2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO Electrical Systemwiringinteriorunder Dash Problems

NOVEMBER 10, 2007, I WROTE THE FOLLOWING LETTER TO: GENERAL MOTORS 100 RENAISSANCE CENTER P.O. BOX 100 DETROIT, MI 48265-1000 CERTIFIED MAIL NUMBER: 7007 1490 0000 9298 4767 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I HAVE RECEIVED YOUR LETTER REGARDING THE 2004 MODEL YEAR CHEVROLET SILVERADO WHEREBY GENERAL MOTORS IS PROVIDING EXTENDED WARRANTY ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. GENERAL MOTORS WROTE: "THIS LETTER IS INTENDED TO MAKE YOU AWARE THAT YOUR VEHICLE COULD DEVELOP A CONDITION WHERE ONE OR MORE OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGE NEEDLES MAY STICK, FLUTTER, OR BECOME INOPERATIVE." HOWEVER, GENERAL MOTORS ALSO WROTE: "IF THE CONDITION OCCURS ON YOUR 2004 MODEL YEAR CHEVROLET SILVERAD WITHIN 7 YEARS OF THE DATE YOUR VEHICLE WAS ORIGINALLY PLACED IN SERVICE OR 70,000 MILES, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST, THE CONDITION WILL BE REPAIRED FOR YOU AT NO CHARGE." FRANKLY, I FIND THE MILEAGE RESTRICTION LUDICROUS! EITHER THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS DEFECTIVE OR IT...

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SPEEDOMETER BECAME INOPERABLE. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.

AFTER 15 MONTHS OF OPERATION, THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED ACTING STRANGELY AND FINALLY FAILING COMPLETELY AFTER 18 MONTHS. THE VEHICLE WAS WELL UNDER WARRANTY. TOOK IT IN AND THE DEALER SAID THAT THEY HAD TO BACKORDER AND THE NEW SPEEDOMETER WOULD BE IN WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. THAT WAS 5 MONTHS AGO. STILL NO RESOLVE TO THE PROBLEM. I HAVEN'T HAD A SPEEDOMETER IN 5 MONTHS. WHEN I COMPLAINED TO GM, THEY SAID THEY WOULD GIVE ME 12,000 MILES AND/OR 1 YEAR EXTRA OF WARRANTY. WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IS THEY STARTED THE 12MOS / 12,000 MILES AT THAT PARTICULAR MOMENT WHICH DECREASES MY ORIGINALLY WARRANTY BY 1 MONTH AND 4500 MILES. *NM

MY SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE STARTED TO STICK ON A HIGHER SPEED AND NOT COME DOWN. IT WOULD RETURN TO ZERO IF I STARTED AND STOPPED THE ENGINE MULTIPLE TIMES. THIS CONDITION GRADUALLY WORSENED UNTIL IT WAS STUCK ON "PEGGED", EVEN WHEN PARKED. I HAD NO IDEA HOW FAST I WAS GOING. ALSO, THE SPEED CONTROL WOULD NOT ENGAGE. I HAD TO STOP THE VEHICLE AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE, THEN PROCEED BEFORE IT WOULD WORK AGAIN. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER FOR THE SPEEDOMETER. THEY WERE AWARE OF THE SPEEDOMETER PROBLEM AND ONE PERSON INSINUATED IT WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. THEY REPLACE THE "CLUSTER" (?). THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO HAVE THE OLD PARTS AND CHARGED ME $450.00! I SPEAK FOR MYSELF AND OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM,"WE NEED HELP!" *NM

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ON 2004 CHEVROLET 2500 HD STARTS GOING OUT AND THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER CANNOT BE DEPENDED ON. WHEN THIS IS HAPPENING AND YOU HAVE THE CRUISE CONTROL ON WHO KNOWS HOW FAST YOU ARE REALLY GOING. I FEEL THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL SINCE CHEVY HAS THEM DESIGNED TO WHERE THEY GENERALLY GO OUT JUST AS THE WARRANTY GOES OUT. WHY SHOULD WE WAIT UNTIL THIS CAUSES A WRECK. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING WITHOUT WARNING. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO BE CHECKED. THEY DETERMINED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL WAS FAULTY. THIS CAUSED THE SPEEDOMETER TO MALFUNCTION. HE CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER, AND THEY APPROVED THE REPAIRS TO BE MADE WITHOUT COST TO THE CONTACT. *AK

TRAILER BRAKE WIRING HARNESS. I RECENTLY PURCHASED A TRAILER WHICH REQUIRED A ELECTRONIC BRAKE. AFTER HAVING THE BRAKING SYSTEM INSTALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE TRAILER I WAS INFORMED OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKING HARNESS ON THE VEHICLE. I THEN CALLED THE DEALER FOR MORE INFORMATION, THEY RECOMMENDED I TAKE IT TO ANOTHER TRAILER DEALER AND HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THAT'S WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT THE WIRING HARNESS WAS ONLY RECEIVING 4 VOLTS, THE BRAKING SYSTEM REQUIRES 12 VOLTS. *JB

THE CONNECTOR TO THE FAN BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR BURNED UP AND MELTED ON MY 2004 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE TECHNICIAN THAT WORKED ON THIS VEHICLE SAID THAT THE CONNECTOR SHORTED OUT, CAUSING THE RESISTOR PLUG TO BURN UP. HE ALSO STATED THAT THIS WAS COMMON IN CERTAIN GM VEHICLES. CHEVROLET SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM.*AK

THE DASH BOARD CLUSTER WENT OUT AND THE TRUCK IS ONLY A YEAR OLD, THE EXPENSE AND THE DELAY IN GETTING IT FIXED DUE TO THE BACK LOG OF CLUSTERS NEEDING REPAIRED. IT TOOK SEVEN DAYS FOR THE PART TO COME IN.*AK

VEHICLE SHIFTED VERY HARD, AND THERE WAS AN INCIDENT OF SHUTTING DOWN. ALSO, DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLASHED ON AND OFF. DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK