2003 Chevrolet Tahoe Electrical System

WHILE DRIVING THE TAHOE CLOSE TO HOME I STARTED TO SMELL OF BURNING AND I COULD SEE SMOKE COMING UP FROM THE DASH. I PULLED OVER AND BY THEN THE WHOLE CAR WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE AND I COULD SEE FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER THE DASH ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I TRIED TO PUT OUT THE FLAMES (NOT RECOMMENDED) BUT THE FIRE JUST SPREAD UPWARDS INTO THE DASH AND WAS OBVIOUSLY OUT OF CONTROL. I LEFT THE VEHICLE AND CALLED 911 AND WITHIN MINUTES THE WHOLE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE POLICE AND FIRE SERVICE ARRIVED AND EVENTUALLY THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED AFTER IT HAD BURNED THROUGH MOST OF THE VEHICLE. FORTUNATELY I WAS ON MY OWN AND I SUFFERED NO INJURIES EXCEPT A FEW MINOR BURNS TO MY HANDS. I AM GUESSING THE FIRE MAY HAVE STARTED WITH THE BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR WIRING WHICH IS A PROBLEM MANY OTHERS HAVE REPORTED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STOPPED WORKING PULLED OVER UNPLUGGED BATTERY STARTED WORKING BUT BEEN HAPPENING A LOT IT HAS 180,000 ON IT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS PLACED IN THE OFF POSITION, THE KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

SPEEDOMETER QUIT WORKING. GM NEEDS TO STEP UP AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE GAUGES FAILED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL GAGE AND IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 08/12/14*LJ GM INFORMED THE CONSUMER, SINCE HE WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER, THEY WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 08/14/14

MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT BAD WHILE DRIVING. I TOOK IT TO CHEVROLET AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE PART BUT ONLY UP TO 7YEARS OR 70, 000 MILES. FROM WHAT I KNOW, GM WAS WELL AWARE THAT THEY MADE DEFECTIVE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER AND DON'T WANT TO REPLACE THEM. I HAVE 6 CHILDREN TO TRANSPORT BACK AND FORTH FROM SCHOOL AND PRACTICE, MY SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING IS UNSAFE FOR MY CHILDREN. *TR

WHEN DRIVING, I NOTICED MY SPEEDOMETER REGISTERED AROUND 80 AND IT WAS ON A ROAD THAT I NORMALLY GO ABOUT 55. MANY OTHERS WERE PASSING ME, AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE PEOPLE WOULD BE GOING 90 OR 100. AND I CERTAINLY DIDN'T FEEL I WAS GOING 80. I SLOWED DOWN TO 55, AND I WAS CRAWLING. I CAME TO A STOP LIGHT, AND MY SPEEDOMETER WENT DOWN TO 15 AT A STAND STILL. I SPED UP AGAIN, AND THE SAME THING. NOW IT IS STUCK AT 40 WHEN SITTING STILL AND GOES TO ABOUT 100 WHEN I DRIVE. APPARENTLY GOOGLING THIS, IT APPEARS TO BE A MASSIVE PROBLEM AND NO ONE CAN UNDERSTAND WHY A RECALL HASN'T BEEN ISSUED. THE DEALER TOLD ME A BAD CLUSTER AT $650 TO REPAIR. THIS NEEDS TO BE ESCALATED AND CHEVROLET NEEDS TO COVER THIS PROBLEM. IT IS AN EXTREME HAZARD ON THE ROAD, AND PROBABLY HAS CAUSED MANY ACCIDENTS AND FATALITIES BECAUSE OF FAULTY READINGS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT ELSE I CAN DO TO GET RESOLUTION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE BLOWER RELAY RESISTER MODULE FAILED. THIS FAILURE CAUSED THE AIR CONDITIONER TO FAIL AND IT SMELLED LIKE PLASTIC WAS BURNING. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 135,000. *TR

WE NOTICED THE SPEEDOMETER AND THE BATTERY WAS LOSING CHARGE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. WE HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY MULTIPLE TIMES AND HAD ALTERNATOR AND STARTER CHECKED BUT COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THEM. DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A CHEVROLET DEALER CAUSE COULDN'T AFFORD IT THE COMPUTER ANALYZING COST. LOOKED UP ON COMPUTER AND IN 2009 THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE "CLUSTER" OF THE 2003 TAHOE AND WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED. CHEVROLET NOW SAYS THE RECALL HAS EXPIRED. WE DID NOT CHANGE ADDRESSES AT ALL DURING THIS TIME PERIOD. (I ALSO HAVE A FRIEND WITH A 2003 TAHOE AND SHE DID NOT RECEIVE A NOTICE OF RECALL EITHER AND HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS). WHAT DO I DO ABOUT GETTING THIS PROBLEM FIXED WITHOUT IT COSTING ME A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY. IF THEY KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH ONE OF THEIR VEHICLES THEY SHOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM ESPECIALLY IF SOMEONE HAS A VEHICLE WITH A PROBLEM AND NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES ALL FAILED AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO READ THE FUEL GAUGE, SPEEDOMETER, THERMOMETER, ETC. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THEY ADVISED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS LATER CONTACTED AND ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 168,286.

I WAS DRIVING MY 03 TAHOE, WHEN AN EXPLOSION WENT OFF IN MY VEHICLE. MY ENTIRE BACK END OF MY TAHOE WAS LITERALLY BLOW TO BITS. THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES OR PEOPLE AROUND ME. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE POLICE DEPT. THEY WERE SHOCKED TO SEE THE CONDITION OF MY VEHICLE AND SAID IT LOOKED TO THEM, THAT IT WAS A CHEVY MALFUNCTION OF SOME SORT. I CALLED MY INSURANCE COMPANY RIGHT AWAY. THEY CAME OUT AND TOWED THE VEHICLE. THEY WERE ALSO SHOCKED TO SEE THE DAMAGE, AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT OR WHY IT HAD HAPPENED. AFTER ASSESSING ALL THE DAMAGE THEY FOUND IT WOULD COST $2000 TO FIX THE DAMAGE. INS. SAID THEY WERE WILLING TO COVER THE DAMAGE, WE HAD TO PAY A $500 DEDUCTIBLE. I HAVE FIVE KIDS WHO ARE NORMALLY IN THE TRUCK WITH ME, THANK GOD THAT MORNING, THEY WERE NOT. GLASS WAS BLOWN ALL OVER THE INSIDE OF MY TRUCK, THE NOISE ALONE WOULD HAVE DAMAGED THEIR EARS, MINE WERE RINGING ALL DAY. I ALSO CONTACTED CHEVY'S CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE. I SPOKE WITH AN AGENT THERE WHO AS NO HELP, ASKED TO SPEAK TO HER SUPERVISOR, AND SHE WAS NO HELP. I THEN ASKED FOR WHOEVER WAS ABOVE HER, AND I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE TO HELP ME. I ASKED FOR A NAME, A PHONE NUMBER, AN EMAIL ANYTHING FOR SOMEONE WITH MORE AUTHORITY AND WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS NO ONE. THIS IS WRONG! WHAT IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING DOWN I95, OR WHAT IF I HAD MY CHILDREN WITH ME?? THEN ID BE SUING CHEVY FOR MILLIONS! IM ASKING IS THAT THEY COVER THE $500 DEDUCTIBLE SINCE THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS WASN'T NORMAL WEAR AND TARE, THIS WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY AND ISN'T COVERED. THIS IS CRAZY! THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A CHEVY DEFECT AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I AM SENDING PICTURES SO YOU CAN SEE HOW HORRIBLE THIS WAS. THIS WASN'T JUST THE BACK GLASS SHATTERED, THIS WAS LIKE A BOMB LITERALLY BLEW OFF MY BACK DOOR, WHILE I WAS DRIVING. CHEVY NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS. *TR

2003 TAHOE HAS A DEFECTIVE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER - GM REFUSES TO REPAIR UNDER THEIR "SPECIAL COVERAGE" BECAUSE THAT COVERAGE EXPIRED AT 80,000 MILES. MY VEHICLE IS SETUP WITH A TOW PACKAGE ALLOWING YOU TO TOW UP TO 7,000 POUNDS. IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU KNOW YOUR SPEED WHEN TOWING A TRAILER OR YOU CAN EASILY LOOSE CONTROL. MY SPEEDOMETER IS CURRENTLY STUCK AT 10 MILES PER HOUR. GM HAS DIAGNOSED AND STATED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS DEFECTIVE. GM DOES NOT CONSIDER A SPEEDOMETER TO BE A SAFETY DEVICE, BUT BECAUSE THEY PROMOTE THIS VEHICLE WITH A "TOW PACKAGE" SPEED BECOMES A MUCH MORE CRITICAL FACTOR IN VEHICLE OPERATION. *TR

THE SPEEDOMETER FAILED - INDICATING INCORRECT SPEED. FOR EXAMPLE, DRIVING THROUGH TOWN AT THE NORMAL FLOW OF TRAFFIC (20-30 MPH) THE SPEEDOMETER INDICATES 50+ MPH. *TR

03 CHEVY TAHOE WITH 28,000 MILES,ALL GAUGES QUIT WORKING,HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST WE ARE GOING,NO IDEA ON GAS,OIL PRESSURE ETC. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS AND CAN NOT AFFORD 700. TO FIX WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SAFETY RECALL. *TR

I HAVE NOTICED SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND IT APPEARS GM DOES NOT CARE. MY SPEEDOMETER IS NEVER CORRECT. IT RUNS 20-30 MPH OVER (AND SOMETIMES UNDER) WHAT WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING. THIS FIRST WAS NOTICED SEVERAL WEEKS AGO (PRIOR TO ACTUALLY FAILING) WHEN IT APPEARED THAT THE NEEDLE WOULD JERK (OR STEP ACTION) UP OR DOWN, I KNOW CHEVROLET SENT OUT A NOTICE ON THIS A YEAR OR SO AGO, BUT MY VEHICLE WAS BEYOND THEIR (GM) MILEAGE REQUIREMENT. I FEEL THAT THEIR "BEAN COUNTERS" KNEW THIS AT THE TIME AND IT WAS AGAINST THE AMERICAN CONSUMER. ANYWAY, THIS SHOULD BE A SAFETY CONCERN BY NOT ONLY GM, BUT DOT AS WELL SIMPLY ON THE FACT THAT ONE DOES NOT KNOW HOW FAST THEY ARE GOING. IF CAUGHT OFF GUARD - THINKING THEY ARE GOING 70 MPH BUT DOING 90 MPH, LOOSE CONTROL OR RUN INTO SOMEONE. ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE, DOING 70 MPH, GLANCE DOWN AND SEE THAT THEY ARE DOING 90 MPH, THEY MAY HIT THE BRAKE TOO HARD TO SLOW DOWN AND LOOSE CONTROL OR GET REAR ENDED. I COULD GO ON MORE WITH THIS ISSUE, BUT IT WILL PROBABLY NOT HELP (EXCEPT ADD TO THE PILES OF COMPLAINTS YOU ARE ALREADY RECEIVING), SO I'LL QUIT FOR NOW. THANK YOU AND PLEASE "LIGHT A FIRE" UNDER GM'S CORPORATE PEOPLE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED OVER THIS. *TR

SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. SHOWS 50 MPH WHEN STOPPED AND 120 MPH WHEN ON CITY STREETS. WAS WORKING WITHOUT ANY ISSUES AND THEN TODAY IT IS INCORRECT. I HAVE SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND NOTICED THIS IS BECOMING WIDESPREAD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF 60 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL HAD BECOME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE DASHBOARD WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

TL*-THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER FUNCTIONED INTERMITTENTLY AND THE FAILURE WAS PROGRESSIVELY BECOMING WORSE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WARRANTY AND THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIR COSTS. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 129,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS THE SPEEDOMETER AND FUEL GAUGE MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE HOW FAST THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING. THE MANUFACTURER MAILED THE CONTACT A LETTER REGARDING THE DEFECT WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. WHEN THE LETTER WAS RECEIVED THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ON THE VEHICLE. THE LETTER STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXTENDED THE WARRANTY TO SEVEN YEARS FROM THE DATE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN SERVICE OR 70,000 MILES. THE CONTACT EXCEEDED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THE DEALER WILL NOT REPAIR THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER UNDER THE WARRANTY; HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS SINCE THIS WAS A KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

SPEEDOMETER ON 2003 CHEVY TAHOE DEFECTIVE - WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK IN MODERATE TRAFFIC, I LOOK DOWN AND MY SPEEDO IS DISPLAYING OVER 120MPH. THIS CAUGHT ME OFF-GUARD AND I STEPPED ON THE BRAKES, ALMOST GETTING REAR-ENDED. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN OUT THAT WOULD COVER THIS SAFETY ISSUE. HOWEVER SINCE MY VEHICLE HAS 85K IT DOES NOT QUALIFY. UPON SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET, THIS APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND IT IS EVIDENT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR MANY YEARS. DEALER WANTS TO CHARGE OVER $750-$1000 TO FIX THIS SAFETY PROBLEM! SOMETHING NEEDS TO DONE! *TR

SPEEDOMETER SUDDENLY INCREASE NOT INDICATING THE CORRECT SETTINGS. *TR

OUR 2003 TAHOE HAS STRANGE SPEEDOMETER READINGS THAT ARE NOT CORRECT. IT CAUSED US TO TRAVEL FASTER THAN WAS SAFE ON THE ROAD. WHEN NOTICED WE SLOWED DOWN PULLED OVER AND WAITED FOR ANOTHER CAR TO FOLLOW. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2003 TAHOE WITH 69,000 MILES ON IT AND ABOUT 20,000 MILES LATER THE SPEEDOMETER STOPS WORKING IT IS HARD TO DRIVE THIS WAY. I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THIS ON OTHER G.M VEHICLES AND WAS COVERED IF THE MILES WERE UNDER 70,000 MILES. NOW I AM STRUCK WITH THE REPAIR COSTS. IF THERE WAS SOME SORT OF RECALL THEN MY TRUCK SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED BEFORE I BOUGHT IT, BUT NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT IT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GAUGES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WERE NOT FUNCTIONAL. AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT, THE FUEL GAUGE AND TACHOMETER WERE NOT WORKING AT ALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO TOOK A COMPLAINT BUT OFFERED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,000. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 77,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET TAHOE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 TO 70 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED AN INACCURATE READING OF 100 MPH. THE SPEED FLUCTUATED REGARDLESS OF THE ACTUAL SPEED THAT THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER THREE TIMES AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.