NHTSA Complaint #10228295 — 2004 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN

IN RESEARCHING ONLINE I'VE NOTICED THIS ON MANY DIFFERENT CHEVY 2004 MODELS. THE TACHOMETER, FUEL GAGE, AND SPEEDOMETER ARE WHAT I NOTICED PROBLEMS WITH AND WHAT OTHERS HAVE SEEN PROBLEMS WITH THOUGH THE SPEEDOMETER IS THE MOST PREVALENTLY NOTICED ITEM. THE GAUGE MOTORS ARE NOT STEPPING BACK DOWN WHEN RPMS, SPEED, OR FUEL LEVELS DROP THUS LEADING DRIVERS TO RESPOND IN POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WAYS. IN MY OWN CASE I ALMOST CAUSED A PILE UP WHEN I THOUGHT I HAD LOST MY SENSES AND APPLIED MY BRAKES A LITTLE HARDER THAN I SHOULD HAVE, ALMOST LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND CERTAINLY AGITATED THE DRIVERS BEHIND ME WHEN THEY ALMOST HIT MY VEHICLE. I DON'T TYPICALLY GET THIS PROBLEM AS I TYPICALLY DRIVE LESS THAN 10 MILES A DAY. WHEN I DO HAVE TO DRIVE MORE THAN 60 MILES I TEND TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED TO BE MORE PREVALENT IN COLD CONDITIONS WHICH FITS WITH THE EXPLANATION I HAVE HAD THAT IT IS THE HOUSING OF THE GEAR MOTORS BREAKING DOWN AND JAMMING THE GAUGE GEARS IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. A PROBLEM WITH THE PLASTIC USED IN THE HOUSING OF THE GEAR MAGNETS; "THE PROBLEM LIES WITH THE PLASTIC MATERIAL THAT HOLDS THE PERMANENT MAGNET FOR THE ROTOR OF THE STEPPER MOTOR." NOW THAT I AM AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND HAVE ASKED AROUND ABOUT FIXES I HAVE TO STOP THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY AND TURN IT OFF. FROM THERE I HAVE TO TURN THE KEY ENOUGH TO BRING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL MOMENTARILY ON AND THEN BACK OFF. IT STEPS THE TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, AND FUEL GAUGE BACK DOWN, (BIT BY BIT WITH EACH TURN OF THE KEY) WHICHEVER IS HAVING THE PROBLEM. THIS SOLUTION HAS BEEN REPORTED TO STOP WORKING AS THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST ESTIMATE OF OVER $450 FROM A PRIVATE SHOP AND AT OVER $800 FROM THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP. A GPS FOR SPEED AND A LOG BOOK W/ CALCULATOR CAN GET TWO OF THE THREE SOLVED FOR ME AT A PRICE OF LESS THAN $200; IT'S JUST NOT SAFE TO BE WRITING LOG BOOK ENTRIES WHILE I'M DRIVING. *TR