The Used Car Index

2004 Chevrolet Cavalier problems

NHTSA lists 330 complaints for the 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier, 17 of them mention a crash and 6 mention a fire. 15 complaints mention an injury, with 19 injuries and 1 deaths reported.

Data build 2026-10-08.

NHTSA lists this vehicle as CHEVROLET CAVALIER.

At a glance

Complaints
330
With crash
17
With fire
6
With injury (complaints)
15
Injuries
19
Deaths
1
Recalls
1
Do not drive recalls
0
Park outside recalls
0
Recall potential units (maximum)
37
Investigations
0
Open investigations
0
Manufacturer communications
476

Complaints per 100k sold unavailable. No sales source is available for this record.

Where the complaints are

Top systems
SystemComplaintsShare of this vehicle's complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM18556.1%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL278.2%
POWER TRAIN237.0%
VISIBILITY237.0%
STEERING164.8%
AIR BAGS154.5%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING154.5%
EQUIPMENT133.9%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC133.9%
STRUCTURE133.9%
Top subsystems
SystemSubsystemComplaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMINSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL67
POWER TRAINMANUAL TRANSMISSION11
STRUCTUREBODY10
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMWIRING9
VISIBILITYPOWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS8
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLINGENGINE7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEMIGNITION6
POWER TRAINCLUTCH ASSEMBLY6
AIR BAGSFRONTAL4
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULICFOUNDATION COMPONENTS4

One complaint can name several systems, so shares can add to more than 100 percent.

Model-generated complaint tags: This model year has not been tagged.

Recalls

See new recalls and investigations this week.

1 recalls.

04V300000

Date: 2004-06-23. Systems: SEAT BELTS.

Defect: 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.

Consequence: 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.

Do not drive: No. Park outside: No.

Investigations

0 investigations; 0 open.

Manufacturer communications

476 manufacturer communications.

Communications by system
SystemCount
EQUIPMENT201
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM83
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING68
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY31
POWER TRAIN26
ENGINE23
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE17
STRUCTURE15

11020816

Date: 2025-07-18. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.

11017252

Date: 2025-03-28. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on OnStar Module 2G Sunset Information.

11014455

Date: 2025-02-20. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint. Technician should get record a sound clip or take a video of the noise for assessment by engineering. Technician will need to

11009156

Date: 2024-10-25. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester A and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and st

11007743

Date: 2024-09-12. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician will need to have high and low pressures, outside temperature, humidity, and ven

11007744

Date: 2024-09-12. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that the Heater-Vent-Air Conditioning blows warm air. Before calling General Motors Technical Assistance Center technician will need to have high and low pressures, outside temperature, humidity, and ven

11007208

Date: 2024-09-06. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: UNKNOWN OR OTHER.

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized, tested and designed for the vehicle in question and its applications. Technician s

11006621

Date: 2024-08-26. Type: Service Campaign. Systems: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.

Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to updating affected modules (with some exceptions). The updating of modules is com

11006421

Date: 2024-07-24. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: POWER TRAIN.

GM is receiving damaged (cracked or broken) transmission cores returned to the reman facilities. The damage is being caused either in the removal process by the technician, or inadequate packaging or shipping. This bulletin advises the dealers to be more careful not to damage the transmissions durin

11004761

Date: 2024-06-28. Type: Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions. Systems: ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM.

This service bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank or misfire, MIL with DTCs, and explains how Top Tier fuels should be used to reduce carbon build-up.

Notes on this record

  • Complaints from the API and bulk file are merged and deduplicated by ODI number; the API alone misses records.
  • System and subsystem counts are numbers of distinct complaints, recalls or communications that name them. One record can name several systems, so shares across systems can add to more than 100 percent; a single share never exceeds 100 percent.
  • Recalls are counted once per campaign, investigations once per action and manufacturer communications once per NHTSA id, even when NHTSA lists several model names for the same record.
  • A sales denominator is a calendar-year proxy, not the population of vehicles still in use. Rates are copied from verified pipeline output.

Other names NHTSA uses

None listed.

Matched NHTSA models

Matched labels and complaints
NHTSA model labelComplaints
CAVALIER330

Same model, other years

All model years | All Chevrolet models

Other Chevrolet models, 2004

Sources

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