Page 5 of 5 · complaints 201–230 of 230

2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo complaints

Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2004 record →

Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Filed Dec 3, 200758,000 milesMI

SPEEDOMETER FAILURE; DRIVING DOWN ROAD, SPEEDOMETER WENT TO ZERO. DRIVING FREEWAY, SPEEDOMETER SUDDENLY WENT BACKWARDS PAST ZERO. DRIVING DOWN ROAD, SPEEDOMETER WENT FROM 35 TO 60 TO 120. EACH TIME WOULD NOT WORK AGAIN UNTIL CAR SAT PARKED AND RESTARTED. EVEN IN PARK WITH CAR OFF AT TIMES SPEEDOMETER WAS STILL READING EITHER ZERO OR 120. TOOK TO DEALER, HAD TO PULL OUT DASH AND SEND IT OUT FOR REPAIR OVERNIGHT, FIXED FOR $438.88. (CAR HAS 60,000 MILES). *TR

Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Filed Nov 22, 200721,000 milesNY

MY SPEEDOMETER IS ERRATIC. AT TIMES IT READS 140 MPH AT A COMPLETE STOP OR 80 MPH WHEN I THINK I'M DOING 30 MPH. THERE IS NO WAY TO TELL HOW FAST I'M ACTUALLY GOING. *TR

Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Filed Oct 19, 200749,700 milesIL

MY SPEEDOMETER BEGAN TO ACT ERRATICALLY LAST WINTER, JUST AFTER MY WARRANTY EXPIRED. I DIDN'T REALIZE IT UNTIL I WAS PULLED OVER FOR GOING 20 MILES OVER THE LIMIT, WITH MY CRUISE CONTROL ON. I DIDN'T RECEIVE A TICKET, BUT WAS LATE FOR AN IMPORTANT APPOINTMENT. WHEN I CALLED MY CHEVY DEALER, THEY CLAIMED THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS AND WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE PANEL. THIS OCCURS MORE IN VERY COLD OR RAINY CONDITIONS. I HAVE NOT HAD IT CORRECTED YET.

Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Filed Oct 8, 200756,000 milesTX

SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE IS NOT SHOWING CORRECT SPEED. IT WILL SHOW 10 MPH WHEN VEHICLE IS MAINTAINING IDENTICAL SPEED OF OTHER VEHICLES ON A FREEWAY . IT WILL SHOW 120 MPH WHEN VEHICLE IS STOPPED. THE NEEDLE WILL POINT DIRECTLY DOWNWARD AT ANY GIVEN TIME. *TR

Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Filed Jul 2, 200734,900 milesTN

SPEEDOMETER FAILS TO REGISTER THE CORRECT MILES PER HOUR AND DOESN'T EVEN WORK MOST OF THE TIME. I HAVE HAD IT CHECKED AT A CERTIFIED GARAGE. *TR

Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Filed Jun 28, 200743,000 milesMN

THE 2004 MONTE CARLO SPEEDOMETER ERRATIC, INDICATING GOING 30-12 MPH, EVEN THOUGH I STOPPED/ OR DROVE AT OR NEAR THE SPEED LIMIT ON INTERSTATE 55 MPH AND IT READ 45 MPH. I COULD DRIVE 30 MPH, AND IT READ 110 MPH. DEALER WANTED $500.00 TO FIX. I HOPE GM RECALL SOON. I HEARD THAT GM TRUCKS AND SUV HAD THIS PROBLEM. *AK

Steering › Column
Filed May 2, 200737,000 milesMO

CLUNKING NOISE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. SERVICE WRITER TOOK THE INFO & AN HOUR LATER INFORMED ME THAT PROBLEM WAS FIXED AND I OWED $108.00!!!! NO COMMUNICATION, NO ESTIMATE, NO NOTHING BUT THIS CHARGE, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND GM KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. SAID THEY LUBED A NEOPRENE SEAL ON THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. *TR

Steering › Gear Box › Shaft Sector
Filed Apr 11, 200744,000 milesGA

I OWN A 2004 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. I STARTING HAVING STEERING PROBLEMS. THE STEERING FELT LOOSE AND LIKE METAL GRINDING TOGETHER. THE BUMPING COULD BE FELT OVER IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AS WELL SO IT RAISED SOME CONCERNS. AFTER DOING SOME ONLINE RESEARCH I FOUND IT WAS THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT. I AM SURE THE COMPANY HEARD THIS COMPLAINT BEFORE. I FOUND CHEVROLET'S FIX TO FIRST BE A LUBE KIT THAT WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM FOR MAYBE 20,000 MILES IN WHICH I PURCHASED AND HAD THE DEALER APPLY. WAS LATER TOLD THE PROBLEM WAS MISSING AND DEFECTIVE SUB FRAME WELDS. THEY ALSO FIXED THE WELD PROBLEM WITH SUPER GLUE? IM NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT THE MECHANIC DID WHILE FIXING MINE, BUT I HAD TO PAY FOR IT OUT OF POCKET WITH NO CLUE HOW SAFE AND HOW LONG THIS FIX WILL WORK. PAPER JUST SAID INTERMEDIATE REPLACED. AND I PURCHACED THE LUBE. IT WAS A DEALER'S DEFECT, AND THEY WERE VERY AWARE OF.IT. ASK ANY OF THEIR MECHANICS. YET NO RECALL. *AK

Latches/Locks/Linkages › Doors › Latch
Filed Mar 28, 200730,000 milesPA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE WITH THE DRIVER'S SIDE POWER DOOR LOCK. WHEN THE WEATHER WAS COLD THE DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK FROM THE EXTERIOR OR INTERIOR UNTIL THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN WARMED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000, THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 30,250. *AK UPDATE 4/23/07 *TR

Tires
Filed Feb 8, 200726,251 milesKY

WE PURCHASED A 2004 CHEVY MONTE CARLO SS @ JIM JOHNSON NISSAN HERE IN BOWLING GREEN,KY IN DECEMBER OF 2006. SINCE THEN WE HAVE BEEN FEELING A "THUMPING" WHILE DRIVING-NO MATTER WHAT SPEED. WE HAD TAKEN THE CAR TO JIM JOHNSON A COUPLE OF TIMES, WHICH TIRES WERE TAKEN OFF-BALANCED AND RE-BALANCED AND STILL THE SAME ISSUE. JIM JOHNSON HAD PLACED 2 NEW TIRES ON THE FRONT BUT WE ARE STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE TIRES WE HAVE ON THERE ARE GOODYEAR EAGLES. WE CALLED GOODYEAR CONSUMER CTR. THEY IN TURN HAD US GO TO A GOODYEAR TIRE DEALER FOR A TIRE INSPECTION, UPON WHICH THEY FOUND A "THUMPING" IN THE TIRES. GOODYEAR CONSUMER CENTER HAD OFFERED US $58. FOR EACH TIRE REPLACEMENT TOWARDS THE WARRANTY. WE FEEL FOR OUR SAFETY AND OTHERS AROUND OUR CAR,WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO SPEND ANY MONEY FOR REPLACEMENT OF THE TWO TIRES THAT ARE FAULTY AND DEFECTIVE, WE FEEL THAT THEY SHOULD REPLACE THEM AT NO CHARGE TO US FOR SAFETY REASONS AND THE IDEA THAT THEY ARE FAULTY AND DEFECTIVE NO MATTER WHAT THE WARRANTY CLAIMS ARE. WE FEEL THEY ARE NOT STANDING BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *JB

Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Filed Jan 23, 2007MN

I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY MONTE CARLO. THE SPEEDOMETER WENT OUT LAST FALL. NOT COMPLETELY RIGHT AWAY, JUST OFF BY 8-15 MILES PER HOUR. I WAS STOPPED BY A POLICE OFFICER WHO SAID THAT I WAS SPEEDING. I HAD THE CRUISE SET FOR 57 MILES PER HOUR. HE SAID THAT I WAS GOING 73 MILES PER HOUR. NO WAY! SINCE THE BEGINNING OF DECEMBER IT COMPLETELY QUIT. I HAVE HAD THE SPEED SENSOR REPLACED, THAT LASTED ALL OF THREE HOURS. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I CAN DO? THIS IS NOT A CHEAP FIX. *JB

Seats › Front Assembly › Seat Heater/Cooler
Filed Jan 8, 200756,000 milesVA

DRIVERS SIDE HEATED SEAT INOPERATIVE. TOOK TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED A NEW COVER. I INSPECTED THE SEAT AND DISCOVERED A QUARTER SIZE BURN MARK INSIDE THE CUSHION. THE HEATING ELEMENT BECAME OVERHEATED AND BEGAN TO BURN THE CUSHION. *JB

Electrical System
Filed Dec 9, 200658,000 milesMS

THE SPEEDOMTER AND RPM GAUGES WORK IRRATICALLY, AND ARE NOT ACCURATE. THERE WERE NO SIGNS THAT THIS WAS STARTING IT JUST ONE DAY STARTED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SERVERAL OWNERS OF THE 2004 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO'S IN MY AREA, AND ALL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS. CHEVROLET NEEDS TO RECALL THESE DASH CLUSTERS. *NM

Equipment › Electrical › Anti-theft Devices
Filed Nov 9, 2006NY

CONSUMER COMPLAINT CONCERNING THE 2004 MONTE CARLO GM SECURITY SYSTEM. *TS THE SECURITY SYSTEM INSTALLED IN THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE IS NO LONGER MANUFACTURED. THE CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT IF ANY OF THE COMPONENTS FAIL THE ENTIRE SYSTEM MAY NEED TO BE REPLACED. *NM

Electrical System › Wiring
Filed Jul 27, 200640,200 milesMO

SPEEDOMETER STARTED REGISTERING INCORRECT SPEED, THEN WORKED SPORADICALLY AND SOMETIMES NOT AT ALL. CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. THEY DETERMINED THAT THE WHOLE INSTRUMENT PANEL CONSOLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED (NOT JUST THE SPEEDOMETER). THE DEALERSHIP SENT THE OLD INSTRUMENT PANEL TO THE PARTS SUPPLIER AND RECEIVED A NEW INSTRUMENT PANEL, THEN INSTALLED IT. THEY SPECULATED THAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN BECAUSE OF A BAD GROUND IN THE SYSTEM. UNSURE WHETHER OR NOT OLD PART IS AVAILABLE. *JB

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 12, 200620,000 milesKY

DASH BUCKLING IN MIDDLE. DEALER HAS REPLACED A DASH PANEL TWICE, BUT THE MATING PART IS WHAT IS BUCKLING. DEALER INFORMED ME THAT GM WILL NO LONGER REPAIR THIS PROBLEM, ALTHOUGH IT APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT. I WAS TOLD IT WAS DESIGNED TO BUCKLE FROM THE HEAT, AND ONCE IT DID, IT WOULD NOT RETURN TO ORIGINAL SHAPE. VERY DISAPPOINTING TO PAY THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR AN AUTOMOBILE TO HAVE IT LOOK LIKE TRAILER TRASH TWO YEARS INTO ITS OWNERSHIP. *JB

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor
Filed Jul 6, 200650,000 milesOH

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL PULSATED VIOLENTLY. AS SPEED OF THE VEHICLE DECREASED TO 5 MPH, THE BRAKES EMITTED A GRINDING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC.

Electrical System
Filed Apr 5, 200632,161 milesNJ

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH,THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING. NO DASH PANEL LIGHTS ILLUMINATED TO INDICATE A FAILURE. THE ENGINE WAS EASILY RESTARTED, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED WHICH INDICATED THE FUEL RELAY CONNECTOR HOSE WAS LOOSE. ALTHOUGH THIS WAS REPAIRED, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AWAITING FURTHER INSPECTION. UPDATED ON 05/16/2006. THE BRAKES PULSATED WHILE BRAKING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ROTORS BECAUSE THE WERE PITTED AND WARPED. THEY ALSO REPLACED THE REAR BRAKES. *AK *NM

Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine
Filed Mar 1, 200622,965 milesFL

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED, INTERMITTENTLY, THE VEHICLE STALLED AT ANY SPEED. ONCE, THE BATTERY LIGHT ILLUMINATED THEN THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE OTHER TIMES, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE STALLING. THE VEHICLE DID RESTART EACH TIME. THE DEALERSHIP CLEANED THE MAP SENSOR CONNECTOR; THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM.

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Feb 6, 200625,800 milesMO

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING THE SPEEDOMETER WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND PARTS WERE ORDERED.

Service Brakes, Air › Disc › Rotor
Filed Jun 5, 200514,450 milesOH

BRAKES GRINDING AT 14,000 MILES, 2 TIRES WEARING. TAKEN TO DEALER, DEALER TURNED ROTARS AND SAID TIRES WERE GOODYEARS PROBLEM. TAKEN TO GOODYEAR DEALER,WAS TOLD IT WAS A BAD SET UP BY CAR DEALER AND WAS THE 3RD CAR BROUGHT IN FROM THAT DEALER. CALLED GM HOT LINE AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE INTO ANOTHER DEALER AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ESTIMATE IF IT WASN'T WARRANTY. THE FIRST TOLD US IT WOULD NOT BE WARRANTY. NOW WE ARE DRIVING ON AN ALMOST BALD TIRE WITH MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILD IN THE CAR. THE REASON WE BOUGHT A NEW CAR IS SO WE WOULD HAVE A SAFE CAR AND WHEN WE SPENT 20,000 DOLLARS WE THOUGHT IT WOULD LAST MORE THAN A YEAR NOT ONLY 14,000 MILES. AFTER THE DEALER TURNED THE LEFT REAR ROTAR IT STILL HAS MARKS ON IT.

Structure › Body › Trunk Lid
Filed May 27, 2005MA

THE REAR TRUNK STRUT SUPPORT HAS BROKEN FOUR TIMES ON MY 2004 CHEVY MONTE CARLO. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS FAILURE COULD LEAD TO THE TRUNK LID SMASHING DOWN ON SOMEONE'S HAND CAUSING SERIOUS INJURY

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Caliper
Filed Jan 8, 200516,500 milesPA

BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, CAR WOULD NOT STOP. NO WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. NOISE FROM FRONT RIGHT BRAKES WHEN GOING FORWARD OR IN REVERSE. PEDAL TO FLOOR HAPPENED IN GOOD DRY WEATHER ON BOTH OCCASIONS. ABS WAS NOT ACTIVE AT TIME OF INCIDENT. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND WAS REPAIRED AT NO COST TO ME,CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY AND DEALER GAVE ME A LOANER FOR THE DAY. DEALER STATED THAT "BRAKE CALIPER WAS SEIZED TO PADS".THEY CLEANED AND LUBED "CALIPER SLIDERS". DEALER WAS VERY COOPERATIVE I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS WITH THE DEALER, THEY WERE EXCELLENT. I BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW AND IT HAD 16,500 MILES ON IT AT TIME OF PROBLEM. I AM THE ONLY OPERATOR OF THIS CAR. I WANTED TO INFORM THE PEOPLE CAUSE I SEE THERE ARE SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH BRAKES ON THIS CAR TYPE. I WILL UPDATE IF PROBLEM HAPPENS AGAIN.*AK

Structure
Filed Dec 29, 20043,400 milesVA

WARPED DASHBOARD IN MY 2004 MONTE CARLO, RADIO FACE ALSO GETS BLISTERING HOT, TRUNK LID OPEN APPEARS ALL THE TIME ON DASH, TOO K TO DEALER, TRUNK LID FIXED NEW DASH INSTALLED 3 DAYS LATER DASH WARPED WORSE THAN BEFORE AND BOTH SIDE PILLARS NOW CRACKED, BRAKES STILL NOISY AND PEDAL TO THE FLOOR, DEALER STATES NORMAL. SCHEDULING FOR MY SECOND DASHBOARD, AND STILL NO ANSWERS ON WHY YOU CANT TOUCH THE RADIO. *NM

Vehicle Speed Control › Cruise Control
Filed Dec 13, 20045,100 milesNY

CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES FOR VIBRATION. VEHICLE VIBRATED MORE WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON. DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK

Suspension
Filed Nov 26, 200451,000 milesNY

WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH VEHICLE SHIMMIED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

Engine and Engine CoolingFire
Filed Nov 22, 2004IL

AT 2700 MILES IT BLEW THE ENGINE. REPLACED ENGINE AND DROVE HOME, WHOLE FRONT STARTED ON FIRE. *BF THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THE FIRE WAS FROM A GAS LEAK IN THE PIPE. THE CONSUMER FELT THAT THE FAULT WAS DUE TO GREEN CHEVY MECHANICS. PER INVOICE: THE ENGINE LIGHT HAD COME ON, FOUND CODES FOR ENGINE MISFIRE, CYLINDER #3, KNOCK SENSOR MELTED, PERFORMED COMPRESSION TEST, CYLINDER #3 SHOWED ZERO COMPRESSION, REMOVED #3 SPARK PLUGS, ELECTRODE WAS GONE, REMOVED THE ENGINE, DISASSEMBLED THE ENGINE DOWN TO THE PISTONS, HOLES WERE PRESENT IN THE PISTON, CYLINDER WALLS WERE SEVERELY GOUGED AND THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *SC

Service Brakes, Air › Antilock
Filed Nov 4, 2004AZ

BAD BRAKES ON 2004 CHEVROLET MONTE CARLO, THE PEDAL WAS NOT FIRM, IT WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR, BUT CONTUED PRESSURE AND PEDAL WOULD GO TO THE FLOOR. THE DEALER SAID IT WAS NORMAL. *AK

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Oct 18, 200416,000 milesAZ

BRAKE PEDAL FELT MUSHY, PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR WHEN APPLIED. *BF THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INDICATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NORMAL. *NM

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Aug 20, 2004KY

RECALL NOTICE CONCERNING BOLTS THAT ATTACHES THE BRAKE CALIPER TO THE STEERING KNUCKLE BEING LOOSE. *MR THE DEALER DID NOT HAVE THE SPECIFIC SEALANT THAT THE RECALL REQUIRED. *SC *JB

Reading these

NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

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