Chevrolet Impala Complaints (2003)

695 consumer complaints on file.

#10174122November 23, 2006
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
COMPLAINTS OF ENGINE TEMPERATURE ALWAYS ENDED WITH NO FOUND PROBLEMS ON VEHICLE OWNED AND SERVICED REGULARLY SINCE PURCHASED NEW IN APRIL 2003. REGULAR OIL CHANGES AND ENGINE COOLANT FLUSH AS RECOMMENDED BY MANUFACTURER WERE COMPLETED AND STILL NO PROBLEMS FOUND. AT 75,671 MILES DEALER FOUND INTAKE GASKETS LEAKING AND SAID ENGINE DAMAGE WOULD OCCUR IF NOT REPLACED. REPAIR COST $658. FOUND THAT TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS INDICATE THIS IS A KNOW PROBLEM IN A HOST OF GM VEHICLES FROM 2000. PUBLIC IS BEING FORCED TO PAY FOR MAJOR ENGINE REPAIRS FOR POOR ENGINEERING ON THE PART OF THE MANUFACTURER. ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO THIS PROBLEM COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS ACCIDENT FOR THE LESS THAN KNOWLEDGEABLE DRIVER. ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS WITH POOR LESS THAN OPTIMAL ENGINE PERFORMANCE, LOSS OF COOLANT, OIL, ETC. SHOULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED. HOW MANY OF THESE REPAIRS HAVE BEEN DONE OVER THE SPAN OF YEARS BY THE MANUFACTURER? HOW MANY UNINFORMED CONSUMERS HAVE BEEN DUPED BY THIS LACK OF MANUFACTURER RESPONSIBILITY?*JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10173102November 10, 2006
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH
RECENTLY, I HAVE HAD 3 OR 4 INSTANCES WHERE THE LIGHTS ON MY 2003 IMPALA WENT COMPLETELY OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I HAD SWITCHED THE LIGHTS BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW BEAM. THIS IS RATHER CONCERTING. MY FRIEND REPORTED THAT HER 2002 IMPALA HAS ALSO RECENTLY BEGAN DOING THE SAME THING. MY LIMITED RESEARCH LED ME TO THIS SITE. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10171727October 24, 2006
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:SWITCH, VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AT NIGHT WITH THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ENGAGED, THE HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH. UPDATED 12/12/2006 - ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT WHEN SWITCHED FROM HIGH BEAM TO LOW BEAM. THE LIGHTS DID NOT COME BACK ON UNTIL THE CONSUMER BEGUN TO JIGGLE THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH. THE POWER WINDOWS WOULD NOT GO DOWN. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MASTER WINDOW SWITCH. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10170804October 14, 2006
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
MY 2003 IMPALA STARTED WITH A SLOW LOOSE OF COOLANT. EVERY WEEK OR SO WOULD HAVE TO ADD TO THE OVERFLOW, BUT NEVER SAW A LEAK. WAS OVER-HEATING TOO. EVENTUALLY IT WOULD HAVE A TICKING FROM THE ENGINE AREA WHEN STARTING CAR. IT WASN'T ALL THE TIME THOUGH. I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS OIL ON MY DRIVEWAY AND THE OIL WAS ABOUT A 1/2 QUART LOW. CHECKED AGAIN IN COUPLE DAYS AND NEEDED TO ADD A QUART BECAUSE LIGHT CAME ON. TWO DAYS LATER LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. TOOK IT TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP WHO INFORMED ME THAT THE GASKET NEEDED REPLACING IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BECAUSE COOLANT MIXED WITH OIL. ALSO NEEDED COOLANT FLUSH, AND OIL CHANGE AND ANOTHER GASKET. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS LOTS OF SLUDGE IN ENGINE AND COULD CAUSE MORE PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE. THE CAR HAS 68,000 MILES ON IT AND IT COST ME OVER $1300 TO REPAIR. WHAT A SHOCK TO THE POCKET BOOK. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10169032September 23, 2006
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS:HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH
HEADLIGHTS GO OFF WHEN SWITCHING BETWEEN HIGH BEAM AND LOW BEAM. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10168134September 13, 2006
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SKID. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED MULTIPLE UNKNOWN COMPONENTS, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10165352August 13, 2006
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
I HAVE 34000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE AND HAVE TO TAKE IT IN SOON AS THE BRAKES ARE AGAIN PULSATING. THIS WILL BE THE 6TH TIME I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKES REPLACED. THERE IS A CONSTANT RUBBING SOUND WHICH I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY THE DEALER IS A "NORMAL" SOUND IN AN IMPALA. THERE IS NOTHING "NORMAL" ABOUT THIS SOUND. 12/11/03 IS THE FIRST TIME I REPORTED A BRAKE PROBLEM AND HAVE CONTINUED TO DO SO UNTIL THE PRESENT.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10163734July 27, 2006
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS THE BRAKES WERE NOT RESPONDING ADEQUATELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THE FOUR ROTORS HAD TO BE RESURFACED, HOWEVER THE PADS WERE STILL IN GOOD CONDITIONS. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 14950 MILES.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10163746July 27, 2006
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
THE CAR STARTING SMELLING LIKE ANTI-FREEZE AND THEN A BIG PUDDLE APPEARED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. THE ONLY THING WE DID WAS DRIVE FROM NAMPA, ID TO BILLINGS, MT, WHICH WE HAVE DONE FOUR TIMES BEFORE. IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE HEATER CORE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THE CAR HAS 68,000 MILES ON IT RIGHT NOW AS OF JULY 28TH, 2006. IN NOVEMEBER OF 2003, THREE MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR, THE HEATER CORE WAS REPLACED AT 31,000 BY THE LITHIA DEALERSHIP IN HELENA, MT. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS ALSO REPLACED IN MAY 2006 BECAUSE THE CAR WAS OVERHEATING AND MAKING A TICKING NOISE. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10162886July 19, 2006
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE AND ALL THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH. THE IGNITION WAS TURNED ON RIGHT AFTER, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER FIVE MINUTES WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TOGGLE SWITCH OF THE PASSLOCK SECURITY SYSTEM HAD BECOME DEFECTIVE. UPDATED 8/1/2006 - *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10162504July 16, 2006
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGNITION - KEY WOULD NOT TURN. UNABLE TO MOVE CAR. WARM, SUNNY DAY AT A LOCAL STORE PARKING LOT. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. CAUSE: FROZEN LOCK CYLINDER. DEALERSHIP HAD CAR FOR TWO (2) DAYS TO ORDER PART, REPROGRAM AND REPLACED. SAFETY WAS A ISSUE. COST TO REPLACE WAS $600. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10162011July 10, 2006
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
SINCE JUNE 2006, I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE OF MY CHEVROLET IMPALA, 2003 (3.4L; 72,000 MILES) HAVE BEEN DISPLAYING INCORRECTLY THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE GAS TANK. THE FUEL GAUGE HAS BEEN SHOWING FULL DESPITE THE FACT THAT I HAVE LESS THAN HALF TANK OF GAS. I HAVE BEEN USING THE TRIP ODOMETER TO GUIDE ME IN MY FUEL CONSUMPTION ESPECIALLY DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF JULY WHEN I MADE LONG TRIP. ARE THERE OTHER REPORTS REGARDING THE ERRATIC FUEL GAUGE OPERATION IN THIS YEAR MODEL OF CHEVROLET IMPALA 2003? *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10161661July 6, 2006
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE SERVICE DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE, THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE BREAK ROTORS WERE CRACKED. THE BREAK ROTORS AND BREAK PADS WERE REPLACED.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10161244July 2, 2006
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2003 IMPALA LS - HEADLIGHTS GO OFF WHILE DRIVING. JUST SHUT OFF. DOESN'T MATTER IF MANUAL HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS ENGAGED OR NOT. INTERMITTENT FAILURE, SOMETIMES NOT FOR TWO HOURS, SOMETIME EVERY FEW SECONDS, SOMETIMES WHEN SWITCHING LOW TO HIGH BEAMS, NO SPECIFIC SPEED OR DRIVING CONDITIONS. ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS AND PARKING LIGHTS APPEAR TO REMAIN ON WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS FAIL. SOMETIMES CAN GET HEADLIGHTS BACK ON BY SWITCHING OFF AND ON AGAIN, SOMETIMES BY FLASHING LOW TO HIGH, BUT THEY DON'T ALWAYS COME BACK ON REGARDLESS OF ACTION. SOMETIMES JUST HAVE TO PARK THE CAR UNTIL DAYLIGHT. CAR HAD JUST OVER 44,000 MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT. DROVE FOR TWO WEEKS, BUT NEVER AT NIGHT, SO NOT EXACTLY SURE OF MILEAGE OF FIRST INCIDENT. HAPPENED SECOND TIME I DROVE THE CAR AT NIGHT. UNABLE TO REPEAT INCIDENT AT DEALER, BUT CAR WAS IN "PARK" WHEN THEY LOOKED AT IT, AND IT WAS DAYTIME. IT COULD BE HAPPENING WHILE DAYTIME, TOO, BUT I CAN'T TELL FROM INSIDE THE CAR. I COULD GET A TICKET IN MARYLAND FOR DRIVING WITH NO HEADLIGHTS WHILE USING WINDSHIELD WIPERS. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10160570June 23, 2006
SUSPENSION, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FIRST WEEK AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE TIRES STARTING MAKING NOISES WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN OUT OF ALIGNMENT CAUSING TIRES TO WEAR DOWN. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO DETERMINE ALL FOUR TIRE SHOULD BE REPLACED AT A COST. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED BECAUSE THE CONTACT DID NOT WANT TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. THE TIRES WERE ROTATED BY THE CONTACT TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 8/1/2006 - *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10158593May 30, 2006
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS
I PURCHASED MY CHEVY IMPALA 2003 BRAND NEW IN MARCH OF 2003. EVERY SINCE THEN WHEN I TURN ON MY HEADLAMPS, THEY TURN OFF AT RANDOM, WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS ON A DARKENED ROAD AT NIGHT. EVERYTHING GOES OFF (INTERIOR, TAIL LIGHTS, ECT). *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10158294May 25, 2006
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
HAD TO HAVE UPPER AND LOWER MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED ON 2003 IMPALA. SOUND OF WATER WITHIN THE DASH. TSB ON SAME ISSUE BACK IN 2000 GM IS AWARE OF THIS WHY AREN'T OWNERS BEING HELPED WITH FAULTY GASKETS. TBS #03034 NHTSA #10003430. WHY ARE WE IN A POSITION TO DAMAGE AN ENGINE OR WORSE AND GM HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY IN SUCH A CRUCIAL COMPONET. ITS AFFECTED EVERY MODEL YEAR IMPALA 2000-2003 MANY TBS'S LISTED EACH YEAR. THEY REPAIRED MY IMPALA AT FULL COST TO(48K.) ME. I WOULD NOT PURCHASE A NEW CAR WITH THIS BEING A HAZARD TO ME AND MY FAMILY. I WAS JUST SURPRISED NO REACTION UNTIL SOMEONE GETS HURT. ALSO A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR A NEWER CAR. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10157429May 12, 2006
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
AT ABOUT 45,000 MILES THE BRAKE WARNING TAB STARTED MAKING THE SCRATCHING NOISE WHEN I PUT ON THE BRAKES. TWO DAYS LATER THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FOR FRONT BRAKE SERVICE. I WAS EXPECTING JUST PADS WERE NEEDED, BUT NOT THE CASE. I WAS TOLD AND SHOWN THE ROTORS HAD WORN DOWN TOO FAR TO CUT. BOTH FRONT ROTORS WERE BELOW SAFE DEPTH. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS WITH ONLY 45,000 ON THE CAR. THE ROTORS WERE JUNKED AND MY REPAIR BILL WENT TO TWICE AS MUCH. IS THIS AMERICAN QUALITY OR WHAT! OTHER THAN THIS, I HAVE AND DO LIKE MY IMPALA. CHEVY COULD CALL AND MAKE THIS RIGHT WOULD PUT THING 100% RIGHT WITH ME. WILL THEY DO THAT??? JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10156511May 1, 2006
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
I OWN CHEVROLET IMPALA WHICH IS LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD. THE COOLANT IS SUPPOSED TO LAST 100,000 MILES OR MORE. BUT THE SYSTEM HAS PROBLEMS AND IT LEAKS. THE CAR GETS OVERHEATED AND PRESENTS A FIRE HAZARD. *NM
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#10156123April 26, 2006
VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
HEATER QUIT WORKING, THEN CAR STARTED OVERHEATING. TURNING OFF HEATER/DEFROSTER CAUSES IT TO STOP OVERHEATING SO MUCH, BUT TEMPERATURE STILL RISES WHEN WAITING AT LIGHTS. CAR IS ALSO NEEDING OIL REPLACEMENT, AFTER HAVING AN OIL CHANGE 2 MONTHS AND 1500 MI AGO. MILEAGE IS AROUND 60,000. THERE IS OIL LEAKING OUT IN VARIOUS PLACES AROUND THE ENGINE. *JB
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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