NHTSA Complaint #10471675 — 2005 BUICK RAINIER

THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEGUN REGISTERING SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER SPEEDS THAN THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING. AT ONE POINT, A GPS DEVICE IN THE VEHICLE INDICATED A SPEED OF 55, AND THE SPEEDOMETER FOR THE VEHICLE REGISTERED MORE THAN 100 MPH. IN OTHER CASES, WHEN STANDING STILL, THE SPEEDOMETER SHOWED A SPEED OF 35 MPH. SUBSEQUENTLY, AND INTERMITTENTLY, THE SPEEDOMETER WORKS CORRECTLY, AND THEN REVERTS TO DEFECTIVE MODE. GM ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THAT THE COST OF REPAIR WOULD HAVE TO BE BORNE BY THE VEHICLE OWNER, EVEN IF IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. A GM DEALER IN VERMONT INDICATED THAT THE ENTIRE "BUNDLE" FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. WHEN GIVEN THE OK TO PROCEED, THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT NEW BUNDLES WERE NO LONGER AVAILABLE, AND REBUILT BUNDLES WOULD HAVE TO BE USED - AND NONE WERE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE. THEY SUGGESTED LEAVING THE VEHICLE, REMOVING THE BUNDLE AND SENDING IT AWAY FOR REBUILDING, AND THEN INSTALLING IT BACK INTO THE VEHICLE. I DECLINED THAT OFFER. THE DEFECTIVE SPEEDOMETER PROBLEM CONTINUES TODAY, AND I HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT THE UNAVAILABILITY OF NEW BUNDLES, IF CORRECT, MEANS THAT THIS IS LIKELY A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AND POTENTIALLY MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. *TR