8.2
pretty bad- Typical Repair Cost:
- $450
- Average Mileage:
- 78,550 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 42 complaints
Most common solutions:
- not sure (26 reports)
- replace cluster (6 reports)
- having to purchase a bundle of guages; cost $350 w/installat (3 reports)
- just live with it (3 reports)
- replace - recall gauge repair (3 reports)
- replaced stock alternator for a more powerful one (1 reports)
This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Chevrolet dealer.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
Okay, so i just wrote about the fuel pump going out shortly after purchasing the 2005 Impala with 20K miles on it. Well, after the dealer fixed that problem I thought that was it.....WRONG AGAIN.....a month or so after that problem....i was driving through town, avg speed is 35-40 MPH. While i was driving, i happened to notice my speedometer was registering 95 MPG, which was totally inaccurate! I pulled over and shut off the car, thinking it would reset...but as soon as i turned it off...the speedometer was stuck at 60. So....back to the dealer it went! This time I was furious, thinking they sold me a lemon. But they assured me they would never sell in such condition. A week later, I got my car back. Whoop-Tee- F'n Do! Thankfully it was still covered under warranty. But here is the funny part. So while i was complaining to the service tech...he flat out told me, "This problem happens all the time with Chevy's, I see cars come in about once or twice a week with this problem". Faulty ingenuity or $ scam?
- Myron B., Coolidge, AZ, US
My Speedometer used to go heywire when i was driving or idling. it didnt matter how fast i was going the needle would always bounce from say 40 to 10 then back a few times before it tried to hit 0. If i let it hit 0 the impala would start to struggle as if wanting to turn off. I recently replaced my stock alternator that ran 105 watts for a more powerful one for my subs. Since doing this my speedometer hasnt gone crazy once. the lights use to dim and the radio volume would drop when this happened but now its like new....
- Jeremy G., Midland, TX, US
The speedometer would not return to 0 when stopped and then would keep going higher each time from then on. It got so it was 120 + when standing still. I got it to go back to o by with the car not running turning the key to run and off several times. I lived with this roe about 15 weeks. It seems from the other complaints that I have read that this is a defect in the instrument cluster problem. It also seems that I have paid more than the average cost to repair this problem.
- Frank C., Greenville, MI, US
My temperature gauge, speedometer and fuel gauge do not work. I have to use my gps system to track my speed. I'm going 95 south thinking I'm doing 70 and was told by the others following me I was doing over 80. It really makes me mad when I can not tell what's going on. All of my needles are pointing down. I was driving down the road the other night every time I look at the gas gauge hell if kept filling up more until the needle stop at the bottom.
- Theresa H., Suitland, MD, US
With as many recalls that are out these days this one should be at the top of GM's Chevy Impala should be at the TOP of the list.
If my car is over heating I don't know because the temp gauge isn't working, if I am low on gas I don't know because the gas gauge doesn't work, what's really is unsafe is the speedometer isn't working so I don't know if I am over the speed limit or under.
When I purchased this car I thought that I was going to be happy, well I'm not. Come on own the defect GM do the right thing and recall this defected cluster.
- mzbutler2u, Miami, FL, US
The speedometer started going nuts then quit altogether the fuel gauge also quit working this could cause serious problems for people on the roadways if you dont know how fast you are going
- Lori T., Savanna, OK, US
The speedometer just quit working. This car only has 44k miles and has been well cared for. We haven't taken it to the dealer. Spoke with our regular mechanic he suggest we take it to the dealer.I want to sell this car soon and don't want to pass on a problem to someone else. I want this fixed and if there is a recall I want in on it. Any help?
- arleneca, Tehachapi, CA, US
This GM car has been nothing but problems, speedometer registered 120 mph stuck, tranny failed, wiper stuck wont home stay up on windshield, radio panel lights went out, main control computer went out. No wonder GM went belly up. They build junk cars. No more GM cars for me.
- Victor D., Blanchard, OK, US
Pretty much the same problem as everybody else. It started with my temperature gauge. It would spin around, then it finally stopped at the bottom and now it doesn't move at all. Then the speedometer started messing up. I was driving in a 45 MPH zone the other day and I looked down and it said I was going 80 MPH! I kinda freaked out for a second, but then I realized I wasn't going any faster than anybody else around me. When I came to a stop it said I was going 40 MPH. It has messed up since then, it will work correctly some times but it always messes up again. Now my fuel gauge is starting to mess up as well.
- andiafwee, Maricopa, AZ, US
I did some research on line about this particular problem on 2005 chevy impala's. I think it was pretty fishy that most 05's had a similar problem. Luckily I only paid $100 deductible thanks to my extended warranty but this junk went hay wire on me the odometer was off the charts and it said that my car was burning hot! I found out there was a glitch with the whole panel and luckily it was covered by my extended warranty if not i would've shelled out $1300 ! I loved the car when I bought it but it has it downside!
- erikasc1983, Los Angeles, CA, US
well where do I start, this problem started around 2006. When the speedometer would go haywire first it was once every month or so. Its 2009 and its happening more often than not. chevy told me in 07 they don't know whats wrong, now the pressure gauge acts up its really a pain and GM should recall this problem.
- dionprkr23, Wahiawa, HI, US
If I have my speedometer cluster fixed before the recall is passed by the courts, will GM have to pay me back what I spend on it when a recall goes into effect? Or will GM rip me off and say they can't afford to pay me back and stick me with the cost of repairs. The settlement website now says to check back towards the end of March. Can't go that long with no speedometer. Does anyone know the answer to this? Does antone know a place to buy the good cluster that wont need fixing at a cheaper cost then the dealers are asking?
- bairski, Bad Axe, MI>, US
I was getting onto the highway one day and when I accelerated, it just shot up. It was on the 100's and now it just points straight down. It is just so frustrating when you don't know how fast you are going. I got a diagnosis on it and they said I need a new cluster. The estimate they gave me was $580 for the part and labor. Way too expensive for me!!!!
- hollymo, St. Joseph, MO, US
I got pulled over by the Highway Patrol going home the other day. The speedometer said that I was going 20MPH, but the officer said that I was going 67 in a 45. I told him what was going on, and he gave me a break. I just want GM to pay for this. How can I get on to the settlement that is going on with the speedometer?
- erickt, Silver Springs, NV, US
the speedometer needle kept getting stuck at random places in speedometer, sometimes it read that I was doing 80MPH when I was doing around 5 MPH and sometimes it read -5 when I was doing highway speeds (in other words it was below zero), there was no rhyme or reason why the needle decided were it was going to get stuck that day. �Good thing� I paid $1000 for the extended warranty.
- lemon impala, North Adams, MI, US
We trade alot oops but anyway. My daughter's 2005 impala speedometer quit working now my 2004 Suburban is doing the same thing. No recalls, buttttttttttttttttttt. We had a 2004 GMC 2500 and a 2004 Chev 2500 and the clusters went out in both of them but there was a recall or it was still under warranty so they were covered. But it looks to me that is a problem that GM needs to fix and it not cost me out the ass to get fixed.
- cgolden, Chino Valley, AZ, US
I think it is a bug that begins with sabotaging the speedometer, then moving on to the gas gauge. It's the most disturbing thing when you're trying to monitor your speed and how much gas you have in your car but neither of the gauges work. I have called the toll free number (866) 514-0405 to check to see if it has been listed as a recall, but was told to check back after January 19, 2009.
- Gary S., Chattanooga, TN, US
This problem started when I was moving from Florida to North Dakota. I was traveling I-95 and my speedometer just kept climbing, it was saying that I was doing 110 but everyone was flying by me and I couldn't figure out why. After pulling over to stop for the night the needle went into the straight down position pointing to drive. After getting up the next morning it was still the same way. By the time we made it to North Dakota and stopping quite a few times it was working properly again. However it has continued to keep climbing and with the on off (which we figured out on the trip) we can get it back to zero to function properly, but about 2 months ago the gas gauge started pointing straight down and the temp gauge quit moving. They do work when they want to and after a lot of switching from off to acc and back we get them to work. But of course as soon as I called when getting to ND to find out warranty info since the mechanic needed it I was told that my warranty expired on Jun 1st of this year. I will never by an Impala again.
- Lindsay J., Minot, ND, US
The same as the other complaints posted here the speedometer on my '05 Impala went haywire. It started last weekend I was going 60 mph and the speedometer indicated 100 mph or 40 mph and the speedometer would indicate 10 mph. On Mon it functioned correctly again without me doing anything but yesterday, Saturday, it started malfunctioning again. I searched and found this site and discovered this problem is not uncommon. I tried the solution mentioned here of turning the ignition from Off to Acc several times and the speedometer functioned correctly again for a day but started malfunctioning again today. Based on the other posts here it seems it is a waste of time to try to get the dealer or GM to do anything to fix the problem. In the 20 years prior to buying this car I owned Hondas and never had any problems with them .... my next car will be a Honda or Toyota.
- kenndenver, Denver, CO, US
Started with tach going crazy. Then the temp. gage, then the fuel gauge. I am waiting for the speedo to go then give the dealer $500.00 to fix it. Other than this problem--I love the car! G.M. are you out there? When I described the problem on the phone with the dealer tech, he seemed to be familiar with the condition. With so many cars with same condition you should fix it. If I have a new cluster put in will it also go bad in a few years? Has the new cluster been corrected? Do I dare buy my wife her new Camaro??
- ddan, Apple Valley, CA, US