IllustrationTAKATA RECALL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN A REAR END COLLISION THAT TOTALLED CAR. ALSO PASSENGERS SEAT BROKE CAUSING NECK AND RIB INJURY.VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WAITING FOR CONSTRUCTION FLAGMAN.
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.
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
180–25K
4825–50K
7350–75K
4675–100K
37100–150K
8150K+
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
Seats complaints
6 reportsON OCTOBER 1ST 2015 WE WERE STOPPED FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION ON THE HIGHWAY. AT THAT TIME WE WERE REAR ENDED BY A HIT AND RUN DRIVER. IMPACT WAS ON THE BUMPER, PASSENGER SIDE. ON IMPACT THE PASSENGER SEAT BROKE AND SLAMMED ME FORWARD THEN BACK INTO A RECLINING POSITION. I WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE.I WAS IN PT FOR 6 WEEKS…
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ON OCTOBER 1ST 2015 WE WERE STOPPED FOR ROAD CONSTRUCTION ON THE HIGHWAY. AT THAT TIME WE WERE REAR ENDED BY A HIT AND RUN DRIVER. IMPACT WAS ON THE BUMPER, PASSENGER SIDE. ON IMPACT THE PASSENGER SEAT BROKE AND SLAMMED ME FORWARD THEN BACK INTO A RECLINING POSITION. I WAS TAKEN TO HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE.I WAS IN PT FOR 6 WEEKS. ALSO AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY.
CAVALIER COUPE LS SPORT 2005: THE DRIVER'S SEAT RECLINING SYSTEM IS UNSTABLE. YOU CAN FEEL IT MOVE AND ACTING LOOSE WHILE DRIVING. IT WAS NOT LIKE THIS WHEN FIRST PURCHASED. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO MAKE IT STABLE AGAIN. THEIR ONLY RESPONSE WAS, THAT THIS WAS NORMAL, WITH TIME IT…
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CAVALIER COUPE LS SPORT 2005: THE DRIVER'S SEAT RECLINING SYSTEM IS UNSTABLE. YOU CAN FEEL IT MOVE AND ACTING LOOSE WHILE DRIVING. IT WAS NOT LIKE THIS WHEN FIRST PURCHASED. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO MAKE IT STABLE AGAIN. THEIR ONLY RESPONSE WAS, THAT THIS WAS NORMAL, WITH TIME IT BECOMES LOOSE. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO MAKE SEATS THAT FEEL FINE AT FIRST, AND A YEAR LATER, BECOME IN THAT CONDITION. YOU DRIVE WITH YOUR BACK REST UNSTEADY AND ERRATIC. THIS CAN CAUSE BACK/NECK PROBLEM IN THE LONG-RUN. (ALSO, THE FRONT SEATS ARE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE, UNPLEASANT ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A LONG COMMUTE, IT ABSOLUTELY HAS NO HEAD-REST SINCE THEY ARE LEANED BACK TOO MUCH, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO DRIVE NORMALLY WITH YOUR HEAD RESTED AGAINST IT. PLUS, THE FRONT SEATS RECLINING SYSTEM WON'T ALLOW YOU TILT IT FORWARD MUCH, CONSEQUENTLY DRIVING RATHER LEANED BACK MORE THAN USUAL, ON YOUR SEAT.) *JB
2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER DEVELOPED PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVER'S SEAT MOVING.*MR THE DRIVER'S SEAT WAS UNSTABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER BUT THEY CLAIMED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SEAT. THE CONSUMER SAID HE ALSO GETS SHOCKED BY THE VEHICLE CONSTANTLY. *NM
THE FRONT SEATS MOVE, THEY AREN'T ELECTRIC, HOWEVER THEY MOVE EVER SO SLIGHTLY AND A FEW TIME THEY HAD MOVED TO THE REAR TAKING MY FOOT AWAY FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL.
ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE DRIVER DOOR WOULD OPEN WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING 45-50 MPH. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE DOOR. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN HIT BEFORE AND THE PROBLEM MAY CONTINUE DUE TO THE DAMAGES THE VEHICLE HAD SUSTAINED. *J…
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ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE DRIVER DOOR WOULD OPEN WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING 45-50 MPH. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE DOOR. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN HIT BEFORE AND THE PROBLEM MAY CONTINUE DUE TO THE DAMAGES THE VEHICLE HAD SUSTAINED. *JB THE DRIVER DOOR DID NOT CLOSE AFTER ADJUSTMENTS AS WELL AS THE PASSENGER DOOR. THE DRIVER DOOR WOULD OPEN WHILE I THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, MATERIAL WAS COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE DASHBOARD, INTERIOR PASSENGER DOOR WAS DAMAGED WHEN PURCHASED, AND THE BACK SEAT WAS DISCOLORED. *SC *JB
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.