Chevrolet Impala Complaints (2003)

695 consumer complaints on file.

#11769704October 7, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My understanding is that a rain leakage into the front passenger floor is a very common problem with 2003 and 2004 Chevy Impala's. This is a safety issue due to mold. My complaint is about the fact that this is not a safety recall under NHTSA that Chevy Dealers must repair at no cost. I have this issue and it is a big problem for health and safety, so the fact that it is not a recall is infuriating. This is NOT a simple wear and tear problem. It is a manufacturing or design defect in 2003 and 2004 Chevy Impalas.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11624819November 12, 2024
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My car sometimes cuts off while driving. Was on highway 301 running about 60 mph in the middle lane and just lost power no warning. No code no nothing. Sacred me, I truly feel that's a safety issue, for me and the cars behind me. It's bad not knowing when or where this will happen again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11613903September 10, 2024
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
After I go back and forth between my bright headlights and regular All of a sudden my headlights shut off it happens after so many times going between them
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11569667February 3, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Ignition lock issue. I’m guessing security light came on hard to start vehicle when switch doesn’t work. Almost left me stranded. Apparently this is common. I have kids and if I get stranded with them what am I supposed to do? Something needs to be done
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11550294October 16, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I have a 2003 Chevrolet Impala! Look it up on the internet, and you will see that the failure rate of the GM passlock system is huge, and massively expensive to repair! In fact from a inside relative, says GM makes more money in parts, and repairs than on selling a new vehicle! This is without doubt a premeditated flow to rip off the public! This is in fact insensitive for GM to engineer a constant, and ongoing failure of the of its vehicles! This passlock defect can not be fixed by accessing the cars computer! It should be that easy but it is not a option. Being stranded by this defect is life threatening. The problem is the Passlock system that has failed for me, and hundreds of thousands owners of GM vehicles, and tens of millions of dollars in repairs that GM should be forced to repair, at no costs, past, and present to the owners, and including towing, and a rental car! The passlock defect, and failure completely locks up the cars entire electrical system, so the owner can not start, or even open the trunk of their car in a emergency! After it happens you can’t even access the car radio to reset back to the original factory functions! Even if you disconnect the battery, to get this accomplished, it will be a short while before it happens again! It is crazy expensive just to diagnose this problem! Please note that this is not just a Impala problem! This passlock defect falling involves dozens of Models of all types, old, and new. These vehicles number in the many hundreds of thousands over decades! Many tens of millions of dollars in repairs, and hundreds of thousands waiting to happen! This needs to be addressed at a government level! We won’t to see some consumer protection, and Justice! Thank you for your time, and consideration! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11523868May 25, 2023
TIRES:BEAD
225/60/r16 Tire bead is warped/slanted (defective) with inability to install the tires
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11502668January 19, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Accelator keeps getting stuck at traffic lights and while driving
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11480465August 21, 2022
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE
Fuel line leaking gas under engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11471068June 26, 2022
SUSPENSION, ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES
Hey my name is [XXX] I recently took my Chevy impala for repairs they told me I need more repairs done I’m like cool my bottom of my car is rusted n my struts are bad n my oil pump n other stuff is not working as well I’m when I gave Chevy a call ball they took my they manager not to bring the car back I’m kinda upset bout this whole thing idk cause they had to fix my head gasket for free but I need help getting these thing fixes. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11436532October 13, 2021
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
Traveling at 58 mph in Cruise Control for 10 minutes I increased speed with 4-6 rapid pushes of the Accelerate button in less than 1.5 seconds, Each push is 1 mph. I have never pushed it that rapidly.The engine acted as if I floored the accelerator & the transmission went from 4th to 3rd gear, speed went to 70+ and rapidly increasing. I stepped on the break pedal several times to disable CC but no help, I switched the CC button to the off position several times, no help. Now at 85+ and accelerating hard in wide open throttle (WOT). I shift to Neutral and turned the ignition to the ACC position to retain steering ability as the engine was RPM'ing out to destruction. I coasted off the highway and set ignition to off. After a few minutes I turned engine on and it rev'd out of control, still WOT. Ignition off did not reset the problem. I opened the hood to disconnected the battery & I observe that neither the CC or accelerator cables are not holding the throttle body (TB) in "WOT", it was closed in an idle position. It is not mechanical. I disconnected the battery for several minutes and then the system operated normally. I have used CC a million times but never have pushed that accel button that fast. I served 7 years as a Reactor Operation onboard US navy Fast attack Submarines, have torn apart and assemble mechanical and electrical reactor systems. I have been a Hardware Engineer for 40+ yrs and have 10 US patents in fault tolerant server design. I've been a car guy since 5 yrs old. This is a problem with the cars computer or its code. The rapid pushing of the CC accel button is key here as well as memory retaining this CC state after Key OFF. Its a good thing I experienced with many hard casualty life and death situations while serving, because my car was accelerating out of control, my experience and training in the US Military taught me to keep cool and think.You really should investigate this. I can tell you more specifics but I'm character limited.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11405251March 28, 2021
STEERING
ON 3/21/2021 I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY FOR ABOUT 25 MILES, WHEN MY 2003 CHEVY IMPALA STARTED MAKING A WHINING NOISE AND IT CONTINUED TO GET WORSE WITH EACH TURN. MY HUSBAND SOON REALIZED IT HAD TO BE THE POWER STEERING FLUID. SO HE PUT A BOTTLE OF POWER STEERING FLUID IN AND AFTER STARTING AND DRIVING FOR A FEW MINUTES THE CAR WAS BACK TO NORMAL! SO I PROCEEDED TO GET BACK ON THE FREEWAY TO HEAD HOME. AS SOON AS WE GOT TO OUR EXIT ABOUT 23 MILES FROM WHERE WE HAD JUST PUT THE FLUID IN. IT STARTED MAKING THE SAME WHINING NOISE. SO BACK TO THE STORE FOR MORE POWER STEERING FLUID. HE FILLS IT UP. THE NEXT MORNING SAME PROBLEMS. WE KNOW NOW THERE IS A LEAK IN OUR POWER STEERING BUT NOT SURE WHERE EXACTLY. MY CAR NOW SITS AS WE CAN'T AFFORD TO BE ADDING BOTTLE AFTER BOTTLE OF POWER STEERING FLUID TO MY CAR EVERYTIME WE NEED TO GO SOMEWHERE. MY HUSBAND BELIEVES WE HAVE RUN INTO THE SAME ISSUES THAT HAVE RECENTLY BEEN REPORTED BY NHTSA ID# 11316116 BEING POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE RUBS AGAINST SOME PART OF THE MOTOR AND RUBBER HOLE IN POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11398056February 26, 2021
AIR BAGS, SERVICE BRAKES, ENGINE
VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WHEN MOVING,TURNING OR STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. BY SWITCHING TO NEUTRAL, THE ENGINE MAY START AFTER 1 OR MORE TRIES. SO FAR THE FAILURES HAVE BEEN ON CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAYS. BUT NOT INTERSTATES. THE FAILURES ARE MANY BUT UNPREDICTABLE.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11351783August 28, 2020
STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
VEHICLE FIRE. VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE CRUISING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. VERY DANGEROUS. VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11349773August 17, 2020
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I JUST RECENTLY BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE 03/11/20 AND IT RAN GREAT TILL YESTERDAY WHEN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD EXPLODED AND CAUGHT FIRE TO THE ENGINE FROM THE FUEL LINES MELTED THIS HAPPENED WHEN I WAS GETTING A JUMP. IT SAYS THERE ARE NO RECALLS PENDING IT IS THE 3.8L AND IT LOOKED ORIGINAL ALL THE PARTS DID CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME OUT
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11322021April 23, 2020
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
THE INCIDENT HAPPENED THIS MORNING AS I WAS LEAVING FOR WORK. MY CAR WAS PARKED IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN 2 DAYS. I GOT IN THE VEHICLE AND PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION AND AS SOON AS I TURNED IT TO START THERE WAS A LOUD BANG THAT SOUNDED LIKE A GUNSHOT WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A BACKFIRE. THE ENTIRE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET HAD EXPLODED INTO PIECES AND WHITE SMOKE BEGAN TO RISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD AND THE SMOKE CLEARED I BEGAN TO ASSESS THE ISSUE, I NOTICED THE MANIFOLD GASKET COVER HAD BEEN BLOWN COMPLETELY OFF AND THE MANIFOLD ITSELF WAS IN PIECES. I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON BUT UNCOMMON THING AMONG EARLY 2000'S GM VEHICLES.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11316116March 4, 2020
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, STEERING
THE POWER STEERING RETURN HOSE RUBS AGAINST SOME PART OF THE MOTOR AND RUB A HOLE IN POWER STEERING RETURN HOUSE
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11311933February 27, 2020
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), ENGINE
THE SECURITY SYSTEM LOCKS AND WILL NOT LET ME START THE VEHICLE EVERY COUPLE TIMES THE VEHICLE IS STARTED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11287638December 7, 2019
AIR BAGS, POWER TRAIN
ABS/TRACTION CONTROL.WHEN ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS COME ON MAKES GRINDING NOISE /BRAKES GRAB HAS BECOME DANGEROUS TO HAVE ON THE ROAD. ONLY HAVE 125,950 MILES HAS BEEN CAUSING PROBLEMS FOR LAST 5,000 MILES. TOOK TO SHOP MECHANIC.COULD NOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM. CAN NOT TURN TRACTION CONTROL OFF/ ON MANUALLY DOES IT ON ITS OWN. .HAS TO BE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. AS MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME DANGEROUS PROBLEM THERE SHOULD BE A FACTORY RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR WORSE.THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS WHEN IN MOTION TURNING AND WHILE APPLYING BRAKE. CITY STREET AND HIGHWAY.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11270932October 25, 2019
STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), POWER TRAIN
TURN SIGNALS WORK INTERMITTENTLY FOR 6 YEARS. TRANSMISSION MAKES SQUEAK UPON STARTING FROM DEAD STOP AFTER CHANGING FLUID AND FILTER FOR 2ND TIME. ABS WENT OUT 6 YEARS AGO.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11270933October 25, 2019
AIR BAGS
HAD FRONT END ACCIDENT TWICE AND AIR BAGS NEVER INFLATED.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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