2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

LACK OF CHILD SAFETY LOCKS. WAS NOT INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO CHILD SAFETY LOCKS AND I HAVE 3 CHILDREN THAT RIDE IN THIS CAR. HAD TO FIND OUT THE HARD WAY WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND TO MY SURPRISE I HEARD THE WARNING SOUND AND SEEN THE LIGHT FLASH THAT A CAR DOOR WAS OPEN. THAT WAS WHEN I TURNED TO SEE MY SON OPENING THE DOOR. HIGHLY RECOMMEND A RECALL ON THIS TO HAVE THE LOCKS INSTALLED. WAS COMPLETELY SHOCKED THAT THIS WAS NOT INCLUDED BUT YET IT'S SHOWN AS A FAMILY STYLE CAR. *NM

VEHICLE CAN BE SHIFTED OUT OF PARK WITHOUT DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL WHILE IGNITION IS IN ACC. POSITION. WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING YOU HAVE TO DEPRESS TO RELEASE THE SHIFTER AS PER SHIFTER INTERLOCK. *NM

CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE MANUFACTURER REDUCED THE SIZE OF THE PARKING BRAKE, WHICH DECREASED THE HOLDING POWER/ EFFECTIVENESS OF THE BRAKE. *TS WHILE THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON A SLIGHT INCLINE, WITH THE PARKING BRAKE SET, THE BRAKE WOULD NOT KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE FIRST TIME THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ADJUSTED. THE SECOND TIME THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NORMAL FOR THE BRAKE NOT TO HOLD/RESTRAIN THE VEHICLE WHEN PARKED ON AN INCLINE. *NM

ON SEPTEMBER 27, 2005 I RENTED A CHEVROLET IMPALA FROM AVIS ON W 76TH ST IN NEW YORK CITY. WHILE SITTING STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT LATER THAT DAY IN HARTFORD, CT, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS WITH WHAT APPEARED TO BE FULL THROTTLE INTO THE CAR DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF IT WHILE FULL BRAKE PRESSURE WAS BEING APPLIED. ABOUT ONE SECOND WENT BY AND IT HAPPENED ONCE MORE, STRIKING THE CAR IN FRONT OF US. SINCE THERE WAS SUCH A SMALL DISTANCE BETWEEN THE CARS THE CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO REACH A HIGH SPEED, BUT THERE WAS A STRONG JOLT WHEN STRIKING THE OTHER CAR. AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND INSPECTING FOR DAMAGE NONE WAS FOUND TO EITHER VEHICLE BUT IN OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE DANGEROUS. I CALLED AVIS ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND REQUESTED THAT A CAR BE BROUGHT TO ME BECAUSE I WAS AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR ANY MORE. I WAS TOLD THAT IF THE CAR WAS DRIVABLE I HAD TO BRING IT TO AN AVIS LOCATION MYSELF. LATER THAT NIGHT, I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE AVIS LOCATION AT THE BRADLEY AIRPORT IN HARTFORD AND THE CAR ACCELERATED SUDDENLY AGAIN. THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO CAR IN FRONT OF ME. I RETURNED THE CAR AND WAS GIVEN AN EXCHANGE.*JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 10,000 MILES ON IT. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP EVEN WITH THE BRAKES ON. IT IS PULSATED/SQUEALED WHILE TRYING TO STOP. THIS RESULTED IN EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. REAR BRAKES PULSATED DUE TO WARPED REAR BRAKE ROTORS. THE FIRST TIME DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE THEY FOUND FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARPED AND OUT OF ROUND. THE DEALERSHIP THE BRAKES OVERHEATED, CAUSING THEM TO WARP. *AK

DT: CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT ACCELERATION PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED EVEN THOUGH THE FOOT WAS OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS HAPPENED 5 TIMES IN THE PAST YEARS. THE ACCELERATOR ONLY DID THIS WHEN THE CAR WAS RUNNING FOR OVER 30 MINUTES. PREVIOUSLY, THE ENGINE COULD RUN FOR OVER 2 HOURS BEFORE THIS WOULD HAPPEN. THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES, AND THE DEALER HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. BUT THIS DID NOT LEAD TO ANY INFORMATION. THEY CRUISE CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED AFTER TESTING WAS DONE. THE DEALER SUGGESTED THAT CONSUMER BRING THE CAR I WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED. CONSUMER CONTACTED GM. THEY WOULD DOCUMENT THE CLAIM AND THE VEHICLE 'S HISTORY AND THAT WAS ALL THEY COULD DO. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO 2 DEALERSHIPS, AND NEITHER COULD FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK

DT: CONTACT STATES THE SAFETY CONCERN WITH VEHICLE IS THAT THE SEATS ARE MADE TOO LOW FOR SHORTER PEOPLE. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER. THEY STATED IT WAS THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER FEELS THERE ARE A SAFETY AND A COMFORT ISSUES IN THE DESIGN OF THE SEATS, ESPECIALLY FOR SHORTER PEOPLE.*AK

MY FAMILY AND I WERE TRAVELING DOWN A HIGHWAY IN FLORIDA AND WERE TRAVELING ABOUT 50 MPH AND A LINE OF VEHICLES IN FRONT OF US STOPPED, NOT REAL FAST, BUT THEY STOPPED AND WE WERE ABOUT 80 YARDS IN BACK OF THEM AND WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKE PETAL THE CAR JUST DIDN'T WANT TO STOP. IT WAS SKIDDING ALL ALONG, SQUEALING TIRES, UNTIL I LOST CONTROL OF IT AND STARTED TO FISHTAIL. ABOUT 1 FOOT MORE OR SO, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT! I DIDN'T SLAM THEM ON OR ANYTHING. IT WAS KIND OF A SUDDEN STOP, BUT NOT REALLY TOO SUDDEN. ALL OF THE VEHICLES AROUND US STOPPED PREFECTLY NORMAL. I'VE DRIVEN MANY VEHICLES AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS! MY CAR IS STILL UNDER WARRENTY, HOWEVER I HAVE NEVER TAKEN IT IN. I THINK I SHOULD THOUGH. BUT STILL, GENERAL MORORS AND CHEVROLET SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES FOR RELEASING A DANGEROUS VEHICLE LIKE THIS! ANOTHER SMALL COMPLAINT I HAVE, WHICH IS NOT NECESSARLY A SAFETY CONCERN, IS THE FACT THAT THE STEERING IS RATHER POOR ON THIS VEHICLE. WHEN YOU GO AROUND TURNS, YOU HAVE A MAKE AN EFFORT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND GET THE CAR GOING STRAIGHT AGAIN. I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT NEW CARS SHOULD BE BETTER THAN OLD ONE'S, HOWEVER MY EXPERIENCES HAVE OBVIOUSLY PROVEN THAT THEY'RE NOT. THANK YOU FOR READING MY COMPLAINT. I HOPE YOU CAN GET THIS INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND MAYBE THEN GM CAN MAKE CHANGES.

2004 CHEVY IMPALA TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY INTERSTATE 80. THE FAILURE HAS COST $100'S OF DOLLARS IN TOW TRUCK FEES, RENTAL FEES ETC. COMPLAINTS WERE MADE TO GREY CHEVROLET IN STROUDSBURG PENNSYLVANIA OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS REGARDING A NOISE COME FROM EITHER THE TRANSMISSION OR THE ENGINE AND UP TO THE POINT OF THE FAILURE THE SERVICE DEPARTEMENT AT THE DEALER COULD NEVER FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER PROPERTY ASSESSED. GMC CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE WAS ALSO CONTACTED REGARDING OUR UNSATISFACTORY SERVICE MY THIS DEALER OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS AS I WRITE THIS COMPLAIN 7/7/05 MY CAR IS STILL SITTING IN THE LOT OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AWAITING WORD FROM GMC ON WHAT TO DO.

I WAS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF A RENTED CHEVY IMPALA. I INTENDED TO LEAN MY ARM ON THE CENTER CONSOLE, BUT FOREARM ACCIDENTALLY TOUCHED THE SEATBELT BUCKLE (WHICH I HAD ALREADY FASTENED). MY FOREARM WAS PINCHED INTO THE SEATBELT BUCKLE CAUSING A ONE INCH SQUARE BLOOD BLISTER AND BRUISING. IT WAS NOT A SERIOUS INJURY, BUT DID HURT NONETHELESS. AND, I THINK IT WOULD HAVE HURT A CHILD OR EDERLY PERSON MORE.