2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

PASSLOCK SYSTEM ON 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA IS DEFECTIVELY DESIGNED. FAILURE LEAVES OWNER UNABLE TO START OTHERWISE 100% OPERABLE VEHICLE. PASSLOCK DEVICE REPLACED IN 2008 AFTER COMPLETE FAILURE. PASSLOCK DEVICE FAILURE AGAIN IN 2011. GM CLAIMS NOTHING WRONG. ISSUE VERY WIDESPREAD AND WELL KNOWN TO DEALERS AND MECHANICS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVERS WINDOW FAILED AND WOULD NOT ROLL UP OR DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WINDOW REGULATOR FAILED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WINDOW REGULATOR, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,544 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 81,000. SM.

OUR 2002 GENERAL MOTORS CHEVROLET IMPALA HAS THE REPORTED AND WELL KNOWN INTERMITTENT ISSUE KNOWN AS THE PASSLOCK FAILURE REGARDING GENERAL MOTORS SECURITY MODULE WHICH OCCURS ON MANY GENERAL MOTORS CARS MADE FROM 1999-2005. THE PASSLOCK FAILURE HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AND IS DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX/RESOLVE BUT IS REPORTED ON THE INTERNET. THE PASSLOCK FAILURE SEEMS TO BE TIED TO THE 'SECURITY' LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD, HOWEVER IT HAS BEEN SEEN THAT THE 'SECURITY' LIGHT CAN COME ON FROM TIME TO TIME WHILE DRIVING WITH NO PROBLEMS BUT NOT ALWAYS. THE PASSLOCK FAILURE IS OBSERVED IN 2 SCENARIOS: 1) WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC THE VEHICLE MAY STALL, LEAVING THE DRIVER WITHOUT POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES, ALSO THE 'SECURITY' LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD WILL BE LIT. 2) AFTER GETTING INTO THE CAR IT FAILS TO START, THE ENGINE WILL NOT TURN OVER BUT ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENTS ALL APPEAR TO WORK OKAY, THE 'SECURITY' LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD WILL BE LIT. FREQUENCY OF FAILURE - THE FREQUENCY OF THESE TWO FAILURES IS UNABLE TO BE PREDICTED, IT HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES IN ONE DAY, MULTIPLE TIME TIMES ACROSS 2 DAYS AND THEN MAY NOT OCCUR FOR WEEKS OR MONTHS. THE ISSUE CAN OCCUR IN WINTER, SUMMER, FALL OR SPRING. TEMPORARY CORRECTION - WHEN THE CAR FAILS TO START THEN THIS ISSUE MAY BE ABLE TO BE RESOLVED TEMPORARILY BY USING ANOTHER KEY ( A SPARE KEY SHOULD BE STORED IN THE CAR FOR SAFETY) OR THE DRIVER MUST WAIT ABOUT 20 MINUTES WITH THE KEY REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION AND THEN THE ISSUE WILL BE TEMPORARILY RESOLVED UNTIL THE NEXT TIME. RESEARCH INTO THIS FAILURE HAS SHOWN THAT THIS FAILURE IS NOT ABLE TO BE REPLICATED BY MYSELF OR ANY RELIABLE SERVICE TECHNICIANS THROUGH MY RESEARCH VIA THE INTERNET. ALSO - RESEARCH INTO THIS FAILURE HAS NOT SHOWN A PROVEN AND FINAL FIX THOUGH MANY THEORETICAL FIXES ARE AVAILABLE. SHOULD THIS FAILURE CAUSE A VEHICLE WHILE IN TRAFFIC TO STALL, DEATH AND INJURY MAY RESULT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE, THIS ISSUE NEEDS A RECALL FROM GM! *TT

I GOT MY CAR ON 03/09/2011. I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING TO THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE ISSUES I AM HAVING WITH MY CAR. IT HESITATES TO CRANK, WHEN TURNING I CAN FEEL A POPPING FEELING IN THE STEERING. VERY OFTEN MY SIGNAL LIGHTS DOESN'T COME ON. I DO A LOT OF HIGHWAY DRIVING BACK AND FORTH TO WORK AND THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. WHEN HITTING MY BREAKS THE CAR SOMETIMES SPEEDS UP BEFORE SLOWING DOWN, WHICH CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS. THERE IS A SHORTAGE IN THE WIRING. THE LOW COOLANT LEVEL LIGHT STAYS ON, EVEN THOUGH THEY CLAIM THEY FIXED SOME SENSOR SWITCH. THEY ALSO SAID THEY FIXED MY CAR FROM LEAKING BRAKE FLUID, BUT THE BRAKES ARE SOUNDING WORST EVERYDAY. I ASKED THEM IF THE BRAKES NEEDED CHANGING AND THEY SAID IT WAS FINE. THE CAR HESITATES WHEN TAKING OFF. I JUST GOT HOME FROM WORK AND NOT EVEN 30 MINUTES WENT BY BEFORE I TRIED TO LEAVE OUT AND MY CAR WOULD NOT CRANK. I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING TO THE DEALERSHIP SINCE I GOT THE CAR AND THEY HAVE PROCRASTINATED UNTIL THE 30 DAY WARRANTY EXPIRED. WHEN CALLING TODAY THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. WHEN ASKING WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS, WHEN I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THESE ISSUES SINCE I FIRST GOT THE VEHICLE, THE REPLY WAS THEY ARE NOT GOING TO PAY THAT ANY MIND AND I WOULD STILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE IT WOULD HESITATE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO ADVISED HER THAT THE EGR VALVE WAS CAUSING THE ENGINE TO MISFIRE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 110,000.

I HAVE A 2002 IMPALA AND MY TURN SIGNAL WORKS SOMETIMES AND OTHER TIMES IT DOESN'T. MY MOM HAS A CHEVY MALIBU AND HERS WAS DOING THE SAME THING AND THEY RECALLED IT DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS SO I LOOKED IT UP ON LINE AND GM HAS RECALLED OTHER MODELS BUT NOT IMPALA. SO I TOOK IT TO A GM LOCATION AND THE GUY TOLD ME THEY KNOW ITS A PROBLEM BUT UNTIL THEY RECALL IT THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO BUT PAY FOR IT. IT STARTED AT AROUND 98,000 MILES AND I WOULD ALMOST GET HIT WHEN I SLOWED DOWN TO TURN AFTER A WHILE THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY I GUESS ABOUT 135,000 NOW ITS BACK AGAIN IM AT 182,000 AND STILL NO RECALL. *TR

FOR THE PAST 2 WEEKS MY TRACTION ON LIGHT APPEARS AND WHEN TURNING RIGHT, THE RIGHT FRONT END HESITATES AND BOGS DOWN AND MAKES A WHIRRING NOISE. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE MY BRAKES. ONCE LAST WEEK AFTER THIS HAPPENED THE ABS LIGHT APPEARED. I IMMEDIATELY STOPPED AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. WHEN RESTARTING THE LIGHTS DISAPPEARED. THE ABS LIGHT HAS NOT SINCE APPEARED BUT THE TRACTION ON LIGHT AND EFFECTS CONTINUE. *TR

ON THE IP THE IGNITION KEY IS NOT FUNCTIONAL EVERY ONCE A WHILE AND IT DOES REQUIRE A 10 MINUTES WAIT IN THE VEHICLE WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION BEFORE YOU CAN FIRE THE ENGINE. THIS ISSUE BEEN PERSISTING FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS. I DO WONDER IF THIS PROBLEM BEEN EXPERIENCE WITH CHEVY? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE UNOCCUPIED VEHICLE IGNITED INTO FLAMES WHILE PARKED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE YET A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE ELECTRICAL WIRING OF THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE HEATED SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. UPDATED 10/31/11

ON OCTOBER 11, 2010, WAS STOPPED FOR A LEFT TURN, IN MY 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. I WAS HIT FROM THE BACK BY A PICKUP TRUCK. UPON IMPACT, MY ONSTAR MIRROR CAME LOOSE FROM THE WINDSHIELD AND THE CABLE BECAME A WEAPON IN THE CAR WITH THE MIRROR STILL ATTACHED. A WITNESS SAID IT LOOKED LIKE A BASEBALL BAT FLYING AROUND ON THE INSIDE OF THE CAR. THE CABLE WAS HANGING AND APPROXIMATELY 2FT LONG WHEN THE WRECKER PULLED IT AWAY. I RECEIVED MULTIPLE INJURIES TO MY HEAD/NECK AND RIGHT EYE DUE TO THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT. THERE WERE ALSO OTHER INJURIES THAT I FEEL PROBABLY DO NOT PERTAIN TO THIS. THE CAR WAS LATER TOTALED AND SO NOTHING WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. I WILL REMAIN LEARY TO HAVE OR INSTALL ONSTAR EQUIPMENT IN ANY OTHER VEHICLE FOR THIS REASON. *TR