2003 Chevrolet Silverado 2500

I FILED THE FORMAL REQUEST BELOW TO CHEVROLET / GM REGARDING A DEFECTIVE SPEEDOMETER IN MY 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. THIS IS A WELL KNOWN AND A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM, AND I BELIEVE IT TO BE A SEVERE NATIONWIDE SAFETY ISSUE WHICH NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED TO AVOID POSSIBLE INJURY OR DEATH. GENERAL MOTORS WILL NOT REPAIR THE PROBLEM. SOME INFORMATION IS REMOVED TO MEET THE WORD LIMIT OF THIS COMPLAINT FORM. GM SERVICE REQUEST: 71-482347989 SILVERADO SAFETY HAZARD - A PROBLEM I AM EXPERIENCING WITH MY WIFE'S 2003 SILVERADO 2500 HD IS EXTENSIVE AND DANGEROUS. THE SPEEDOMETER IS OFTEN STUCK AT RANDOM SPEEDS WHEN AT REST, AND WHEN IN MOTION IS UNRELIABLE. INFORMATION THAT I HAVE REVIEWED ON SEVERAL SITES INDICATES THAT THERE IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE STEPPER MOTORS IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER THAT HANDLE ALL GAUGES ON THIS VEHICLE, AND THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL TSBS THAT ARE RELATED TO THIS PROBLEM IN SEVERAL GM VEHICLES. NHTSA ALSO HAS SEVERAL DOZEN, IF NOT HUNDREDS OF REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM. THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL PETITIONS IN PROGRESS TO DEMAND RECALLS AND / OR MEDIA INVESTIGATIONS. ALTHOUGH MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THIS APPEARS TO BE A DEFECT WORTHY OF A RECALL. WE SPECIFICALLY TRADED UP TO THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE WIFE HAULS A HORSE TRAILER WITH TWO OR THREE HORSES THROUGH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN TO HORSE EVENTS FOR HER, MY DAUGHTER, AND MY DAUGHTER'S FRIENDS. THE SAFETY IMPLICATIONS OF UNRELIABLE GAUGES ARE MANY-FOLD, WHETHER IT IS GATHERING TOO MUCH DOWNHILL SPEED BECAUSE OF AN INCORRECT SPEEDOMETER, RUNNING OUT OF GAS WHILE TOWING A LOADED HORSE TRAILER DOWN A STEEP SLOPE BECAUSE OF AN INCORRECT GAUGE, OVERHEATING THE TRANSMISSION OR ENGINE BECAUSE OF AN INCORRECT TEMPERATURE READING, ETC. THERE ARE SEVERAL SOURCES OF INFORMATION DOCUMENTING THIS ISSUE. A FEW EXAMPLES ARE AS FOLLOWS: (MOST EXAMPLES REMOVED TO MEET WORD LIMIT): HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.NET/FORUM/AUTOS/CHEVROLET-SILVERADO-1500/TR5QAB2MN19BL1D2J/P4 *JB

I HAVE A 2003 CHEV. 2500 4X4 EST. CAB LONG BOX. IT HAS 18000 MILES ON IT. I HAD TO REPLACE THE REAR BRAKES AND ROTORS AT 18000 MILES. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR A TRUCK OF THIS TYPE. (HEAVY DUTY). I ALSO HAD A DIM BRAKE LIGHT ON THE DASH, WHICH I HAD CHECKED OUT AT THE DEALER. THEY SAID IT WAS IN THE DASH BOARD AND WOULD COST 400.00+ TO FIX. THE DEALER ALSO SAID THE STEERING WAS LOOSE AND THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE FACTORY WHEN INSTALLED, 250.00+ TO FIX. WHAT KIND OF PRODUCT ARE THEY MAKING? *NM

DURING NORMAL HIGHWAY AND OR CITY DRIVING, THE SPEEDOMETER WILL REGISTER A RATE OF SPEED HIGHER THEN ACTUAL. THIS SPEED HAS BEEN RECORDED AS ANYWHERE FROM 5 TO 50 MPH HIGH. WHEN THE SPEEDOMETER IS READING HIGH, UPON STOPPING, THE SPEEDOMETER WILL REMAIN AT THE AMOUNT OF SPEED THAT IT IS REGISTERING HIGH. FOR EXAMPLE, IF TRAVELING AT 30 MPH AND THE SPEEDOMETER READS 50 MPH, WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED, THE SPEEDOMETER WILL STILL READ 20 MPH. ONCE THIS PROBLEM STARTS, IT IS VERY CONSISTENT ON ITS REGULARITY. A SIMPLE SOLUTION IS TO REPEATEDLY TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART IT. THE SPEEDOMETER WILL DROP 5 MPH WITH EACH CYCLE UNTIL IT REACHES 0 MPH. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM WILL LIKELY REOCCUR ON THE TRIP THAT I AM ABOUT TO MAKE. MY COWORKER IS HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN A VERY SIMILAR VEHICLE. UPON CONTACTING THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD THIS PROBLEM HAD BEEN SEEN ON OTHER OCCASIONS AND THE SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AT AN APPROXIMATE COST OF $600.00. *JB

ERRATIC SPEEDOMETER READINGS. DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 55 MPH WITH CRUISE CONTROL ENGAGED. POSTED SPEED LIMIT INCREASED TO 65. USED THE CRUISE CONTROL TO INCREMENT MY SPEED. SPEED INCREASED, SPEEDOMETER READING DID NOT INCREASE, BUT KEPT GETTING LOWER. STAYED WITH SPEED OF TRAFFIC BUT SPEEDOMETER READING SLOWLY FELL TO 35 MPH. STOPPED, SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND WAITED 5 MINUTES. UPON RESTART, SPEEDOMETER APPEARED TO BE FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. GOT BACK ON THE INTERSTATE AND UP TO 65 MPH. WHEN I DECELERATED WHILE EXITING THE INTERSTATE, THE SPEEDOMETER REMAINED AT 65 MPH. PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY, THE SPEEDOMETER READS 65 MPH. WHEN DRIVEN, SPEEDOMETER INCREASES IMMEDIATELY FROM 65 MPH AND HIGHER. *NM

THE SPEEDOMETER IN MY 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500HD SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. THE NORMAL SPEED SHOWN NOW IS OVER 120 MPH WHILE MOVING OR STOPPED. ON RARE OCCASIONS THE SPEEDOMETER WILL REGISTER A LESSER SPEED FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BUT THE NORMAL SPEED SHOWN IS 120 MPH OR HIGHER. THE ODOMETER WORKS WITHOUT A PROBLEM AS WELL AS ALL OTHER ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS OF THE SPEEDOMETER OTHER THAN ACTUAL SPEED. PER MY MOST RECENT CONTACT WITH A GENERAL MOTORS DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT (MR. GOODWRENCH) THAT DEALER IS SEEING AN AVERAGE OF ONE SIMILAR VEHICLE PER DAY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. NOT KNOWING THE ACTUAL TRAVELING SPEED OF THE VEHICLE WILL CERTAINLY LEAD TO TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES IF THIS HAS NOT ALREADY HAPPENED. I'VE NOW HAD TWO ESTIMATES TO REPAIR THE SPEEDOMETER. THE FIRST ESTIMATE WAS IN 12/2004 AND THE ESTIMATE WAS $1,000.00+ AND APPROXIMATELY 6 WEEKS IN THE SHOP. THE 2ND ESTIMATE WAS IN 12/2006 BY AN OUT OF STATE DEALER (WHO SAYS HE GETS ONE NEW REPAIR DAILY) AND THE COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $500 BUT IT WOULD TAKE SEVERAL DAYS TO DETERMINE WHAT COMPONENT PART WAS NEEDED AND SINCE I WAS TRAVELING INTERSTATE ON A YEAR END VACATION I COULDN'T WAIT FOR THE REPAIR. THIS DEALER SUGGESTED SOMEONE SHOULD CONTACT YOUR OFFICE BECAUSE THEY FELT A NON-OPERATIONAL SPEEDOMETER WAS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE INJURY OR DEATH. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO. WHILE DRIVING THE SPEEDOMETER WILL GIVE FAULTY READINGS. AT ONE POINT, CONTACT WAS DRIVING 25 MPH AND THE SPEEDOMETER READ 120 MPH. IN ORDER TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP GIVING FAULTY READINGS CONTACT HAS TO STOP THE VEHICLE, SHUT IT OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE, THIS PROCEDURE ONLY FIXED THE PROBLEM TEMPORARILY. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY STATED THAT THEY COULD'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK