IllustrationTL* 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
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.
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
180–25K
4825–50K
7350–75K
4675–100K
37100–150K
8150K+
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
What owners actually said
287 reportsTL* 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 W…
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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.
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.
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 MAN…
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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.
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…
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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.
ALREADY COMPLAINED HERE ONCE. NOW MY CAR FUEL GAGE IS BROKE GOS ALL THE WAY OVER AND HITS ON MY TEMP GAUGE EVERY SO OFFEN. DONT REALLY KNOW HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE IN IT, BUT LEAST CAN GO 300-365 MILES. DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH I DRIVE. I DONT THINK THAT IT SHOULD BREAK AFTER ONLY 41000 MILES. LAST TIME I WROTE ON HERE IT WAS MY TEMP G…
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ALREADY COMPLAINED HERE ONCE. NOW MY CAR FUEL GAGE IS BROKE GOS ALL THE WAY OVER AND HITS ON MY TEMP GAUGE EVERY SO OFFEN. DONT REALLY KNOW HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE IN IT, BUT LEAST CAN GO 300-365 MILES. DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH I DRIVE. I DONT THINK THAT IT SHOULD BREAK AFTER ONLY 41000 MILES. LAST TIME I WROTE ON HERE IT WAS MY TEMP GAUGE THAT HIT ON MY SPEEDOMETER.. THINK BEFORE LONG ALL WILL GO OUT. WISH SOMEONE WOULD DO SOMETHING FOR THESE CARS, KIND EXP TO KEEP FIXING. PAID CASH FOR THE OTHER ONE TO BE FIXED. ONLY DRIVE THE CAR ONCE IN AWHILE. ITS NOT AN OLD CAR SO. NOT VERY SAFE CAR AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, DONT HAVE THE MONEY TO GO BUY A NEW ONE........
THE SPEEDOMETER HAS FAILED TO REGISTER ANY SPEED AND IS STUCK IN A POSITION PAST THE HIGHEST SPEED ON THE GAGE FACE. THE TACHOMETER NEEDLE JUMPS AROUND ALSO LEAVING YOU NO WAY TO JUDGE YOUR SPEED. I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR. THE PREVIOUS OWNER SAID IT FAILED SOME TIME AGO WHILE HE WAS DRIVING IT. I AM PACING OTHER CARS WHILE I AM WAI…
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THE SPEEDOMETER HAS FAILED TO REGISTER ANY SPEED AND IS STUCK IN A POSITION PAST THE HIGHEST SPEED ON THE GAGE FACE. THE TACHOMETER NEEDLE JUMPS AROUND ALSO LEAVING YOU NO WAY TO JUDGE YOUR SPEED. I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR. THE PREVIOUS OWNER SAID IT FAILED SOME TIME AGO WHILE HE WAS DRIVING IT. I AM PACING OTHER CARS WHILE I AM WAITING FOR REPAIR PARTS TO GET HERE.
SPEEDOMETER STOPS WORKING AND STAYS ON 100 CAR ONLY HAS 35,000 MILES, ALSO THE POWER STEERING LINE BROKE OPEN AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AT TIMES POPS ONTO MY TIRE CAUSING MY CAR TO SLAM FORWARD AND THEN IT RELEASES. I REPLACED THE BRAKE LINE AND THE POWER STEERING LINE BUT THE MAIN PROBLEM IS THE SPEEDOMETER /CLUSTER
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER AND BOTH TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
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.
Official recalls
0No 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.