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2005 Chevrolet Cavalier

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Cavalier years

Owner complaints for the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier are substantially higher than the model-year median of 140.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

230 reports with mileage · 57 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 211 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 18 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

7 crash reports0 fire reports5 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

211 reports
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40,000 miles · Nov 26, 2012
Electrical System

ALL THE GAUGES ON MY 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER HAVE STOPPED WORKING. THE FUEL GAGE WAS THE FIRST TO STOP WORKING, FOLLOWED BY THE REST OF THE GAUGES. THE SPEEDOMETER NO LONGER WORKS AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SPEED I AM GOING, HOW MUCH FUEL I HAVE, IF THE ENGINE IS OVERHEATING, ETC. I HAVE SEARCHED ONLINE…

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ALL THE GAUGES ON MY 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER HAVE STOPPED WORKING. THE FUEL GAGE WAS THE FIRST TO STOP WORKING, FOLLOWED BY THE REST OF THE GAUGES. THE SPEEDOMETER NO LONGER WORKS AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT SPEED I AM GOING, HOW MUCH FUEL I HAVE, IF THE ENGINE IS OVERHEATING, ETC. I HAVE SEARCHED ONLINE AND HAVE FOUND MULTIPLE REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. CHEVROLET HAS RECALLED OTHER VEHICLES FOR THIS EXACT PROBLEM, SO OBVIOUSLY IT IS AN ISSUE THEY CAN CORRECT. I HAVE WAITED TO HEAR ABOUT A RECALL, BUT NOW THAT MY SPEEDOMETER HAS FAILED I CAN NOT WAIT ANY LONGER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10486072

80,000 miles · Nov 13, 2012
Electrical System

FUEL GAUGE, TEMP GAUGE, TACH, AND SPEEDOMETER ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THESE ARE COMMON PROBLEMS ON THESE CARS AS YOU ARE SURELY AWARE OF. GM SHOULD BE FORCED TO RECALL THESE VEHICLES AND REPAIR THEM. THESE ARE SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUES. THANKS *TR

NHTSA ODI #10484548

135,000 miles · Oct 24, 2012
Electrical System

THE VEHICLE DASH BOARD GAUGES STARTED TO RAPIDLY FLUCTUATE FROM MINIMUM TO MAXIMUM VALUES AS I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD AT 60 MILES/HOUR. THE TACHOMETER WAS THE FIRST GAUGE TO MALFUNCTION AND DOES NOT WORK 95% OF THE TIME. THE SECOND GAUGE TO MALFUNCTION, LATER ON IN THE WEEK, WAS THE FUEL GAUGE. THE NEEDLE WILL DISPLAY A FUL…

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THE VEHICLE DASH BOARD GAUGES STARTED TO RAPIDLY FLUCTUATE FROM MINIMUM TO MAXIMUM VALUES AS I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE ROAD AT 60 MILES/HOUR. THE TACHOMETER WAS THE FIRST GAUGE TO MALFUNCTION AND DOES NOT WORK 95% OF THE TIME. THE SECOND GAUGE TO MALFUNCTION, LATER ON IN THE WEEK, WAS THE FUEL GAUGE. THE NEEDLE WILL DISPLAY A FULL TANK OF GAS AT ONE MOMENT AND A NEAR EMPTY TANK MINUTES LATER, PROVING TO BE UNRELIABLE TO ESTIMATE THE FUEL LEVEL. SHORTLY AFTER, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED AND MOVED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT NEVER SETTLING AT A STATIONARY TEMPERATURE. I FEAR, THROUGH PERSONAL RESEARCH, THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WILL BE THE NEXT GAUGE TO MALFUNCTION, MAKING IT UNSAFE TO DETERMINE SPEED SINCE THE TACHOMETER IS ALREADY NOT WORKING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10482127

70,000 miles · Sep 22, 2012
Electrical System

THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAS STOPPED WORKING AS WELL AS THE SPEEDOMETER AND RPM GAUGE. THE GAS GAUGE IS THE ONLY ONE STILL WORKING RELIABLY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10476733

145,000 miles · Aug 9, 2012
Electrical SystemFuel System, Gasoline

THE GAUGES HAVE STOPPED WORKING THE, FUEL GAUGE, THE SPEEDOMETER,THE TEMP GAUGES ALL STOP WORKING. I HAVE A 2005 CHEVY CAVALIER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10470018

270,000 miles · Jul 30, 2012
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER MALFUNCTIONED AND WAS PROVIDING ERRONEOUS READINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER MALFUNCTIONED AND WAS PROVIDING ERRONEOUS READINGS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 270,000.

NHTSA ODI #10468341

72,000 miles · Jul 24, 2012
Electrical System

SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING, NOW I HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST I'M GOING, CAN NEVER TELL IF I'M SPEEDING OR GOING TOO SLOW. THAT ISN'T SAFE IS IT.... GM NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL TO THEIR CAVALIER SPEEDOMETERS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT SERIOUSLY! THEY ALSO NEED TO QUIT SELLING JUNK!!!! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10467581

97,000 miles · Jun 19, 2012
Electrical System

TEMPERATURE GAUGE STOPPED WORKING, READS SOMETIMES, AND SOMETIMES DOES NOT. REPLACED SENSOR AND HAD NO EFFECT ON GAUGE FUNCTION. FUEL GAUGE IS INTERMITTENT AFTER THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE STOPPED FUNCTIONING AS WELL. DOOR ON HEATING UNDERNEATH THE DASH CLACKS CONSTANTLY UNLESS YOU SET THE HEAT IN RECIRCULATION MODE. NEEDLES OF T…

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TEMPERATURE GAUGE STOPPED WORKING, READS SOMETIMES, AND SOMETIMES DOES NOT. REPLACED SENSOR AND HAD NO EFFECT ON GAUGE FUNCTION. FUEL GAUGE IS INTERMITTENT AFTER THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE STOPPED FUNCTIONING AS WELL. DOOR ON HEATING UNDERNEATH THE DASH CLACKS CONSTANTLY UNLESS YOU SET THE HEAT IN RECIRCULATION MODE. NEEDLES OF THE TWO GAUGES HIT EACH OTHER AS THEY WANDER AIMLESSLY THROUGH THEIR ORBITS. HORN STOPPED WORKING AT 98000 MILES. THIS VEHICLE IS PLAGUED BY BAD WIRING AND PARTS. HOWEVER, IT IS A FINE RUNNING VEHICLE AND SHOULD AST ANOTHER 100000 MILES IF YOU'RE WILLING TO DRIVE IT WITHOUT GAUGES, HORN AND ONLY RUN THROUGH THE HEAT AND AC IN RECIRCULATION MODE. CHEVROLET KNOWS THIS HAS HAPPENED CONSTANTLY WITH THESE VEHICLES AND SHOULD RECALL AND CORRECT THEM. IF I CAN'T TRUST THE ORIGINAL GAUGE CLUSTER, HOW CAN I TRUST A NEW SET IF I TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIR AND PAY AN EXORBITANT PRICE TO HAVE THEM REPLACED AND REPAIRED? I WOULD EXPECT THIS FROM A CHRYSLER PRODUCT BUT NEVER A CHEVROLET!!! *JS

NHTSA ODI #10462306

98,000 miles · Jun 17, 2012
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

LAST DECEMBER MY 2005 CAVALIER EXPERIENCED A SPEEDOMETER MALFUNCTION WHILE I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS IN AN AREA WHERE THE SPEED ZONE CHANGED FROM 50 MPH TO 65 MPH. THE SPEEDOMETER REGISTERED MY INCREASE IN SPEED FINE. WHEN I SLOWED DOWN, THE SPEEDOMETER STAYED IN PLACE. OVER THE PAST 7 MONTHS MY DASHBOARD GAUGES …

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LAST DECEMBER MY 2005 CAVALIER EXPERIENCED A SPEEDOMETER MALFUNCTION WHILE I WAS TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS IN AN AREA WHERE THE SPEED ZONE CHANGED FROM 50 MPH TO 65 MPH. THE SPEEDOMETER REGISTERED MY INCREASE IN SPEED FINE. WHEN I SLOWED DOWN, THE SPEEDOMETER STAYED IN PLACE. OVER THE PAST 7 MONTHS MY DASHBOARD GAUGES (FUEL, TEMP, SPEED, RPM) ALL MALFUNCTION. SOMETIMES THEY RESET THEMSELVES. MOST OF THE TIME I'M NEVER SURE HOW FAST I'M GOING OR HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE. MY ENGINE TEMP WILL READ OFF THE CHARTS EVEN ON A COOL MORNING AFTER IT HAS SAT STILL ALL NIGHT. ALTHOUGH THIS STARTED LAST DECEMBER, THE PROBLEMS CONTINUE TO THIS DAY. I HAVE POURED SO MUCH MONEY INTO OTHER ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THIS CAR ALREADY, I'M CONVINCED IT IS NOT WORTH ONE MORE DIME TO FIX THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I'VE SPENT HUNDREDS ON POWER WINDOW MOTORS THAT CONTINUOUSLY MALFUNCTION. THE REAR RIGHT BLINKER HAS CONSISTENTLY GONE HAYWIRE AS WELL. I HAD RESIGNED MYSELF TO THE FACT THAT I WAS ONE IN A THOUSAND WHO HAPPENED TO GET AN ELECTRICAL LEMON. AFTER READING ALL THE COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER CAVALIER OWNERS, HOWEVER, I REALIZE THAT CHEVROLET IN 2005 PLAYED A SICK JOKE ON THE WHOLE LOT OF US. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL IMPORTED CARS, MOSTLY HONDA'S AND TOYOTA, AND HAVE NEVER BEEN AS DISPLEASED. GM SHOULD BE ASHAMED. THE CAR DRIVES GREAT. I WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT AS I LIKED THE LOOK AND FEEL OF IT ON THE ROAD. I'LL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CHEVROLET. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10462014

102,000 miles · May 21, 2012
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed Control

THIS VEHICLE HAS LOST THE SPEEDOMETER SVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST 20,000 MILES AND NOW IT HAS QUIT COMPLETELY, I WENT TO AN ON LINE FORUM AND THEY SAY THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING A LOT WITH NO RECALL FROM GENERAL MOTORS. USUALLY BEFORE IT WOULD BOUNCE UP TO 35 OR 40 AND THEN START WORKING AGAIN, BUT IT IS DEAD NOW. NO MOVEMENT AT ALL…

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THIS VEHICLE HAS LOST THE SPEEDOMETER SVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST 20,000 MILES AND NOW IT HAS QUIT COMPLETELY, I WENT TO AN ON LINE FORUM AND THEY SAY THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING A LOT WITH NO RECALL FROM GENERAL MOTORS. USUALLY BEFORE IT WOULD BOUNCE UP TO 35 OR 40 AND THEN START WORKING AGAIN, BUT IT IS DEAD NOW. NO MOVEMENT AT ALL. *TT

NHTSA ODI #10459125

Official recalls

0

No 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.