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2004 Chevrolet Impala electrical complaints

Page 13 of 24: complaints 341 to 370 of 681, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2004 Chevrolet Impala electrical problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Feb 3, 2010 · Electrical · 50,000 miles · OH

Hello, I have a 2004 chevy. Impala. A large number of the speedometers on these cars are defective, as is mine. The speedometer goes berserk and you have no idea what your speed is. For example. You may be taking a 35 MPH curve at 50 when the speedometer says 35 or other. This is a serious safety concern. Gm has had hundreds if not thousands of complaints (just one example: http://www.carcomplaints.com/chevrolet/impala/2004/accessories-interior/speedometer_gone_haywire.shtml) on this and chose not to own up to it. The problem is not only with my model/year, the problem is with the speedometers which have been used in many models over several years. There needs to be a recall on this before people are killed.

Filed Jan 28, 2010 · Electrical · 65,000 miles · NE

My 2004 chevrolet impala is having problems with the entire instrument cluster. There are thousands or the same complaints about impala models from 2003-2006, as well as other chevy models. The gas gauge has gone completely out, and the volt gauge has now stopped working, and the speedometer randomly goes haywire and moves erratically, reading incorrectly. The most common report is that gm has installed a defective stepper motor in the instrument cluster of these models. And the dealers estimate a repair cost of $600 to replace the cluster completely. This is a dangerous safety issue. Gm need to step up and recall this obviously defective part.

Filed Jan 21, 2010 · Electrical · 80,000 miles · IA

2004 impala, 80,000 miles. Cold winter day. Consequences( having to purchase new speedometer ) nothing done to correct as of yet. Speedometer not working properly, says going 90 MPH when going 60. When vehicle shut off say 30mph. Inherent flaw noted by chevrolet vehicles (common symptoms include: speedometer displays incorrectly speedometer stops working tachometer needle sticks, jumps, or pegs fuel gauge flutters entire instrument panel fails the common cause for all these issues is a faulty stepper motor. The motor was used throughout gm?s entire production line from 2003 to 2007.) I think there should be a recall on all vehicles with which people have had problems with incorrect reading speedometers as gm used faulty parts in manufacturing.

Filed Jan 16, 2010 · Electrical · 74,000 miles · MS

2004 chevrolet impala,speedometer works one day and doesn"t work the next day. Will be going down the highway shows speed one minute and maybe nothing the next. Really have no idea how fast I am going. Seems very dangerous. Gm has to know that have a safety problem.

Filed Jan 14, 2010 · Electrical · 73,000 miles · FL

Speedometer does not function correctly. Speedometer registers erratic speeds, going to speeds of 80, 90, 120+ for no apparent reason. Each time the automobile is turned off and turned on again, it usually will go down by about 10 MPH. After several days, it will return to normal, but this pattern repeats after a day or so of registering correct MPH. This started about a month ago. We have called chevrolet and been advised to have the car checked at a deal for defective equipment, but have not been able to find a dealer who will respond to our call.

Filed Jan 12, 2010 · Electrical · 82,500 miles · NC

My speedometer runs wildly up and down. It doesn't work well at all. I think I'm driving 55 and it shows 100. I want chevrolet to have a recall on this. I have a 04 chevy impala. I have read over 100 complaints on the computer.

Filed Jan 9, 2010 · Electrical · 68,000 miles · MO

2004 chevy impala. 3 months ago the tachometer stopped working. Now the speedometer reads 120 MPH when vehicle is not moving. When traveling with traffic on the interstate it is a problem to not know my correct speed. Just as going too fast can cause accidents so can going too slow on the interstate. It will cost over $500 to fix at the dealership. The car only has 68,000 miles.

Filed Jan 7, 2010 · Electrical · 20,000 miles · FL

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the speedometer displayed an inaccurate reading, regardless of the speed being traveled. Whenever the vehicle was in operation the failure occurred. The vehicle has not been repaired for the malfunction at this time. The contact had concern of the safety risk involved. The failure mileage was 20,000. The current mileage was 23,000.the VIN was rejected from the system which will be updated upon receipt of the complaint form.

Filed Jan 5, 2010 · Electrical · 80,000 miles · VT

Speedometer is not working correctly (sticks/doesn't move). Apparently this is a very common issue with this vehicle, but chevy has issued no recalls.

Filed Jan 5, 2010 · Electrical · 80,000 miles · TX

The instrument panel is malfunctioning. First, the tachometer stopped working at all, now the speedometer indicates erroneous speeds. It shows that I am driving very fast when I'm actually much slower than the rest of the traffic. When parked, it shows 15-20 MPH. It's very unsafe to drive without knowing your real speed, especially on long trips on the highway. Since the problem is quite common, gm should issue a recall to avoid such negative publicity.

Filed Jan 5, 2010 · Electrical · 85,000 miles · OH

I own a 2004 chevrolet impala. I have not been in a accident but I feel my problem could possibly cause one. The speedometer in my car started acting up recently. It is not accurate, it usually reads zero when I am driving but sometimes reads a speed that is clearly inaccurate. I did some research on it and found out it is a common problem with these cars and a very costly repair. At this point in time I cannot afford the repair so I just try to drive slow. This should be a recall.

Filed Jan 4, 2010 · Electrical · 51,000 miles · FL

While driving my 2004 chevrolet impala at 60 MPH, the speedometer suddenly dropped to 0 MPH and remained there. The fuel gauge is also stuck reading full continually, and the RPM gauge is also stuck at zero. The car only has 51000 miles on it, and based on my research, this problem is widespread. Gm needs to be forced to recall this obvious defect.

Filed Jan 4, 2010 · Electrical · IL

2004 chev impala speedometer says 22 MPH while sitting still - going slower than what speed says I have had alot of other problems with their impala from the day I purchased it. Starting problems, fuel tank baffles, front end problems, temp problems, another sensor problem. Car has approx 60,000 on it.

Filed Jan 4, 2010 · Electrical · 140,000 miles · MS

I have a 2004 chevy impala. My speedometer has went crazy!! I can be doing 30 and it says I am doing 105. Also when I come to a complete stop it registers 25. This could cause anywhere from a minor speeding ticket to a major accident. This should be a recall. No more gm products for me!!!

Filed Jan 1, 2010 · Electrical · 28,000 miles · TX

Speedometer does not keep accurate reading. Gauge can read 110 MPH when only going 60 MPH or can read 30 MPH when driving faster. Needle does not always return to zero when stopped or idling. Also races at times. Happens during cold and hot weather. Also, the temperature indicator gauge needle sticks in the middle of the gauge or goes immediately to the red zone when starting the engine from a cold start or after left parked overnight.

Filed Jan 1, 2010 · Electrical · 60,000 miles · OH

First the tachometer quit working then the speedometer became erratic saying I was going slower than I actually was(checked with GPS).I was doing 60 on the highway and it speedometer said 45,tachometer is always pegged out !!

Filed Dec 29, 2009 · Electrical, Transmission · 86,000 miles · NY

Vehicle speedometer suddenly quits functioning. Speedometer suddenly shows high speed (example 120 MPH) when driving highway speeds. Speedometer remains stuck in this position. I was able to clear the error after returning home and cycling the ignition from off to on many many times. Now the tach just '!@#$% out and stays at 6:00. I been also having transmission issues to where the tranny would occasionally shift hard then be fine for a while then back to shifting hard?

Filed Dec 28, 2009 · Electrical · IL

Instrument cluster failure on 2004 chevy impala.

Filed Dec 28, 2009 · Electrical, Lights · 101,000 miles · WI

Headlights and interior lights went off while driving.

Filed Dec 27, 2009 · Electrical · 75,000 miles · MI

Just driving down the road no specific road just normal driving and all of a sudden the speedometer either goes up or down does not have correct speed sometimes it will go back to normal after about an hour and sometimes after thirty minutes or after you shut the car off and restart. It happens about twice a week I have not replaced any parts as of yet trying to figure out what the problem is for sure. I am reading online that many people are having this problem and it is the gauges need to be replace and that there is a recall on chevy trucks but mine is a 2004 impala and as of yet there is not one and there are many people very angry online regarding this matter and want a recall as soon as possible because the cost is about 600 - 800 dollars depending on where you go so they are using GPS systems for there speed instead of getting it repaired since the cost is so high.

Filed Dec 26, 2009 · Electrical · 90,000 miles · IA

My speedometer is out of whack, also the tach doesn't read correctly. You never know how fast you are going. This could lead to a serious accident. Going around corners or driving in a school zone. Somedays it works for a little while and some days not.. It reads 90 miles an hour while your going slow.

Filed Dec 23, 2009 · Electrical · 30,423 miles · IL

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. While driving approximately 30 MPH on normal road conditions, the speedometer displayed an inaccurate reading regardless of the speed being traveled. The failure occurred intermittently in cold temperatures. The failure was related to the stepper motor. The vehicle has not been repaired at this time. The failure mileage was 30,423. Updated 01/29/10 *bf updated 01/29/10.

Filed Dec 22, 2009 · Electrical · 82,000 miles · MA

Speedometer starts at random speeds and then continues like it started at zero. It sometimes says 80 or 100 MPH when you are not moving and then continues to go higher as you drive. Obviously you have no idea how fast you are driving.

Filed Dec 21, 2009 · Electrical · CT

Speedometer has a mind of it's own sometimes it works, some times it doesn't, this is a real safety concern when I cannot tell the true speed in which I am driving.

Filed Dec 21, 2009 · Electrical · 44,000 miles · OR

First noticed a problem over a year ago when the tachometer went to zero while cruising down the interstate highway. The next time I drove the car it was fine. Recently I noticed that the coolant temp gauge was reading way past "hot," however the car was not overheating. It continues to read this way. Next it was the speedometer reading much faster than actual speed, approximately 50 to 70 MPH high. Once again the tachometer has gone haywire as well. Since this started I have noted that the tach and speedometer are functioning, (they movie higher and lower with changes in engine and vehicle speed) but appear to have lost their "zero" reference. I recalled that they would normally drop to below zero and then snap to zero when the key is first turned on. With the engine off I repeatedly cycled the key on then off, gradually backing the tach and speedometer to zero. They then functioned properly for a short time before wigging out again. It is my guess that the problem lies in the gauges losing their home pulse. So far, the fuel gauge has continued to operate normally. This failure is very dangerous as well as leaving me open to speed related tickets as I can only estimate my speed based on experience. After researching this problem and discovering the high number of complaints already filed with the federal safety agency it seems to me that this problem should result in a recall of these vehicles.

Filed Dec 20, 2009 · Electrical · 125,500 miles · NY

Speedometer malfunctioning. There were no known specific activities that LED to the occurrence of this issue. About two months ago, during a road trip, I noticed that I was driving slower than normal traffic but my speedometer stated I was doing the speed limit 65 MPH. When I looked at my GPS, it stated I was doing about 47 MPH. When I sped up to 65 MPH according to my GPS, I was in the flow of traffic. After I stopped, it "reset" itself back to zero when the car was idle. About a week ago, it won't reset anymore. When the car is off, the needle points straight up. When the car is idle, the needle goes to about 80 MPH. When I'm driving, it goes past 120 MPH. So I'm constantly using my GPS in order to maintain the proper speed. I've begun to research on the internet any information on this issue. There are many complaint websites where various impala owners (2004-2006) that are encountering the same issue. I'm not willing to replace this part; I have over 126,000 miles on my car. But there were other owners who did not have nearly as many miles as I have with the same issues.

Filed Dec 18, 2009 · Electrical · 78,900 miles · MN

The night of 12/13, my temperature gauge was reading very high. I checked my coolant and did some trouble shooting. My car was not over heating as indicated on the gauge. Two days later, this problem resolved, however another problem with the speedometer developed. On 12/15, my speedometer was reading 60mph while I was parked in a parking garage. As I accelerated (going no more than 10mph) my speedometer was reading 120mph. It now rests at 120mph while parked and the needle goes above any readable MPH while driving. Since dec 15th, I have no idea how fast I am actually driving.

Filed Dec 16, 2009 · Electrical · 105,980 miles · VA

2004 chevrolet impala speedometer malfunction. Indicates very high speed (90-100 MPH) even when barely moving.

Filed Dec 10, 2009 · Electrical · 60,000 miles · NJ

The speedometer on my 2004 chevy impala is defective, it has not been working for at least a year. As there are many complaints about the same issue with the same car, it should be a gm recall.

Filed Dec 9, 2009 · Electrical · 52,360 miles · UT

Instrument cluster for speedometer needed to be replaced because speedometer reads 45 MPH while stopped and at 30 it reads 80 MPH.

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