Your vehicle report
2004 Chevrolet Cavalier
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 330
- Received Feb 2004 to May 2024
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Instrument cluster or speedometer fails121 complaints · 37% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Manual clutch wears out or fails early17 complaints · 5.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates15 complaints · 4.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V300000Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 210, 'seat belt assembly anchorages.' the passenger-side rear safety belt may have been installed with an incorrect nut and bolt.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 17 crashes, 6 fires, 19 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
- Glass shatters or cracks without impact
- Power window regulator fails and window drops
- Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail
1 more problem
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 330 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instrument cluster or speedometer fails | 121 | 37% | – | |
| Manual clutch wears out or fails early | 17 | 5.1% | – | |
| Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates | 15 | 4.5% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 10 | 3.0% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 10 | 3.0% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 8 | 2.4% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 8 | 2.4% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 7 | 2.1% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 7 | 2.1% | – | |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 6 | 1.8% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 6 | 1.8% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 6 | 1.8% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Cruise control fails to disengage | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 0.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #04V300000June 23, 200437 vehicles affected
seat belts: rear/other
Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 210, 'seat belt assembly anchorages.' the passenger-side rear safety belt may have been installed with an incorrect nut and bolt.
In a severe crash, the upper seat belt anchorage may separate. The effectiveness of the seat belt could then be reduced and the occupant could receive greater injuries.
Remedy
Dealers are to inspect the safety belt anchorage and install a new nut and bolt, if necessary. The recall began on august 23, 2004. Owners should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 and Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN