2004 Chevrolet Cavalier Steering Problems

The whole steering column is loose The pins are all backed out I’m afraid to drive it I think this is a manufactured design flaw

NHTSA ID

11589380

Incident

May 17, 2020

EVERY TIME I GO TO MY JOB MY POWER STEERING RESERVOIR BECOMES EMPTY AFTER I PUT ONE OR MORE QUARTS IN THE RESERVOIR. ANYTIME I DRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS I SWAY BACK AND FORTH NO MATTER HOW MUCH CONTROL I HAVE OVER THE VEHICLE. MY STEERING GETS SO HARD TO THE POINT WHERE I ALMOST CRASH EVERY TIME I DRIVE MY CAR ANYWHERE BECAUSE I HAVE NO POWER STEERING OR DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CONTROL OVER THE STEERING BECAUSE IT BECOMES SO TIGHT.

NHTSA ID

11228454

Incident

May 28, 2019

Mileage

166,000 mi

LOST PARTIAL CONTROL OF THE STEERING BECAUSE SHEER PEN RELEASED AND ERRATIC SPEEDOMETER-( INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE )

NHTSA ID

11124077

Incident

Jul 7, 2018

Mileage

185,000 mi

I'VE OWNED THE 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER SINCE IT HAD 2000 MILES. IT CURRENTLY HAS AROUND 85000. WHEN DRIVING VEHICLE IN APRIL OF 2017 A GREASY BOLT CAME FLYING OUT OF THE STEERING COLUMN AREA. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I'VE FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS AND ACCIDENTS DUE TO FAULTY "PINS" THAT HOLD THE STEERING WHEEL TIGHT. NOW MY 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER STEERING WHEEL MOVES TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT. THIS CONDITION IS VERY DANGEROUS AND HAS OCCURRED IN MANY GM/ CHEVROLET CARS. VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND BEING CHECKED OUT.

NHTSA ID

10985572

Incident

Apr 5, 2017

Mileage

85,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH AND MAKING A TURN, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MAVNUEVER. THE FAILURE WAS PERMANENT. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 08E063000 (STEERING). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10818422

Incident

Sep 4, 2015

THE VEHICLE STEERING IS NOT TIGHT AND I AM NOT ABLE TO TIGHTLY CONTROL THE MOVEMENT COMPLETELY WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS OR MAKING TURNS. THE WHEEL STEERING FEELS LOOSE AND UNSECURED. WHEN DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE DRIFTS REGARDLESS IF I HAVE CONTROL.

NHTSA ID

10811156

Incident

Nov 2, 2015

Mileage

181,000 mi

AROUND 4:00PM AFTER GETTING OFF WORK. I WAS DRIVING HOME AND I WENT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, MY STEERING WHEEL MOVED UP THEN DOWN DIAGONALLY ABOUT A INCH; INCH AND A HALF. IT DOES IT EVERY TIME NOW WHEN ANY KIND OF UPWARD PRESSURE IS PUT ON THE STEERING WHEEL. I DON'T KNOW HOW SERIOUS OF A PROBLEM THIS IS, BUT IT DOES SEEM IF IT GETS ANY WORSE IT COULD EFFECT YOUR DRIVING ABILITY OF THE CAR.

NHTSA ID

10748651

Incident

Aug 2, 2015

Mileage

120,000 mi

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. THE INTERIOR LIGHT HAS BEEN DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN & THE THEFT & SERVICE LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN LAST WEDNESDAY, 7/15/15, AND NOW I KNOW I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO REPLACE THE IGNITION SEITCH. LAST YEAR I CONTACTED GM BUT THEY ONLY WANTED TO MAKE A NOTE ABOUT IT. I'M SURE THAT AS TIME GOES ON OTHERS WILL HAVE ISSUES TOO. HOW CAN WIRES COME LOOSE OR BREAK BEHIND A STEERING WHEEL? PLUGS, HOSES & THINGS LIKE THAT I CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND, BUT NOT SOMETHING THAT IS HIDDEN & SUPPOSEDLY SAFE BEHIND A STEERING WHEEL

NHTSA ID

10735069

Incident

Jul 15, 2014

Mileage

140,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE STEERING SUDDENLY MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE SPUN OUT AND CRASHED INTO A SECOND VEHICLE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

NHTSA ID

10726245

Incident

Jun 17, 2015

Mileage

100,000 mi

CAR SHUT OFF NO POWER STEERING GAUGES SHUT OFF EVERYTHING TURNED OFF BUT LIGHTS STAYED ON AND FLASHERS WORKED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10566028

Incident

Jan 21, 2014

Mileage

109,000 mi

DOING MY MORNING PAPER ROUTE. WENT TO TURN LEFT IN A CUL-DE-SAC AND THE STEERING TILT BROKE. THE STEERING WHEEL WAS GOING ALL KIND OF DIRECTIONS. I HAVE TWO NEWSPAPERS WEDGED INTO THE RIGHT SIDE AND THE BOTTOM SO I CAN DRIVE IT UNTIL I CAN SOMEHOW GET IT FIXED. I HAVE THREE OR FOUR PARTS THAT FELL INTO THE FLOORBOARD. ALL I WAS DOING WAS TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT WHEN I BROKE AND THE PARTS FELL OFF. THIS IS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. I BOUGHT IT IN 2009. THIS IS THE FIRST MAJOR PROBLEM I'VE HAD WITH THE CAR. IT SEEMS THAT THIS SHOULDN'T EVER HAPPEN TO ANY CAR. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS IN THIS CAR. I CAN STILL STEER, BUT THE TILT IS BROKEN AND THE WHEEL IS HARD TO KEEP STILL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10486035

Incident

Nov 2, 2012

Mileage

178,000 mi

THERE IS A WELL KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE HORN AFTER TIME/WEAR WITH THE 2003-2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. THERE IS A ISSUE WITH THE CONTACT IN THE STEERING COLUMN TO ACTIVE THE VEHICLES HORN. THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY THE ROTATING RIBBON CIRCUIT CONTACT UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL HAVING A BROKEN FILAMENT FOR THE HORN CIRCUIT, THE PART IS KNOWN AS A CLOCK SPRING CONTACT. THE HORN WILL NOT WORK BY PRESSING EITHER BUTTON ON STEERING WHEEL, BUT WILL SOUND AS PART OF VEHICLE SECURITY SYSTEM BY PRESSING KEY FOB. THIS ISSUE CAN LEAD TO ACCIDENTS, AND INJURY. THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM REPORTED BY MANY VEHICLE OWNERS ON DIFFERENT FORUMS, DATABASES, AND SEARCHES. PLEASE FIX OR RECALL THIS PART CHEVROLET, TO PREVENT ACCIDENT, INJURY, AND DEATH. *TR

NHTSA ID

10461976

Incident

Jun 5, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. WHILE ATTEMPTING A TURN AT SPEEDS OF 8 MPH, THE STEERING COLUMN FRACTURED FROM THE VEHICLE AND FELL INTO THE CONTACTS LAP. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE SCREWS MISSING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,012.

NHTSA ID

10330483

Incident

May 12, 2010

Mileage

130,012 mi

I CURRENTLY DRIVE A 2004 CHEVY CAVALIER LS, I HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH THE POWER STEERING FOR A FEW YEARS. THE VEHICLE WILL DRIVE AND STEER FINE FOR A WHILE, THEN IT WILL BEGIN TO MAKE A LOW GRUMBLING NOISE WHEN I SLOW DOWN AND TURN. THE STEERING BECOMES STEADILY MORE DIFFICULT. I EVENTUALLY TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A SLOW LEAK IN MY STEERING FLUID AND INSTEAD OF PAYING TO FIX IT, TO KEEP FILLING IT WITH FLUID WHENEVER I START HEARING THE NOISE. SO FAR, I'VE ONLY LOST THE POWER STEERING ONCE - LUCKILY I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY. FILLING THE POWER STEERING WORKS AS A QUICK FIX FOR A FEW WEEKS. I'VE ALSO NOTICE THAT WHEN I GOT TO OPEN THE POWER STEERING FLUID CAP - IT APPEARS THAT THE FLUID HAS BEEN "BOILING" OR FOAMING FOR A WHILE. I'M NOT SURE IF THAT HELPS, BUT IT HAS BEEN SOMETHING I'VE NOTICED. THANKS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10315775

Incident

Jan 1, 2007

2004 CHEVY CAV. NEEDS NEW RACK AND PINION STEERING ASSEMBLY. WAS TOLD BY MECH THAT HE HAD TO REPLACE 3 OTHER CAV'S RACK AND PINION SYSTEMS DUE TO MALFUNCTIONS. WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH THESE RACK SYSTEMS. I HAVE 70555 MILES ON MY CAR. WAS TOLD BY MECH THAT CAV'S WITH LESSER MILEAGE NEEDED REPLACING. MECH SAID THIS SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT. AND SHOULD BE FIXED BY CHEVY. *NM

NHTSA ID

10168991

Incident

Sep 19, 2006

Mileage

70,455 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH CONSUMER FOUND IT HARD TO STEER THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER SLOWLY DROVE THE VEHICLE HOME CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD, AND FOUND THAT STEERING FLUID WAS COVERING THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. ALSO, THE HOSE CONNECTING THE STEERING FLUID PUMP WAS NOT CONNECTED PROPERLY. THE CLAMP WAS ON THE HOSE, BUT NOT CLAMPED ONTO THE CONNECTOR. *AK DEALER REPLACED POWER STEERING PUMP. *LA

NHTSA ID

10065047

Incident

Mar 25, 2004