NHTSA Complaint #10235507 — 2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE

I PURCHASED A 2003 CADILLAC ESCALADE ON 02/11/06. AT THE TIME IT HAD AROUND 64000 MILES ON IT. A FEW MONTHS LATER THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED JUMPING AROUND BUT IT WOULD GO BACK TO NORMAL. AFTER A WHILE IT WOULD STAY STUCK FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND THEN GO BACK TO NORMAL. IN JULY 2007 IT WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AT ALL WHEN WE WENT ON VACATION IN FLORIDA BUT WHILE WE WERE THERE IT STARTED WORKING PROPERLY AGAIN. IT WORKED FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AFTER THAT AND THEN IT STARTED STICKING AGAIN AND STAYED ON 120 MPH WHETHER IT WAS MOVING OR NOT. WE WERE TOLD THAT BECAUSE WE HAD OVER 70,000 MILES IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. WE RECEIVED A LETTER STATING THAT GM WOULD REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER UNDER 80,000 MILES BUT SINCE NOW WE HAVE 95,000 MILES AND THEY WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. WE WILL HAVE TO PAY THE EXPENSE TO HAVE IT REPAIRED WHICH WILL BE BETWEEN $500 OR $600. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE AND IT IS WIDESPREAD AND AFTER RESEARCHING THE PROBLEM IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MILEAGE. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING DONE FOR OWNERS NO MATTER HOW MANY MILES ARE ON THE VEHICLE. WE HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM ON ANOTHER AUTOMOBILE. IT IS CLEARLY A DEFECT WHICH SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY GM AT THEIR EXPENSE. *TR