CHEVROLET OPTRA · model year

2005 CHEVROLET OPTRA

7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2005CHEVROLETOPTRA carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 2 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 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 OPTRA is exterior lighting with 4 filings, followed by seat belts:rear/other (1) and electrical system (1). 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 OPTRA, 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.

7
Complaints
1
Crashes
2
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

7 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
EXTERIOR LIGHTING4
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
AIR BAGS1

Recalls (1)

07V48200016/10/2007

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES LOCATED IN GUAM AND SAIPAN, THE HEADLAMP LOW BEAM OR DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHT (DRL) FUNCTION MAY BE INOPERATIVE DUE TO A MELTED SPLICE PACK (S201) ON THE IP HARNESS.

Recent Complaints

20211007EXTERIOR LIGHTING

The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Optra. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V261000 (Exterior Lightning). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights inadvertently dimmed then went back to bright. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that parts were not available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that parts were not available. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Mileage: 60,000

20120828FireEXTERIOR LIGHTING

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET OPTRA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAD LIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WOULD TURN THE LIGHTS ON AND BURNING FUMES WOULD EMIT INTO THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSE THAT THE WIRING HARNESS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER A RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V482000 COMPONENT: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,592.

Mileage: 30,592

20120109AIR BAGS

THE SERVICE AIR BAG LIGHT ON WITH CODE B2502, B1104, B2500. THEY CALL THE REPLACED PART AS "DISPLAY/CLOCK" ASSEMBLY WHICH MAKES IT SOUND LIKE A NON-SAFETY RELATED ISSUE BUT IT IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE AIRBAG. IT HAPPENED TWICE ON MY CAR. THE FIRST TIME IT IS WAS STILL IN WARRANTY, MILEAGE SHOULD BE AROUND 30K-40K KM. THIS TIME THE MILEAGE IS 125506KM. WHAT MAKES ME NERVOUS IS THAT THE PASSENGER AIRBAG LIGHT IN THE "DISPLAY/CLOCK" UNIT FLASHES IRREGULARLY FOR ABOUT 10-30 SECONDS WHEN STARTING THE CAR. I SAID IRREGULAR FLASHES, I MEANT THE KIND THAT ARE CAUSED BY UNSECURED CONNECTION OF WIRE. *TR

Mileage: 20,000

20110220EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CHEVROLET OPTRA 5 2005. HEADLAMP LOW BEAMS AND DAY TIME RUNNING LAMPS WORK SPORADICALLY. IT WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM AND I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED FROM GM DEALER. I ALREADY SPENT A LOT OF MONEY TRYING TO FIX IT (PROBLEM IS STILL ON IT) AND JUST NOW I KNEW ABOUT THE RECALL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SPECIAL DURING THE WINTER TIME. LAST YEAR I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM MY OWN LEASE AND DEALER NEVER MENTIONED THE PROBLEM. SO I SHOULD GO TO THE SERVICE AND PAY TO FIX IT. *TR

20110220ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CHEVROLET OPTRA 5 2005. HEADLAMP LOW BEAMS AND DAY TIME RUNNING LAMPS WORK SPORADICALLY. IT WAS A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM AND I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED FROM GM DEALER. I ALREADY SPENT A LOT OF MONEY TRYING TO FIX IT (PROBLEM IS STILL ON IT) AND JUST NOW I KNEW ABOUT THE RECALL. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SPECIAL DURING THE WINTER TIME. LAST YEAR I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM MY OWN LEASE AND DEALER NEVER MENTIONED THE PROBLEM. SO I SHOULD GO TO THE SERVICE AND PAY TO FIX IT. *TR

20100416EXTERIOR LIGHTING

WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 11PM, ALL LIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OFF. THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENED IN 2006(?) AND WAS FIXED. IN 2008(?), THERE WAS A RECALL FROM GM ABOUT THE ISSUE AND I DID BRING MY CAR TO DEALER FOR THE RECALL, ALTHOUGH I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY DID. NOW IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN. I THINK EITHER THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING IN THE RECALL FOR ME OR THE FIX IN THE RECALL DOESN'T RESOLVE THE ISSUE. *TR

Mileage: 92,000

20060628CrashFireSEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER

I HAVE SUFFERED AN ACCIDENT IN WHICH I WAS SEVERELY INJURED BY THE SEAT BELT. I WAS IN THE BACK, RIGHT SIDE WITH MY SEAT BELT ON. BECAUSE OF IT I HAD A RUPTURED SPLEEN, RUPTURED SIGMOID, EXPLOSION OF APPENDIX AND RUPTURED CEC. NOT TO MENTION THE HORRIBLE HEMATOMAS IN AND OUTSIDE MY ABDOMEN. I NEEDED EMERGENCY SURGERY AND 2 WEEKS OF HOSPITALIZATION. THE CAR IN WHICH THIS HAPPENED IS A CHEVROLET LACETTI AND THE PLACE WHERE IT HAPPENED IS BUCHAREST, ROMANIA. I WOULD LIKE TO FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THIS COMPANY BECAUSE THIS KIND OF INJURY SHOULDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE OF A SEAT BELT. I BELIEVE THAT THE DESIGN OF IT WAS INCORRECT AND THEY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. *JB

Compare 2005CHEVROLETOPTRA to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 2 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2005 CHEVROLET OPTRA have?
The 2005 CHEVROLET OPTRA has 7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 2 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2005 CHEVROLET OPTRA?
Yes, the 2005 CHEVROLET OPTRA has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2005 CHEVROLET OPTRA?
The most-complained component for the 2005 CHEVROLET OPTRA is EXTERIOR LIGHTING with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2005 CHEVROLET OPTRA safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

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.