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.
The worst 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical211
- Acceleration18
- Brakes16
- Fuel system16
- Transmission16
- Body14
- Visibility11
- Steering8
- Engine7
- Airbags6
- Seats6
- Lights5
- Locks4
- Driver assistance2
- Seat belts2
- Suspension2
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Technical service bulletins for the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier 527
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
- Unknown or other
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G Sunset Information.
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Electrical system
- Unknown or other
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on When and How to Submit a Field...
- Unknown or other
- Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles
2005 Chevrolet Cavalier fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.2L 4‑cyl | FWD | 21-23 | 31-33 | 25-26 |
What 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
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.
Compare the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
Other model years
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Questions about the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier
Is the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier reliable?
Owners have filed 287 complaints about the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier, close to a typical Cavalier model year.
What is the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier year score?
The 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier scores 75 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Chevrolet Cavalier: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier?
Electrical system, with 211 complaints, typically around 70,000 miles. Next is acceleration (18).
How many recalls does the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Chevrolet Cavalier have the most electrical problems?
The Chevrolet Cavalier model years with the most electrical complaints are 2005 (211 complaints), 2004 (185 complaints) and 1997 (107 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier get?
Official estimates for the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier range from 25 to 26 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.2L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 21-23 city and 31-33 highway.
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