Electrical complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 211 | 74% | 70,000 miles |
| 2004 | 185 | 56% | 54,000 miles |
| 2003 | 106 | 16% | 60,000 miles |
| 2002 | 35 | 18% | 64,000 miles |
| 2001 | 56 | 23% | 86,000 miles |
| 2000 | 69 | 22% | 60,000 miles |
| 1999 | 47 | 20% | 62,000 miles |
| 1998 | 66 | 19% | 80,000 miles |
| 1997 | 107 | 20% | 98,000 miles |
| 1996 | 100 | 20% | 61,000 miles |
| 1995 | 59 | 22% | 93,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
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 .
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier. While driving at an unknown speed, the speedometer displayed an incorrect reading. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The technician diagnosed that the stepper motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that four years later, while driving at an unknown speed, the fuel gauge malfunctioned showing an incorrect reading. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 29,111.
My cluster stopped working a while ago. Since I didn't get a recall on it I was unaware of people did complain about it until my car caught on fire where the cluster is and all the wires are totally burned up. I am furious. I read other complaints and some people had the same problem. I could not read all of them so, I don't know how many caught on fire. Thank god I didn't get injured or death. Chevrolet should be held responsible for this. Please help.
For several years now, the interior light has been coming on intermittently when I hit a bump in the road. Last year I went shopping, got back into my car & started it, or rather tried to start it, but it shut down quite quickly. Thinking it was a fluke, I tried to start it several more times with the same results. Not even pushing on the gas could keep it going. After towing the car & having it sit around for a while before someone could finally find the electrical issue, it was 'repaired'. The issue was the wiring for the ignition switch. The repair completed was a cheaper route than replacing the actual switch. What I didn't know until too late last year was the 'service w/wrench' and 'theft system' lights were the warning that the switch was about to go out. …
Power suddenly shut off, causing power steering to fail, which made me wreck into a ditch. It also caused the airbags to not deploy and prevented seatbelts from locking into place when the brakes were hit.
I had been reading about recent recalls with GM, especially ignition switches. I have a 2003 Chevy Cavalier and it was diagnosed with a bad ignition switch. I first noticed when I went to start the car in the morning, a day after coming home from work. Good thing it happened then because I would have been stranded off site. I went to start the car, nothing happened except wipers and radio did not work as well which I thought was strange. Finally the radio at least came on at some point, but car still would not start. After it was fixed they said the ignition switch was bad and the mechanic asked if I had looked for the recall on it. I searched online but did not find it. I know my car is older, however of all the cars I ever owned and I had many, I never had any issues with ignition switches! I think I had one of the defective switches and would like to look into this matter. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier. The contact stated the vehicle had been parked for approximately 4 hours when a fire started under the dashboard. The contact stated the vehicle was removed by his insurance company and he could not confirm if the vehicle was destroyed or what started the fire. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileages were 80,000. Updated evoq 06/08/10.
According to the overland park police department an electrical fire started near the passenger floor board on my sons 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier z model. The car was totally engulfed before fire/rescue could arrive. I want to make sure that this is not a problem with the vehicle that can injure others.
Related recalls (2)
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
On certain passenger vehicles. If the engine fails to start and the driver holds the key in the "start" position for an extended period, high current flows through the ignition switch, and sometimes produces enough heat to melt internal switch parts.
Remedy: Dealers will install a relay kit in these vehicles to prevent high current from flowing through the ignition switch, and check that your car will start with a properly charged battery and, if necessary, replace the…
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
On certain passenger vehicles. If the engine fails to start and the driver holds the key in the "start" position for an extended period, high current flows through the ignition switch, and sometimes produces enough heat to melt internal switch parts.
Remedy: Dealers will install a relay kit in these vehicles to prevent high current from flowing through the ignition switch. Owner notification began March 27, 2002.
NHTSA investigations
Fire in steering column area
Frequently asked questions
Which Chevrolet Cavalier years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2005 (211), 2004 (185), 1997 (107), 2003 (106) and 1996 (100) model years. Electrical complaints make up 74% of all complaints for the 2005.
Is there a recall for Chevrolet Cavalier electrical problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 04V-036 (switch, Jan 27, 2004); 02V-070 (switch, Mar 6, 2002). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Cavalier electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 66,000 miles; 30% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the instrument cluster/panel (167 mentions), followed by the ignition › switch (130).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.