IllustrationINSTRUMENT PANEL DOES NOT WORK. THEREFORE DO NOT KNOW THE SPEED IN WHICH IS BEING TRAVELED, TEMPERATURE OF ENGINE, AMOUNT OF FUEL OR ANYTHING. CHECK GUAGES LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF LIKE EVERY WEEK. HAVE NO CLUE WHY IT STOPPED WORKING AND PERSONAL MECHANIC IS APPALLED AT THE ISSUE.
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
What owners actually said
330 reports2 ISSUES. FIRST, TEMPERATURE GAUGE READ HIGHER AND HIGHER EACH TIME THE CAR WAS STARTED UNTIL THE NEEDLE WENT ALL THE WAY AROUND TO THE SPEEDOMETER AND KEPT THE SPEEDOMETER FROM READING THE SPEED. ENTIRE GAUGE CLUSTER WAS REPLACED. SECOND ISSUE WAS PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BELT WOULD PERIODICALLY LOCK, NOT ALLOWING THE PASSENGER …
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2 ISSUES. FIRST, TEMPERATURE GAUGE READ HIGHER AND HIGHER EACH TIME THE CAR WAS STARTED UNTIL THE NEEDLE WENT ALL THE WAY AROUND TO THE SPEEDOMETER AND KEPT THE SPEEDOMETER FROM READING THE SPEED. ENTIRE GAUGE CLUSTER WAS REPLACED. SECOND ISSUE WAS PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BELT WOULD PERIODICALLY LOCK, NOT ALLOWING THE PASSENGER TO USE THE SEAT BELT.
MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAS MALFUNCTIONED AND IS STUCK AT 195 DEGREES WHEN I TURN MY CAR ON. IT THEN RISES JUST AS NORMAL BUT STOPS AT 260 DEGREES WHICH IS IN THE RED ZONE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH AND MAKING A TURN, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MAVNUEVER. THE FAILURE WAS PERMANENT. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08E063000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIR…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH AND MAKING A TURN, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MAVNUEVER. THE FAILURE WAS PERMANENT. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08E063000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.
THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER REGISTER BELOW ZERO WHEN STOPPED OR IN MOTION. NO WAY TO TELL THE SPEED OR RPM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE TO ALL ON THE ROAD. IF CONTROLLING SPEED IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE WORTH RECALLING WHY DO WE HAVE SPEED LIMITS? NHTSA NEEDS TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND LAUNCH A RECALL AS THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE AND NOT …
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THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER REGISTER BELOW ZERO WHEN STOPPED OR IN MOTION. NO WAY TO TELL THE SPEED OR RPM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE TO ALL ON THE ROAD. IF CONTROLLING SPEED IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE WORTH RECALLING WHY DO WE HAVE SPEED LIMITS? NHTSA NEEDS TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND LAUNCH A RECALL AS THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE AND NOT ISOLATED ITS VERY WIDESPREAD AND THE FACT THEY HAVE NEGLECTED IT SHOWS THERE REAL LACK OF CONCERN FOR SAFETY.
THE VEHICLE STEERING IS NOT TIGHT AND I AM NOT ABLE TO TIGHTLY CONTROL THE MOVEMENT COMPLETELY WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS OR MAKING TURNS. THE WHEEL STEERING FEELS LOOSE AND UNSECURED. WHEN DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE DRIFTS REGARDLESS IF I HAVE CONTROL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO FUNCTION PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE NOT AVAILABLE.
THE CLUSTER IS OUT AND I CAN'T TELL HOW MUCH FUEL, THE SPEEDOMETER IS OUT AND ALSO THE TEMP GAGE AS WELL.
AROUND 4:00PM AFTER GETTING OFF WORK. I WAS DRIVING HOME AND I WENT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, MY STEERING WHEEL MOVED UP THEN DOWN DIAGONALLY ABOUT A INCH; INCH AND A HALF. IT DOES IT EVERY TIME NOW WHEN ANY KIND OF UPWARD PRESSURE IS PUT ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I DON'T KNOW HOW SERIOUS OF A PROBLEM THIS IS, BUT IT DOES SEEM IF IT GET…
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AROUND 4:00PM AFTER GETTING OFF WORK. I WAS DRIVING HOME AND I WENT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, MY STEERING WHEEL MOVED UP THEN DOWN DIAGONALLY ABOUT A INCH; INCH AND A HALF. IT DOES IT EVERY TIME NOW WHEN ANY KIND OF UPWARD PRESSURE IS PUT ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I DON'T KNOW HOW SERIOUS OF A PROBLEM THIS IS, BUT IT DOES SEEM IF IT GETS ANY WORSE IT COULD EFFECT YOUR DRIVING ABILITY OF THE CAR.
FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, THE INTERIOR LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY WHEN I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD. LAST YEAR I WENT SHOPPING, GOT BACK INTO MY CAR & STARTED IT, OR RATHER TRIED TO START IT, BUT IT SHUT DOWN QUITE QUICKLY. THINKING IT WAS A FLUKE, I TRIED TO START IT SEVERAL MORE TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULTS. NOT EVEN PUSH…
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FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, THE INTERIOR LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY WHEN I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD. LAST YEAR I WENT SHOPPING, GOT BACK INTO MY CAR & STARTED IT, OR RATHER TRIED TO START IT, BUT IT SHUT DOWN QUITE QUICKLY. THINKING IT WAS A FLUKE, I TRIED TO START IT SEVERAL MORE TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULTS. NOT EVEN PUSHING ON THE GAS COULD KEEP IT GOING. AFTER TOWING THE CAR & HAVING IT SIT AROUND FOR A WHILE BEFORE SOMEONE COULD FINALLY FIND THE ELECTRICAL ISSUE, IT WAS 'REPAIRED'. THE ISSUE WAS THE WIRING FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE REPAIR COMPLETED WAS A CHEAPER ROUTE THAN REPLACING THE ACTUAL SWITCH. WHAT I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL TOO LATE LAST YEAR WAS THE 'SERVICE W/WRENCH' AND 'THEFT SYSTEM' LIGHTS WERE THE WARNING THAT THE SWITCH WAS ABOUT TO GO OUT. THE INTERIOR LIGHT HAS BEEN DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN & THE THEFT & SERVICE LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN LAST WEDNESDAY, 7/15/15, AND NOW I KNOW I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SEITCH. LAST YEAR I CONTACTED GM BUT THEY ONLY WANTED TO MAKE A NOTE ABOUT IT. I'M SURE THAT AS TIME GOES ON OTHERS WILL HAVE ISSUES TOO. HOW CAN WIRES COME LOOSE OR BREAK BEHIND A STEERING WHEEL? PLUGS, HOSES & THINGS LIKE THAT I CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND, BUT NOT SOMETHING THAT IS HIDDEN & SUPPOSEDLY SAFE BEHIND A STEERING WHEEL
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.