Total Complaints
362 filings
CHEVROLET CAVALIER · model year
362 NHTSA complaints, 8 crash reports, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2005CHEVROLETCAVALIER carries 362 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 8 crashes, 0 fires, 6 injuries, and 4 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2005 CAVALIER is electrical system with 141 filings, followed by electrical system: instrument cluster/panel (69) and vehicle speed control (17). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 57 investigation files overlapping the 2005 CAVALIER, and 2 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
362 filings
Crashes Reported
8 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 141 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL | 69 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 17 |
| STRUCTURE | 10 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 8 |
| POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION | 7 |
| SEATS | 6 |
| AIR BAGS | 6 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 6 |
| VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS | 6 |
| STEERING | 6 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 6 |
| POWER TRAIN | 5 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 5 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN | 4 |
STEERING
DORMAN PRODUCTS IS RECALLING 3,900 INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFTS DORMAN PART NOS. 425-151, 425-152, AND 425-153, (SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS" BRAND NAME), BALKAMP #'S 7-3057, 7-3058, 7-3059 (SOLD UNDER THE "NAPA" BRAND NAME), AND PLATINUM PARTS #'S 2425151, 2425152, AND 2425153 MANUFACTURED DU
MY MOM WAS DRIVING THE CAR AS NORMAL DOWN THE ROAD ONE DAY AND ALL THE GUAGES IN THE ENTIRE DASH SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. SOME CAME BACK ON AND OFF A COUPLE WEEKS. SOME NEVER DID. BUT AFTER A COUPLE MONTHS ALL STOPPED WORKING AND NOW NOTHING WORKS. NO HEAT GUAGE, NO FUEL GUAGE, NO TEMP GUAGE, NO SPEEDOMETER, AND NO FUEL GUAGE.
Mileage: 70,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO OPERATE AS INTENDED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE, ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE, AND TACHOMETER WERE INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.
Mileage: 170,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED THE INCORRECT FUEL LEVEL. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, A FAMILY MEMBER NOTICED FUEL LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.
Mileage: 45,000
NONE OF THE GAGES WORK DON'T KNOW HOW FAST I'M GOING
Mileage: 129,000
NONE OF THE GAGES WORK DON'T KNOW HOW FAST I'M GOING
Mileage: 129,000
GAUGES FOR TEMPERATURE DO NOT WORK, SOMETIMES READS BELOW ZERO, SOMETIMES SLIGHTLY ABOVE THERE IS NO CHANGE IN READING WHETHER COLD, OR RUNNING FOR SEVERAL HOURS - AT ANY SPEED SPEED GAUGE WORKS INTERMITTENTLY, SOMETIMES RECORDING 100 MPH, WHEN THE CAR IS DOING NO MORE THAT 20-30 MPH. AT OTHER TIMES, IT SEEMS TO BE RUNNING ABOUT THE SPEED LIMIT, WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER TRAFFIC, THEN RECORD 100+MPH.AT OTHER TIMES, WHEN GOING WITH TRAFFIC, THE GAUGE READS 0MPH THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW IF THE CAR IS OVERHEATING, OR WHAT SPEED THE CAR IS GOING. THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS, AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE 'SETTER', AND WOULD COST ME $900. WHICH I DID NOT HAVE. IT IS VERY UPSETTING .
Mileage: 67,000
ALL GAUGES DON'T WORK. SPEEDOMETER,FUEL,TEMPERATURE.
Mileage: 155,000
THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE GAUGES IN THE 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER CAUSING THEM TO MALFUNCTION OR NOT FUNCTION AT ALL INTERMITTENTLY. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL YOU HAVE, THE TEMPERATURE OF YOUR ENGINE, OR YOUR SPEED WHEN THE GAUGES FAIL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OR WHILE DRIVING, THE FUEL AND TEMPERATURE GAUGES FAILED TO DISPLAY THE CORRECT INFORMATION. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
Mileage: 120,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, ALL THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES ILLUMINATED WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.
Mileage: 100,000
TAKATA 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.
TAKATA 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.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DASHBOARD WAS DISINTEGRATING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.UPDATED 10/13/16 *BF
Mileage: 80,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE SPEEDOMETER, TEMPERATURE, AND RPM GUAGES BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WIRE CONNECTOR WAS TIGHTENED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REAPIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
Mileage: 60,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER FRACTURED ALONG WITH THE HORN AND THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.
Mileage: 56,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER FRACTURED ALONG WITH THE HORN AND THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.
Mileage: 56,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER FRACTURED ALONG WITH THE HORN AND THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE CONTACT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.
Mileage: 56,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, THE FUEL, TEMPERATURE, AND SPEEDOMETER GAUGES FAILED TO WORK. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GAUGES FAILED AND NEEDED TO REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
Mileage: 53,000
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.
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.
Loss of motive power due to engine failure
Loss of Motive Power due to the Battery Energy Control Module
Electric Vehicle Battery Fires
Outboard Front Seat Belt Anchor Cable Failure
Fuel Line Leak
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.