2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE MANUFACTURER ADVISING HIM TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR A SPEEDOMETER REPAIR. IF THE MILEAGE WAS UNDER 70,000 MILES, THE REPAIR WOULD BE FREE. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE HAS EXCEEDED THE MILEAGE REQUIREMENT, BUT IT IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE AS STATED IN THE LETTER. THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYS THE INCORRECT SPEED, CAUSING HIM TO NOT KNOW HOW FAST HE IS DRIVING. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 108,124.

I HAVE TWO 2004 CHEVROLET PICKUP TRUCKS THAT HAVE FAULTY FACTORY INSTALLED SPEEDOMETERS. CHEVROLET IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS SENT LETTERS REGARDING WARRANTY REPAIR OF THESE VEHICLES, BUT ONLY IF THE MILEAGE IS LESS THAN 70,000 MILES. BOTH MY VEHICLES HAVE RIGHT AT 100,000 MILES EACH. THIS IS A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE. BEING UNABLE TO DETERMINE AT WHAT SPEED YOU ARE DRIVING CAUSES UNSAFE CONDITIONS FOR THE OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLES AS WELL AS THE GENERAL PUBLIC. WHEN I TALKED TO JENNIFER CAMACHO AT CHEVROLET TODAY (1-800-630-2438) SHE ORIGINALLY TOLD ME THAT EACH DEALER HAD THE DISCRETION TO WARRANTY THESE VEHICLES FOR THEIR "GOOD. LOYAL CUSTOMERS" EVEN IF THE MILEAGE WAS OVER THE 70,000 FIGURE. I BELIEVE THAT CHEVROLET, IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY, SHOULD WARRANTY ALL THE VEHICES THEY HAVE SOLD WITH THESE FAULTY GAUGES. TOM NICHOLSON *TR

2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO INTERMITTENT SPEEDOMETER FAILURE BEGAN AT AROUND 44,500 MILES WHEN OUT OF WARRANTY. OCCASIONALLY RESETS ITSELF, MOST TIMES FLUTTERS OR STICKS. GM RECALLING FOR THIS CONDITION BUT ONLY IF VEHICLE LESS THAN 70,000 MILES; MINE EXCEEDS THEIR LIMIT. UNFAIR....IF PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE, ALL SHOULD BE FIXED NO MATTER WHAT THE MILEAGE AND CONSIDERING MINE BEGAN PROBLEM AT LESS THAN 45,000 MILES. DATE BEGAN ESTIMATED BELOW. *TR

I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GM SAYING THAT MY 2004 SILVERADO COULD HAVE A FAULTY ODOMETER BUT IF THE VEHICLE HAS MORE THAN 75,000 MILES IT WOULD NOT BE COVERED. I THEN SAW A NEWS STORY ON A LOCAL DALLAS NEWS STATION COVERING THE SAME ISSUE. BELOW IS THE INFORMATION I SENT TO THE NEWS STATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SEGMENT LAST NIGHT IN REGARDS TO THE GM SPEED ODOMETER ISSUE. I HAVE A 2004 GM TRUCK AND HAVE A PROBLEM WITH BOTH THE TACHOMETER AND THE SPEEDOMETER. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL GM DEALER ABOUT A YEAR AGO ASKING IF THERE WAS ANY RECALL INFORMATION AND THEY TOLD ME NO. I JUST ASSUMED MY CASE WAS ISOLATED AND WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OR LIVE WITH IT. THEN ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM GM STATING A KNOWN ISSUE WITH MY MODEL YEAR. BUT UNLESS MY TRUCK HAD LESS THAN 70,000 MILES IT WAS NOT COVERED. I CAN NOT BELIEVE GM IS NOT WILLING TO ISSUE A RECALL OR THAT THE NHTSA DOES NOT VIEW THIS AS A SAFETY CONCERN. IN ALMOST EVERY AUTO COLLISION STORY OR STATISTIC I CAN FIND, IT NAMES SPEED AS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT. A POSSIBLE DIFFERENT ANGLE ON THIS TOPIC IS GM OWNER LOYALTY. THE PROBLEM AFFECTS 2003 AND 2004 MODEL YEARS. BASED ON 80% TO 90% OF ALL CARS ON THE ROAD ARE FINANCED AND MOST PEOPLE ONLY KEEP A VEHICLE 4 1/2 YEARS, THERE WILL BE MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM THAT WILL BE LOOKING TO TRADE IN VERY SOON. IF MOST CONSUMERS ARE LIKE ME THEY WILL PERCEIVE THIS ISSUE AS VERY NEGATIVE TOWARD GM. IT SEAMS LIKE A VERY LARGE GAMBLE ON GM'S PART FOR SUCH AN INEXPENSIVE REPAIR. I KNOW WHEN I GO TO PURCHASE MY NEW TRUCK THIS COMING SPRING I WILL NOT BE LOOKING AT THE GM PRODUCTS. THANKS, MICHAEL FULKERSON *TR

MY GRANDFATHER STARTED EXPERIENCING SPEEDOMETER PROBLEMS WITH HIS 2004 SILVERADO AT ABOUT 68,000 MILES. HE WAS TERMINALLY ILL WHEN THIS HAPPENED AND UNABLE TO AFFORD THE REPAIR, NOT TO MENTION HE WAS NEVER NOTIFIED BY GM. THE SPEEDO FAILED COUNTLESS TIMES AND EVENTUALLY THE TACHOMETER FAILED, BEFORE HIS DEATH ON 29 DECEMBER 2006, I HAVE INHERITED THIS VEHICLE AND THE PROBLEM. I RECEIVED A SPEEDING TICKET AND SO HAS MY WIFE. MY WIFE HAD AN ACCIDENT WITH MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 10 IN LOUISIANA BECAUSE SHE DID NOT KNOW HOW FAST SHE WAS DRIVING AND HIT WATER ON THE ROAD. WE HAVE CONTACTED GM WHO HAVE TOLD US THEY WILL PAY FOR THE REPAIR UP TO 70,000 MILES. IT IS UNREASONABLE TO BELIEVE THAT A VEHICLE OF THIS AGE WILL HAVE LESS THAN 70,000 MILES AFTER THREE YEARS. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. THIS DEFECT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF GM. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT OR WORSE. WE CAN NOT AFFORD THE COST OF THE REPAIR, WE HAVE BEEN QUOTED BETWEEN $500 - $700. I AM FURIOUS THAT MY WIFE AND CHILDREN COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED, DUE TO HER UNKNOWING SPEED. IT WOULD APPEAR THE THE DOT AND GM HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THIS SAFETY HAZARD FOR SOME TIME. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. IT IS A SALVAGED VEHICLE. BOTH THE SPEEDOMETER AND ALTERNATOR FAILED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM GM, BUT BECAUSE HE OWNS A SALVAGED VEHICLE, THE REPAIR WAS REFUSED. GM STATED THAT THEY WERE ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR SMOG REGARDING HIS VEHICLE. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 28,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 26,000. UPDATED 01/14/08 *BF