CAR SHUT OFF NO POWER STEERING GAUGES SHUT OFF EVERYTHING TURNED OFF BUT LIGHTS STAYED ON AND FLASHERS WORKED. *TR
2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Cavalier years
Owner complaints for the 2004 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
264 reports with mileage · 66 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 185 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Vehicle Speed Control. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
330 reportsSPEEDOMETER QUITS WORKING; TODAY'S EXAMPLE; WE WERE ENTERING AN INTERSTATE AND ACCELERATING TO THE 65 MPH POSTED SPEED LIMIT, AND THE SPEEDOMETER LOCKED AT 45 AND STAYED THERE. DID NOT CHANGE AND REMAINS THERE UNTIL WE GOT THE CAR HOME. THE WORST PART IS MY SON, A STUDENT DRIVER WAS DRIVING AND HAD NO WAY TO KNOW HOW FAST H…
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SPEEDOMETER QUITS WORKING; TODAY'S EXAMPLE; WE WERE ENTERING AN INTERSTATE AND ACCELERATING TO THE 65 MPH POSTED SPEED LIMIT, AND THE SPEEDOMETER LOCKED AT 45 AND STAYED THERE. DID NOT CHANGE AND REMAINS THERE UNTIL WE GOT THE CAR HOME. THE WORST PART IS MY SON, A STUDENT DRIVER WAS DRIVING AND HAD NO WAY TO KNOW HOW FAST HE WAS GOING AND HAD TO REMAIN THERE UNTIL WE COULD GET OFF THE INTERSTATE AND EXCHANGE PLACES. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. I RESEARCHED THE INTERNET AS WELL AS THIS SITE, AND SEE MANY MORE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. *TR
MY INSTRUMENT PANEL IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE SPEEDOMETER WAS INDICATING INCORRECT SPEEDS BEFORE IT STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. THE GAS, RPM, AND TEMPERATURE GAUGES INDICATE INCORRECT INFORMATION AS WELL. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
SPEEDOMETER STOP WORKING. *TR
2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER INSTRUMENT CLUSTER; AT FIRST THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWED HOT CAUSING US TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND INVESTIGATE, 27 YEARS AS AN AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN KINDA HELPED ME COME TO THE CONCLUSION REAL QUICK IT WAS NOT OVERHEATING, THEN THE TACHOMETER WOULD GO COMPLETELY AROUND AND PEG FROM THE …
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2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER INSTRUMENT CLUSTER; AT FIRST THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWED HOT CAUSING US TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND INVESTIGATE, 27 YEARS AS AN AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN KINDA HELPED ME COME TO THE CONCLUSION REAL QUICK IT WAS NOT OVERHEATING, THEN THE TACHOMETER WOULD GO COMPLETELY AROUND AND PEG FROM THE UNDERSIDE AND THAT'S WHERE IT IS AND HAS STAYED, THE SPEEDOMETER CEASED TO WORK SHORTLY AFTER THE TACHOMETER WENT HAYWIRE AND THE FUEL GAUGE ALSO HAS ITS MOMENTS, SOMETIMES IT WORKS AND SOMETIMES IT DON'T AND ALL OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS AND SERVICE SOON INDICATORS HAVE A MIND OF THERE OWN, THE CAR HAS NO TROUBLE CODES AND THERE IS NO REASON GM HASN'T RECALLED THESE AND OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PROBLEMS, FUNNY THEY SENT ME A LETTER ON MY 03 SILVERADO CLUSTER AND I HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT BUT I LOOK AT ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON THE CAVALIERS AND NO SUCH RECALLS, YOU MIGHT ASK WHY I HAVEN'T FIXED IT MYSELF WITH ALL MY EXPERIENCE AND I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, WHY SHOULD I HAVE TOO? GM SHOULD STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND FIX ITS FAULTY CLUSTERS IT IS DANGEROUS FOR ANY OF THESE INFORMATIONAL ITEMS OF THE CLUSTER TO BE FAULTY OR INACCURATE IT CAN CAUSE A MOTORIST TO TRAVEL AT AN UNSAFE SPEED CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OR TO PULL OVER ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND BE AT RISK OF BEING STRUCK BY ANOTHER MOTORIST FROM BEHIND THESE ARE VERY DANGEROUS SITUATIONS, ASK YOURSELF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HURT OR FATALLY INJURED BECAUSE OF THE FAULTY CLUSTERS, WHO KNOWS; BUT ONE WOULD BE ONE TOO MANY DON'T YOU THINK? *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE HOOD FAILED TO REMAIN CLOSED AND STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD. AS A RESULT, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE HOOD FAILED TO REMAIN CLOSED AND STRUCK THE WINDSHIELD. AS A RESULT, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.
THE SPEED CLUSTER ACTS UP FROM TIME TO TIME. SOMETIMES THE MPH GAUGE DOESN'T READ OR IS NOT ACCURATE OR STICKS AND SOMETIMES THE HEAT GAUGE DOESN'T WORK AND SOMETIMES THE GAS GAUGE DOESN'T WORK. SOMETIMES I GET A BRAKE LIGHT THAT LIGHTS UP AND SOMETIMES THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON. THE ENTIRE CLUSTER ACTS UP FROM TIME TO TIME WITH AL…
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THE SPEED CLUSTER ACTS UP FROM TIME TO TIME. SOMETIMES THE MPH GAUGE DOESN'T READ OR IS NOT ACCURATE OR STICKS AND SOMETIMES THE HEAT GAUGE DOESN'T WORK AND SOMETIMES THE GAS GAUGE DOESN'T WORK. SOMETIMES I GET A BRAKE LIGHT THAT LIGHTS UP AND SOMETIMES THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON. THE ENTIRE CLUSTER ACTS UP FROM TIME TO TIME WITH ALL DIFFERENT THINGS WRONG. *TR
WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HIGHWAY THE SPEEDOMETER STAYED AT 65 MPH WHILE HE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED AND THE CAR WAS SLOWING. WHEN THE CAR WAS PARKED 15 MINUTES LATER AND SHUT OFF WIT THE KEY REMOVED THE SPEEDOMETER STILL READ 65 MPH. THIS CONTINUED FOR SOME TIME BEFORE REPLACING THE SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE RPMS INCREASED EXCESSIVELY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED AND INDEPENDENTLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL AND STARTING THE VEHICLE, THE RPMS INCREASED EXCESSIVELY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATED AND INDEPENDENTLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SPEED CONTROL MAY HAVE FAILED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 156,000.
SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT REGISTER MPH, STAYS AT 20 MPH WHEN AT REST AND GOES UP WHEN CAR IS DRIVEN BUT UNKNOWN SPEED PERSON IS DRIVING AT. ALSO THE TEMP GAUGE NEEDLE IS NOT EVEN ON THE AREA TO REGISTER THE TEMP OF THE ENGINE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. I HAVE HEARD FROM MY LOCAL MECHANIC THAT THIS IS A COMMON …
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SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT REGISTER MPH, STAYS AT 20 MPH WHEN AT REST AND GOES UP WHEN CAR IS DRIVEN BUT UNKNOWN SPEED PERSON IS DRIVING AT. ALSO THE TEMP GAUGE NEEDLE IS NOT EVEN ON THE AREA TO REGISTER THE TEMP OF THE ENGINE. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. I HAVE HEARD FROM MY LOCAL MECHANIC THAT THIS IS A COMMON THING & I HAVE READ SEVERAL POSTS ON LINE SIMILAR TO MY COMPLAINT. PLEASE RECALL THIS PART SO THAT EVERYONE DRIVING THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE IS SAFE BY KNOWING THE TEMP OF THEIR ENGINE & KNOWING THEIR DRIVING SPEED. *TR
Official recalls
104V300000 · Seat Belts:rear/other
Jun 23, 2004
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 210, 'SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES.' THE PASSENGER-SIDE REAR SAFETY BELT MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED WITH AN INCORRECT NUT AND BOLT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IN A SEVERE CRASH, THE UPPER SEAT BELT ANCHORAGE MAY SEPARATE. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE SEAT BELT COULD THEN BE REDUCED AND THE OCCUPANT COULD RECEIVE GREATER INJURIES.
Remedy: DEALERS ARE TO INSPECT THE SAFETY BELT ANCHORAGE AND INSTALL A NEW NUT AND BOLT, IF NECESSARY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 23, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 AND PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668.
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.
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