2004 Chevrolet CAVALIER problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
330 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
52,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2004 model year. Data snapshot: . 263 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 109 of 330 complaints (33.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 32 | 9.7% |
| Steering behavior | 24 | 7.3% |
| Transmission and shifting | 20 | 6.1% |
| Engine operation | 18 | 5.5% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 14 | 4.2% |
| Fuel system concerns | 8 | 2.4% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 109 |
| Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | 67 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 24 |
| Steering | 13 |
| Unknown Or Other | 13 |
| Air Bags | 11 |
| Power Train:Manual Transmission | 11 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 8 |
Electrical System: 109; Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel: 67; Vehicle Speed Control: 24; Steering: 13; Unknown Or Other: 13; Air Bags: 11; Power Train:Manual Transmission: 11; Engine And Engine Cooling: 8
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 43 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 72 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 61 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 34 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 36 |
| 150,000 and above | 17 |
Under 25,000: 43; 25,000 to 49,999: 72; 50,000 to 74,999: 61; 75,000 to 99,999: 34; 100,000 to 149,999: 36; 150,000 and above: 17
25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (72). 67 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 21 |
| 2005 | 26 |
| 2006 | 21 |
| 2007 | 14 |
| 2008 | 36 |
| 2009 | 22 |
| 2010 | 55 |
| 2011 | 34 |
| 2012 | 22 |
| 2013 | 8 |
| 2014 | 30 |
| 2015 | 17 |
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 2 |
| 2019 | 4 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 |
| 2024 | 1 |
2004: 21; 2005: 26; 2006: 21; 2007: 14; 2008: 36; 2009: 22; 2010: 55; 2011: 34; 2012: 22; 2013: 8; 2014: 30; 2015: 17; 2016: 10; 2017: 3; 2018: 2; 2019: 4; 2020: 2; 2021: 1; 2022: 1; 2024: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 32 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 24 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 20 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10073368 · 2004-05-07 (May 7, 2004)
POSSIBLE BRAKE OR ACCELERATOR DEFECT IN 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. *MR THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS THREE INCHES HIGHER THAN THE ACCELERATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER IN WHICH THEY FOUND NO PROBLEMS. *SC *JB
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10073368 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10079607 · 2004-06-22 (June 22, 2004)
INTERMITTENTLY WHILE CONSUMER'S FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE VEHICLE WAS PUT IN NEUTRAL. ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV FOR 5 MINUTES, THEN IT SUDDENLY DIED DOWN. THIS FAILURE ALMOST CAUSED TWO REAR END COLLISIONS. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP 8 TIMES, BUT THEY ONLY WORKED ON IT 5 TIMES. THEY ALSO TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR 44 MILES, NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10079607 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10062525 · 2004-03-18 (March 18, 2004)
I PURCHASED MY 2004 CAVALIER LS WITH ONLY 4 MILES ON THE OD. I NOTICED THE VERY SAME DAY ON THE WAY HOME THAT THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VIBRATING AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 65 & 75, AND DIDDNT TAKE IT IN RIGHT AWAY CAUSE I JUST THOUGHT THIS WAS NORMAL AND THERE COULDNT POSSIBLY BE ANYTHING WRONG CAUSE THE CAR WAS BRAND NEW. WELL THIS CONTINUED AND GOT WORSE, SO AT 6,000 MILES WHEN IT WAS TIME FOR A ROTATION I HAD THEM CHECK IT AND THEY SAID THE WHEELS WERE OUT OF BALANCE. I DROVE IT AWAY BUT STILL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. I FINNALY TOOK IT BACK A MONTH LA…
Owner-reported narrative. 10 miles reported. Look up ODI 10062525 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10065047 · 2004-04-20 (April 20, 2004)
WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH CONSUMER FOUND IT HARD TO STEER THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER SLOWLY DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD, AND FOUND THAT STEERING FLUID WAS COVERING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ALSO, THE HOSE CONNECTING THE STEERING FLUID PUMP WAS NOT CONNECTED PROPERLY. THE CLAMP WAS ON THE HOSE, BUT NOT CLAMPED ONTO THE CONNECTOR. *AK DEALER REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP. *LA
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10065047 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10073515 · 2004-06-22 (June 22, 2004)
CONSUMER COMPLAINED THAT WHEN MANUALLY SHIFTING VEHICLE STALLED. THE KEY HAD TO BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. ALSO, SOMETIMES VEHICLE STALLED WHEN SHIFTING TOO FAST. OCCASIONALLY, THE STALLING OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY. DURING THIS TIME IT COULD BE DANGEROUS TO HAVE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. THE DEALER CLAIMS THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED TO DO THIS. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED MORE THAN TWELVE TIMES. *AK *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 10 miles reported. Look up ODI 10073515 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10081039 · 2004-07-14 (July 14, 2004)
I HAVE AN EXCESSIVE GRINDING FEEL WITHIN THE CLUTCH PEDAL. A TSB FOR THIS HAS BEEN ISSUED AND SO FAR THE VEHICLE IS 6 MONTHS OLD. 2 CLUTCH ASSEMBLIES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AND ONE FLYWHEEL. THE ORIGINAL TSB STATES DO NOT REPLACE THE CLUTCH COMPONENTS AND FLYWHEEL BECAUSE THIS WILL NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. GM, WHY ARE YOU GOING AGAINST YOUR OWN TECHNICAL EXPERTS ADVISE? WANT TO PREVENT A DEVASTATING RECALL BY HOODWINKING YOUR CUSTOMERS IN SAYING THE PROBLEM IS DESIGNED IN THE TRANSMISSION AS NORMAL? THIS HAS TO BE UP CHANNELED TO HIGHER GOVERNMENT…
Owner-reported narrative. 34 miles reported. Look up ODI 10081039 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10089891 · 2004-08-27 (August 27, 2004)
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 9,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10089891 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10104706 · 2004-12-29 (December 29, 2004)
ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH 2004 CHEVY CAVALIER. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF PURCHASE (PURCHASED NEW) CAR HAS HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS THAT HAVE GOTTEN WORSE OVER THE YEAR OF OWNERSHIP. DRIVER SIDE WINDOW WILL NOT OPEN OR CLOSE AT TIMES, PRE-SET RADIO STATIONS CHANGE AT TIMES, AND INTERIOR LIGHT WILL TURN ON AND OFF BY ITSELF AT TIMES. *NM
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10104706 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10126517 · 2005-06-24 (June 24, 2005)
DT: CONSUMER STATED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS BEHIND THE DASHBOARD WENT BAD, AND THEN THERE WAS A CLICKING NOISE FROM THE FRONT END. CONSUMER STATED THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE RADIO HAD TO REPLACED 3 TIMES, AND THE ALARM WENT OFF AT RANDOM. ALSO, DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE BODY MODULE CONTROL UNIT. THE FRONT END HAD A SERVICE BULLETIN ON THE WHEEL COVERS AND THE CLICKING NOISE WAS A RESULT OF THIS. THEY HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM WITH THE WHEEL COVERS TWICE. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 2,491 miles reported. Look up ODI 10126517 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10196231 · 2007-07-12 (July 12, 2007)
ON 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER FUEL PUMP WENT OUT A TONLY 76000 MILES. BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS IDLING. *AK
Owner-reported narrative. 76,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10196231 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10219878 · 2008-03-03 (March 3, 2008)
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE ENGINE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE MAKING A TURN IN FIRST GEAR. THE RPM DECREASED TO 400 RPM AND THERE WAS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED, THE CONTACT RELEASED HIS FOOT FROM THE CLUTCH AND THE MOTOR INCREASED THE RPM'S AUTOMATICALLY. WHEN THE KEY WAS TURNED IN THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START INTERMITTENTLY UNTIL APPROXIMATELY TEN ATTEMPTS. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED 30 MPH. WHEN THE GAS TANK WA…
Owner-reported narrative. 24,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10219878 at NHTSA ↗