Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIGITAL INSTRUMENT PANEL | |||
| 11/01/2009 | 60000 | 1 | |
| Speedometer (pin or needle) freezes and periodically fluctuates. the driver is unable to determine the speed the vehicle is traveling. upon approaching a hill, curve or bad weather the driver is able to negotiate speed properly,making this very dangerous and unsafe. *tr | |||
| 02/09/2010 | 36000 | 1 | |
| Fuel gauge and speedometer on gmc/chevy suburban, 2004 year. this is the second time i have had to replace the gauge cluster and gmc/chevy dealer insist this is not a safety issue and not their problem. since replacing the fist cluster, there have been many more complaints noted on the internet. this is clearly not an exceptional defect. the failure has come after about two to three years of use, and is worse in winter, but occurs inconsistently year around. i have not yet had an accident, but i did run out of gas in a rural area in the winter because the gauge said i had half a tank when it was infact empty. speed is an issue in icy road conditions because it is very difficult to know if your speed is appropriate for the conditions when the speed shows zero or bounces around inconsistently. the failure has occurred at about 30k miles for each cluster. lack of support by gm on this is disconcerting. please assist. *tr | |||
| 01/09/2010 | 88488 | 1 | |
| My 2004 chevrolet suburban with 88,000 miles has a faulty speedometer and i am unable to tell what speed i am going at all times! i have a 4 year old and a 6 year old in the car with me often and this causes me great concern over the safety of my family and i. *tr | |||
| 02/02/2009 | 86450 | 1 | |
| Speedometer does not work. unsure of my speed very unsafe. *tr | |||
| 03/20/2008 | 78000 | 1 | |
| Bought my 2004 chevy suburban in feb. 2008. it had 75,000 miles on it. drove it for a month and the speedometer would fluctuate 3-4 mph at highway speeds and the work fine for a week or so before acting up. at 92,000 miles speedometer went totally out, reading 0 one minute and bouncing to 120 the next. now it just sits on zero for most of the time. would not know if it ever read the correct mph if it wasn't for the gps. have not replaced anything yet. but will have to shortly because the texas safety inspection is due in november. i think this is why the previous owner traded it in and didn't tell any one. *tr | |||
| 04/20/2009 | 45000 | 1 | |
| I noticed while i was driving that the speedometer seemed a little off and i was correct it starts at 10mph and while driving its about 13 mph off. *tr | |||
| 04/11/2009 | 99000 | 1 | |
| 2004 chevy suburban speedometer fails sporadically. will stick at anytime without notice. showing up to 120 miler per hour while parked. cannot ascertain exact of speed of vehicle. wper haps effects odometer and hour meter. *tr | |||
| 03/14/2009 | 76000 | 1 | |
| Speedometer stopped working when odometer read 76,000 miles. does not work at all. currently read 120 mph. dealer will not fix as warranty has expired. speedometer stopped working due to poor quality, not improper use. *tr | |||
| 02/15/2009 | 105000 | 1 | |
| Speedometer quit working on 2004 suburban. *tr | |||
| 11/17/2008 | 82000 | 1 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet suburban 1500. the contact stated that the speedometer was inoperative and displayed inaccurate readings. the dealer stated that the instrument control panel needed to be replaced at the cost of over $300. as of march 17, 2009, the vehicle has not been repaired. the manufacturer did not assist. the failure mileage was 82,000 and current mileage was 84,000. updated 04-14-09 *bf updated 04/15/09.*jb | |||
| 03/02/2009 | 1 | ||
| The speedometer on the vehicle is not showing the true speed (it some times shows 110 when you are going 45, or shows 35 when you are going 65. this is not safe while driving on any road. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2008 | 90000 | 1 | |
| Speedometer has not worked for over a year. the needle is always pinned. once in a while it will start at approximatelly 30mph at idle. local dealer advised approx. 500.00 to fix. *tr | |||
| 10/20/2008 | 75000 | 1 | |
| My 2004 surburban, the instrument cluster began failing at 75,000 miles. it is a daily occurrence of the speedometer showing incorrect speed, the oil pressure gauge is pegged most of the time. *tr | |||
| 12/20/2008 | 91463 | 1 | |
| The speedometer regularly fails to work, usually reading an incorrect speed (checked against a handheld gps device) and occasionally does not work at all. *tr | |||
| 04/23/2007 | 98000 | 1 | |
| Speedometer flutteringsticking recall came out after my vehicle was beyond the warranty mileage. *tr | |||
| 09/22/2008 | 78000 | 1 | |
| A couple of months ago i received a letter from gm informing me of a potential defect on the speedometer of any 04 chevy suburban, but it stated that i should not take the vehicle to the dealership unless there is a problem. yesterday 9-22-08 coming back from my son ball game the speedometer was stuck on 70 and when my husband applied the brake instead of decreasing the speedometer was going toward the 120 mark and we were almost at a complete stop. now gm did send information that there might be problems but don't do anything unless you suspect problems. anyway i have 78,000 miles on this vehicle and gm sent a letter that they will fix it no charge if it is under 70,000. its a defect there shouldn't be a time limit to get it replaced a defective speedometer. it is extremely dangerous especially when children are in the vehicle. why should anyone pay for an item that is defective. it should be replaced at no charge. i have heard of other people with the same problem as i have had. something needs to be done such as a recall instead of a possible defect letter. please help! *tr | |||
| 06/15/2008 | 78000 | 1 | |
| 2004 chevrolet surburban. the speedometer needle sticks. at first it only happened occasionally. a month later it is sticking at 0 miles per hour most of the time. many complaints to gm. they finally issued special policy but will not fix my vehicle because the odometer reads 79,216. this is a known defect on many gm models year 2003-2004. the dealership will not even discuss the issue. this is safety issue that gm should take care no matter the mileage of the vehicle. this vehicle is only four years old. the repair will cost between $800 - $1000 or more. *tr | |||
| 04/04/2008 | 53054 | 1 | |
| Speedometer failure leading to hazardous operating conditions. in reviewing the internet, speedometer failures are problematic for chevrolet suburbans and the manufacturer refuses to acknowledge or repair the defect. *tr | |||
| 02/03/2007 | 20 | 1 | |
| Erratic to none speedometer operation, no repairs made as of now, researching problem, found to be pretty wide spread on gm suv's and trucks. *tr | |||
| 03/13/2008 | 45000 | 1 | 12/31/2006 |
| Started suddenly.. speedometer registering much greater speed(s) than actual speed. even off/parked registering in excess of 80 mph. rpm gauge was sticking on & off but all other gauges as of now seem to be functioning properly. *tr | |||
| 02/09/2008 | 1 | ||
| My 2004 chevy suburban speedometer is malfunctioning, sometimes it works other times it does not move or is indicating the incorrect speed. *tr | |||
| 01/14/2008 | 56001 | 1 | 09/23/2004 |
| Another 2004 chevrolet suburban speedometer failure. it went to 60mph when i was stopped, then past 120mph and stuck there. now is completely inoperable stuck at 120mph. *tr | |||
| 06/01/2007 | 200 | ||
| Electrical components are not working. odometer, fuel gauge, oil gauge, battery gauge, temperature gauge do not work - the only gauge that does work is the speedometer. looking at all the complaints, i should assume the speedometer will be going out. the temperature gauge could be very dangerous - it reads 250 - 260 all the time. you do not know if your are running hot or not. the gas gauge needle is totally upset down - we have to go off our how many miles 'til we run out go gas screen to determine how much gas we have. i've replaced the power steering pump - $775, the chip for the gas pedal (when out - you could not go any faster than 10 miles per hour $800), the driver side leather seat started to wear down @ 40,000 miles - now has a tear in it, the steering column makes a knocking noise, the dash makes a popping noise when the air conditioner is on, front seem to wear down fast, etc. i could go on, but.......... it seems i got a lemon. this was a $47,000 sticker priced car - you would think you wouldn't have this many problems. there seems to be a lot of complaints on instrument panel problems - seems chev should look into this - dangerous. these are family - children vehicles!!! *tr | |||
| 11/21/2007 | 54300 | 2 | |
| While at highway speeds, the speedometer stuck and gradually faded to 0. it started working again once the vehicle had been shut off. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2007 | 84000 | 1 | 12/01/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet suburban 1500. the contact received a notice from the manufacturer stating that they were aware that some of their models were experiencing speedometer failure. they further stated that the repairs would not be free. shortly afterwards, the contact's speedometer failed and the dealer refused to repair it for free. she believes this is a safety issue and a manufacturer defect. the powertrain was unknown. the failure mileage was 84,000 and current mileage was 89,000. | |||
| 11/01/2007 | 85000 | 30 | 06/01/2004 |
| Speedometer failure. 30% of time, speedometer output is false. needle sticks in various positions that causes false reading. *tr | |||
| 11/05/2007 | 65868 | 1 | 10/24/2007 |
| Speedometer failure. speedometer shows 60mph when vehicle is in park, and higher speeds in drive. *tr | |||
| 12/20/2006 | 50 | 06/15/2004 | |
| Speedometer register greatly incorrect speed (off by 20 to 30 mph). *tr | |||
| 09/08/2007 | 1 | 04/01/2004 | |
| 2004 suburban speedometer malfunction. unable to determine speed. it appears to be a common occurrence with gm refusing to fix. *jb | |||
| 01/01/2006 | 54000 | 100 | 10/20/2005 |
| The speedometer fails in my 2004 chevy suburban, the speedometer bounces between speeds and sticks at any given speed. no real solution other than replace the instrument panel . gm takes no liability for the problem. (9 others in the area have the same problem. *jb | |||
| 10/06/2007 | 51800 | 1 | 11/01/2005 |
| Speedometer began showing incorrect speed up to 100mph on rural highway and 20-30 mph while parked. stopped and turned vehicle off to attempt to reset but still incorrect speed registered. dealership had to replace instrument control panel. *tr | |||
| 09/16/2007 | 36100 | 1 | |
| Defective speedometer - 2004 chevy suburban. *jb | |||
| 04/12/2007 | 54128 | 20 | 11/27/2004 |
| I have a 2004 chevrolet suburban and the speedometer has begun to show an erratic behavior. when i am going 55 mph the speedometer may show 120 mph and it does not reset itself to 0 mph at a stop. *jb | |||
| 03/06/2007 | 1 | 12/14/2004 | |
| 2004 chevy suburban speedometer failure. first had erratic behavior of speedometer, it just dropped out eventually going to zero while traveling down the interstate highway. i spoke with a dealer, they said it was a common problem that cost about $700 to repair. the vehicle was just out of warranty. as i can gage speed off the tachometer, i've waited a year to address it hoping for a recall. in the mean time the speedometer has quit working all together. my wife normally drives this vehicle and does not have the same feel for gauging speed from the tachometer. she is concerned about safety of traveling cross country by herself and is demanding that i fix it. reading up on the issue on the internet i was referred to this site. it appears that there are many people with the same problem. certainly gm should make a reliable product. failure on gm's part to recognize the problem will at a minimum result in loss of customers, i would hate to see it result in loss of life from drivers, unaware of their speed, ending up in a fatal accident. if gm will not respond to this safety issue maybe you will. *jb | |||
| 02/07/2007 | 46500 | 12 | 09/09/2004 |
| I have a 2004 chevrolet suburban lt with approximately 48,000 miles and my speedometer has begun to malfunction. at time it increases in a stepwise manner and other times, it does not show my speed at all. one time i was going with traffic and estimated my speed to be ~ 60 mph along with the traffic, my speedometer read 35 mph. i took it in to the dealer and i was told it may take 2-3 days for repair and ~ $600. i would think a speedometer should work for at least 100,000 miles or more. in checking, i see there have been many such failures and feel that the consumer should not be held accountable for such failures. have there been any recalls on this problem? if so, how do i file my complaint? *nm | |||
| 02/01/2007 | 52000 | 100 | 07/01/2004 |
| I would like to raise a complaint regarding the instrument cluster on my 2004 chevrolet suburban. the speedometer reading has become erratic and never reports the proper speed. at times it may be 0, at others it may be 120 mph, and at other times just all over the place. this has become a real safety issue when driving alone on a road or in visibly impaired conditions since you just have no reference to know how fast you are traveling. after conducting searches on my own, this is apparently a rampant problem during these year's gm models. the dealer wants approximately $500 to fix it and this just seems very unfair for a $40,000 3 year old vehicle. since this appears to be a very common problem, i would like to urge chevrolet to step up and recall vehicles for this issue so that we can have it fixed. thank you, debra troiano. *nm | |||
| 01/25/2007 | 44300 | 9 | 01/15/2006 |
| I was driving on an icy road outside of chicago when i almost lost control of my vehicle due to speed creep this was caused by the speedometer of the vehicle failing and sticking at 37 mph. i estimate that when i skidded out that i was most likely going over 50 mph. i've had multiple problems where the speedometer has stuck afterward, but was able to avoid similar incidences because i realized their could be a problem. i am driving a 2004 chevrolet suburban. this is not a safe situation. if there were other traffic, structures, or pedestrians around property may have been damaged and people may have been injured or killed. it is not an isolated incident either. if you go to www.topix.net you can read 380 postings of people having the same problems. just type in suburban speedometer stuck. *nm | |||
| 02/04/2007 | 59400 | 1 | 01/03/2006 |
| I own a 2004 chevrolet suburban z71. during the past week, the speedometer has been registering erratic speeds while driving at a constant pace. today, the speedometer quit working altogether. the vehicle has only 59,450 miles on it, and has not been used in any off road excursions. not having an accurate speed reading while driving a vehicle of this size is a significant safety issue to the driver and passengers of this vehicle, and other vehicles on the roadway. i understand this is a fairly common issue with this make, model, and year vehicle. as such, i believe the manufacturer needs to enter into a safety recall to fix this issue. *jb | |||
| 11/03/2006 | 35000 | 1 | |
| At 35000 miles the speedometer would make a ticking noise and start moving with a notchy motion. when driving it could read 40-75 mph while doing less than 10 mph. at 60+ mph it could read 100+ mph. after multiple restarts the speedometer would return to 0. the problem seemed like it would worsen when the temperature was colder, but it could be coinsidence. took the vehicle into the chevrolet dealer where it was diagnosed as having a faulty guage cluster and replaced under warranty. while in the dealer there were 2 other people with similar trucks having the same thing replaced. now i see online that this is common with nearly every suburban and chevrolet/gmc truck in model years 2004-2005. this should be a recalled part and could be a make for a costly/dangerous drive for someone. | |||
| 12/20/2006 | 41650 | 40 | 10/07/2005 |
| Speedometer is erratic and inaccurate. very dangerous! *nm | |||
| 10/08/2006 | 51000 | 2 | 04/01/2004 |
| Speedometer and oil pressure starting displaying erratic reading any where from 0-120+ and oil psi of 0 to pegging gage. after research of dealers and repair facilities data confirmed this is a know defect and caused by defective stepper motors. setting cruise control hamper this defect by not knowing what actual speed is when engaging cruise control. also have second vehicle that just started with same issues today 12-22-06. 2004 gmc yukon xl | |||