IllustrationSPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING VECHICAL ONLY HAD 19,000MILES. *TR
2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Monte Carlo years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
200–25K
6525–50K
4750–75K
2375–100K
29100–150K
12150K+
196 reports with mileage · 34 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 151 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 23 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 16 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
5 crash reports11 fire reports8 injury reports
What owners actually said
230 reportsTODAY WE WERE TOLD THAT THE RIGHT TIE ROD END NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. YEARLY INSPECTIONS ARE DONE ON OUR CAR AND THIS PAST YEAR WE HAVE ONLY PUT ABOUT 2500-3000 MILES ON IT, TOTAL 16,200. WE KEEP THE CAR IN THE GARAGE AND IN GREAT CONDITION. OBVIOUSLY WE ARE A BIT AGGRAVATED TO BE REPLACING ANY PARTS OF A VEHICLE WITH SUCH L…
Read full complaint
TODAY WE WERE TOLD THAT THE RIGHT TIE ROD END NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. YEARLY INSPECTIONS ARE DONE ON OUR CAR AND THIS PAST YEAR WE HAVE ONLY PUT ABOUT 2500-3000 MILES ON IT, TOTAL 16,200. WE KEEP THE CAR IN THE GARAGE AND IN GREAT CONDITION. OBVIOUSLY WE ARE A BIT AGGRAVATED TO BE REPLACING ANY PARTS OF A VEHICLE WITH SUCH LITTLE MILES. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD GO TO 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON, THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD READ 35 MPH EVEN THOUGH HE WAS DRIVING 65 MPH. THE FAILURE HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR A YEAR AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. …
Read full complaint
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD GO TO 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON, THE SPEEDOMETER WOULD READ 35 MPH EVEN THOUGH HE WAS DRIVING 65 MPH. THE FAILURE HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR A YEAR AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE TRAVELS AT SPEEDS THAT ARE NOT WITHIN REGULATION AND COULD LEAD TO SPEEDING TICKETS AND CRASHES. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 39,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,000.
I HAVE A 2004 MONTE CARLO SS, AT ABOUT 55,000 MILES THE SPEEDOMETER STARTING ACTING UNRELIABLE. SOMETIMES I REGISTERS 30 MPH WHEN I AM AT 70, OTHER TIMES IT WILL STICK AT 71 MPH WHEN I AM AT ZERO. IT OCCURS RANDOMLY WITH DIFFERENT BEHAVIORS, IS UNRELIABLE. I CALLED THE LOCAL GM DEALER AND THEY MENTION IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE…
Read full complaint
I HAVE A 2004 MONTE CARLO SS, AT ABOUT 55,000 MILES THE SPEEDOMETER STARTING ACTING UNRELIABLE. SOMETIMES I REGISTERS 30 MPH WHEN I AM AT 70, OTHER TIMES IT WILL STICK AT 71 MPH WHEN I AM AT ZERO. IT OCCURS RANDOMLY WITH DIFFERENT BEHAVIORS, IS UNRELIABLE. I CALLED THE LOCAL GM DEALER AND THEY MENTION IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND OTHER GM VEHICLES I AM TOLD HAD RECALLS FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. NOT BEING ABLE TO RELIABLY KNOW THE SPEED IN ALL SITUATIONS IS A RISK TO THE OPERATORS. *TR
ALL DASH GAUGES HAVE FAILED (ONE AT A TIME) INCLUDING SPEEDOMETER (WHICH WAS THE LAST GAUGE TO FAIL ON 7-21-08). TRUNK RELEASE (ELECTRONIC) FAILED. HAVE BEEN TOLD THE ONLY WAY TO GET DASH CLUSTER REPAIRED IS THROUGH A DEALER. DEALER REFUSES TO SELL NECESSARY PART TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC. *TR
2004 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO - (APPROXIMATELY 28,000 MILES) UNABLE TO DETERMINE ACTUAL SPEED WHEN DRIVING CAR: SPEEDOMETER HANGS (DOES NOT RETURN TO ZERO) WHEN STOPPED. SUBSEQUENT DRIVING CONTINUES TO INCREASE SPEED READING. EVENTUALLY SPEEDOMETER STAYS STUCK AT 140 MPH. CHEVROLET SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL OR WARRANTY FOR THIS F…
Read full complaint
2004 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO - (APPROXIMATELY 28,000 MILES) UNABLE TO DETERMINE ACTUAL SPEED WHEN DRIVING CAR: SPEEDOMETER HANGS (DOES NOT RETURN TO ZERO) WHEN STOPPED. SUBSEQUENT DRIVING CONTINUES TO INCREASE SPEED READING. EVENTUALLY SPEEDOMETER STAYS STUCK AT 140 MPH. CHEVROLET SAYS THERE IS NO RECALL OR WARRANTY FOR THIS FAILURE. COST TO REPAIR $500 TO $800. *TR
IT'S CONCERNING THE NOISE THAT MY FRONT END MAKES WHENEVER I MAKE A TURN OR REVERSE. I SEARCHED THIS SITE AND FOUND AN NHTSA ITEM #618086, SERVICE BULLETIN # 01-02-32-001 THAT PRETTY MUCH COVERS THE ISSUE WITH MY CAR. WHAT DO I DO ABOUT THIS AND IS IT DANGEROUS? *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS FAIL. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE INTERMITTENT FAILURES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,392 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 07/08/08. *BF UPDA…
Read full complaint
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL INDICATORS FAIL. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE INTERMITTENT FAILURES. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 53,392 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 07/08/08. *BF UPDATED *JB
SPEEDOMETER WENT HAYWIRE BACK IN FEB 2008. WOULD READ MANY MPH HIGHER THAN CURRENT SPEED. WOULD READ 30-40MPH AT IDLE OR WHEN SHUT OFF. TOOK CAR TO CHEVY DEALER. THEY TESTING IT AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG BUT WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE $500 TO REPLACE IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. IT WORKED FINE UNTIL TODAY WHEN THE PROBLEM RETURNED. DID SO…
Read full complaint
SPEEDOMETER WENT HAYWIRE BACK IN FEB 2008. WOULD READ MANY MPH HIGHER THAN CURRENT SPEED. WOULD READ 30-40MPH AT IDLE OR WHEN SHUT OFF. TOOK CAR TO CHEVY DEALER. THEY TESTING IT AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG BUT WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE $500 TO REPLACE IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. IT WORKED FINE UNTIL TODAY WHEN THE PROBLEM RETURNED. DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND MANY 2004 CHEVY OWNERS (MONTE CARLO'S AND IMPALA'S) WITH SAME PROBLEM. GM DOES NOT APPEAR TO WANT TO DO ANYTHING. RESEARCH ASKED ANYONE WITH SIMILAR PROBLEM TO REPORT TO GM AND NHTSA. *TR
DISPLAY PANEL AKA CONTROL CENTER FAILURE. INOPERATIVE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER. OCCASIONALLY ERRANT FUEL GAUGE. *TR
Official recalls
415V701000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine; Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe
Oct 26, 2015
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
Remedy: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1-800-442-6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
Consequence: Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
Remedy: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1-800-442-6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
Consequence: Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
Remedy: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1-800-442-6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.
15V201000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Apr 6, 2015
General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 2, 2015, that they are is recalling certain model year 2004 Buick Regal vehicles manufactured April 9, 2003, to June 1, 2003, 2004 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 8, 2003, to June 23, 2003, and 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles manufactured April 7, 2003, to June 23, 2003. On May 18, 2015, GM expanded the recall to cover an additional 49,751 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2003, to June 25, 2004. In the affected vehicles, the valve cover gasket may leak.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The leaking engine oil can drip onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the plastic cover and plastic oil fill tube extension and replace the front valve cover and gasket. These repairs will be done free of charge. The recall began on April 24, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Pontiac customer service at 1-800-762-2737 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14574.
14V400000 · Electrical System:ignition
Jul 3, 2014
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
04V287000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Jun 23, 2004
CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES WERE PRODUCED WITH LOWER THAN SPECIFIED TORQUE ON BOTH FRONT BRAKE CALIPER TO STEERING KNUCKLE ATTACHMENT BOLTS. WITH IMPROPER TORQUE, THE CLAMP LOAD AT THE JOINT MAY NOT BE ADEQUATE TO PREVENT MOVEMENT BETWEEN THE CALIPER BRACKET AND KNUCKLE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: DEPENDING ON WHETHER ONE OR BOTH BOLTS BACKS OUT OR FRACTURES, THE RESULT CAN BE LOCKING OF THE AFFECTED WHEEL DURING BRAKING AND AN ABRUPT STEERING INPUT IN THE DIRECTION OF THE LOCKED WHEEL, REDUCED BRAKING AND NOISE FROM THE AFFECTED WHEEL, OR SEVERING OF A BRAKE HOSE, INCREASED BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL, AND REDUCED STEERING CONTROL. REDUCED BRAKING OR STEERING CONTROL COULD CAUSE A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS ARE TO TIGHTEN BOTH BOLTS TO THE SPECIFIED TORQUE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON JUNE 28, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT CHEVROLET 1-800-630-2438 OR PONTIAC 1-800-620-7668.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.