NHTSA Complaint #10390708 — 2004 BUICK RAINIER

I BOUGHT THIS CAR MONDAY AND THE DEALER STATED IT HAD ALL SCHEDULED SERVICE, INCLUDING THE 130K MILE SERVICE ON FEBRUARY 26, 2011. WE DROVE AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE CAR SEEMED TO DRIVE BEAUTIFULLY, AND APPEARED TO BE IMMACULATELY MAINTAINED. UNTIL I DROVE TO WORK THIS MORNING, AND THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED GOING HIGHER AND HIGHER, REACHING 80 MPH, EVEN THOUGH I HAD SLOWED DOWN AND PULLED OVER. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND RESTARTED IT. IT APPEARED NORMAL FOR THE FIRST 30 MPH, THEN STUCK AT 40, EVEN THOUGH I WAS FOLLOWING TRAFFIC IN A 70 MPH ZONE. IT STAYED AT 40 MPH, EVEN AFTER THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER HAS BEEN A KNOWN PROBLEM IN GM CARS, AND WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN CORRECTED AS THE RESULT OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. THERE ARE SEVERAL TSBS RELATED TO THE SPEEDOMETER, GAS GAUGES, OR OTHER INSTRUMENTS IN THIS CLUSTER. I FIND IT UNFORGIVABLE THAT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION HAS ALLOWED AN UNSAFE CONDITION EXIST IN VIRTUALLY AN ENTIRE BRAND OF CARS FOR OVER 7 YEARS AND HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES. THIS ALLOWED THE DEALER TO SELL THE CAR, KNOWING ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT NOT REQUIRED BY LAW, TO DISCLOSE IT. AND SHOULD I BE ON THE HIGHWAY, DRIVING ALONG AT 90 MPH, WHEN MY SPEEDOMETER SAYS 60, NOBODY IS SAFE. NOT ME, NOT THE OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD, CERTAINLY NOT PEDESTRIANS, SINCE THE BRAKING DISTANCE IS OBVIOUSLY FAR LONGER THAN MY SPEEDOMETER LEADS ME TO BELIEVE IT IS. HOW MANY MILLIONS OF DEFECTIVE VEHICLES HAVE BEEN PLACED ON THE ROAD IN THE LAST 7 YEARS? HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOUR 5 YEAR-OLD RODE A BICYCLE INTO THE STREET AS I DROVE BY? THINKING I WAS GOING 30, BUT REALLY GOING 60? THIS ISN'T JUST AN INCONVENIENCE, IT IS A FATALITY WAITING TO HAPPEN. YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY, AND THE MORAL RESPONSIBILITY, TO FIX IT. RECALL THESE CARS BEFORE SOMEBODY DIES. *TR