2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER INSERTING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND THE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM ENGAGED. ALSO, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT ON ANOTHER OCCASION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AFTER REFUELING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH AND KEYS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE FUEL GAUGE BECAME INOPERATIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FLOAT INSIDE THE FUEL TANK BECAME INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE FUEL GAUGE WAS READING INACCURATE AMOUNTS OF FUEL AND THE LOW FUEL GAUGE WARNING LIGHT WAS CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

PROBLEM WITH STARTING HAS PROGRESS TO A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR SHUTTING OFF DURING OPERATION. SEVERAL TIMES NOW THE CAR HAS SHUT DOWN WITH NO WARNING AND AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. THIS CAUSES A LOSS OF CONTROL WITH THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO PLACE THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE CAR WHILE MOVING. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED, I WAS MAKING A RIGHT TURN AND MERGING INTO THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. I HAD PRESSURE ON THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE TRYING TO MAKE THE CURVE WHEN I RESTARTED THE CAR. AT THIS POINT, THE POWER STEERING KICKED IN AND I FOUND MYSELF SWERVING FROM THE SUDDEN SNATCH ON THE STEERING. WE WERE LUCKY THAT WE DIDN'T CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. IF MY WIFE HAD BEEN AT THE CONTROLS I KNOW IT WOULD HAVE TURN OUT BAD! I SEE UNLIMITED COMPLAINS AROUND THIS ITEM. DO WE HAVE TO WAIT ON PEOPLE TO GET INJURED OR KILLED BEFORE THE COMPANY IS FORCE TO BE RESPONSIBLE? IF THIS WAS A FOREIGN CAR COMPANY, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE ALREADY FORCED A RECALL. *TR

YOU NEVER KNOW IF THE CAR WILL START. WILL START 30 TIMES THEN NOTHING. WAITING ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND STARTS. CAN NOT TRUST IT TO START AND NOT LEAVE YOU STRANDED.THE FOLLOWING LINK HAS 218+ OTHERS WITH SAME PROBLEM. HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/CHEVROLET/IMPALA/2002/ELECTRICAL/PASSLOCK_PROBLEM_WONT_START_AND_SECURITY_LIGHT_IS_ON.SHTML. *TR

PASSLOCK SYSTEM WOULD DISABLE THE CAR FROM STARTING DOZENS OF TIMES FOR MONTHS. I WOULD GET STUCK ANYWHERE WITHOUT WARNING FOR HALF AN HOUR OR MORE WITH MY CHILDREN. IT WAS TAKEN IN FOR A COOLANT LEAK ISSUE. THE DEXCOOL ( A HORRIBLE PRODUCT WITH LAWSUITS DUE TO ENGINE DAMAGE) HAD EATEN THE HOSES AND WAS SPRAYING AROUND THE ENGINE. IT CREATED A SLUDGE THAT THANKFULLY DID NOT DESTROY MY RADIATOR. THE CAR FINALLY OUTRIGHT FAILED BECAUSE OF THE SECURITY SYSTEM. THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH GM. I HAVE READ ENDLESS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, BUT THE SYSTEM WOULD NOT READ THE KEY. IT WAS IN THE SHOP FOR WEEKS. HAD TO GET NEW BCM AND HAVE THE SYSTEM REPROGRAMMED. MY CAR ONLY HAS 37,000 MILES AND FOR IT TO FAIL AND NEED SUCH EXPENSIVE REPAIRS FOR A FAULTY SYSTEM WITH NOTHING WRONG WITH THE MECHANICS OF THE CAR IS UNREAL. ANOTHER KNOWN ISSUE IS WITH THE SIGNALS GOING OUT WITHOUT WARNING. I NEVER KNOW IF THE TURN SIGNALS WILL WORK AND THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I AM FEARFUL THAT OTHER ISSUES WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MIGHT HAPPEN. BUT KNOWING THAT THE BCM MIGHT FAIL AGAIN IN ANOTHER YEAR OR SO IS THE BIGGEST RUB. HOW MANY TIMES DO PEOPLE HAVE TO REPROGRAM THEIR CAR AND REPLACE PARTS ON A FAULTY PASSLOCK SYSTEM THAT WILL FAIL AGAIN? *TR

THE PASSLOCK SECURITY SYSTEM IN MY CAR DISABLES MY FUEL AND MY STARTER. I HAVE BEEN STUCK PLACES BEFORE BECAUSE THE CAR WON'T START. THE SECURITY MESSAGE IS ON AND SO IS THE BATTERY ALONG WITH SERVICE VEHICLE SOON. THE CAR WILL NOT START AND HASN'T FOR MONTHS NOW. I AM VERY UPSET, MY RADIO SAYS LOCKED AND I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING TO GET MY CAR TO START. IT WILL LEAVE ME STRANDED AT SOME POINT IF IT STARTS. *TR

FACTORY INSTALLED SECURITY SYSTEM WON'T LET ME START THE CAR, I HAVE TO WAIT ANYWHERE FROM 15-45 MINUTES BEFORE IT STARTS, AND THAT IS NOT SAFE TO BE STRANDED WITH THE FAMILY. I'M NOT THE FIRST PERSON WITH THIS PROBLEM, AND I HOPE YOU CAN DO SOMETHING TO HELP ME SOLVE IT. THANK YOU. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO MOVE OFF THE ROADWAY AND CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DID NOT STATE WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. AFTER THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN I.D. NUMBER 09V116000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) AND CALLED THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT BY LAW, THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE TO REMEDY THE VEHICLE DUE TO THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

I OWN A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE I WAS DRIVING 50 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED WHEN SWITCHING FROM LOW BEAMS TO HIGH BEAMS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. NEXT THE CAR DOORS WOULD NOT LOCK. ORDERED NEW BODY CONTROL MODULE AND HAD IT PUT IN AND REPROGRAMMED AT DEALER. WORKED FOR A WEEK AND WHILE IN DRIVE THRU AND SHUT CAR OFF WHEN TRIED TO RESTART CAR IT WOULD NOT RESTART BUT START THROWING A BUNCH OF CODES. SAT FOR AWHILE FOUND SECOND SET OF KEYS PUT IT IN AND IT STARTED. APPARENTLY THE SECURITY SYSTEM WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THE KEY WHEN IT WAS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION. THIS LOCKED THE CONTACT IN THE VEHICLE AND PREVENTED IT FROM STARTING. THE VEHICLE IS NOW IN THE SHOP. I HAVE FOUND OVER 1,000 COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME NATURE WITH THIS CAR. IN 2004 I HAD NEW HEAD GASKETS PUT ON DUE TO THE COOLANT AND WAS SUPPOSE TO RECOUP SOME MONEY. I PUT IN CLAIM AND NEVER HEARD ANYTHING. NOW TURN SIGNALS WORK INTERMEDIATELY. THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH IMPALAS. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN I SIGNAL I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS GOING TO WORK. I HAVE ALMOST CAUSED MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. I COMPLAINED MULTIPLE TIMES TO THE DEALER BUT THEY CLAIMED NOTHING WAS WRONG. AS SOON AS I HIT THE 100,000 MILE. *TR