NHTSA Complaint #10157580 — 2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO

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