Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My speedometer has stopped working. it has been repaired once and has started not functioning again. it occasionally works correctly, but mostly it goes up to a high reading and sticks there. *tr

The speedometer does not read accurately. sometimes it reads too fast and sometimes too slow. no accidents have occurred, but the potential is there. the problem is sporadic, happening over the course of a day, several days a week. i have not had it repaired. *tr

I started the car when the fuel gauge went above the full mark even though it was at a half tank, after shutting it off and restarting it a couple times it eventually corrected itself. a week later this happened again but it would not correct itself though. then while driving the speedometer and tachometer started to give bad readings. the tachometer was reading at below zero rpms while at idle and it would go up to about 6,000 rpm while driving, the speedometer would read about 30-40 mph over the speed limit while i was driving and would sit at about 20 mph when i was at idle. the dealerships said that replacing the instrument cluster would correct the problem. *tr

My speedometer is malfunctioning. it is setting on 65 when stopped. then when driving it sets on 110+. then for no reason it starts working again. i took it in to a chevy dealership they said nothing was wrong, i am still under warranty. i only have one car, i have to drive to work. but this is scary and dangerous. not to mention i could get a ticket. *tr

As soon as this car reached @50,000 miles, the speedometer and fuel gauges stopped working. upon checking with a chevrolet dealer, i was informed that the entire dashboard needs to be dismantled and new gauges installed by an outside source, whereupon car is returned to dealership and odometer is reset to correct mileage. cost is approximately $400.00 and up. upon research, i found this to be a common complaint. this is a safety hazard because you cannot tell how fast you are driving and if you have enough fuel. also, fuel gauge needle goes haywire when i fill up. the needle goes into the gauge that tells you if your car is running hot - preventing that needle from operating properly. to my knowledge no recall has been issued regarding these problems. *tr

We have 2 2004 chevy cavaliers. on one of the cavaliers not to long after we bought it, the speedometer went out on it and we couldn't read the mileage on the car. we have tried to buy used ones and put then in the car and that failed and you still can't read the mileage on the car. on the second cavalier the speedometer is acting funny. when the car sets for overnight and the next morning you go and turn it on it says that you are going a high amount of speed, when it has been parked for a long time. it keeps occurring daily, and then sometimes when your driving it will say that your go 0 mph, when you are driving down the highway. we have looked to get these fixed, but the local chevy dealer that we talked to has said that he has had several complaints of this going wrong in the cavaliers and the chevy trucks. both of my cars have around 74,000 miles on it, and if other people are having the same problem, a recall needs to be issued, and we think the company should pay for it, since it has happened in both cars around the same mileage point. *tr

The power windows don't work . the gauges don't work only gauge that's works is the tachometer from my research these are two common problems with these cavaliers the windows is more of a convenience problem but the gauges not working is a safety problem chevrolet should have to make this right. *tr

So, the problem started about a month ago. i noticed that my speedometer in my cavalier would randomly freeze and stop working. i noticed that once i would turn the car off and then turn it back on it would be fine, and it would work properly for the rest of the day. after about a week of it freezing up like this, i was really getting ticked off. one day it started working fine and for about a week or so it worked perfect with no issues at all. then about a week ago it really started freaking out. it said i was going 110 when i was only going like 40, and turning the car on and off does nothing. it stays frozen no matter what it do. if i drive on the highway, it actually goes past the gauge limit and points straight down where my odometer is and stays there. it is so annoying! i decided over the weekend i would take it into a mechanic to have it looked at. do you know what they told me? they told me it would cost $675 to fix it, b/c the whole speedometer needed to be replaced. i can't believe i am going to pay almost $700 to take care of a problem that chevy created. *tr

My 2004 chevrolet cavalier has instrument cluster issues. the speedometer, tachometer, fuel and temperature gauges do not work properly. i have read many post from cavalier owners with the same problem. it is a safety issue since i cannot tell how fast i am going. *tr

I have a 2004 chevrolet cavalier. ls . sometimes the speedometer sticks, show the wrong speed, goes off the gauge past the highest speed on the gauge or a speed below the actual speed. the fuel gauge does the same thing. the fuel gauge sometimes goes past "full" with the needle going into the temperature gauge. there should be a recall for this car problem. not knowing the correct speed poses a potential hazard, especially taking a curve too fast. this is a genuine safety issue. additionally there is the legal aspect if you're ticketed for speeding when you don't know how fast your are going! this also poses a hazard to pedestrians as well as other drivers. *tr

2004 chevy cavalier, speedometer is crazy 1999 chevy cavalier, gas gague is busted both repairs are exceedingly expensive/dangerous, would like a recall. *tr

My 2004 chevy cavalier's speedometer is not working and the local dealer says they would have to send the cluster to a larger shop. i cannot be without my vehicle and it will also cost from 300.00 to 600.00 at the local dealer and there will also be an additional charge at the larger shop. *tr

My car failed to start 8/21/08 so i took it to my mechanic. the car was only 4 years old at the time and was still under my extended warranty thank goodness. he determined it was my ignition switch. since i am the original. single owner of this vehicle, i knew this was the original ignition switch to the car when purchased new in 2004. my mechanic replaced the switch with a napa oe part. now, on 3/29/11, my car failed to start again and left me stranded. i had to have my car towed to my mechanic and then find a way home from work. i then had to borrow a friend's car just to get to work the next day. as discoverd by my mechanic, it was the ignition switch again. this repair completed on 3/30/11 was with an ignition switch that was purchased from a chevy dealer hoping this will make a difference. i have had several cars and not one time have i ever had to replace an ignition switch in any of them much less twice in just 2 years 3 months like have had to with this car! this repair cost me $280 this time and the incovenience of finding an alternate way to and from work. i am disgusted at the faultiness of this car's electrical system. i have had other electrical issues including having to replace the entire instrument panel when the car was only 2 years old and replacing the electric window switch twice. i truly feel chevy needs to address my issues. *tr

The gauges on my cavalier are all messed up. sometimes the only gage that works are my rpm gauges. all the other gauges: the gas gage, the thermometer gauges and the mph gage never work right. i can't tell how fast i am going, how much gas is in the car or if it's going to overheat on me or not. it will not reset. this has been going on for two years. *tr

About a year and a half ago the speedometer on my 2004 cavalier stopped working correctly, it will stick at random places on the dial, even when not driving. sometimes the needle will point straight down at the odometer and stick there also. the problem seems to get better with warm weather, but is still not right. now if that wasn't enough, the tachometer has started to stick and not register at all when it is very cold outside, like the speedometer though, the tachometer works better in warmer weather. coolant temp. gauge sticks also when it gets cold out. these problems are very repairable, i just can't believe by the number of complaints that a recall has not been issued for this problem yet! this is surely a safety issue. please gm do a recall on these cars before you pull off a "toyota." *tr

First, thank you for listening. i have a 2004 chevrolet cavalier base model. 2.2 ecotec engine. the abs, lowtrac, and service light comes on in the vehicle when placed in drive or reverse. car hesitates and wants to shut down every time!! when it first started to happen, it could be shut off and re-started and the lights would go out. now they are is on all the time! i have also noticed when on slippery roadways the abs does not work in the vehicle> i have slid sideways and through intersections . a horrible noise comes from the car when the brakes are applied when the lights are off in the car if they do not come on right away. i apply the brakes, and the awful growling and noise that comes from the car is very scary. i am afraid to let my wife even drive sometimes. i have not reported this to the dealership yet as i am waiting to see if this is a recall. if it is, i can have the repair done for nothing. i feel it should be done for nothing as if this is a defect in the vehicle that could cause terrible harm or even death if this occurs while driving.. *tr

The rpm and the mph gauge are not working. *tr

I have a 2004 chevrolet cavalier 2-dr coupe. the instrument panel is not working correctly. the gas gauge pointer works only part of the time. it will show (0) zero gas, even after a fill-up. the temperature gauge works the same way, sometimes, the pointer will move and sometimes it stays at the (0) temperature position, even while being driven. the speedometer pointers turns counter-clockwise. the only gauge that seems to work properly so far is the tachometer gauge. the car was purchased new and has about 53,000 miles on it. *tr

Speedometer stopped working. *tr

The tachometer is failing to work, the speedometer is failing to work, the drivers side window went out, and the service engine light stays on with the abs and track off lights stay on. this is constant. now, i am worried that the speedometer will have a problem when i am driving my children. there doesn't seem to be a clear cut fix for this when talking to the chevy dealer. *tr

My wife's instrument cluster on her 2004 cavalier has not worked since about 80000 miles . the only gauge that works anymore is the tachometer. my research points to the steppers motors . this is not an isolated issue . there are numerous complaints concerning this exact issue , all over the internet . is this not a safety issue , when the speedometer does not work ? g.m. should be held responsible . she has been estimating her speed by the tachometer for far too long . please have g.m. fix this issue before someone dies ! thank you . *tr

Carcomplaints.com notes: widespread instrument panel failure is a common and frustrating reality for many 2004-2005 chevy cavalier owners. they're often left in the dark when it comes to knowing how fast they're going, what their engine temperature is, or even how much fuel they have left in the tank. the likely culprit is a series of bad "stepper motors" which control the gauges and are no longer covered under warranty. think not being able to see your speed is a safety issue and should be recalled for all owners? we'd agree. trouble is, apparently the nhtsa does not. this is truly a serious safety issue. this issue has been reported thousands of times to various agencies and it seems the cavalier was never made. no one will address this issue or any others involving this cavalier. *tr

Some times the speedometer would change to 100 mph while driving at approximately 55 mph or would just drop to zeromph. the tachometer would not change. had it into the dealer several times but it would work ok. the dealer said he could not do anything under warranty unless he could see the problem and analyze it because it could be the cluster ,loose wire or another part. it happened at least 1 or 2 times a week on my way to work . i set up with dealer to have him come to my work to check it out if malfunctioned. some times when i stopped the speedometer would read any where from 10 to 45 mph. finally malfunctioned and dealer was able to check it out. cluster was replaced on warranty. *tr

Odometer would not read correctly and would end up over 110mph and get stuck. eventually would make it to 0 and work for a couple days and the go back over 110mph. while it was over 110 if you started the car the fuel gauge would turn towards the temp gauge. took car to the dealer and had to replace the entire instrument cluster. cost about $400.00. *tr

Defective stepper motors on the cluster instrument panel. now affecting fuel gauge,speedometer,and tachometer on about a year now. just found out what is causing the problem. gm already recalled trucks and suv's. no recall on cars yet. *tr

All four gauges that make up the instrument panel cluster (lr fuel, temp, speed and tech) will show zero reading or varies reading that have nothing to do with reality. by turning the key numerous times i can reset the speedometer back to zero and then use the vehicle, till at a random time it will just increase in speed shown. i feel this is a safety issue and there should be a recall. gm has had numerous complaints and have done zero except charge high fee to fix a defective safety equipment that they place in the vehicle. *js

The dash board cluster in my 2004 chevy cavalier coupe has problems. the dials of my gauges are inaccurate. the engine heat gauge dial can cross over intermittently into my speedometer causing that to get stuck and not work. the heat gauge dial has also been pointed towards my steering wheel, pointing directly down. my rpm gauge rarely works correctly. i have taken it into a repair shop to be looked at and was told by the repairman that he had the same problem with the cluster on his cavalier. he knew what the problem was as i described it. he told me how to temporarily correct the problem. this is done by continually turning the key in the ignition slightly, until the dials return the normal position, i have to do this at least once a week. he quoted me a repair price of $500.00. i do not have enough money to fix this and believe it should be recalled. i have done some investigating of my own on-line and have found that many people have this problem. in the winter this problem is worse. help!!! *tr

I have a 2004 chevy cavalier and one by one all the gauges have stopped working. in doing some research i have found this is a very common problem with this make and model. it is a safety issue not to have a speedometer!! i also do not have an rpm gauge, gas gauge or heat gauge. there needs to be a recall!!!!! *tr

I noticed in the cold my speedometer would show the incorrect speed or just stop. over the course of about 6 months my temp gauge started to do the same thing. followed by my rpm gauge, then the gas gauge. i did some online research and found out the only thing i could do was to get a whole new cluster which is a bit pricey. *tr

All the dials in the instrument panel go haywire. i have tried disconnecting the battery but it still happens. don't know how fast i am going who how much gas is in the car. or even if the temp is okay. *tr

My complaint is a "domino effect" within the instrument cluster. here is what happened, in order: 1) temperature gauge needle over extends itself clockwise past the maximum threshold, so that the needle is pointing to the right (passenger side). the needle will unpredictably reset itself to that position when the vehicle is powered off and turned back on, or it will just remain stuck in that position. 2) the temperature gauge needle, now stuck pointing to the right, physically interferes (a fight so to speak) with the speedometer needle which is frantically trying to push its way past a stubborn temp gauge needle. the speedometer cannot push itself past 10 miles per hour. 3) speedometer,despite being the bigger needle, loses and dies completely... sitting lifelessly at -1. ohhh the irony. 4) about 1 month later the fuel gauge over extends itself and commonly points to the right, or in any random direction. the fuel gauge sometimes sticks when the vehicle is powered off, or will reset and find another completely inaccurate position to remain in. i think it is just jealous of the other two. conclusion: i am driving -1 mile per hour down the freeway with 147% fuel capacity in a vehicle whose engine is running at over 570 degrees f. but that is ok because chevy told me it isn't a safety issue, so every thing must be perfectly fine! *tr

I have a 2004 chevrolet cavalier. first the speedometer started sticking then it stopped working totally and is now stuck on 110 mph. then my tach and temp gauges started sticking or not working at all. this is not a coincidence cause i just found out that they have a recall for 2004 trucks. there should be one for this car as well. i mean it is the same freaking problem as they had with the trucks. there is tons of complaints for this same problem. first and last time i ever buy a chevrolet unless they show me they care about there customers. *tr

The speedometer is stuck on a 2004 chevrolet cavalier ls . *tr

On the date listed below, i noticed the speedometer on my 2004 chevrolet cavalier began to, well, "stick." after a length of time it will not return to zero, and over time, will dip below 110 mph and stay there. i have been on numerous websites and have seen numerous complaints from owners of cavaliers and impalas, so this is not an uncommon problem. this is not safe for me as a driver, to not know how fast i am going, and could pose a danger for my passengers and others i drive near. average repair costs are $400, and a person driving a cavalier will typically not have that kind of money to spare. general motors needs to issue a recall. *tr

Electrical fire in a 2004 chevy cavalier. always had electrical problems, check engine light has come on and speedometer sticks everytime it rains. the air bag light had come on and we were afraid that it was going to deploy and if it did we would have gotten into an accident. when it was continued to drive, all that was smelled was smoke and all of a sudden the interior lights all went out and the smoke became heavier and all the wires were dangling down and melted. the car was towed and needs to be rewired and that will cost about $1100.00. good thing no one was hurt and it didn't all the way catch fire. i now don't have a vehicle and i am afraid to drive it when it gets fixed because i don't want it to happen again. i have heard from others that they have problems with the same car and how the speedometer sticks and other electrical problems. *tr

2004 chevy cavalier with safety issues dealing with the engine. customer states that there are some safety issues with their vehicle but the dealer needs a light to be on to find out. dealer said it was the injectors and it was not the injectors. *kb the consumer stated when she traveled on trips over 100 miles long, the trac off light illuminated., followed by the rpms going up, followed by the check engine light illuminating. the vehicle also burned a lot of oil, but only when the lights illuminated. *jb

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? *tr

The instrument panel sometimes works and sometimes doesn't...my gas gauge never works properly...this began to happen after i reached 55,000 miles on my car. *jb

The speedometer on my 2004 chevy cavalier stopped working correctly about a year and a half ago. it will stick at random places on the dial, even when not driving, will not register the correct speed, and sometimes roll all the way over, pointing at the odometer. the tachometer and coolant temp. gauge stick also when it gets cold outside. all of these problems seem to get better when the weather warms up, but are still present. i haven't had the money to get this fixed (estimated at 700 dollars) so therefore no repairs have been made. this is an obvious safety defect and a recall needs to be issued! i have read many more complaints from other cavalier owners about the same issues! *tr

My temperature gauge fluctuated for about a month and then it just moved to the bottom and points to the bottom part of the instrument panel and i can not tell if my car is overheating.,and my speedometer likes to freeze every once in a while. *tr

Fuel gauge inoperative, points to the temp gauge. speedometer sometimes works. when it's not, it's either pointing to below zero or up at 90 mph. must rely on odometer(still works) to gauge fuel use. must drive slower than traffic to insure i'm not speeding. repair is very expensive. have not been able to afford yet. problem started around 54,000 miles. *tr

2004 chevy cavalier. when the car slows down to a red light or stop sign, or you just reduce your speed, it will cut off on you. *tr

Speedometer fluctuates. do not know my speed. tachometer fluctuates. cannot estimate speed. temperature gauge is acting up. do i have to worry about blowing my engine? numerous complaints on internet. this is a real problem, and should be recalled. pretty expensive repair for a cavalier owner. *tr

I started looking for a fix for my wife's car and i have found that across the nation there are people driving with no speedo, tach, dash lights, or horn. this is a different mix of prbs for each but they all come back to the dash of the chevy cavalier. *tr

Defective instrument panel the instrument panel operated correctly until 2007. the speedometer began to operate incorrectly at random times. the needle would indicate high speed when stopped or when moving at slow speeds. the needle would continue to indicate an incorrect speed until the vehicle had been turned off. this continued to happen more often from 2007 until 2009. in 2009, the speedometer needle no longer indicated a correct speed at any time. the temperature gauge then began to indicate engine temperature to be above 300 degrees while driving. the temperature gauge continued to operate incorrectly. as a consequence, the speed of the car cannot be properly estimated. any problem with the radiator would not be easy to identify for lack of knowing engine temperature. attempts to fix: the instrument panel has been electrically disconnected and checked for a faulty connection. no faulty wiring has been found. *tr

At about 40k miles, the tachometer and speedometer started acting erratically. speedometer constantly at 60 even when at a stop. tach no longer works at all. will have to replace instrument cluster. estimate is about $450.00. *tr

At a round 61000 km's (approx mar 2007)the speedometer and tachometer started giving incorrect readings, either at the same time or on their own. they will pretty pretty much spin around at different points. then some times they will work fine. this is an ongoing problem. today (sept 2007), the fuel gauge has now started doing the same, it went off scale and now is colliding with the temperature gauge. this poses a serious problem for me now, up til now i was putting up with it as it can only be fixed by the dealer at a high cost (over 500 cdn). having an incorrect fuel reading causes obvious problems of getting stranded, and the temp gauge of engine damage. *tr

My 2004 chevy cavalier instrument cluster has not been working for a while was just the speedometer now the fuel gauge is not working i have researched this and found many people have the same issue. *tr

Speedometer started running backwards and now will stick at different speeds regardless of actual speed. i have to estimate actual speed according to rpm's. consequences is getting pulled over for speeding because i can not tell how fast nor slow i am going. *tr

Instrument cluster on 2004 chevy cavalier just goes haywire this is a safety concern. why was there no recall. faulty motors were put in. *tr