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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.

About this comparison →

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

What owners actually said

287 reports
148,249 miles · Apr 19, 2015
Electrical SystemVisibility

THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE ELECTRIC WINDOW DOES NOT WORK WILL NOT ROLL DOWN WILL NOT ROLL UP. THE REAR-DRIVER-SIDE ELECTRIC WINDOW DOES NOT WORK WILL NOT ROLL DOWN WILL NOT ROLL UP, THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE ELECTRIC WINDOW DOES NOT WORK WILL NOT ROLL DOWN WILL NOT ROLL UP. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10706544

60,000 miles · Mar 10, 2015
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed Control

I PURCHASED A 2005 CHEVY CAVALIER NEW IN DECEMBER OF 2004 AND IN MARCH OF 2013 THE GAUGES STOPPED WORKING. THEY WOULD RANDOMLY WORK ONE OR THE OTHER NOW ALL MY GAUGES HAVE STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER. I HAVE NO CLUE HOW FAST I'M GOING OR HOW MANY RPMS I'M USING OR IF THE CAR IS OVERHEATING OR NOT! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10693420

40,000 miles · Feb 20, 2015
Air BagsFuel/propulsion System

PLEASE CALL ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS WITH THESE CARS, [XXX] IS HOW I THINK ANYTHING WILL GET DONE, JUST CALLED TODAY 02-20-15. GAS GAUGE WENT OUT 02-07-15 ( MILEAGE 40000) AND IS HITTING AGAINST MY TEMP GAUGE SO I DON'T KNOW HOW HIT MY CAR IS GETTING. I REPLACED MY TEMP GAUGE BACK IN 01-07-12 MILEAGE(29111) CAUSE IT WAS HITTING AGAI…

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PLEASE CALL ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS WITH THESE CARS, [XXX] IS HOW I THINK ANYTHING WILL GET DONE, JUST CALLED TODAY 02-20-15. GAS GAUGE WENT OUT 02-07-15 ( MILEAGE 40000) AND IS HITTING AGAINST MY TEMP GAUGE SO I DON'T KNOW HOW HIT MY CAR IS GETTING. I REPLACED MY TEMP GAUGE BACK IN 01-07-12 MILEAGE(29111) CAUSE IT WAS HITTING AGAINST MY SPEEDOMETER<--- THIS WAS NOT REPLACED BUT I DONT THINK TILL THIS DAY IT SHOWS THE RIGHT SPEED. AIR BAGS DID NOT WORK BACK IN 2006 CRASH NO FAULT OF THE CAR THEN, SOMEONE HIT ME, SO DONT EVEN KNOW IF THEY WILL. CALLED GM ABOUT THAT IN 2012 AND TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. FORGOT TO TELL KIMMY ABOUT THIS PROBLEM TODAY. GOOD LUCK GETTING THESE PROBLEMS FIXED. I HAVE TO DRIVE MY KIDS AND FAMILY AROUND ONLY CAR I HAVE SO I HOPE SOMETHING IS FIXED BEFORE WE GET HURT. AND I HOPE FOR THE ONES THAT FIXED THESE REPAIRS GET THERE MONEY BACK IF THEY FIND IT TO BE A ISSUE.. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10689630

105,000 miles · Feb 20, 2015
Electrical System

STARTED VEHICLE ALL GAUGES EXCEPT RPM STOPPED WORKING READ ONLINE AND SAW HOW COMMON THIS ISSUE IS WITH THIS CAR AND WAS ADVISED TO FILE A COMPLAINT ABOUT IT HERE IN HOPES OF A RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10689629

29,111 miles · Feb 20, 2015
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED AN INCORRECT READING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEPPER MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FOUR YEARS LATER, WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNO…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED AN INCORRECT READING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEPPER MOTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FOUR YEARS LATER, WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE FUEL GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED SHOWING AN INCORRECT READING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,111.

NHTSA ODI #10689598

Mileage unknown · Jan 18, 2015
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion System

A SHORT WHILE AFTER I BOUGHT THIS CAR I NOTICED ALL OF MY GAUGES WENT OUT. I WAS NERVOUS TO EVEN DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH GAS I HAD OR HOW FAST I WAS GOING. NOW I'M CONSTANTLY HAVING TROUBLE WHEN IGET GAS. EVEN WHEN I KNOW FOR SURE THAT I NEED GAS AFTER PUMPING FOR A FEW SECONDS, IT NEVER FAILS THAT THE PUMP …

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A SHORT WHILE AFTER I BOUGHT THIS CAR I NOTICED ALL OF MY GAUGES WENT OUT. I WAS NERVOUS TO EVEN DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW HOW MUCH GAS I HAD OR HOW FAST I WAS GOING. NOW I'M CONSTANTLY HAVING TROUBLE WHEN IGET GAS. EVEN WHEN I KNOW FOR SURE THAT I NEED GAS AFTER PUMPING FOR A FEW SECONDS, IT NEVER FAILS THAT THE PUMP WILL STOP AS IF MY TANK IS FULL. THIS MORNING MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF THIS CAR AND ALL OF THESE MALFUNCTIONS SEEMINGLY ONE RIGHT AFTER THE OTHER MAKE ME QUESTION THE SAFETY OF THIS VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10676272

118,000 miles · Jan 15, 2015
Electrical System

SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE IS SHOWING WRONG SPEED, RANDOMLY SHOWS ALL OVER THE DIAL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10672859

264,383 miles · Dec 17, 2014
EngineVehicle Speed Control

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN MY CAR UNEXPECTEDLY INCREASED IT'S SPEED TO ABOUT 80-90 MPH. I INITIALLY THOUGHT THE CAR ACCIDENTALLY SOME KIND OF WAY MADE CRUISE CONTROL COME ON. I AM NOT A FAN OF CRUISE CONTROL SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TURNED IT ON. AFTER THE ACCELERATION, I QUICKLY ATTEMPTED TO GET MY CAR BACK DO…

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I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN MY CAR UNEXPECTEDLY INCREASED IT'S SPEED TO ABOUT 80-90 MPH. I INITIALLY THOUGHT THE CAR ACCIDENTALLY SOME KIND OF WAY MADE CRUISE CONTROL COME ON. I AM NOT A FAN OF CRUISE CONTROL SO I WOULDN'T HAVE TURNED IT ON. AFTER THE ACCELERATION, I QUICKLY ATTEMPTED TO GET MY CAR BACK DOWN TO NORMAL DRIVING SPEED BECAUSE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND DID NOT WANT TO CRASH WITH ANYONE BY ACCIDENT. I QUICKLY STOMPED MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. THIS DID NOT HELP AT ALL. MATTER OF FACT, MY BRAKES LOCKED UP TOO. I COULDN'T CONTROL THE BRAKES NOR THE GAS. THE GAS CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. AT THIS POINT, I AM DOING ABOUT 100 MPH. I THOUGHT QUICKLY AND MANEUVERED MY WAY OUT OF TRAFFIC. I ALMOST HIT SEVERAL CARS BUT THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF PROTECTION AROUND ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A SINGLE SCRATCH ON ME OR THE CAR. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE DESPITE MY SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO SLOW DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO GAIN A LITTLE CONTROL OF THE CAR BY PUTTING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE UP AND PLACING THE CAR IN NEUTRAL. THIS ONLY SLOWED THE CAR DOWN TO ABOUT 80 MPH. I HAD TO TURN THE SWITCH OFF THE STOP THE CAR. I ATTEMPTED TO CRANK THE CAR BUT THE ENGINE ONLY REVVED UP AND MADE MY CAR SMOKE. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT WAS OUT OF MY CONTROL. I ALMOST LOST MY LIFE AND MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF DEATH FOR INNOCENT FAMILIES ON THE ROAD. I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON THAT HAS UNEXPECTEDLY HAD THIS TO HAPPEN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10664852

48,500 miles · Dec 3, 2014
Vehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE SPEEDOMETER READ 90 MPH ERRONEOUSLY. LATER, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 100 MPH WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED BY A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED, THE SPEEDOMETER READ 90 MPH ERRONEOUSLY. LATER, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 100 MPH WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED BY A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,500.

NHTSA ODI #10661936

112,000 miles · Dec 2, 2014
Air BagsCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE CRASHED AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. IT WAS UNKNOWN IF THERE WERE ANY INJURIES OR IF A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE CRASHED AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. IT WAS UNKNOWN IF THERE WERE ANY INJURIES OR IF A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

NHTSA ODI #10661648

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.