2003 Chevrolet Suburban 1500

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500. HE STATED THAT ON NOVEMBER OF 2009 WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, HE NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER WAS FAILING. THE SPEEDOMETER BEGAN TO INCREASE AND DECREASE IN SPEED UNTIL IT STOPPED WORKING. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DIAGNOSIS LOCATED THE FAILURE AS THE CLUSTER PROGRAM. THE DEALER REPLACED THE CLUSTER PROGRAM. THE COST FOR REPAIR WAS $500.00. THE MANUFACTURER TOOK A REPORT AND STATED THAT THEY WILL NOT ASSIST WITH THE REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000 THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 106,000.

WHILE DRIVING IN A 45MPH ZONE, I CHECKED MY SPEEDOMETER AS I PASSED A POLICE OFFICER AND IT READ 75MPH SO I IMMEDIATELY HIT THE BRAKES TO SLOW. I DIDN'T THINK I WAS SPEEDING AS I WAS GOING WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I DISCOVERED THE DEFAULT POSITION OF THE GAUGE WAS 30MPH. EVENTUALLY THE SPEEDOMETER WAS FULLY PEGGED AT 120+ MPH. I DISCUSSED THE FAILURE WITH COLLEAGUES AT WORK AND TWO INDEPENDENT MECHANICS AND I DISCOVERED 1) THE PROBLEM IS COMMON IN GMC TRUCKS IN MODEL YEARS 2002-2006 AND 2) THE ONLY WAY TO CORRECT IT IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL AT A COST OF APPROX. $700. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD FOR TWO REASONS: FIRST, THE FAILURE IS INSIDIOUS AND CAN CAUSE AN OVERREACTION (ONE CASE II KNOW OF WHERE SOMEONE WAS PULLING A BOAT TRAILER ON A WET ROAD, LOOKED DOWN AND SAW 90MPH, HIT THE BRAKES AND SKIDDED OFF THE HIGHWAY), AND SECOND, BECAUSE OF THE HIGH COST OF REPAIR FOR OLDER VEHICLES OWNERS (AS I AM) WILL BE HESITANT TO SPEND THE MONEY TO FIX ONE INDICATOR NEEDLE. THANK YOU FOR ASSISTANCE. *TR

THE SPEEDOMETER ON OUR 2003 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN RANDOMLY STOPS WORKING. WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS A DEFECT AND THAT IT WILL ONLY BE REPLACED BY CHEVROLET IF THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 70,000 MILES. OUR SUBURBAN HAS 85,000 MILES ON IT. SINCE IT IS A DEFECT IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER, AND NOT BECAUSE OF WEAR AND TEAR, CHEVROLET SHOULD REPLACE IT FREE OF CHARGE. WE CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THE $550+ TO HAVE IT REPLACED SO WE WILL DRIVE IT WITHOUT THE SPEEDOMETER WORKING, WHICH IS UNSAFE. *TR

SPEEDOMETER ON OUR 2003 SUBURBAN QUIT WORKING BACK IN MARCH 2008 WITH APPROXIMATELY 106,000 MILES ON IT. (IT NOW HAS 110,000 MILES) THE SPEEDOMETER WENT UP TO 120 WHEN WE WERE GOING APPROX. 40 MPH AND THEN IT STUCK DOWN PAST 160 AND HAS NET MOVED SINCE. SO FAR I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND A RECALL NOTICE FROM CHEVROLET/GM. WE HAVE OWNED MANY DIFFERENT MAKES OF CARS ALONG WITH ANOTHER SUBURBAN WITH MANY MORE MILES THAN THIS ONE AND THE SPEEDOMETERS NEVER STOPPED WORKING. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD COST OVER $600 TO FIX AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY YET. SEARCHING ON-LINE, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM THAT GM IS NOT WILLING TO FIX AS MANY, MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THIS SAME PROBLEM. *TR