NHTSA Complaint #10599158 — 2005 BUICK RENDEZVOUS

WHILE TRAVELING FROM UTAH TO IOWA ON INTERSTATE 80 WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET AT ROADWAY SPEED. AFTER SOME TIME THE SPEEDOMETER KEPT CLIMBING WHILE THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE DECREASED. AFTER STOPPING AT A REST AREA THE SPEEDOMETER NEVER MOVED. IT WAS JUST STUCK AT APPROXIMATELY 112 MPH. LUCKILY WE WERE GIVEN A GPS WITH SPEEDOMETER BUILT IN AS A GIFT. LEAVING THE REST STOP, WE CONTINUED OUR JOURNEY, AND BY THE TIME WE MADE IT TO IOWA THE SPEEDOMETER GAUGE WAS FACING STRAIGHT DOWN WHETHER WE WERE STOPPED OR DRIVING ROAD SPEEDS. WE DID NOT TAKE IT TO A DEALERSHIP IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE WE HAVE THREE SMALL CHILDREN AND AFTER SITTING IN THE CAR THAT LONG, WE COULD NOT JUSTIFY SITTING AT A DEALERSHIP FOR HOURS ON END. AROUND FIVE DAYS AFTER ARRIVING IN IOWA, THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED WORKING AGAIN. THIS GREATLY CONFUSED ME, BECAUSE WHEN SOMETHING BREAKS ON A VEHICLE, IT TENDS TO STAY BROKEN. ON OUR TRAVELS BACK TO UTAH THE SAMETHING HAPPENED TO THE SPEEDOMETER, SO AS SOON AS WE ARRIVED IN UTAH, I DROPPED MY SPOUSE AND CHILDREN OFF AT HOME, AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. I EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM AND MY SITUATION AND THEY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION OF A LOOSE OR BROKEN CONNECTION DEEP BEHIND THE DASH. HERE IS THE "KICKER", ACCORDING TO THEM THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THIS SAID PROBLEM AND THAT IT WOULD COST $600 TO FIX. AS I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE IT WAS PURCHASED AS IS FROM A DEALERSHIP IN IOWA. I UNFORTUNATELY DO NOT HAVE $600 TO SPEND TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. WE NOW HAVE 86,365 MILES ON A VEHICLE THAT THE SPEEDOMETER NO LONGER WORKS. I CANNOT SEE HOW IT IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL, BUT I AM NOT IN BIG BUSINESS. SO I FEEL I AM TAKING THE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO FIX THE PROBLEM FOR NOT ONLY MYSELF, BUT ALL THE OTHERS' COMMENTS THAT I HAVE READ. *TR