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NHTSA vehicle safety data

2005 Chevrolet Cavalier Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

The 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier has 1 NHTSA recall campaign and 287 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Chevrolet dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier, plus NCAP crash-test ratings. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

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2005 Chevrolet Cavalier owner complaints

Owners have filed 287 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier, describing incidents dated April 21, 2004 to August 11, 2018.

Most-cited components

  • Electrical System 211 complaints
  • Vehicle Speed Control 18 complaints
  • Fuel/Propulsion System 16 complaints
  • Power Train 16 complaints
  • Service Brakes 16 complaints
  • Structure 14 complaints

Of the 287 complaints on file, 7 report a crash; across all 287 complaints, owners report 5 injuries and 4 deaths (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

  • ODI #11172219 · Filed

    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…

  • ODI #11121810 · Filed

    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…

  • ODI #11115433 · Filed

    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…

Read all 287 complaints

Owner-reported

2005 Chevrolet Cavalier mileage at failure

226 of the 287 complaints on file for the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Electrical SystemMedian 70,000 milesMiddle half 50,000–95,000 milesBased on 176 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT/LOSS OF STEERING

NHTSA #08E063000 · Steering · NHTSA notice

Reported October 17, 2008 · DORMAN PRODUCTS, INC.

Potentially affected: 3,855 vehicles

Owners notified October 16, 2008

Defect description

DORMAN PRODUCTS IS RECALLING 3,900 INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFTS DORMAN PART NOS. 425-151, 425-152, AND 425-153, (SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS" BRAND NAME), BALKAMP #'S 7-3057, 7-3058, 7-3059 (SOLD UNDER THE "NAPA" BRAND NAME), AND PLATINUM PARTS #'S 2425151, 2425152, AND 2425153 MANUFACTURED DURING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 2007. THESE REPLACEMENT STEERING SHAFTS CAN BE USED ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE WELD CONNECTING THE INNER TUBE TO THE OUTER TUBE MAY BE DEFECTIVE.

Safety consequence

IF THE WELD FAILS, LOSS OF STEERING COULD RESULT, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

DORMAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE STEERING SHAFTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 16, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DORMAN TOLL FREE AT 1-800-523-2492.

Notes

THIS RECALL ONLY PERTAINS TO DORMAN'S OE SOLUTIONS BRAND NAME, BALKAMP'S NAPA BRAND, AND THE PLATINUM BRAND STEERING SHAFTS AND HAS NO RELATION TO ANY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION.CUSTOMERS MAY CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 1-800-424-9153); OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

Other Chevrolet Cavalier model years

Check your 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Chevrolet Cavalier at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

Check a Chevrolet VIN