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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.

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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

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

18 reports
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129,000 miles · Jul 9, 2018
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Vehicle Speed Control

NONE OF THE GAGES WORK DON'T KNOW HOW FAST I'M GOING

NHTSA ODI #11110291

45,175 miles · May 18, 2015
Vehicle Speed Control

CAR WAS AT A RED LIGHT SPEEDOMETER INDICATED 85 MPH. UPON START UP SPEED INDICATED 110 AND AT NEXT STOP WENT DOWN TO 90. AFTER LETTING THE CAR SIT FOR A COUPLE DAYS THE INDICATED SPEED WAS 45. DRIVING IN A 25MPH ZONE AND SPEED INDICATED 85.

NHTSA ODI #10717192

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

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

Mileage unknown · Mar 26, 2014
Electrical SystemEquipment Adaptive/mobilityVehicle Speed Control

I OWN A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER AND BOUGHT IT FROM A DEALER IN 2008. SINCE THEN ALL OF THE GAUGES ARE NOW INOPERABLE. THIS IS A GREAT INCONVENIENCE, AS WELL AS A SAFETY ISSUE. NOT KNOWING HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING, HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE, OR WHAT THE TEMPERATURE IS CAN BECOME A HUGE ISSUE, NOT TO MENTION COSTLY. NOW, I KNOW THIS…

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I OWN A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER AND BOUGHT IT FROM A DEALER IN 2008. SINCE THEN ALL OF THE GAUGES ARE NOW INOPERABLE. THIS IS A GREAT INCONVENIENCE, AS WELL AS A SAFETY ISSUE. NOT KNOWING HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING, HOW MUCH GAS YOU HAVE, OR WHAT THE TEMPERATURE IS CAN BECOME A HUGE ISSUE, NOT TO MENTION COSTLY. NOW, I KNOW THIS IS NOT THE FIRST COMPLAINT ON THESE ISSUES AND I FEEL THAT SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THEM. IF ALL OF THESE COMPLAINTS ARE OUT, THERE MUST BE A PROBLEM WITH THESE CARS FROM THE FACTORY. I HOPE THIS MATTER IS BEING INVESTIGATED AND NOT JUST PUT TO THE SIDE TO CLAIM THAT IT MUST BE SOMETHING THAT THE DRIVERS ARE CAUSING. PLEASE LET US KNOW WHAT THE INTENTIONS ARE OF GM OR WHOMEVER IS RESPONSIBLE. WE PAID FOR THESE VEHICLES, WHICH ARE FAIRLY GOOD ONES, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE MAKE THE DECISION TO TAKE CARE OF THIS PROBLEM. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10574915

102,000 miles · May 21, 2012
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed Control

THIS VEHICLE HAS LOST THE SPEEDOMETER SVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST 20,000 MILES AND NOW IT HAS QUIT COMPLETELY, I WENT TO AN ON LINE FORUM AND THEY SAY THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING A LOT WITH NO RECALL FROM GENERAL MOTORS. USUALLY BEFORE IT WOULD BOUNCE UP TO 35 OR 40 AND THEN START WORKING AGAIN, BUT IT IS DEAD NOW. NO MOVEMENT AT ALL…

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THIS VEHICLE HAS LOST THE SPEEDOMETER SVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST 20,000 MILES AND NOW IT HAS QUIT COMPLETELY, I WENT TO AN ON LINE FORUM AND THEY SAY THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING A LOT WITH NO RECALL FROM GENERAL MOTORS. USUALLY BEFORE IT WOULD BOUNCE UP TO 35 OR 40 AND THEN START WORKING AGAIN, BUT IT IS DEAD NOW. NO MOVEMENT AT ALL. *TT

NHTSA ODI #10459125

58,189 miles · Aug 2, 2011
Vehicle Speed Control

THE SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T REGISTER THE ACTUAL SPEED OF THE CAR. I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 45 MPH BUT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS READING 65 MPH AND UP.

NHTSA ODI #10417426

Mileage unknown · May 13, 2011
Electrical SystemUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

I HAVE A 2005 CAVALIER WHICH I PURCHASED WITH 17,000 MILES ON IT. I AM CURRENTLY AT 28,500 APPROXIMATELY. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE, GAS GAUGE AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. IT ALSO APPEARS TO BE ACCELERATING ON IT'S OWN. I HAVE CHECKED SEVERAL WEBSITES AND FIND THAT THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO …

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I HAVE A 2005 CAVALIER WHICH I PURCHASED WITH 17,000 MILES ON IT. I AM CURRENTLY AT 28,500 APPROXIMATELY. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE, GAS GAUGE AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. IT ALSO APPEARS TO BE ACCELERATING ON IT'S OWN. I HAVE CHECKED SEVERAL WEBSITES AND FIND THAT THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER ISSUES, I AM EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH MY HORN (I AM NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE RELATIONSHIP THEY COMPONENTS OF A CAR HAVE WITH EACH OTHER). MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT CHEVY DID A RECALL DO TO DEFECTS WITH STEERING PROBLEMS IN THE 2005 CAVALIERS. COULD THE PROBLEMS THAT I AND OTHER ARE EXPERIENCING BE A PART OF THAT RECALL, SINCE IT IS ALL APART OF THE DASHBOARD BE COMMON FOR THE YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL OF MY CAR?

NHTSA ODI #10401848

35,000 miles · Jan 4, 2011
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed Control

AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE ON OUR 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER FLUCTUATES WILDLY AND IS UNREADABLE. REDUCING SPEED GREATLY OR CHANGING RATE OF ACCELERATION/DECELERATION WILL CORRECT THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY, BUT IT RECURS EVERY TIME THE CAR PASSES 55 MILES PER HOUR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10374099

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.