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3.0

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
45,610 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo electrical problems

electrical problem

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2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #62

Aug 012010

Monte Carlo

  • 55,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My instrument panel for over 4years has intermittently stopped like the speedometer would say I was going 100mph while going 20mph or 0mph when going 45mph. I have reported to various auto shops and Chevrolet dealership and was told that if not constant do not worry about it. Now the RPM are stuck at 1 rpms and the speedometer is intermittent and not sure my other gauges are correct"?? I am so frustrated as GM states they will not fix and no recall yet I read everywhere that people have gotten in fixed or have the same problem. This should be a recall and per the info below GM is fully aware. The dealership wants me to pay $500 for a defect and I need help. Also per the info below it has to be under 70000 miles. Well I have reported it since 55000!!! I want my car fixed by GM but they are refusing. What do I do" GM parts bulletins & information - to Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC dealers subject:bulletin gmp07-174 - special coverage adjustment #07187- instrument panel cluster gauge needle functionmessage #:vsu20071575 special coverage adjustment #07187- September 28, 2007 customers are being instructed to contact the dealership to arrange an ext; Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Sierra, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles have reported that the instrument panel (ip) cluster gauges stick, flutter, or become inoperative. This may cause inaccurate readings, including the speedometer and fuel gauge.

- Wilmington, NC, USA

problem #61

May 152011

Monte Carlo 6-cyl

  • 39,000 miles
About a week after purchasing the car I realized that none of the gauges on the control panel were accurate. My speedometer sticks and reads random speeds so I never know how fast I'm going, my gas gage registers random amounts so I have to keep track of my fuel using my odometer. My oil and radiator gauges just don't work with the exception of an occasional blip. I read that this vehicle has the same control panel as another GM truck that was recalled for the same reason. One of these days I'm going to get a speeding ticket because I never know how fast I'm driving. It's frustrating.

- Denver, PA, USA

problem #60

Feb 152009

Monte Carlo 6-cyl

  • 26,438 miles
As I put the car in drive as reached about 15 mph the cluster panel started to spin as if it had a mind of it's own. Since then I don't know how fast im going. I could be stopped at a light and it says im going 90. I could be in a neighborhood and im going faster then my gauges can read. I have no gas gauge. It reads a different amount any given minute. My car over heated on 12/18/2013 thanks to having a gauge read that my temperatures were fine. But really they weren't. it would be nice to know how fast im going. If my car is about to overheat. If I need gas. Long road trips are out of the question. But they shouldn't be I paid for this car. Only to have it fail at 26,000 miles. It wasn't covered by bumper to bumper as it took me more than 3 years to get to 26,000 miles. I don't want to be taking a curve too fast and crash my car because im not equipped with mandatory safety equipment to drive. Nothing on the cluster panel works.

- Murray, UT, USA

problem #59

Jan 022014

Monte Carlo 6-cyl

  • 46,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Driving at 10 mph and then went to go 45 mph my speed reading went to 120 mph. I wasn't going that fast it started to jump around then stayed at 120 mph. I then stopped and keep turning the key on and off it went down to 100 at first then shut off car again then went down to 90 so I kept doing that till it was at 0. drove about 10-15 miles and it started to jump again. I then called the dealer where I bought the car 2 months ago and they want to charge me several hundreds to fix. I read alot of reviews on this year Monte Carlo, everyone had the same issues and no recall on this car to get fixed. I will not ever buy another Chevy car and I will be glad to tell friends and family how Chevy treats there customers. Matter infact I will contact my local tv station to inform other how Chevy takes care of there customers.

- Sussex, WI, USA

problem #58

Oct 202011

Monte Carlo

  • miles
My instrument panel has gone bizurk. My speedometer isn't reading right. Going 80 in a 25 mph zone. Or 120 mph while traveling 55. Not. My thermostat gauge reads hot all the time and nothing is wrong with the thermostat. Now in the past week my fuel gauge doesn't register. The only piece I'm aware that is working is the tac.

- De Forest, WI, USA

problem #57

Jan 082010

Monte Carlo

  • miles
The speedometer and RPM go crazy can be doing 20 and says im doing 100.

- Supply, NC, USA

problem #56

May 252011

Monte Carlo 6-cyl

  • 70,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Speedometer abruptly quit working indicating a speed of over 120 miles@hour while driving approximately 50-55 miles per through a highly controlled area. You may want to take a look at the on line comments made by other owners about the identical problem with no response from GM to their inquiries and gouging by dealers. GM and dealers decline to acknowledge the issue, when you are disreputable it will catch up, no wonder the american auto manufacturers continue to struggle.

- Wickenburg, AZ, USA

problem #55

Oct 122010

Monte Carlo 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 39,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. While driving approximately 60 mph, the speed odometer displayed an incorrect reading of 5 mph. The failure occurred continuously and over a period of time the speed odometer became inoperative. In addition, the fuel gauge would not function properly. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the instrument cluster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000. Updated 2/23/11 the consumer stated the speedometer no longer function properly. It would read 0 mph at all times. Updated 03/09/11

- Strongsville, OH, USA

problem #54

Jan 222010

Monte Carlo

  • 47,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The contact stated that all the gauges on the vehicle failed, including the fuel gauge and speedometer. The contact was concerned because he could not determine what speed he was traveling or if there was an internal failure because none of the dashboard warning lights would illuminate. The dealer only advised that the instrument cluster would potentially need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 47,000 and the current mileage was 52,700.

- Mount Dora, FL, USA

problem #53

Jun 152009

Monte Carlo

  • 30,000 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. While driving at 15 mph, the contact noticed that the speedometer along with other gauges on the instrument panel were non-functional. The contact called the dealership and was informed that she would be responsible for all repair costs. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000. The current mileage was 50,288.

- Topeka, KS, USA

problem #52

May 172010

Monte Carlo 6-cyl

  • 77,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. While driving at 65 mph, the contact noticed that the speedometer suddenly fell to 0 mph and other components on the instrument panel did not function correctly. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who replaced the instrument panel. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000. The current mileage was approximately 111,000. Updated 07/19/10 updated 07/21/10

- Lincoln, NE, USA

problem #51

Apr 302010

Monte Carlo 6-cyl

  • miles
2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. Consumer states electronic instrument cluster failure. The consumer stated after only 43,000, the speedometer began performing sporadically. He had no way of knowing how fast he was actually driving.

- Bristol, CT, USA

problem #50

Jan 012010

Monte Carlo

  • 75,000 miles
Instrument cluster frequently malfunctions, I.e. speedometer, gas gage, rmp gage, as needs on cluster either "stick" or do not return to their proper position when the car is shut off. GM currently does not have this listed under their recall agreement, neglecting a potentially serious risk of accidents.

- Saint Louis, MO, USA

problem #49

May 312007

Monte Carlo 6-cyl

  • 36,500 miles
Dangerous GM speedometer defect the electronic speedometer on 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo periodically begins to display incorrect information. This can be either reflecting a lower than actual speed or a higher than actual speed. This results in either driving at an unsafe speed for the road and/or conditions or the presenting an obstacle to other drivers by maintainga lower speed than the general traffic. Although this has not resulted in an accident on our vehicle, I have noted many other owners identifying this issue on various chat rooms and customer forums on the internet. From what I have seen on the internet this issue is not limited to the 2004 Chevy Monte Carlo, other makes of GM vehicles (cars and trucks) manufactured before and after this year have shown the same defect we have contacted the GM dealer and were told they are not responsible for correcting this problem and we would have to pay to replace the entire dashboard to correct the issue. We purchased this vehicle new and the problem surfaced shortly after reaching 36000 miles (warranty period). Given the recent publicity regarding Toyota's problems I think it would be well served to identify and correct this issue before it becomes as serious. This error occurs almost daily without warning. While you are driving the speedometer appears to work normally and at some point it will stop working, the only way to detect is to accelerate sharply or apply the brakes sharply while noting if the speedometer reflects the change in speed. This approach may work well for an experienced driver but a very young driver or an elderly driver may note realize the speedometer is not accurate and result in a accident.

- Pittstown, NJ, USA

problem #48

Oct 152007

Monte Carlo

  • 70,000 miles
Instrument cluster stopped working on my 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo ss. Temp gauge and speedometer have both stopped working. Speedometer says I'm doing 110 mph all the time, even with car shut off. My friend had the same thing happen to her 2005 Monte Carlo and had it replaced under warranty. My car started as soon as the warranty ended. I have heard several complaints from other 2004 and 2005 Monte Carlo owners for the same exact problem. I did contact Chevrolet about my issue. They said I will have to pay close to $1000 to have the cluster replaced, which I can't afford as I am a single mother just barely getting by. They also said that they will not recall a vehicle unless they have a bunch of complaints from the same area. I think this should be a safety recall beings it is a major safety issue due to not knowing how fast I am going or if my car is ready to overheat.

- Wilmington, DE, USA

problem #47

Nov 042009

Monte Carlo

  • 26,038 miles
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo ss. The contact stated that the instrument panel clusters have failed. None of the gauges on the instrument panel are moving normally. The speed odometer remained at 20 mph regardless of the speed that the contact is driving. The contact has not taken the vehicle to the dealer or contacted the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 26,038.

- Murray, UT, USA

problem #46

Dec 012009

Monte Carlo

  • 43,000 miles
Erratic speedometer operation which will indicate speeds of over 140mph at times, even when stopped, or lower mph than is actually being traveled.

- Epworth, IA, USA

problem #45

Nov 012009

Monte Carlo

  • 45,000 miles
Speedometer failure on 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo: Failure started with speedometer reading anywhere from 10-15mph low, causing excessive speed while driving. Failure progressed to either reading zero mph or a consistent 20mph during all speeds of driving. Failure occurred on vehicle with approximately 45,000 miles on the vehicle.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #44

Mar 152008

Monte Carlo

  • 85,000 miles
For several months now my gauges my 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo have not worked..it started off with the speedometer not working all the time.. now it doesn't work at all. The rpms gauge doesn't work either. Tonight my gas gauge stopped working. I have discovered now that alot of people with this vehicle has the same problem. Its will cost me several hundred dollars to have this fixed. If so many people have had this problem a recall or something should be issued..

- Nortonville, KY, USA

problem #43

Dec 012009

Monte Carlo

  • 47,000 miles
Speedometer stopped working properly, leaving me unable to determine the correct speed. I almost ran into the back of another car going slower because I was unaware of the problem until then. It sometimes now don't work at all.

- West Richland, WA, USA

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