AI Damage2004 Chevrolet Cavalier: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier filed 330 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and vehicle speed control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 330
- involving a crash
- 17
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 56% of all complaints
- 2 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
- 3 Visibility 8% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 5% of all complaints
- 6 Air bags 5% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 5% of all complaints
- 8 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 185 complaints (56% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 27 complaints (8% of all).
- Visibility: 25 complaints (8% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 23 complaints (7% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 16 complaints (5% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2.2 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 3 complaints
- automatic, 4-speed
- manual, 5-speednamed in 9 complaints
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 330 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 185 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 23 | 2 | 0 |
| Steering | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 15 | 10 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 15 | 1 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 6 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
2004 cavalier air bag did not deploy causing injury after impact with telephone pole. Picture of pole snapped in half. State road 252 martinsville indiana. Picture of pole car is totaled.
The vehicle spun around going backwards then the front end tried swinging back and hit the center median damaging the front end-bumper ripped off, reinforcement bent/folded, fenders warped, both headlights broken, condenser slightly folded to leak, radiator support warped, frame bent.
The contact stated that the drivers seat malfunctioned and the air bag did not deploy when a truck crashed into her vehicle from the rear. She also crashed into the vehicle in front of her. The contact and a passenger were injured and had to go to the hospital the following day.
Three months after the purchase the fuel pump stopped working. Replaced by dealership under warranty. A year later the fuel pump was replaced again. Warranty period over. Cost me $896. Recently the fuel pump stopped working while I was driving.
I had to slam on the emergency brake and brakes to stall out the car. Once the car stalled it also came to rest against a tree, which thankfully did not cause any damage except a few scratches. On further investigation I had noticed that a hole has worn in the hydraulic rubber line from the master clutch cylinder.
Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 45 mph, the brakes failed. There was significant extended stopping distance while depressing the brake pedal. The vehicle was stopped when hit by another vehicle. There was a police report taken at the scene and the contact received minor injures although the seat belt was worn.
He had his seat belt on, but the air bag never deployed. The crash was severe enough that he has 7 fractured ribs, left pelvic fracture, left acetabular fracture, left tibia/fibular fractures and 2 fractures in the ankle of his left foot. He's still in rehab.
The vehicle caught on fire immediately upon impact. The vehicle was deemed a total loss from the insurance company. A representative from the manufacturer inspected the vehicle and was unable to determine the cause of the fire due to the extensive damage. The solid fuel lines were intact as well as the gasoline tank.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 1,215 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Cavalier has 187 complaints (25 years in the data). This year has 330, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
- Cavalier 19833 sources
- Cavalier 19848 sources
- Cavalier 19854 sources
- Cavalier 198618 sources
- Cavalier 198724 sources
- Cavalier 198812 sources
- Cavalier 198943 sources
- Cavalier 199055 sources
- Cavalier 199155 sources
- Cavalier 1992134 sources
- Cavalier 1993146 sources
- Cavalier 1994212 sources
- Cavalier 1995270 sources
- Cavalier 1996503 sources
- Cavalier 1997540 sources
- Cavalier 1998345 sources
- Cavalier 1999240 sources
- Cavalier 2000315 sources
- Cavalier 2001243 sources
- Cavalier 2002196 sources
- Cavalier 2003678 sources
- Cavalier 2005287 sources
- Cavalier 999911 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, vehicle speed control, visibility. Total complaints: 330. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (9%), windows, sunroof (7%), stalls while driving (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2004 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.