2004 Chevrolet Cavalier

WHILE DRIVING AT 35MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER BEGAN TO MALFUNCTION GIVING FAULTY READINGS. AT TIMES, IT REGISTERS AT 0MPH - EVEN WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING. THE TACHOMETER BEGAN TO DO THE SAME THING (FAULTY READINGS) TWO DAYS LATER. THE SPEEDOMETER NOW WORKS BUT PERIODICALLY GIVES FAULTY READINGS WHILE DRIVING. THE TACHOMETER NO LONGER WORKS AT ALL AND CONSTANTLY SHOWS A FAULTY READING (BELOW ZERO). AFTER A VISIT TO THREE DIFFERENT LOCAL MECHANICS AND A GM DEALERSHIP - I'M TOLD THERE'S ONLY ONE WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER COMPLETELY. THIS IS A COSTLY REPAIR AND QUITE COMMON WITH THESE VEHICLES IN THEIR EXPERIENCE APPARENTLY. NOT HAVING AN ACCURATE AND RELIABLE DISPLAY OF YOUR CURRENT SPEED IS CERTAINLY A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. IT'S AMAZING TO ME THAT THIS HAS NOT YET BEEN INVESTIGATED WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS REGARDING FAULTY GAUGES/INSTRUMENT PANELS ON THIS VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND RECALLED. *TR

THE GAUGES SHOW NOTHING NO SPEED NO GAS NO MILEAGE NOTHING. I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS MATTER WHY IS THERE NOTHING BEING DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I WAS ALWAYS A CHEVY PERSON BUT NOW I AM MOVING ON TO SOMETHING ELSE. CHEVY DOES NOT LIKE TO FIX THERE PROBLEMS THEY LEAVE IT UP TO THE PEOPLE TO SPEND TONS OF MONEY TO FIX THE PROB WHEN THEY KNOW WHAT THE PROB IS. THIS IS UNCALLED FOR. *TR

CARCOMPLAINTS.COM NOTES: WIDESPREAD INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILURE IS A COMMON AND FRUSTRATING REALITY FOR MANY 2004-2005 CHEVY CAVALIER OWNERS. THEY'RE OFTEN LEFT IN THE DARK WHEN IT COMES TO KNOWING HOW FAST THEY'RE GOING, WHAT THEIR ENGINE TEMPERATURE IS, OR EVEN HOW MUCH FUEL THEY HAVE LEFT IN THE TANK. THE LIKELY CULPRIT IS A SERIES OF BAD "STEPPER MOTORS" WHICH CONTROL THE GAUGES AND ARE NO LONGER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THINK NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE YOUR SPEED IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR ALL OWNERS? WE'D AGREE. TROUBLE IS, APPARENTLY THE NHTSA DOES NOT. THIS IS TRULY A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN REPORTED THOUSANDS OF TIMES TO VARIOUS AGENCIES AND IT SEEMS THE CAVALIER WAS NEVER MADE. NO ONE WILL ADDRESS THIS ISSUE OR ANY OTHERS INVOLVING THIS CAVALIER. *TR

2004 CAVALIER, 2.2L DOHC, 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH VEHICLE FELT AS IF CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED. RPMS WOULD NOT FALL OFF AS FAST AS USUAL WHEN FOOT TAKEN OFF GAS, AND WHEN I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH (WHICH WAS JUST REPLACED LAST WEEK DUE TO ANOTHER KNOWN ISSUE THAT CHEVY REFUSES TO RECALL) RPMS WENT ABOVE 4,000. TAPPED GAS PEDAL THINKING MAYBE IT WAS STUCK AND IT ONLY REVVED HIGHER AND DID NOT COME DOWN ON ITS OWN. RPMS CONTINUED TO CLIMB AS I CAME TO A STOP, AROUND 6,000 BY THE TIME I PULLED OVER. SHUT THE CAR OFF AND IMMEDIATELY BACK ON, NO PROBLEMS FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP HOME (ANOTHER 8 MILES). I CANNOT RISK MY CAR REVVING AT 6,000 RPMS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC WHICH I'M IN EVERY WEEKDAY AND I CAN'T SHUT IT OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON TO FIX THE PROBLEM, SO I HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT CAUSES IT AND FIX IT ASAP. THANKS FOR ANOTHER SPENDY REPAIR, CHEVY. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AS ALL OF THE WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE HOWEVER, REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AS A PRECAUTION. THE REPAIR FAILED TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 87,426 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 111,600. UPDATED 7/10/15*CN UPDATED 8/23/2017*CN

MY 2004 CHEVY CAVALIER HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. IN 2006 I WAS DRIVING DOING 20 MPH IN A SCHOOL ZONE AND NOTICED MY SPEEDOMETER READ 110, THE GAS GAUGE SHOWED EMPTY AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAD MOVED ALL THE WAY AROUND AND WAS SITTING ON THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE. I CONTACTED GM ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND WAS INFORMED THAT A RECALL WAS ISSUED ON TRUCKS AND SUV'S BUT DID NOT INCLUDE AUTOMOBILES. I WAS TOLD TO TAKE MY CAR TO A DEALERSHIP AND PAY $100.00 TO HAVE IT INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC AND IF THE MECHANIC DETERMINED IT WAS THE CLUSTER, THE INFORMATION WOULD BE SENT TO GM AND THEY WOULD THEN MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER THEY WOULD MAKE THE REPAIR OR NOT. MY DAUGHTER OWNS A 2004 MONTE CARLO WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND HER DAUGHTER HAS THE PROBLEM WITH HER 2005 CAVALIER. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM AND GM JUST REFUSES TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. I THINK CAR OWNERS SHOULD GET THE SAME RESPECT AS TRUCK OWNERS AND GM SHOULD REPAIR THESE CLUSTERS. I HAVE CONTACTED GM MANY TIMES AND THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING . *TR

CLUTCH FLUID LEAK FROM SLAVE CYLINDER DETECTED 4/19/14. FLUID LEVEL IN MASTER CYLINDER WAS LOW BUT NOT DANGEROUSLY SO, SO I ADDED DOT-3 TO MASTER CYLINDER. EVENING OF 4/22 NOTICED NO NEW LEAKAGE ON GARAGE FLOOR. ON MORNING OF 4/23 EN ROUTE TO WORK, NOTICED CLUTCH ENGAGED MUCH CLOSER TO FLOOR THAN USUAL, AND HAD MUCH MORE "PLAY" BETWEEN IT'S NORMAL POSITION AND WHEN CLUTCH BEGAN TO ENGAGE. IN CITY-STREET TRAFFIC, SPEED LIMIT 50 MPH, CLUTCH BEGAN TO SEIZE, CAUSING INABILITY TO SHIFT INTO ANOTHER GEAR. CLUTCH PEDAL TO FLOOR, CAR IN GEAR, RIGHT FOOT OFF GAS, CAR MOVED FORWARD UNDER POWER. TURNED AROUND TO HEAD BACK HOME AND WITHIN TWO MILES CLUTCH WENT BACK TO MOSTLY NORMAL OPERATION. AFTER ANOTHER 3 MILES (THE ENTIRE TRIP WAS ON CITY STREETS WITH SPEED LIMITS BETWEEN 40 AND 55 MPH, INCLUDING LOTS OF STOPLIGHTS=MORE SHIFTING) CLUTCH SEIZED UP ENTIRELY. PEDAL FLAT TO FLOOR, NEEDED TOE UNDER LEVER TO PULL IT BACK UP. STUCK IN 3RD GEAR, NO AMOUNT OF PUMPING THE PEDAL WOULD ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM. UPON STOPPING, CHECKED FLUID LEVEL IN MASTER CYLINDER AND IT IS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN WHEN IT WAS FILLED ON 4/19, BUT LEVEL HAD NOT CHANGED IN 24 HOURS. UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR, CAR WILL NEED TO BE TOWED HOME THEN TO SHOP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE MECHANIC WAS CHANGING THE OIL SHE WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE ENTIRE FRAME WAS COMPLETELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN VERIFIED THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 139,000.

THE GAUGE CLUSTER ON MY 2004 CAVALIER HAS SUDDENLY STARTED MALFUNCTIONING. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AS I DO NOT KNOW HOW HOT MY ENGINE IS OR HOW FAST I AM GOING. THE TACH AND GAS GAUGES SEEM TO STILL WORK (DON'T KNOW FOR HOW LONG THOUGH), BUT SPEEDOMETER AND TEMP GAUGE DO NOT. MY CAR HAS VERY LOW MILEAGE AND I WILL JUST HAVE HAD IT FOR 10 YEARS AS OF THIS MONTH. I AM THE ONLY OWNER OF THIS CAR AND IT HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT CHEVY WILL NOT RECALL THIS FAULTY GAUGE PANEL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND NOT A PART THAT SHOULD JUST SUDDENLY WEAR OUT ON A CAR. WITH ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT ARE SUDDENLY SURFACING WITH GM I AM SHOCKED THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED BEFORE AND I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON TO HAVE THIS ISSUE. GOD FORBID SOMEONE NOT KNOW THIS IS AN ISSUE AND THEY PULL OVER BECAUSE THEY THINK THEIR CAR IS OVERHEATING AND GET OUT TO CHECK ONLY TO GET HIT BY ANOTHER CAR. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CHEVY AGAIN UNLESS THEY STEP UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS FAULTY GAUGE CLUSTER. *TR