If you want to buy a used instrument cluster, then you should know that instrument clusters endure. Not all auto parts are like this. Instrument gauges fail due to:

• Vibration, which breaks cluster circuit board connections.

• Mechanical speedometer, odometer, or tachometer failure. Sometimes small gears in these components wear out.

• Bad alternators can cause frequent voltage spikes that damage the cluster.

• Exhausted lighting. The instrument works but isn't always visible.

• Replacing a broken instrument is scary, if not impossible. When this happens, replacing the instrument is a good idea.