NHTSA Complaint #10176113 — 2004 GMC YUKON

I PURCHASED A 2004 GMC YUKON, IN 2005. OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS OR SO, MY SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN ACTING ERRATICALLY - WHEN IT IS HOT OR HUMID THE SPEEDOMETER STARTS TO JUMP A LITTLE THEN STARTS TO REGISTER A HIGHER SPEED THAN I AM MOVING. FOR EXAMPLE: I WAS SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT AND MY SPEEDOMETER READ 90 MPH. I NOTICED THAT WHEN I WOULD TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND REPEATEDLY START UP AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, THE SPEEDOMETER READING WOULD REDUCE BY APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH AT A TIME, WHICH MEANS I HAD TO START UP AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE 18 OR MORE TIMES FOR IT TO RETURN TO 0. THIS HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL GMC DEALER REPAIR DEPARTMENT WHO KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS GOING ON - EVIDENTLY THIS IS QUITE THE COMMON THING WITH THESE TRUCKS AND OTHERS - AND TOLD ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL REPLACED. PRICING AROUND $375 FOR THE PART AND ANOTHER $100 OR SO FOR INSTALLATION. I HAVE INVESTIGATED COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET FOR THIS PROBLEM, WITH GM VEHICLES, AND THERE ARE FAR TOO NUMEROUS OUT THERE FOR THIS TO BE A SINGLE INCIDENT. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A DEFECT. IN MY OPINION, GM SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR WITH A RECALL. I CAN SEE WHERE IT WOULD DEFINITELY CAUSE ALARM AS FAR AS A SAFETY CONCERN. FORTUNATELY I HAVE NOT HAD AN INCIDENT YET, BUT DEFINITELY FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO FURTHER. I JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT I ALSO SAW ON AN INTERNET WEBSITE FOR LAWYERS THAT THEY ARE GATHERING COMPLAINTS TOGETHER FOR A CLASS ACTION SUIT AGAINST GM. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO REPORT THIS FOR INVESTIGATION FIRST. *JB