RoadVitals

2005 Chevrolet Cavalier Steering Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the steering system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Steering reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Dec 11, 2015
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 287 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Chevrolet Cavalier submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming steering

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

BrakesElectricalSteering
Filed Dec 11, 2015

SPEEDOMETER STOPS WORKING AND STAYS ON 100 CAR ONLY HAS 35,000 MILES, ALSO THE POWER STEERING LINE BROKE OPEN AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AT TIMES POPS ONTO MY TIRE CAUSING MY CAR TO SLAM FORWARD AND THEN IT RELEASES. I REPLACED THE BRAKE LINE AND THE POWER STEERING LINE BUT THE MAIN PROBLEM IS THE SPEEDOMETER /CLUSTER

NHTSA ID
10809594
Incident
Dec 19, 2011
Steering
Filed Nov 12, 2014

2005 CHEVROLET CLASSIC. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO EVENTS SHE EXPERIENCED T HAT AFFECTED THE ENGINE, STEERING AND BRAKES. *TGW ACCORDING TO THE INVOICE, POWER STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING. THE POWER STEERING HOSE, AND PUMP WERE REPLACED. *JB

NHTSA ID
10651234
Incident
Sep 20, 2014
Steering
Filed Sep 4, 2010

BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I DRIVE 2005 CHEVY CAVALIERS, HIS CAR AS ROUGHLY 95,000 MILES ON IT HIS PROBLEMS STARTED FIRST. FIRST THE GAUGES HAVE STARTED TO GO. THE SPEED-O-METER AND GAS GAUGE ARE NEVER RIGHT. NEXT HIS STEERING WHEEL COLUMN HAS STARTED TO COME LOOSE. MY CAR HAVING NO MORE THAN 60,000MILES ON IT HAS RECENTLY FOLLOWED TREND FIRST MY GAS GAUGE WENT ALL THE WAY AROUND TO BEING STUCK IN THE MIDDLE, AND THEN MY GAS GAUGE WOULD GET STUCK AND BUMP INTO THE TEMP NEEDLE. THIS WEEK I'VE NOTICED THAT MY STEERING WHEEL COLUMN IS COMING LOOSE TOO, MY DASHBOARD RATTLES AND MAKES A NOISE LIKE SOMETHING IS CLUNKING AROUND IN THERE AND I AM WORRIED THIS COULD LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT I HAVE LOOKED ONLINE AND NOTICED OTHERS HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH THEIR CAVALIERS AS WELL. ALSO, I SAW THAT THERE WAS A RECALL# 08E063000 DEALING WITH STEERING ISSUES IN THE 2007 MODELS. I HAVE NOT HOWEVER NOTICED A RECALL FOR THE 2005 MODELS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10353897
Incident
Sep 4, 2010
Body & structureElectricalSteering
Filed Mar 10, 2010

2005 CHEVROLET CAVALIER INSTRUMENT PANEL HAS SERIOUS PROBLEMS TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWS THE CAR IS OVER HEATING AND INTERFERES WITH THE SPEEDOMETER ALSO THE SPEEDOMETER WILL SHOW 110MPH WHILE SITTING IN PARK OR WHILE DOING 65MPH DROP AND SHOW NO SPEED. ALSO THE FRONT OF THE DASH CRACKS OUT AND CAN PRODUCE SHARP PIECES THAT CAN CUT THROUGH THE SKIN EASILY. ALSO THE STEERING HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE 2005 COBALTS AT LOW SPEEDS SOMETIMES THE CAR IS VERY HARD TO TURN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10318778
Incident
Aug 19, 2009
Mileage
45,000 mi
Steering
Filed May 19, 2009

GREASE YOUR TIE ROD ENDS !! THIS KEEPS THE FRONT END TIGHT & STRAIGHT !! THEY COME FROM CHEVY BONE DRY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10269311
Incident
Jun 5, 2006
BrakesSteering
Filed Jul 29, 2008

I WAS SOLD A CHEVY CAVALIER WITH BAD BRAKES AND BAD ROTORS AND IT MAKES A BIG NOISE WHEN YOU GO TO TURN TO THE RIGHT NO ACCIDENTS YET. *TR

NHTSA ID
10236196
Incident
May 13, 2008
BrakesSteeringSuspension
Filed May 24, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED SINCE PURCHASE THE BRAKES HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWO TIMES DUE TO THE ROTORS WARPING AND A NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE REAR BRAKES. THE FIRST BRAKE REPLACEMENT WAS AT 3,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. ON MAY 23, 2006 WHILE MAKING TURNS AT 20 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL FROZE. IN AN ATTEMPT TO FREE THE STEERING, THE CONTACT PULLED THE WHEEL SO HARD THAT SOMETHING BROKE WITHIN THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP THEREFORE, IT IS UNCERTAIN AS TO WHAT REPAIRS ARE NECESSARY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SWAY BAR INSULATOR. UPDATED 06/16/06. *JB

NHTSA ID
10158151
Incident
May 24, 2006
Mileage
3,000 mi
BrakesSteering
Filed Jul 28, 2005

DT: 1997 CHEVROLET CAVALIER. SOMETIMES THE STEERING WHEEL WILL NOT ALLOW THE CONSUMER TO TURN IT TOWARD THE LEFT. THIS HAPPENED AT LEAST 4 TIMES. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED AT AN INTERSECTION, WHICH CAUSED CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STEER VEHICLE SAFELY TO THE CURB. SHE WAS DRIVING AROUND 20-30 MPH. SOMETIMES THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON AND TURNED OFF BY ITSELF. THE FIRST TIME THE STEERING PROBLEM OCCURRED WAS ON 7-25-05 ,AND THE LAST TIME WAS ON 7-27-05. THERE WERE NO OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME. *AK

NHTSA ID
10130500
Incident
Jul 25, 2005
Mileage
129,800 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .