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
From the other complaints I've seen for this same thing, GM won't take responsibility even though this is a safety issue. Based on the other complaints GM just doesn't care. No wonder they lose sales every day and can't compete with other manufacturers. Penny wise and pound foolish. Not buying from them again.
- N F., Garden City, NY, US
I have had the same problem! First my temp. gauge, ok, I can live with it not working. Now my speedometer runs wild!!! I am a single mom working 2 jobs, and now this!!! I have looked all over the internet and see many of the same problems from everyone. I don't have the money to fix this, and of course the warranty is up. Chevy should just own up and admit this is indeed a need for a recall!! Should anyone have any suggestions please post them.
- Vickie R., Akron, OH, US
car speedometer would function erratically but all other functions, gas,charging lights worked fine. Luckily car was still under warranty. Cluster had to be replaced. Now my heater doesn't work. I haven't tried it till now since i had the car repaired in the summertime when i didn't need the heater. Car out of warranty now...
- Ted D., Santa Ana, CA, US
Just as the previous folks mentioned, except that I reported it while under warranty and the dealership couldn't reconstruct the problem. Now it is severe, and my warrant is out. I waited for 4 model years to get one so the bugs were out, well, 2005 seemed to be the year that all reviews I have read have had the problem to be non-existent.
I was taking my wife to a high risk pregnancy clinic 200 miles away and came upon a curve that I could handle at the 50mph recommended by a caution sign. After hitting the brakes hard due to no going the safe speed for the curve, I almost lost control. I then noticed I was actually going almost 70mph, after the gauge jerked upward, then begin to jitter in 1mph increments, until it reached estimated 160mph, actually sitting on the Neutral letter. This problem IS a saftey issue of the worse scenario for those who RELY on a critical part to be accurate. It isn't like a cable came loose, this stuff is electronic and could even be a fire hazard. A recall is indeed in order, because if something did happen, I would sue GM's ass off for faulty equipment. It is FAULTY equipment and NOT wear/tear, especially at 23,000 miles. this time, I was able to have pictures of the cluster taken while I drove.
http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic.php?u=365cLGG7&i=1076153
http://www.pix8.net/pro/pic.php?u=365cLGG7&i=1076154
Just like my rotors that seemed to develop warping and cracking every 1000 to 2000 miles, and I baby my car. Listen to a lecture how I am hard on my brakes from some dipshit manager, after a 1500 mile interstate roadtrip. After the 5th time, I didn't hesitate to take the parts back to GM service area and drop them off and tell them what a piece of sh*t the OEM is and show them the rotors pieces breaking off, then showing them the high end part. But, next time, I will pull in and show them, go out and buy from a different MFR and pull in the lot and let them see a live boycott.
- R S., Martinsburg, WV, US
Driving to the coast and noticed tachometer was at like 11,000 rpm but engine running fine. Then noticed speedometer wayyyy over or under what I was actually doing. Mileage still accumulating correctly though. Speedometer fine for now but tachometer always wrong. Both are "twitchy" when they do move.
- petro, Gresham, OR, US
Warranty expired May 2007. In June speedometer quit functioning. Did a reset and it worked for two weeks. Took it to Chevy dealer, and they could not pinpoint the problem. Said to bring it back when it was not working. It has failed intermittently ever since, but not enough to take it back to the dealer. In other words, the speedometer has not completely died. If Chevrolet cannot do better than this then I have bought my last Chevy.
- Gerald S., Plymouth, NC, US
My partner and I purchased this car in November 2006 and it had 51, 000 miles on it. Somewhere around 58,000 miles the instrument cluster started going haywire. My entire instrument cluster doesn't work properly: Speedometer, gas gage, tachometer, who knows maybe even the idiot lights? None of them have ever come on. Luckily I Purchased a extended warranty when I bought the car. Now I have to make an appointment to get this fixed, It's driving me crazy
- jchandler, Charlotte, NC, US
My speedometer and temperature gauge keep getting stuck. It's the same exact story as anybody else here. I tried to call Chevrolet (1-800-222-1020) and of course there are no recalls and it's not under warranty. They have just suggested to take it to a certified GM technician and once a diagnosis is made (which you will probably have to pay for) you can TRY to send that to Chevrolet and they MAY see about helping with the cost. No promises, no solutions. I am definitely looking further into seeing what can be done... this is an extreme safety issue and quite expensive to fix. If ANYBODY hears anything more about they are doing to about this, please let us know.
- Sonia L., Houston, TX, US
I am having all of the problems with my speedometer as mentioned in the first 3 complaints, plus my RPM reader is haywire. Sometimes they work normal then all of a sudden BAM back to haywire. Also recently both of my cigerette liters have died (don't smoke but spent $300 for dvd players that my son can now NOT watch)! In the last week, when I pull out of my driveway just like normal, my traction active sensor comes on and the car makes strange sounds. This has rarely happened before and only if sliding on ice. Hello, it's summer, there's no ice and it hasn't rained in my city for almost 3 weeks now! Taking the car in this week to see what the problem is before I am stranded on the highway with a 2 year old! Thanks, Chevy!!!
- robinky, Richmond, KY, US
I purchased this certified vehicle two years ago from a Chevy dealer. At approximately the 45,000 mile mark the speedometer and tachometer began to work sporadically, then not at all. The dealer service manager has offered to change the cluster, but I am not willing to pay for something that seems to be a flaw unidentified/unclaimed by Chevrolet.
- jwhawth, Dallas, TX, US
No Tachometer, NO Speedometer, NO Gas Gauge........... $500 ................... enough said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!
Can we say, RECALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ??????????????????
- Laura B., Denver, CO, US
What a piece of crap.......$400 to fix a speedometer.. it just goes crazy and the temp gauge goes crazy with it. Great gas mileage and terribly expensive to work on....
- flyfish, Medicne Lodge, KS, US
The other day the speedometer just went crazy and now it doesn't even move. Everything was working great and then it all stopped. The gas gauge and coolant gauge still work. Of course this all has to happen after the warranty expires.
- Todd R., Torrance, CA, US
I first had the problem at night only with speedometer and dimming the instrument lights fixed problem, then on hot days it would go crazy, and now the temperature gauge is misreading also. So I finally removed the instrument cluster to check for a loose connector, but everything was fine so I took the unit apart and found one of the central processing chip had silicone accidentally dripped on it at some point during assembly. So I peeled of the silicone of and the problem is back to being on hot days, I think if the silicone had been removed sooner before the chip was seriously damaged it would have been fine. The chip has a dark spot with white rings around it from high heat build up. If you just started having this problem do not put off removing that small blob of silicone. Great Car with great gas mileage and this has been the only problem.
- Troy F., St. Cloud, FL, US
A few months ago, the speedometer started acting up. It will read 110 when I know I'm only going about 45mph. It will sit at "0" while I'm driving it.
- Kevin M., Lebanon, OH, US
My problem started about 4 months ago with my gas gauge. I was almost on empty and I went to fill my car up. After starting my vehicle the gauge went all the way around then stuck at the bottom. Then after that, went my gas gauge then the temperature gauge. This has been so frustrating!!!!!! I went to another dealership and they checked it out and said it was the cluster switch. Everyone that has this same problem should call Chevrolet customer service @ 1-800-222-1020 and press the correct prompt for problems. I can't believe there hasn't been a recall on this because I have seen several complaints on this problem.
- Christy S., Houston, TX, US
Speed reading 30-50mph while parked with key removed.
I replaced cluster from a used 2004 and it is bad again.
NO reports of faulty 2000 2001 2002 2003 Impala seem the problem is with 2004 only.
- Adrian G., Mankato, MN, US
Speedometer would read unusual speed 80, 90, 120 mph possible 20-40 mph parked with key removed. Replaced speedometer cluster assembly. less than 10k later, speedometer is acting up again.
- Adrian G., Mankato, MN, US
Speedometer reads what ever it wants to. 1500 tachometer reading is 55 mph
Today, I was traveling 80 mph without the engine running. great gas mileage??
replaced speedometer cluster once already, 2nd time for this problem to occur on a different part/same part
- Adrian G., Mankato, MN, US
Just wanted to add mine to the rest I have read--tonite after returning home from major shopping trip--while passing a vehicle on the highway I noticed the speedometer needle stuck at 80 and then quit working altogether--just bought the car in June, 2007. No other problems so far--from what i have researched sounds like this could be quite costly to fix--I have no warranty on the car at this time, either--great time for this to happen right before x-mas and a major wedding in my family--so expenses are a little tight--will call local chevy dealer in the morning to see if I can get an estimate--also need to have fixed as soon as possible--it is dangerous to say the least to not know how fast you are going--especially since the impala rides so smooth and easy to speed with--I love the car otherwise, so far--maybe I should look into getting an extended warranty on this car---repairs seem to be very expensive!!! I owned a 1990 mercury topaz and drove for 12 years and never had a speedometer quit!!!
- Sandra M., Valley City, ND, US