Complaint 582064

Complaint Summary

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Owner Narrative

FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE NO REASON AT ALL, THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE WILL GO 'BALLISTIC', REGISTERING HIGHER THAN TRAVELING SPEED, AND OCCASIONALLY EVEN PEGGING OUT. "OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, IT WILL THEN DROP BACK TO NORMAL OPERATION. THIS PHENOMENON WILL OCCUR IN WARM OR COOL TEMPERATURES, WITHIN 5 MILES OF STARTING, OR WELL INTO A LONGER DISTANCE OF TRAVEL. UPON INQUIRY AT SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS (I AM A FULL-TIME DRIVER AND TRAVEL A LOT), I HAVE HEARD VARIOUS REASONS FOR THIS OCCURRENCE, THE MOST PROMINENT HAVING TO DO WITH THE CLUSTER IN THE DASH, AND THE 'CURE' DEPENDS UPON THE PERSON TO WHOM I AM SPEAKING. AT ONE DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD PARTS WERE ON BACKORDER FOR 7 WEEKS. AT ANOTHER I WAS TOLD I WOULD HAVE TO PARK THE TRUCK AND WAIT FOR A THIRD-PARTY REPAIR SERVICE TO DO THAT WORK. I WOULD BE UNABLE TO MOVE THE VEHICLE WHILE WAITING, AS THE MILEAGE WOULD HAVE TO BE RE-PROGRAMMED INTO THE REPAIRED CLUSTER. WAITING TIME FOR THAT WAS ESTIMATED AT 4-6 WEEKS! (AS STATED, I RV FULL TIME, AND THIS IS MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION.) CUSTOMER SERVICE AT GM GIVES THE IMPRESSION THAT OURS' IS AN ISOLATED SITUATION (EXPLAIN THAT 7-WEEK BACKORDER AT THE DEALERSHIP TO ME AGAIN!), AND THEREFORE MUST BE OF LITTLE CONSEQUENCE TO THEM! I AM CONCERNED FROM THE SAFETY STANDPOINT, AS IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW WHAT ONE'S SPEED IS. (GOING TOO SLOWLY CAN BE AS DANGEROUS AS GOING TO FAST--I FEAR BEING REAR-ENDED AS MUCH AS ANYTHING!) THERE MUST BE MORE FOLKS OUT THERE WHO HAVE NOT COMPLAINED, TO ACCOUNT FOR THE LENGTHY WAIT INVOLVED IN GETTING A SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP. *NM

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.