2004 Chevrolet Cavalier

FIRST, THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. I HAVE A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER BASE MODEL. 2.2 ECOTEC ENGINE. THE ABS, LOWTRAC, AND SERVICE LIGHT COMES ON IN THE VEHICLE WHEN PLACED IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. CAR HESITATES AND WANTS TO SHUT DOWN EVERY TIME!! WHEN IT FIRST STARTED TO HAPPEN, IT COULD BE SHUT OFF AND RE-STARTED AND THE LIGHTS WOULD GO OUT. NOW THEY ARE IS ON ALL THE TIME! I HAVE ALSO NOTICED WHEN ON SLIPPERY ROADWAYS THE ABS DOES NOT WORK IN THE VEHICLE> I HAVE SLID SIDEWAYS AND THROUGH INTERSECTIONS . A HORRIBLE NOISE COMES FROM THE CAR WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE OFF IN THE CAR IF THEY DO NOT COME ON RIGHT AWAY. I APPLY THE BRAKES, AND THE AWFUL GROWLING AND NOISE THAT COMES FROM THE CAR IS VERY SCARY. I AM AFRAID TO LET MY WIFE EVEN DRIVE SOMETIMES. I HAVE NOT REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP YET AS I AM WAITING TO SEE IF THIS IS A RECALL. IF IT IS, I CAN HAVE THE REPAIR DONE FOR NOTHING. I FEEL IT SHOULD BE DONE FOR NOTHING AS IF THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE THAT COULD CAUSE TERRIBLE HARM OR EVEN DEATH IF THIS OCCURS WHILE DRIVING.. *TR

MY COMPLAINT IS A "DOMINO EFFECT" WITHIN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. HERE IS WHAT HAPPENED, IN ORDER: 1) TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEEDLE OVER EXTENDS ITSELF CLOCKWISE PAST THE MAXIMUM THRESHOLD, SO THAT THE NEEDLE IS POINTING TO THE RIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE). THE NEEDLE WILL UNPREDICTABLY RESET ITSELF TO THAT POSITION WHEN THE VEHICLE IS POWERED OFF AND TURNED BACK ON, OR IT WILL JUST REMAIN STUCK IN THAT POSITION. 2) THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE NEEDLE, NOW STUCK POINTING TO THE RIGHT, PHYSICALLY INTERFERES (A FIGHT SO TO SPEAK) WITH THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE WHICH IS FRANTICALLY TRYING TO PUSH ITS WAY PAST A STUBBORN TEMP GAUGE NEEDLE. THE SPEEDOMETER CANNOT PUSH ITSELF PAST 10 MILES PER HOUR. 3) SPEEDOMETER,DESPITE BEING THE BIGGER NEEDLE, LOSES AND DIES COMPLETELY... SITTING LIFELESSLY AT -1. OHHH THE IRONY. 4) ABOUT 1 MONTH LATER THE FUEL GAUGE OVER EXTENDS ITSELF AND COMMONLY POINTS TO THE RIGHT, OR IN ANY RANDOM DIRECTION. THE FUEL GAUGE SOMETIMES STICKS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS POWERED OFF, OR WILL RESET AND FIND ANOTHER COMPLETELY INACCURATE POSITION TO REMAIN IN. I THINK IT IS JUST JEALOUS OF THE OTHER TWO. CONCLUSION: I AM DRIVING -1 MILE PER HOUR DOWN THE FREEWAY WITH 147% FUEL CAPACITY IN A VEHICLE WHOSE ENGINE IS RUNNING AT OVER 570 DEGREES F. BUT THAT IS OK BECAUSE CHEVY TOLD ME IT ISN'T A SAFETY ISSUE, SO EVERY THING MUST BE PERFECTLY FINE! *TR

THE CAR HAS A MAJOR WIRING OR ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, BUT ITS NOT DETECTED BY MECHANICS. I HAVE A TEMP GAUGE THAT IS ALL OVER THE PLACE, SOMETIMES IT EVEN TOUCHES THE FAR BOTTOM RIGHT SIDE OF THE CONTROL PANEL. THE SPEEDOMETER IS NO LONGER WORKING, DRIVING OR PARKED I AM GOING -3 MILES AN HOUR. THE RPMS WORK WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE IT WHICH IS RARELY. THE ONLY GAUGE WORKING IS THE GAS. IN ADDITION TO THIS, THE CAR CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF AND CONTINUES TO DATE. I HAVE BEEN IN MID-LEFT TURN ON MAJOR INTERSECTIONS OF LOS ANGELES AND IT JUST DIED. I COMMUTE ON THE 110 FWY AND IT HAS JUST DIED, ALWAYS WHILE I AM ACCELERATING NEVER PARKED. THEN IN A FEW SECONDS YOU CRANK THE KEY AND YOUR OFF AND RUNNING AGAIN. IT IS SO SCARY BECAUSE IT IS SO UNPREDICTABLE. I HAVE RECEIVED SPEEDING TICKETS NOT KNOWING MY SPEED AND MECHANIC CANT FIND THE PROBLEM. WHAT DO I DO??? *TR

THE TACHOMETER IS FAILING TO WORK, THE SPEEDOMETER IS FAILING TO WORK, THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW WENT OUT, AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON WITH THE ABS AND TRACK OFF LIGHTS STAY ON. THIS IS CONSTANT. NOW, I AM WORRIED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WILL HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN I AM DRIVING MY CHILDREN. THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A CLEAR CUT FIX FOR THIS WHEN TALKING TO THE CHEVY DEALER. *TR

SOME TIMES THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD CHANGE TO 100 MPH WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH OR WOULD JUST DROP TO ZEROMPH. THE TACHOMETER WOULD NOT CHANGE. HAD IT INTO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BUT IT WOULD WORK OK. THE DEALER SAID HE COULD NOT DO ANYTHING UNDER WARRANTY UNLESS HE COULD SEE THE PROBLEM AND ANALYZE IT BECAUSE IT COULD BE THE CLUSTER ,LOOSE WIRE OR ANOTHER PART. IT HAPPENED AT LEAST 1 OR 2 TIMES A WEEK ON MY WAY TO WORK . I SET UP WITH DEALER TO HAVE HIM COME TO MY WORK TO CHECK IT OUT IF MALFUNCTIONED. SOME TIMES WHEN I STOPPED THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD READ ANY WHERE FROM 10 TO 45 MPH. FINALLY MALFUNCTIONED AND DEALER WAS ABLE TO CHECK IT OUT. CLUSTER WAS REPLACED ON WARRANTY. *TR

ODOMETER WOULD NOT READ CORRECTLY AND WOULD END UP OVER 110MPH AND GET STUCK. EVENTUALLY WOULD MAKE IT TO 0 AND WORK FOR A COUPLE DAYS AND THE GO BACK OVER 110MPH. WHILE IT WAS OVER 110 IF YOU STARTED THE CAR THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD TURN TOWARDS THE TEMP GAUGE. TOOK CAR TO THE DEALER AND HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. COST ABOUT $400.00. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE ENGINE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE MAKING A TURN IN FIRST GEAR. THE RPM DECREASED TO 400 RPM AND THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED, THE CONTACT RELEASED HIS FOOT FROM THE CLUTCH AND THE MOTOR INCREASED THE RPM'S AUTOMATICALLY. WHEN THE KEY WAS TURNED IN THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START INTERMITTENTLY UNTIL APPROXIMATELY TEN ATTEMPTS. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED 30 MPH. WHEN THE GAS TANK WAS FULL, THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD DISPLAY HALF A TANK. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE ALSO MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT OVERHEAT, BUT THE GAUGE WOULD READ HOT. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 24,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37,500.

ON THE DATE LISTED BELOW, I NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER ON MY 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER BEGAN TO, WELL, "STICK." AFTER A LENGTH OF TIME IT WILL NOT RETURN TO ZERO, AND OVER TIME, WILL DIP BELOW 110 MPH AND STAY THERE. I HAVE BEEN ON NUMEROUS WEBSITES AND HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM OWNERS OF CAVALIERS AND IMPALAS, SO THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT SAFE FOR ME AS A DRIVER, TO NOT KNOW HOW FAST I AM GOING, AND COULD POSE A DANGER FOR MY PASSENGERS AND OTHERS I DRIVE NEAR. AVERAGE REPAIR COSTS ARE $400, AND A PERSON DRIVING A CAVALIER WILL TYPICALLY NOT HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY TO SPARE. GENERAL MOTORS NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL. *TR

FUEL GAUGE INOPERATIVE, POINTS TO THE TEMP GAUGE. SPEEDOMETER SOMETIMES WORKS. WHEN IT'S NOT, IT'S EITHER POINTING TO BELOW ZERO OR UP AT 90 MPH. MUST RELY ON ODOMETER(STILL WORKS) TO GAUGE FUEL USE. MUST DRIVE SLOWER THAN TRAFFIC TO INSURE I'M NOT SPEEDING. REPAIR IS VERY EXPENSIVE. HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO AFFORD YET. PROBLEM STARTED AROUND 54,000 MILES. *TR