8.1
pretty bad- Typical Repair Cost:
- $450
- Average Mileage:
- 65,350 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 187 complaints
Most common solutions:
- not sure (116 reports)
- replace instrument panel cluster (35 reports)
- use a GPS / TomTom instead (12 reports)
- replace motors in instrument cluster (6 reports)
- install new stepper motors on speedometer & tachometer (5 reports)
- put car in acc. power and put into reverse & start till 0's (4 reports)
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Chevrolet dealer.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
I have so many problems with my 2004 Impala. Its is a piece of sh*t and I will never ever buy a GM. EVER AGAIN~!~ I have spent over 5000 dollars getting my car to work right from brakes and rotors .....to Head gaskets and cracked piston heads. Chevy cars are just pieces of sh*t!!! OnE pRoblem after another. No wonder they get a break from the government. Stop bailing out assholes who sell junk ass new lemon cars. Bail out the ones who brought junk cars from them. By the time I am done fixin this car I could of owned two cars. And I am still tryin to pay it off. The car only has 89,000 miles.
- molter, Minersville, PA, US
I've come to realize that this car is a piece of s&%#. I just continue to keep having problems. I fix one thing and something else goes wrong. I really think it's time to GET RID OF IT.
- Adam D., Springfield, OH, US
this was a really bad buy i spent 21,000 dollars for problems.... the car is pretty but the problems are not. the speedometer does what it wants. one day it breaks going to fast then the next day it breaks going to slow. this is really bad when traveling like i do. i am according to the speedometer going 210 miles per hour but i think i am doing 45. this car bites. someone should tell the cops.
- eze, Orlando, FL, US
It is my mom's car. The speedometer kept going up even when you were slowing down. The Chevrolet dealer was going to charge her $90 to remove the instrument cluster, $350 to send the cluster out to be "rebuilt" (stepper motor replaced) and $90 to reinstall the cluster. I researched it and found out that the stepper motor is the same one for all the gauges, so if you only replace one eventually the others will go, so if you are replacing one, just replace all of them. I went to ebay and bought the updated x 25 168 stepper motors and removed the bad stepper motor (x c5 168 OEM) and soldered in the new updated one.
It was a 2 man job but fairly easy fix. I can't believe the price that I have heard other people was quoted (up to $800). It took longer to remove the instrument cluster from the car than it did to replace the stepper motor. Contact me maybe I can help you out.
- rdrnnr440, Ephrata, PA, US
Car was bought new in 2005 (2004 model). The speedometer became very erratic. Generally indicted > 100 mph. I used the GPS for awhile, but finally decided to get repaired. Apparently, it is a common failure on this model. The dealer stated it will be between $400 and $500 to fix. I have driven cars since 1977, and this is the first I have ever had that the speedometer has failed. I would say GM has a design issue with this car.
- bdnbach, Surry, VA, US
My speedometer went out in Sept 2008. I could not believe it since I have not even had it for 4 years. When it went out, it would always say I was going faster than I actually was. Most of the time it would say I was going above 100 MPH and even when I stopped it would show I was going fast. I called the dealership to see if there was a recall on it and they said no, so I was stuck paying for the repair. It took me 6 months to save up for it. I know someone else who bought a 2004 Impala and they said the same thing is wrong with theirs. I think GM should recall the speedometer since there have been many complaints.
- Gayle P., LaPorte, TX, US
2004 Impala speedometer not functioning. With varying speed limits throughout the city. I feel that this is a safety problem and prevents a driver from being in compliance with the law. My wife drives a lot on her job and I would not like for her to be driving too fast for road conditions. One cannot rely on other drivers to dictate ones speed. Seems to be an ongoing problem with this make and model. Information tells me that the 2004 trucks with this problem were fixed by GM company and the cars are having the same problem but are not being repaired by GM. The ratio of complaints to this problem compared to the other problems with this make and model tell me that GM should address the problem before there are serious consequences involving the inability of a driver of a 2004 Impala to determine their speed, possibly resulting in a serious accident.
- Ma F., Amarillo, TX, US
Just submitted a complaint to Safercar.gov. The site will direct you or take you to www.NHTSA.gov.
I suggest everyone on this site go to and take the time to fill out a formal complaint about this obviously very serious ongoing problem. Ranting and raving about on here is good. Everyone (and there are a lot of us) needs to vent, but more importantly if you have read all the complaints as I have then you really need to take the time, and it's not more than 10 or 15 minutes, to make your concerns known to the authorities who may actually be able to do something about this problem. Post your complaint here but ALSO go to the OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION.(ODI) either at safercar.gov or www.NHTSA.gov.
If all you people are like me and having the same problems that you all are obviously having then we need to all come together and have our voices heard. WE ARE THE PEOPLE. As with all problems we are having with our cars or anything else in this world, if the people come together something will be, has to be done. These 120 or so postings on here with this problem are probably only a drop in the bucket. If GM was bombarded with thousands of complaints as opposed to just a few then don't you think something would be done? I would go so far as to say write your congressman and ask, no, tell your representative to limit GM's bailout if they don't intend on backing their products. You all have GM and Chevy cars for a reason! You believed in good quality American made and accessible parts and service and what have we got? The run around. Let your voice be heard! Go to the web sites and fill out the complaint forms. It doesn't take that long and it just might make a difference. Thanks for reading this and I hope you will all follow through.
- Ma F., Amarillo, TX, US
Went to the dealer to find out if there was a recall on the part, because I found out the same problem had occurred in the Tahoe and suvs and a recall had been placed for the speedometer. I found out there is no recall for the same problem on the Impala, and they then told me I had to pay to replace. I'm pissed because I bought a Chevy car, because I love Chevy's, and to find out that through my support of the company they will not replace a part that keeps messing up on several units of the same car.i would think twice before buying another Chevy car.
- Kurt Y., 27 Idaho Ct, NY, US
click to see larger images
Went to the dealer to find out if there was a recall on the part, because I found out the same problem had occurred in the Tahoe and a recall had been placed for the speedometer. I found out there is no recall for the same problem on the Impala, and they then told me I had to pay $460 to replace. I'm pissed because I bought a Chevy car, because I love Chevy's, and to find out that through my support of the company they will not replace a part that keeps messing up on several units of the same car.
I have other friends that have this same problem on this car, and I'm going to refer them to this site to complain. I'm not going to pay for a part that I had no part in breaking or damaging, and when there's less than 70,000 miles on it!
- jbell jr., Jacksonville, FL, US
The speedometer went haywire, started going up and down, then froze at 26 MPH. My son had same problem on his 2004 Chevy Truck a month earlier, GM repaired, no cost. When I I inquired about this, was told, not the same problem with the Impala. Funny, both needed an instrument cluster replaced, almost identical mileage! This is one of several problems with my Impala, almost all of the unusual variety. Maybe a (delayed) lemon?
- Michael S., Dudley, MA, US
The speedometer and tack kept sticking. Speedometer would go completely around, past 140. Called dealer regarding problem, and they wanted $95 to find the problem. Informed that if it was instrument cluster, it would be $750 plus labor. Bought new stepper motors off EBay fo $4.90 each. Removed instrument cluster from car and replaced stepper motors. So far, everything is working fine. The guy I bought the stepper motors from was very helpful, not like General Motors.
- Russell H., Livonia, MI, US
The speedometer stopped working one day when it got pretty cold here. Once the car warms up and runs for about half an hour it begins to start working again. From the info on this site it sounds like it is the cluster in the dash somewhere. I priced the speed sensor around $51. Might try this first, waiting for warmer weather. Anyways I definitely think there should be a recall.
- Julius G., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
I was driving the kids home from school when my speedometer suddenly read 120 mph. Yikes. I was told it would cost between 400-500 dollars. Double yikes. This same vehicle had a head gasket issue at only 40,000 miles and our other GM vehicle's transmission went out at 74,000 miles. HELP!!!
- kristiec, Hamilton, MI, US
Speedometer went haywire on a long drive into the Adirondacks. My Speedometer said I was doing 50 but my GPS said 65+!
Good thing I had the GPS otherwise I may have been doing 90mph!
I shut it off and it was fine for a while but it went haywire again.
If I didn't just spend over $600 on tires I would seriously think of getting rid of it!
- rpetro57, Albany, NY, US
The instrument cluster has gone haywire (speedometer, tach, gas gauge). I have taken it to 2 GM dealers & it will cost about $450.00 US or $500.00 CDN to fix it. This appears to be a fairly common problem with these cars. It appears to be something that GM builds into their cars to fail so we will take it like dummys to the GM dealer. No wonder they need a bailout. They won't stand behind their products and that is their problem!! I will use a GPS which I was able to buy on sale for $80.00 US but if I want to sell the car it will devalue my tradein allowance. I agree with #95 that we need to complain to GM.
- clarkson23, Winona, Ontario, Canada
First the temperature gauge went out. Then the speedometer died, it is very annoying and dangerous. If Chevy wants to have any customers left they should make a recall on the 2004 Impalas.
- webbut, Moab, UT, US
I am thoroughly frustrated with my Impala. The steering shaft had to be replaced, fortunately that was under warranty. I just spent $235.00 on the heater blower and about a year ago the speedometer crashed on the way home from a long trip. My Dad was a Chevy man and could run his cars to 300,000 miles. He took excellent care of his vehicles and taught me to do the same. I will think twice b-4 I buy another Chevy.
Logan P
- Logan P., Sioux Falls, SD, US
The speedometer on my 2004 Chev. Impala stopped working around 44,000 miles. It worked sporadically, then not at all. There are some vendors on ebay who rebuild the cluster at a reasonable rate, who have excellent feedback. ie: 100% for 10,000 +. They also sell rebuild kits.
- Christine B., Patchogue, NY, US
had less than 30,000 miles & check engine light comes on. took to shop, clogged fuel filter. now the speedodometer is whacked out! the fuel gauge isn't accurate, you fill the tank & after a while it registers empty. the impala is a piece of 'SH*T' ! I'm a house wife the car has never been abused. I work part time off and on so the car is sitting idle. we purchased it new! before warranty was up we had the problem with fuel pump.
- earlenejsmith, del city, OK, US