2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN Electrical System Problems

This defect pertains to gear indicator on the instrument panel. During the daylight hours the light indicating the gear the car is in (park, neutral, drive, etc.) is impossible to read. At night you can just barely read the gear indicators. The dimness of the lights behind this gear indicator gauge is a safety hazard because you cannot tell what gear you are in during the day. It is an expensive repair because the instrument panel needs to be removed to fix the problem.

Started with driver side heated seat randomly turning on and off. Going from high, medium, low. No way to turn it off just comes back on. Can hear clicking coming from under dash. Lift gate wiring that goes into body, ground wire burnt. (Replaced) but ground wire has power. (Wiring issue) so rear wiper doesn’t work. “Reading” Lamps only work when door is open. After replacing life gate connector, says lift gate open. Started the repair, which leads to more wiring issues! Needs a recall! Unsafe

Heated seats randomly turn on and off and goes thorugh the diffeent levels of heat and then off and then back on repeat for hours while driving and is very distracting as have to turn off every 10 sec and have almost crashed multiple times taking me eyes off the road but have to turn off as heat is too much in summer months, this is a known issue in almost ever suburban 01 to 05, how is this not a recall yet, there is massive amount of documentation of this issue online.

THE WIRING FOR THE LIGHTERS, POWER PORTS AND COMPUTER LINK MELTED. IT'S ALL PART OF THE UNDER-DASH WIRING HARNESS.

DRIVER SIDE SEAT HEATER RANDOMLY COMES ON AND GOES OFF. MAJORITY OF THE TIME THE HEATER STAYS ON CONSTANTLY AND BECOMES UNCOMFORTABLE. THIS HAPPENS MORE ESPECIALLY IN WET CONDITIONS AND WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO TURN THE HEATED SEAT OFF, THE CONTROLS WON'T WORK. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS WHEN THE SUV IS STARTED, CONTINUES WHILE IDLING AND WHILE DRIVING. SOME DAYS IT IS HOURS BEFORE IT WILL GO OFF. OTHER DAYS IT WILL NOT GO OFF. THE SCARY THING IS YOU CAN HEAR THE DASHBOARD CLICKING WHEN THE HEATER TURNS ON AND OFF, CONSTANTLY CYCLING THOUGH HIGH TO LOW, BACK OF SEAT TO BOTTOM OF THE SEAT. ADJUSTING THE SEAT IN ANY WAY DOES NOT HELP. I THINK THIS IS A CONCERN DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT TURNS OFF AND ON AND YOU CAN HEAR IT CYCLE THROUGH. IT'S ALSO A MAJOR CONCERN BECAUSE THE HEAT STAYS ON WITHOUT ANY WAY...

AT APPROXIMATELY 4 YEARS AND 45,000 MILES AFTER PURCHASE OF MY 2005 SUBURBAN, THE TACHOMETER BEGAN FAILING WITH INTERMITTENT LOW READINGS OR NO READING. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE TACHOMETER ISN'T REALLY VERY USEFUL FOR AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION VEHICLE, I WAS NOT OVERLY CONCERNED AND I DID NOT BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR DUE TO THE ANTICIPATED HIGH EXPENSE. SHORTLY AFTER THE TACHOMETER FAILURE (ABOUT 55,000 MILES) THE GAS GAUGE BEGAN FAILING WITH ERRATIC READINGS. ULTIMATELY THE BEHAVIOR DEGRADED TO A PEGGED COUNTER CLOCKWISE CONDITION WHERE THE READING NOW STAYS AT ALL TIMES. ALTHOUGH INCONVENIENT, THE 'MILES TO EMPTY' INFORMATION DISPLAY SEEMED TO CONTINUE TO WORK NORMALLY AND I DECIDED I COULD USE THAT METHOD INSTEAD OF HAVING A REPAIR PERFORMED. I'VE BEEN USING THAT METHOD EVER SINCE WITHOUT ANY ISSUES, BUT I TEND TO BE CONSERVATIVE AND FILL UP BEFORE I COME CLOSE TO...

ATTEMPTED TO LOCK THE VEHICLE USING THE KEY FOB - ALL FOUR DOORS LOCKED - THE REAR HATCH DID NOT - TRIED THE KEY FOB SEVERAL MORE TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULT - OPENED THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND USED THE MANUAL LOCK BUTTON - GOT THE SAME RESULT, THE FOUR DOORS LOCKED BUT NOT THE REAR HATCH - FOR MY 2005 MODEL, AND FOR SEVERAL MODEL YEARS OTHER THAN MY 2005, I READ MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM ON THIS WEBSITE PRIOR TO SENDING THIS - AND MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE PROBLEM, NAMELY, THE REAR HATCH DOOR LOCKS AND CANNOT BE OPENED - THERE IS NO KEY HOLE IN THE DOOR, ONLY THE KEY FOB OPERATES LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THE DOOR - OBVIOUSLY A DESIGN PROBLEM THAT YOU OUGHT TO ISSUE A RECALL ON - AND, READ MANY, MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER OVER MANY MODEL YEARS...

MY SPEEDOMETER RECENTLY STARTED MALFUNCTIONING. IT READ 20MPH WHEN I WAS DRIVING AT LEAST 50MPH, THEN IT READ 90+MPH WHEN I WAS ACTUALLY DRIVING 30MPH. FINALLY, MY SPEEDOMETER GAVE OUT AND IS "STUCK" IN THE 120+MPH POSITION. THANKFULLY, I HAVE A GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEM THAT HAS A GAUGE ON IT SO I KNOW MY RATE OF SPEED. I CONTACTED GM AND THEY REFUSED TO REMEDY THIS "WIDESPREAD" PROBLEM. THEY SAID THAT MY "SPECIAL COVERAGE" HAS ENDED (REFERRING TO THE 2008 CLASS ACTION SUIT THAT PROMPTED IT). I AM VERY UPSET! I HAVE READ MANY, MANY FORUMS AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE. MY MECHANIC SAYS THEY REPLACE THEM "ALL THE TIME" AND CHARGES $700-$1,000 TO FIX IT. IN MY OPINION, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PANEL. I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY GM WON'T STEP UP AND FIX IT FREE OF CHARGE. *TR

OUR SPEEDOMETER JUST ALL OF A SUDDEN STOPPED WORKING,FROM TIME TO TIME IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS WORKING BUT IT IS NOT GOING THE SPEED THAT IT SAYS. SINCE THIS STARTED OUR OIL GAUGE,AND NOW FUEL GAUGE HAS STOPPED WORKING. *TR

ON AUGUST 3RD, 2012 MY 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 1500 FIRST SHOWED SIGNS OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER FAILING. THE TACHOMETER SHOWED A READING OF 5,000 RPMS WITH THE ENGINE IDLING. THIS CONTINUED FOR A FEW DAYS AND THEN SEEMED TO GO BACK TO NORMAL. ABOUT A WEEK LATER THE SPEEDOMETER BEGAN TO INDICATE INCORRECT READINGS. BY SEPTEMBER 6TH, 2012 I HAD NOTICED IT WOULD SOMETIMES SHOW A SPEED OF 120 MPH WHILE GOING AN ACTUAL SPEED 50 MPH OR SOMETIMES SHOW 29 MPH WHILE GOING 50 MPH. FOR A WHILE IT WAS MOVING THE NEEDLE BELOW 0MPH. I CAN NO LONGER RELY ON THE GAUGES OF THIS VEHICLE WITH ONLY 65,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

HEATING, VENTILATION, AND AIR CONDITIONING BLOWER NOT FULLY FUNCTIONAL ON ALL BLOWER SPEEDS, RUNS CONTINUOUSLY WITH THE IGNITION OFF. DISCHARGES BATTERY WITH IGNITION KEYS REMOVED, AND HAS A BURNING SMELL. *TR

I WENT TO WASHINGTON AUTO SHOW TODAY 2/4/2012 AND ONE OF YOUR REP GAVE ME A CARD ABOUT YOUR SERVICE. I CAME HOME AND CHECK OUT YOUR WEBSITE AND FOUND OUT YOU HAVE BEEN RECEIVING COMPLAINTS ABOUT INSTRUMENT PANEL OF CHEVY SUBURBAN. I BOUGHT A 2005 CHEVY SUBURBAN IN MARCH 2005 FROM WIN KELLY CHEVORLET IN CLARKSVILLE, MD. ABOUT MIDDLE OF LAST YEAR I NOTICED THAT MY SPEEDOMETER IS ALWAYS STUCK, RUNNING HIGH THAN THE SPEED I AM DRIVING AND JUST EXACTLY AS BEING DESCRIBED BY OTHER OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES. WHAT IS THE DEPARTMENT DOING TO HELP WITH THIS MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT AND HAVE IT CORRECTED RATHER THAN WE CONSUMERS BEING SADDLED WITH UNEXPECTED REPAIR COST? *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN.THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER, FUEL AND OIL GAUGES FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 69,000.

INSTRUMENT PANEL - CLUSTER DEVICE -- PANEL/ SPEEDOMETER WENT DEAD. GM SERVICE DEALER TOLD US, " THE ENTIRE TRUCK COULD DIE AND STOP WORKING AS A RESULT. " *TR

IN ,MAY 2009 MY SPEEDO WAS OUT OF WHACK SAYS IM DRIVING 100MPH DOWN STREET, BURIED AT 120MPH ON HIGHWAY. CAME BACK TO LIFE LATER BUT NOW ITS HIT OR MISS IF IT WORKS. I HAVE TO USE MY MAGELLAN FOR SPEEDO NOW AND CHEVY DEALER SAID IF I WAS UNDER 70K THEY COULD FIX IT FOR FREE BUT SINCE IM AT 85K AND THEY SAY I HAVE TO PAY IN FULL (APPROX $750.00) AND CHEVY NEVER TOLD ME ABOUT THIS I LEARNED OF THE PROBLEM FROM A FRIEND. *TR

ERRATIC SPEEDOMETER...OFTEN THE NEEDLE STICKS AT 120 MPH WHEN ONLY GOING ABOUT 30...SOMETIMES AT 40 WHEN ACTUALLY NOT MOVING AT A STOPLIGHT. IT READS ERRATICALLY ALL OF THE TIME. STARTED ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO (75,000 MILES). VERY COSTLY TO REPAIR, SO I KEEP MY PORTABLE GPS RUNNING TO GET ACTUAL SPEED. *TR

AS I HAVE READ THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM. MY SPEEDOMETER ON OUR 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 67,000 MILES QUIT WORKING. ON A LONG TRIP IT WOULD ONLY SHOW 45-60 MPH. I KNOW I WAS GOING ALOT FASTER. WHEN I ACCELERATED IT WOULD SLOWLY JUMP UP TO SPEED. SEVERAL TIMES THE OIL PRESSURE GAUGE WAS AFFECTED ALSO. WE HAD THE CLUSTER REPLACED AT THE DEALERSHIP. LUCKILY WE HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. IN MY OPINION THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN FROM DEC 08 UNTIL MAY OF 09 IT HAPPENED 10 TIMES. *TR

ERRATIC SPEEDOMETER... SAYS THE VEHICLE IS MOVING 120 MPH WHEN IN A VILLAGE AND 30 ON THE HIGHWAY... IT READS ERRATICALLY ALL OF THE TIME. STARTED ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO (78,000 MILES) THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. IS CHEVROLET GOING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM? I HAVE READ NUMEROUS SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. *TR

MY OIL PRESSURE GAUGE STARTED READING "0" IN NOVEMBER 2008 BUT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY OIL. (MILEAGE APPROX. 49,000) I CHECK IT OFTEN AND HAVE THE OIL CHANGED REGULARLY. IN FEBRUARY 2009 MY SPEEDOMETER STARTED REGISTERING INACCURATELY. FIRST, IT WOULD SAY I WAS GOING 40 MPH AT A DEAD STOP. CURRENTLY, IT IS PAST THE 120 MPH MARK AND HOLDING. (MILEAGE 52,000) I TOOK IT TO A CHEVY DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION. I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE DASHBOARD CIRCUIT BOARD AND THAT IT WOULD BE $500 TO REPLACE IT. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THIS PART HAD BEEN RECALLED ON THE 2003-2004 MODELS BUT NOT THE 2005. THAT I COULD PAY FOR THE REPAIR AND IF IT WAS RECALLED I COULD BE REIMBURSED. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN ESPECIALLY WITH YOUNG TEENAGE DRIVERS. IT SEEMS OBVIOUS TO ME READING THROUGH ALL THE COMPLAINTS FOR THE...

SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. IT IS STUCK ON 30MPH. THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL WHAT SPEED YOU ARE TRAVELING AT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYS INACCURATE READINGS ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. HE CANNOT DETERMINE THE APPROPRIATE SPEED, WHICH IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF $600. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT BECAUSE A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE YEAR, THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 5/26/09 *CN THE SPEEDOMETER IS BROKEN AND THE ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATION MAKES A BUZZING SOUND. UPDATED 05/28/09.*JB

I HAVE A 2005 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN. THE SPEEDOMETER HAS BEEN GOING OUT FOR SOME TIME. IT WILL EITHER NOT REGISTER OR REGISTER OFF SO THAT THE PERSON DRIVING HAS NO IDEA OF SPEED. I HAVE CONTACTED CHEVY AND MY DEALER AND HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT CHEVY KNOWS OF THE ISSUE BUT WILL ONLY COVER REPLACEMENT THROUGH MODEL YEAR 2004. THERE IS A CLASS ACTION SUIT TO TRY TO FORCE COVERAGE OF ADDITIONAL YEARS. *TR

I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THIS CAR. I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE CAR FOR A MONTH AND THE DASH LIGHTS AND HEAD LIGHTS WOULD DIM ON AND OFF BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED FROM AND HAD MY CAR FOR A WEEK AND REPLACED CONTROL MODULE CAR STILL PROCEED TO DO THE SAME THING BROUGHT IT IN TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NORMAL BECAUSE CAR HAD PCM AFTER 4 MONTHS OF GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THESE DEALERSHIPS CAR WAS FINALLY FIXED DUE TO A RECALL IN A SCREW AND WIRE NOT BEING GROUNDED CORRECTLY. NOW MY CAR IS IN THE DEALERSHIP WITH NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AND ARE TRYING TO SAY THAT CAR WAS HIT BY LIGHTING CAR WOULD NOT START BURNING SMELL CAME FROM UNDERNEATH HOOD OF CAR. NOW CAR DOES NOT RUN OVER 15 MPH WITH...