Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
DIGITAL INSTRUMENT PANEL
07187A09/01/200807187B10026542Gmc: some vehicles could develop a condition where one or more of the instrument panel gauge needles may stick, flutter, or become inoperative. csc letter received. updated 11/6/08. *pe11/06/2008
0718709/01/200807187B10023585Instrument panel cluster gauge needle function may cause inaccurate readings on some 2003-2004 cadillac, chevrolet, and gmc vehicles. *nj updated 2/5/08. *nj updated 9/5/08. *pe updated 11/4/08. *pe01/10/2008
448610022914One of the following concerns when programming the mileage or the hours into an exchange instrument panel cluster that is received from an electronic service center (esc). *nj10/04/2007

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
DIGITAL INSTRUMENT PANEL
02/21/201082500
 Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado. he stated that the instrument cluster would fail intermittently. while driving at speeds of 70 mph, he was received a warning from a local police officer. the officer advised him that he was actually traveling 90 mph. the failure mileage was 82,500 and the current was 83,500.
10/23/20091
 Bad cluster (oil gauges and high temperature gauge) so far on a chevy silverado 2003 should be a recall regarding this matter. what are they waiting for? thanks *tr
03/01/2009990001
 Our speedometer in our 2003 chevy 1500 pick stopped working after we got a notice that was for the same problem but was only honored if it happened under 80k miles we never had the issue until we were at 99k miles. so my complaint is : is there anything we can do? we have 104k on the truck now. *tr
09/01/2009668001
 Speedometer malfunctioning. the new 0 seems to be somewhere around 20 to 25 mph. in researching the problem on the internet, i see that i had been fortunate that i hadn't had problems with the cluster before this. i have had sporadic malfunctioning in the temperature gauge for several months but i could live with that...the speedometer is a major problem. *tr
11/02/2008900001
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado. the speedometer and oil gauge fail to work on the instrument panel. occasionally, the speedometer gets stuck on zero or goes all the way to 120 mph. the oil gauge does not move at all and the dial becomes stuck all the way at the bottom. the contact called the dealer and they refused to inspect the vehicle for free. the manufacturer stated that they were aware of the failure, but they have not yet issued a recall. through online research, she discovered numerous consumers experiencing the same failure and believes that it should be recalled. the failure mileage was 90,000 and current mileage was 105,000. updated 02-23-09 *bf updated 02/24/09. *jb
01/06/2008750001
 Speedometer doesn't function properly. registers at 70mph when standing still. *tr
04/08/200655000103/06/2003
 Instrumentation cluster premature failure. *tr
03/01/200883000102/04/2008
 Erratic speedometer readings. started with just reading a few miles over. now 9 times out of 10 it says i'm doing 20 to 30mph when i start the truck. checked online and many other people are having the same problem. how many does it take before a recall? *tr
07/18/200772000407/22/2006
 Beginning at around 80,000 miles my speedometer stopped reporting my speed correctly. it will stay at 0 mph or 30 mph then after turning off the vehicle a few times it would reset. it didn't happen again until a couple of months later. but it only happened intermittently with no way to diagnose the problem. today (85,000miles) i was driving on the interstate and my speed stopped at 30 mph and wouldn't go to zero. i stopped tried to get it to reset and then it stuck at 80mph. i was not going that fast. now it is not reading my speed correctly at all. it will either stay at 30, or it says i'm going 20 when i know i am going at least 60. this a definite safety issue. diagnostics don't seem to locate the problem. *tr
01/15/20075400036011/11/2005
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado. while driving approximately 40 mph, the instrument panel gauges displayed inaccurate readings. the dealer stated that they were aware that the failure may occur in some 2003-2004 cadillac, chevrolet, and gmc vehicles. however, because his vehicle was over 70,000 miles, he would have to repair it at his own expense. the vehicle was not repaired. he filed a formal complaint with the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 54,000 and current mileage was 81,000.
06/15/2007670001503/11/2007
 Speedometer and all other gauges on instrument cluster do not work properly the speedometer reads 120 mph sometimes, the volt meter needle is pointing straight down, this is on my 2003 silverado, on my 2004 suburban the tachometer reads wrong all the time and im worried that the speedometer will do the same on it, this is the primary vehicle my wife and kids use every day. *tr
04/18/2006380002012/20/2002
 Speedometer erratic. sometimes reads 35-60 mph in park, sometimes 120 mph when traveling at 30-60 mph. then will not work at all, but rests at 120 mph. only way to reset is to turn vehicle on and off 6-12 times over a 30 min period. in feb 07 took to jack schmitt chevy dealer and paid $97.00 for diagnostics and was told estimated cost of repair would be approximately $500.00. this is a safety hazard and a recall needs to be issued asap. *tr
11/21/200740000607/18/2003
 Speedometer was fluttering and sticking since purchase of this vehicle, particularly in cold weather. typically, after it warmed up, the speedometer would become somewhat functional again. through discussions with gm dealership, it was discovered that a service bulletin and letters of notification have been sent out to warn owners of this problem. this web site shows complaints of this problem dating back to dec of 2005. a 70,000 mile limit has been set for gm to cover repairs. my speedometer finally became totally inoperable at 105,000 miles, and i took it to the dealership for repairs. a month later, i see this notice. how can gm set a mileage limit on safety? this should be a total recall! at $500. to fix, most operators are obviously like me. you fix the things on your vehicle as you can afford to or if it makes the vehicle totally inoperable. i put over 20,000 miles a year on my truck. like an above owner stated, why am i being penalized for driving more than 10k miles a year? why am i being penalized for using this truck on long hauls. it has been a great truck, and i have very few other complaints. however, gm knows that they put a defective and unsafe and faulty instrument cluster in these trucks. now they want us, their consumers to pay for it? please nhtsa, this issue needs to be turned into a recall. *tr
11/30/20066332410011/30/2002
 Speedometer jumping all over. started over a year ago at around 65,000mi. when problem started it would occur about once a week. now it happens every other day. *tr
11/20/20071000001006/01/2003
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado. the instrument panel would intermittently malfunction. the gauges would drop while the vehicle was started. the dealer stated that the electronic control module needed to be reprogrammed. the manufacturer sent a letter stating that there was no recall; however, the warranty was extended to 70,000 miles for this failure. the failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 102,000. updated 01-10-08. *kb updated 12/31/07
12/22/200599500103/01/2005
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado. while driving 50 mph, the speedometer dropped to zero. the failure occurred after driving for one mile. the dealer replaced the instrument cluster. the failure mileage was 99,500 and current mileage was 116,000. updated 03-05-08 *bf
08/30/200790000502/14/2004
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado. two months ago, the contact received a letter for the speedometer cluster. the notice stated that only vehicles less than 7 years old and under 70,000 miles would be repaired. his vehicle had 90,000 miles at the time; however, the speedometer displayed incorrect speeds. the dealer refused to repair his vehicle. the contact filed a complaint with the manufacturer. the recall number was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 90,000. updated 11/29/07.
10/28/200769150112/20/2005
 Speedometer ranges from 70-120 won't come back down. *tr
10/23/20071
 I have 12,000 miles on my 2003 silverado and my speedometer constantly fails giving me readings of 120 mph to total failure. this is a serious safety concern. the vehicle has technical bulletins associated with this complaint but there is no recall. please advise before an incident associated to this speedometer failure occurs. *tr
02/10/200545000110/10/2002
 The speedometer in my 2003 chevrolet silverado has not worked since the truck had 45,000 miles on it. it registers 0 mph at all speeds, unless it is raining, when it will register an incorrect speed. *jb
10/13/200770847110/25/2003
 I have a 2003 chevy silverado. today the speedometer malfunctioned. at first it registered zero. later in registered but only went up until it finally went past 120 and off the scale. this is clearly a malfunction that is dangerous. *tr
08/28/20072008/28/2007
 Speedometer on my 2003 silverado sticks and gives inaccurate measure intermittently. this is extremely dangerous; you never know if the reading is correct or not. gm should have a recall on this one! *tr
01/14/20061
 Had a 2003 silverado the cluster driving home one night and the cluster went from 40 mph all the way to 110. it was like this for a week took it to the dealer and the said this was a normal thing cost me over $300.00 to fix it. *jb
05/15/200733000407/01/2005
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado. the contact stated that the instrument panel operates intermittently. when the instrument panel is not illuminated, the contact is unable to determine the gear in which the vehicle is placed. the vehicle has not been inspected by the dealer. the current mileage was 50,000 and failure mileage was 33,000. updated 01-14-08. *kb updated 12/12/07. *jb
12/02/20061010004
 Whole driving down the highway going 70 mph, my speedometer stuck at 70, then started going up until it topped out. i panicked and pulled off to the side of the highway. when i shut the truck off the speedometer stopped going down at 65 mph. i had to start and stop the engine repeatedly and the speedometer went down in 5 mph intervals. i've heard from several people that have had the same problem and it cost them between $350 and $450. i cannot afford this so when it does happen i have to pull off to the side off the road and start and stop the car until it resets. *jb
04/20/20071
 My 2003 chevrolet silverado z71's speedometer quit working and started giving erratic readings such as 65 mph while going no more than 10 mph. after starting, turning off, and restarting the engine roughly 10 times the speedometer went back to zero. next time i drove, however, it starting acting up again. this is a huge safety problem. we have speed limits for safety reasons and imagine driving through a school zone and not being able to tell how fast you are going. this problem is so widespread and gm is ignoring it. *jb
02/06/200754197101/31/2003
 Report concerning 2003 chevy silverado. had truck failure on local freeway. had vehicle towed to mechanic. apparently out of gas. however gas gage read 1/2 tank. huge safety issue. shortly thereafter speedometer began malfunctioning, registering in accurate speeds and when vehicle was turned off speedometer would stop anywhere from 10-20 mph. starter began giving us problems as well. could this all be related? *nm
05/31/200545000504/04/2003
 Speedometer failure - speedometer began bouncing on my truck around the 40,000 mile mark and no longer works at all. repair cost is approx $500 for the item and is a serious safety issue that should be recalled by the maker chevy as this is a main item to be used on the truck everyday and there was no reason for it to go defective. i have researched and discovered several thousand others owners with the same problem - same part - same solution - have to take it to the dealer only to replace the entire instrument cluster. *jb
10/10/2006521001004/01/2004
 Speedometer in my 2003 chevy silverado stopped working. reads 120 mph all the time. priced a repair at 500 dollars. which includes parts and labor. i understand from doing a little research that a lot of people have this problem, and not just on 03's. 2004's also. something wrong with a 500 dollar repair on a 2 to 3 year old truck. also a safety issue. *nm
11/01/200645000105/01/2003
 I have a 2003 chevy silverado ls 1500 that the speedometer just started reading 120 mph no matter what speed i am traveling or if the vehicle is even moving at all. no previous damage or failures were present at the time of this problem. gmc wants $500+ to repair this problem even though this seems to be a common trend among 2002-2004 silverados and there has been no recall. *jb
04/04/20041000
 2003 chevrolet silverado. speedometer quit working. i have read several complaints on the internet. chevrolet should have a recall because this is a safety issue. *nm
02/07/2007810001006/05/2003
 Speedometer malfunctioning. shows 40 mph in park. goes to 120 then back to zero at random times. can't tell how fast i am going. i have pictures for proof. *nm
02/10/20071
 I have a 2003 chevrolet silverado 1500 hd with a speedometer that works erratically. it seems that the speedometer selects a random offset between 0-65 mph and then operates linearly with that offset until at some random time it chooses a new offset. for example, the speedometer may say 50 mph when i'm stopped, then 110 mph when i'm doing 60 mph (verified by portable gps). then the next time i drive the truck the offset has changed to 20 mph. or while i'm driving the offset may change. i've discovered via the internet that numerous silverado owners have experienced this problem and dealers want about $500 to repair. this is a safety issue as i cannot be certain at what speed i'm driving.*jb
12/23/200653855808/15/2003
 Tl*- the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado. while driving 70 mph the speedometer displayed between 120 and 140 mph, and didn't change when the contact is decreasing speed or driving the actual speed. the speedometer rapidly changes speed and didn't register the correct speed. the contact called the manufacturer to file a complaint, and was advised that there was nothing they could do since there were no related recalls. the failure occurred periodically for 2 weeks. there are no warning indicator lights. the current mileage was 54000 and the failure mileage was 53855. the failure occurred 8 times.*ak updated 02/27/07.. *jb
12/26/200633000912/21/2002
 2003 chevrolet silverado 2500hd 4x4 pick-up truck with erratic speedometer readings. speedometer will read 20-70 mph when the vehicle is stopped, and will either read 120 mph or 0 mph at highway speeds. absolutely a safety problem, as the speedometer is unreliable. *nm
01/27/2007780001001/16/2003
 Tl* - the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet silverado. the contact would like to make a complaint concerning the speedometer cluster module. the contact stated that the speedometer fluctuated and doesn't keep accurate speeds. the speedometer currently didn'tt work. when driving through town doing 25 and the speedometer would read 120 mph. *ak
01/21/20074665010
 I own a 2004 chevy 2500hd truck and while driving at highway speed the speedometer quit.
11/01/200649000100012/01/2003
 2003 chevy silverado, speedometer not working. will work just fine..then while driven done the road it stops...goes to 0 or goes to 120 mph...i feel unsafe with this and the many others that have the problem that gmc knows about...a recall should be made...very unsafe not know how fast your going... *nm
12/10/20061
 My 2003 chevy silverado speedometer is not working it shows 0-20 mph when doing 70+. also my battery gauge is pegged out. i have looked on the internet and have seen many people with the same issue with instrument cluster panel. i think gm should have a full recall. its not safe driving down the highway not knowing how fast you are going. *jb
12/10/2006520001010/15/2005
 Speedometer went very strange only worked part time and read wrong now does not work at all very bad. *jb
11/11/2004250001503/09/2003
 2003 chevy silverado 2 wheel drive 1500 pickup. speedometer sticks at different speeds when driving. can be going 30 and the speedometer says 120. safety issue. *nm
11/25/200680000810/18/2004
 Speedometer is not working correct it will go 75 to 80 and then stick. sometimes it will go off the meter and not go down . have to cycle the key switch to make it reset. last for sometime then does it all again. it reads wrong because i have been checked by radar by a friend in the police dept. this is a real safety issue that needs to be addressed by gm. there are just to many people having the same problem. i have a 2003 silverado mileage 85,000 been living with this for 8 months. still no recall. gm must have a real problem they don't want to face. *jb