THAN A HUNDRED MILES) OVERFLOW COMPARTMENT FOR COOLANT STARTED OVERFLOWING AND LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON. ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE KEEPS MOVING AROUND, AND STAYS ABOVE NORMAL MOST OF THE TIME. WAS DRIVING AND THE CAR JUST DIED OUT ON ME, I RESTARTED THE CAR AND MOVED OFF THE BUSY HIGHWAY. WITH ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS, I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER SHOP BUT WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE HEAT SENSOR WAS OUT AS WELL AS THE THERMOSTAT. THE GAUGE CONTINUED TO MOVE UP AND DOWN. I HAD A FUEL PUMP REPLACED BUT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE PART. THIS WAS ALL IN THE COURSE OF THREE MONTHS. *JB
FRONT ROTORS WARPED PREMATURELY, ABOUT EVERY 10000 MILES. GRINDING NOISE HEARD AT LOW SPEEDS, WHETHER IN GEAR OR COASTING & NOT BRAKE RELATED. PREMATURE FUEL PUMP FAILURE, CAUSING ENGINE TO SHUT OFF. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.