IllustrationTHE SPEEDOMETER SHOWS INCORRECT SPEED WHILE MOVING OR SPEED WHILE PARKED. *TR
2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Cavalier years
Owner complaints for the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier are substantially higher than 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
430–25K
7225–50K
6150–75K
3475–100K
36100–150K
18150K+
264 reports with mileage · 66 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 185 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
17 crash reports6 fire reports15 injury reports
Electrical System complaints
185 reportsTHE POWER WINDOWS DON'T WORK . THE GAUGES DON'T WORK ONLY GAUGE THAT'S WORKS IS THE TACHOMETER FROM MY RESEARCH THESE ARE TWO COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THESE CAVALIERS THE WINDOWS IS MORE OF A CONVENIENCE PROBLEM BUT THE GAUGES NOT WORKING IS A SAFETY PROBLEM CHEVROLET SHOULD HAVE TO MAKE THIS RIGHT. …
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THE POWER WINDOWS DON'T WORK . THE GAUGES DON'T WORK ONLY GAUGE THAT'S WORKS IS THE TACHOMETER FROM MY RESEARCH THESE ARE TWO COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THESE CAVALIERS THE WINDOWS IS MORE OF A CONVENIENCE PROBLEM BUT THE GAUGES NOT WORKING IS A SAFETY PROBLEM CHEVROLET SHOULD HAVE TO MAKE THIS RIGHT. *TR
SPEEDOMETER FIRST BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION, FOLLOWED BY ALL OTHER GAUGES. NO GAUGES WORK PROPERLY NOW. SPEED IS UNKNOWN, RPMS IS UNKNOWN, AMOUNT OF GAS IN TANK IS UNKNOWN, PROPER FUNCTION OF ENGINE IS UNKNOWN. *TR
SPEEDOMETER STUCK AT 60MPH. ITS NOT THAT OLD OF A CAR AND ONLY HAS 58 THOUSAND MILES ON IT THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL WITH ALL THE PEOPLE COMPLAINING THE SAME THING HAPPENED WITH THE LOW MILES RIDICULOUS! *KB
AS SOON AS THIS CAR REACHED @50,000 MILES, THE SPEEDOMETER AND FUEL GAUGES STOPPED WORKING. UPON CHECKING WITH A CHEVROLET DEALER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD NEEDS TO BE DISMANTLED AND NEW GAUGES INSTALLED BY AN OUTSIDE SOURCE, WHEREUPON CAR IS RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP AND ODOMETER IS RESET TO CORRECT MILEAGE. COST I…
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AS SOON AS THIS CAR REACHED @50,000 MILES, THE SPEEDOMETER AND FUEL GAUGES STOPPED WORKING. UPON CHECKING WITH A CHEVROLET DEALER, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD NEEDS TO BE DISMANTLED AND NEW GAUGES INSTALLED BY AN OUTSIDE SOURCE, WHEREUPON CAR IS RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP AND ODOMETER IS RESET TO CORRECT MILEAGE. COST IS APPROXIMATELY $400.00 AND UP. UPON RESEARCH, I FOUND THIS TO BE A COMMON COMPLAINT. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE YOU CANNOT TELL HOW FAST YOU ARE DRIVING AND IF YOU HAVE ENOUGH FUEL. ALSO, FUEL GAUGE NEEDLE GOES HAYWIRE WHEN I FILL UP. THE NEEDLE GOES INTO THE GAUGE THAT TELLS YOU IF YOUR CAR IS RUNNING HOT - PREVENTING THAT NEEDLE FROM OPERATING PROPERLY. TO MY KNOWLEDGE NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED REGARDING THESE PROBLEMS. *TR
WELL I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY CAVALIER AND THE SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T WORK. I WOULD GET OIL CHANGES AND TIRES ROTATED AND NOTICE SMALL DIFFERENCES THEN OUT OF NO WERE IT JUST WOULD NOT WORK. IT STUCK ON 110 AND THE TEMP IS OFF TOO. ALSO IT DOES NOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE. OVER ALL THE WHOLE BOARD SEEMS TO BE NOT WORKING. I …
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WELL I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY CAVALIER AND THE SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T WORK. I WOULD GET OIL CHANGES AND TIRES ROTATED AND NOTICE SMALL DIFFERENCES THEN OUT OF NO WERE IT JUST WOULD NOT WORK. IT STUCK ON 110 AND THE TEMP IS OFF TOO. ALSO IT DOES NOT TELL YOU HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE. OVER ALL THE WHOLE BOARD SEEMS TO BE NOT WORKING. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR AT LEAST TWO YEARS PEOPLE TELL ME THEY DONT KNOW WHAT IT IS OTHERS TELL ME IT COST 700- 900 DOLLARS TO FIX. *KB
I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY CAVALIER AND THE SPEEDOMETER STICKS. IT SAY"S I AM DOING 80MPH WHEN I AM ACTUALLY DOING 40MPH. AND WHEN I AM PARKED IT SAY"S I AM DOING 50MPH. *KB
MY 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER GAUGES QUIT WORKING. I HAVE BEEN ONLINE AND DONE SOME RESEARCH AND I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. THEY HAVE MANY PEOPLE THAT HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT. PLEASE DO A RECALL SO WE CAN GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED. ONCE MY WARRANTY OF 30 DAYS WAS UP THAT'S WHEN EVERYTHING QUIT WORKING. *TT
OWN 2004 CHEVY CAVALIER WITH 62,000 MILES ON IT. AT 25,000 MI THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STOPPED WORKING CORRECTLY I CONTACTED GM AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE CAR TO DEALER AND HAVE IT CHECKED AT A COST OF 100.00 AND IF IT WAS A CLUSTER THEY MIGHT PAY FOR REPAIRS. THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE GOES OVER PAST 110 MI WHEN I AM DOING 20 MPH, THE GAS GA…
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OWN 2004 CHEVY CAVALIER WITH 62,000 MILES ON IT. AT 25,000 MI THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STOPPED WORKING CORRECTLY I CONTACTED GM AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE CAR TO DEALER AND HAVE IT CHECKED AT A COST OF 100.00 AND IF IT WAS A CLUSTER THEY MIGHT PAY FOR REPAIRS. THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE GOES OVER PAST 110 MI WHEN I AM DOING 20 MPH, THE GAS GAUGE WILL SIT ON EMPTY WHEN THERE IS A HALF TANK, I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND OUT THAT GM RECALLED TRUCKS WITH THIS PROBLEM BUT DID NOT INCLUDE CARS, THIS HAD TO BE DONE BEFORE 70,000 MILES. I THINK THEY SHOULD RECALL CARS AND FIX THE PROBLEM AT ONCE. *TR
I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY CAVALIER AND ONE BY ONE ALL THE GAUGES HAVE STOPPED WORKING. IN DOING SOME RESEARCH I HAVE FOUND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE NOT TO HAVE A SPEEDOMETER!! I ALSO DO NOT HAVE AN RPM GAUGE, GAS GAUGE OR HEAT GAUGE. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL!!!!! *TR
Official recalls
104V300000 · Seat Belts:rear/other
Jun 23, 2004
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 210, 'SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES.' THE PASSENGER-SIDE REAR SAFETY BELT MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED WITH AN INCORRECT NUT AND BOLT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN A SEVERE CRASH, THE UPPER SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE MAY SEPARATE. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SEAT BELT COULD THEN BE REDUCED AND THE OCCUPANT COULD RECEIVE GREATER INJURIES.
Remedy: DEALERS ARE TO INSPECT THE SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGE AND INSTALL A NEW NUT AND BOLT, IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 23, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 AND PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668.
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.