Chevrolet Cavalier overheating problems

Filed Mar 18, 2019 · Electrical, Engine · 138,000 miles · GA

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet cavalier. The contact stated that the gear shift was difficult to move and the lever became stuck. Occasionally, the key became stuck in the ignition and the gear shift would not go into gear. Also, the hood was hot, the engine overheated, and the vehicle experienced electrical failures. There were also multiple unknown warning indicators illuminated. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact scheduled a diagnostic appointment with an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 138,000.

Filed May 29, 2018 · Electrical · 67,000 miles · FL

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 .

Filed Mar 10, 2015 · Acceleration, Electrical · 60,000 miles · TN

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!

Filed Jan 9, 2015 · Electrical · 57,000 miles · UT

The problem originally started with the temperature gauge (showed that the car was always overheating) and then eventually stopped moving at all. Next, the rpms stopped moving and the speedometer began showing that we were going 100 when we couldn't have been going more than 35. Now the speedometer doesn't move at all. So, at this point is impossible to know how fast I am going, if the car is overheating, or what the rpms are. Currently the fuel gauge works most of the time, but occasionally after filling up the tank the gauge will move to the far right (as if it's telling us that the tank is overfilled), to where it would interfere with the other gauges (if they were working). I feel this is a big safety problem and at the very least is very annoying (already been pulled over twice for going 10 miles over, because I had no idea how fast I was going).

Filed Apr 3, 2014 · Electrical · 61,953 miles · NJ

The gauge cluster on my 2004 cavalier has suddenly started malfunctioning. This is a serious safety issue as I do not know how hot my engine is or how fast I am going. The tach and gas gauges seem to still work (don't know for how long though), but speedometer and temp gauge do not. My car has very low mileage and I will just have had it for 10 years as of this month. I am the only owner of this car and it has been well taken care of. I cannot believe that chevy will not recall this faulty gauge panel. This is a safety issue and not a part that should just suddenly wear out on a car. With all of the issues that are suddenly surfacing with gm I am shocked that this has not been recalled before and I know I am not the only person to have this issue. God forbid someone not know this is an issue and they pull over because they think their car is overheating and get out to check only to get hit by another car. I will never buy another chevy again unless they step up and take responsibility for this faulty gauge cluster.

Filed Sep 11, 2013 · Electrical · 40,000 miles · IN

2004 chevrolet cavalier instrument cluster; at first the temperature gauge showed hot causing us to pull over to the shoulder of the road and investigate, 27 years as an automotive technician kinda helped me come to the conclusion real quick it was not overheating, then the tachometer would go completely around and peg from the underside and that's where it is and has stayed, the speedometer ceased to work shortly after the tachometer went haywire and the fuel gauge also has its moments, sometimes it works and sometimes it don't and all of the check engine lights and service soon indicators have a mind of there own, the car has no trouble codes and there is no reason gm hasn't recalled these and other vehicles with the same instrument cluster problems, funny they sent me a letter on my 03 silverado cluster and I haven't had any problems with it but I look at all the complaints on the cavaliers and no such recalls, you might ask why I haven't fixed it myself with all my experience and I will tell you right now, why should I have too? Gm should step up to the plate and fix its faulty clusters it is dangerous for any of these informational items of the cluster to be faulty or inaccurate it can cause a motorist to travel at an unsafe speed causing an accident or to pull over onto the shoulder of the road and be at risk of being struck by another motorist from behind these are very dangerous situations, ask yourself how many people have been hurt or fatally injured because of the faulty clusters, who knows; but one would be one too many don't you think?

Filed Apr 21, 2013 · Electrical · 30,500 miles · MN

While driving both the speedometer and the temperature gauge failed, temperature gauge is now stuck showing vehicle is overheating (it is not), speedometer moves all over and registers either a speed over 100 MPH when on the road or registers either 20mph or 60mph while sitting still at start-up. Due to this issue I have no idea what speed I am going and must gauge speed by what other drivers are doing around me.

Filed Nov 26, 2012 · Electrical · 40,000 miles · OK

All the gauges on my 2005 chevrolet cavalier have stopped working. The fuel gage was the first to stop working, followed by the rest of the gauges. The speedometer no longer works and it is a safety issue because I have no idea what speed I am going, how much fuel I have, if the engine is overheating, etc. I have searched online and have found multiple reports of the same problem. Chevrolet has recalled other vehicles for this exact problem, so obviously it is an issue they can correct. I have waited to hear about a recall, but now that my speedometer has failed I can not wait any longer.

Filed Apr 24, 2012 · Electrical · 50,000 miles · KY

I have a 2005 chevrolet cavalier. The car's speedometer, temperature gauge, RPM gauge and fuel gauge do not work. When I made this complaint to the chevrolet dealer where the vehicle was purchased they said that it wasn't a warranty issue because it didn't deal with any safety issue. I disagree because how could it not be a safety problem, if you can't tell how fast you are going or if your out of gas or if your car is overheating. The dealer acted like it was not a common problem, but all you have to do is go on the internet and there are hundreds of thousands of these same complaints, and not just in the 2005 models it goes back to 1998. The dealer did say that the could replace the cluster but that it would cost me over $500.00. Well, I cannot afford it. Also if you look through some of the complaints online there are people on there that have had their clusters replaced by the dealer and they still are not working properly. So what are we supposed to do? I also found out that chevrolet did recall the same complaints in the silverado trucks. So why not do the same for the cavaliers? Please help.

Filed Jan 16, 2012 · Engine · 92,400 miles · NY

After consulting licensed mechanics, and one such nationally certified airplane-engine tech-mechanic, being ranked in the top three (3) of the nation's aviation mechanics industry from 1981-1983 period (and still has qualifications authority), [and before making a fool of myself], the consensus/verdict [by these professionals] was agreed that it borders on criminality (and I quote), that automakers are using plastic coverings and seals, as the engine's oil filter housing caps. Known (industry-wide) to exert pressures in 'pounds per-square-inch' ( lbs/psi) and extreme temperatures that these plastic materials--such as the oil filter-housing caps, cannot withstand. They also strip. It was explained to me by the certified airplane mechanic that, to understand the effects of pressurization theory behind that technology, and the knowledge that fifty-50 to sixty-60 pounds (lbs/psi) of pressure per-square-inch is being given to the plastic caps from the engine's internal combustion will cause any plastic cap, housed under such pressures to fail. He said he was surprised it did not cause engine failure two(2) years after being newly purchased. He said the science that industry insiders do not want us to know is that the proper semi-precious metals, as aluminum, copper and the like are perfect conductors of electricity and heat, allowing the metal to expand/contract according to temperatures and/or torque pressurization of the 50-60 lbs/psi being release to housing. Even tampered steel would work as it would conform. But plastic once overheated will remain in warped state causing oil leakage in that area. This depressurization of engine physics and chemistry, a couple-to-few years later results in engine's crank case housing depressurizing to the point of cracking after pistons themselves giveway rendering engine being irreparable. My car should have flipped @ 70mph.