NHTSA Complaint #10253323 — 2004 CHEVROLET TAHOE

INSTRUMENT PANEL MALFUNCTIONS BY STICKING WHILE DRIVING AND NOT RETURNING TO ZERO WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED OFF. IN ORDER TO GET THE SPEEDOMETER TO ZERO OUT YOU HAVE TO TURN THE CAR ON AND OFF UNTIL THE NEEDLE DROPS TO ZERO. OTHER TIMES THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILS TO REGISTER ANY VALUES. I CALLED CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER THEY REFERRED ME TO THE DEALERSHIP WHICH WANTS TO CHARGE ME $ 500 FOR THE PART AND AN AMOUNT TO BE DETERMINED IN LABOR ($200-300) TO REPLACE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN DEFECT FOR MODEL YEARS 2003-2007. SEVERAL COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN FILED IN COURT. NORTHERN DISTRICT OF CA. ONE SUCH MATTER. HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF DEFECTIVE INSTRUMENT PANELS HAVE BEEN CITED BY THE CASE FILING AND THE LISTING ON SEVERAL PUBLIC WEBSITES THAT INCLUDE THE NHTSA WEBSITE. THE NHTSA CITES IN REPORTS THAT IN 2005 30% OF ACCIDENTS LEADING TO FATALITIES ARE SPEED RELATED CRASHES; THE SAME REFERENCE LISTS 13,113 LIVES WERE LOST. CONSIDERING THIS ASSESSMENT BY THE NHTSA - I FIND THIS MATTER NOT SUBJECT TO FULL RECALL OR FURTHER DETAILED INVESTIGATION AN ALARMING ISSUE. DUE TO THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BEING A VITAL MEASURING DEVICE FOR THE OPERATOR THIS BECOMES A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY AND CONCERN FOR ALL CONSUMERS WHO ARE ON ROADS WHERE THESE VEHICLES ARE USED NOT JUST THE OWNERS. *TR