2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
The Verdict
The 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier has 287 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are electrical (203 complaints) and body (34 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 45/100, it earns a "Proceed with Caution" rating. If you're shopping for a Chevrolet Cavalier, consider the 2002 model year which has 26% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2002 has 26% fewer complaints
View the 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier dashboard →
Klunk Score: Proceed with Caution
About average for complaint volume. Research the specific issues before buying.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
By Category
By Severity
Worst Problems
Complaints
MY MOM WAS DRIVING THE CAR AS NORMAL DOWN THE ROAD ONE DAY AND ALL THE GUAGES IN THE ENTIRE DASH SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. SOME CAME BACK ON AND OFF A COUPLE WEEKS. SOME NEVER DID. BUT AFTER A COUPLE MONTHS ALL STOPPED WORKING AND NOW NOTHING WORKS. NO HEAT GUAGE, NO FUEL GUAGE, NO TEMP GUAGE, NO SPEEDOMETER, AND NO FUEL GUAGE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED TO OPERATE AS INTENDED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE, ENGINE TEMPERATURE GAUGE, AND TACHOMETER WERE INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 170,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED THE INCORRECT FUEL LEVEL. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, A FAMILY MEMBER NOTICED FUEL LEAKING ONTO THE GROUND. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.
NONE OF THE GAGES WORK DON'T KNOW HOW FAST I'M GOING
GAUGES FOR TEMPERATURE DO NOT WORK, SOMETIMES READS BELOW ZERO, SOMETIMES SLIGHTLY ABOVE THERE IS NO CHANGE IN READING WHETHER COLD, OR RUNNING FOR SEVERAL HOURS - AT ANY SPEED SPEED GAUGE WORKS INTERMITTENTLY, SOMETIMES RECORDING 100 MPH, WHEN THE CAR IS DOING NO MORE THAT 20-30 MPH. AT OTHER TIMES, IT SEEMS TO BE RUNNING ABOUT THE SPEED LIMIT, WHEN COMPARED WITH OTHER TRAFFIC, THEN RECORD 100+MPH.AT OTHER TIMES, WHEN GOING WITH TRAFFIC, THE GAUGE READS 0MPH THERE IS NO WAY TO KNOW IF THE CAR IS OVERHEATING, OR WHAT SPEED THE CAR IS GOING. THIS HAS BEEN THE CASE FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS, AND I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE 'SETTER', AND WOULD COST ME $900. WHICH I DID NOT HAVE. IT IS VERY UPSETTING .
ALL GAUGES DON'T WORK. SPEEDOMETER,FUEL,TEMPERATURE.
THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE GAUGES IN THE 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER CAUSING THEM TO MALFUNCTION OR NOT FUNCTION AT ALL INTERMITTENTLY. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL YOU HAVE, THE TEMPERATURE OF YOUR ENGINE, OR YOUR SPEED WHEN THE GAUGES FAIL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OR WHILE DRIVING, THE FUEL AND TEMPERATURE GAUGES FAILED TO DISPLAY THE CORRECT INFORMATION. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, ALL THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES ILLUMINATED WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000.
TAKATA RECALL AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY IN A REAR END COLLISION THAT TOTALLED CAR. ALSO PASSENGERS SEAT BROKE CAUSING NECK AND RIB INJURY.VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY WAITING FOR CONSTRUCTION FLAGMAN.
TL* 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
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 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. 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 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........
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
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.
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.
287 total