2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

I BEGAN HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS IN MY 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA IN MID 2008, WHICH CONTINUED TO GET WORSE UNTIL AROUND LATE 2009 WHEN THE CAR WAS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. THESE PROBLEMS CONSISTED OF HEADLIGHTS FLICKERING ON AND OFF RANDOMLY, INTERMITTENT TURN SIGNAL FAILURE, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER ELECTRICAL RELATED ISSUES. DOING MINIMAL RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET SHOWS THAT MANY CONSUMERS HAVE OR ARE SUFFERING FROM THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS, AND IT APPEARS THAT THE MAJORITY OF THESE CLAIMS ARE (TEMPORARILY?) SOLVED BY REPLACING THE BODY CONTROL MODULE IN THESE VEHICLES. AFTER REPLACING MY BODY CONTROL MODULE AT THE DEALER ($600), THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON WITHIN A FEW DAYS OF THE REPAIR. I PRESUME IT IS ALSO RELATED TO A FAULTY BODY CONTROL MODULE SINCE THAT IS WHAT MANY VOICES ON THE INTERNET SAY TO CHECK. I CALLED MY LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER AND ASKED ABOUT ANOTHER REPLACEMENT, AND THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD COST 170$ JUST TO LOOK AT IT AND THEY SAID IT WAS INSTEAD RELATED TO AN AIRBAG CONTROL MODULE (MORE ELECTRICAL). THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN MY FAMILY SINCE IT WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW, AND HAS EXPERIENCED A VARIETY OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, MOST OF WHICH WENT AWAY AFTER REPLACING THE BODY CONTROL MODULE. AFTER REPLACING THE BCM, SOME HAVE COME BACK ALREADY. PLEASE PUT A STOP TO THIS! IT IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT NIGHT AND HAVE MY HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY STOP WORKING OR TURN SIGNALS THAT ARE UNRELIABLE AT BEST OR AN AIRBAG THAT FAILS TO LAUNCH DURING AN ACCIDENT. THE SYMPTOMS SEEM TO GET WORSE THE OLDER THE BODY CONTROL MODULE, AND I CAN SEE IT HAPPENING ALL OVER AGAIN NOW THAT MY AIRBAG LIGHT IS ON AFTER REPLACING MY BODY CONTROL MODULE.

I BOUGHT MY 2001 CHEVY IMPALA LS IN 2004, UNTIL DECEMEBER 2009 THE CAR WAS RUNNING GREAT. IT STARTED WITH MY CARS "TRACTION ACTIVE" LIGHT COMING ON ON WHENEVER I ACCELERATED THEN AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS OF THIS LIGHT COMING ON MORE AND MORE OFTEN (4-6 TIMES DAILY) I EXPERIENCED AN INCEDENT IN WHERE MY BRAKES JAMMED UP THE BRAKE PEDAL GOT HARD AND I ALMOST HIT A CAR INFRONT OF ME. I WENT TO GET MY BRAKES CHECKED AND THEY TOLD ME THEY WHERE FINE (I FIGURED THEY WHERE FINE A I HAD JUST RECENTLY CHANGED THEM) WELL THE ISSUE WITH THE BRAKES STARTED HAPOENING MORE AND MORE OFTEN AT LEAST ONCE OR TWICE DAILY NOT EVRYTIME BUT 1-2 TIMES A DAY AND THEN THE ABS LIGHT COMING ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE AUTO SHOP AND THEY TOLD ME IMPALA'S ARE KNOWN TO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE ABS MODULE. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE, I FOUND A LOT OF COMPLAINTS FROM IMPALA OWNERS ALL OVER THE U.S HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE TRACTION ACTIVE AND THE ABS LIGHTS COMING ON. IT SEEMS TO BE A DEFECTIVE ABS MODULE. THIS MODULE AND THE REPAIR COST ME A TOTAL OF ABOUT $1,000.00

THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES IN LAST SEVERAL MONTHS SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR. I GO TO START IT AND NOTHING. IT WILL NOT TURN OVER. SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON. RADIO AND LIGHTS CONTINUE TOL WORK. IF I WAIT 10 MINUTES IT WILL START. IT HAPPENED AGAIN TODAY MAKING ME LATE TO WORK AGAIN.

TURN SIGNAL ON 2001 CHEVY IMPALA WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. EXPENSIVE REPAIR. BLOG SITES HAVE MANY ENTRIES COMPLAINING OF THE SAME THING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IF MY TURN SIGNALS WORK ON AND OFF.

TRAC CONTROL ABS PROBLEMS IT MAKES A GRINNING NOISE AND IT VERY HARD TO PRESS BRAKES. *TR

I BOUGHT A 2001 CHEVY IMPALA 1 WEEK AGO AND NOW IT WILL NOT ACCELERATE OVER 30 MILES AN HOUR PLUS IT CUTS OFF WHEN IT REACHES THOSE MILES. I HAD NEW SPARK PLUGS INSTALLED, WIRES, COIL PACKS AND A NEW FUEL FILTER INSTALLED. *TR

2000-2005 CHEVY IMPALAS EXPERIENCE FLICKERING INTERIOR LIGHTS AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS, FAULTY DASH GAUGES, NO SHIFTER SIGNS ON DASH, NO MANUAL INTERIOR LIGHTING OR EXTERIOR LIGHTS, NO CRANK OR START. WAS TOLD THAT A BAD BCM WAS THE PROBLEM. (BODY CONTROL MODULE) PART# GMAB166 IS VERY OLD FOR THE MAKE OF CAR THE IT WAS PUT IN. THERE IS A NHTSA BULLETIN OUT AND GM REFUSE TO FIX IT. BULLETIN $ 010603005 AND 110501. BECAUSE OF THIS HAZARD I CRASHED MY CAR INTO THE BACK OF ANOTHER GOING 65 MPH WHEN THE CAR JUST SUDDENLY STALLED AND THERE WASN'T ADEQUATE BRAKE PRESSURE TO STOP THE CAR. *TR

MY VEHICLE WAS A 2001 CHEVY IMPALA, ( CITY POLICE VEHICLE) 02/17/10 I WENT OUT IN THE MORNING TO START THE CAR PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. UPON TURNING THE IGNITION TO THE ON POSITION THERE WAS A SONIC BOOM. (SO MUCH THAT IT SHOOK OUR HOUSE)THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BEGAN SMOKING MY HUSBAND ( A FIREMAN) RETURNED TO THE CAR AND SLIGHTLY LIFTED THE HOOD AND FOUND IT HAD FLASHED OVER AND WAS TOTALLY INVOLVED. 911 WAS CALLED AND FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED EXTINGUISHING THE FLAMES. THIS IS CITY POLICE VEHICLE SO NOT SURE WHAT IF ANYTHING WILL BE DONE BUT I WANTED TO REPORT THE INCIDENT IN HOPES THAT IT WOULD HAVE AN IMPACT OF KEEPING OTHERS FROM BEING INJURED. THIS EXPLOSION WAS POWERFUL AND FAMES ERUPTED IMMEDIATELY. SEARCHING THE WEB A ODI RESUME WAS FOUND WHICH I BELIEVE TO BE THE CIRCUMSTANCE OF MY EXPERIENCE. INV: EA 02-030 PROMPTED BY :PE02-050 THIS WAS A COLD START , IN THE WINTER MONTHS AND THE VEHICLE HAS A PLASTIC MANIFOLD. ALSO THE 8TH VIN DIGIT IS AN 8. OUR DEPARTMENT HAD SEVERAL OF THESE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE WAS A RECALL OR IF WE SHOULD HAVE FURTHER CONCERN ABOUT THE OTHER 2001 CHEVY IMPALAS ON THE ROAD THANK YOU *TR

STEERING TIE RODS FAILING AT AN ALARMING RATE. $1300 SPENT ON REPLACING TIE RODS AND OTHER STEERING PARTS THAT COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE IF THE WHEEL OR LOSS OF STEERING OCCURS. *TR

ON MY 2001 IMPALA, THE TURN SIGNALS SOMETIME FAIL TO OPERATE - I HAVE FOUND THAT I CAN TURN ON THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND THEN DISENGAGE THEM TO RESTART NORMAL TURN SIGNALS. INSTRUMENT LIGHTS ALSO DIM AT TIMES MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO READ SPEED OR ANY OTHER INSTRUMENTS - PROBLEMS DO NOT NECESSARILY OCCUR TOGETHER BUT CAN AND IT DOES AT TIMES - RANDOM IN PROBLEM OCCURRENCE I ALSO HAVE A GAS GAUGE PROBLEM WHERE IT WILL READ FULL WHEN IT IS NOT AND SHOW DIFFERENT AMOUNTS. NOW IT IS STARTING TO SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING IT WILL HOWEVER RESTART. BUT SOMETIMES SHUTDOWN AFTER A COUPLE OF RESTARTS BEFORE IT STAYS RUNNING. THIS HAS OCCURRED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS AND APPEARS TO BE GETTING WORSE; MILEAGE APPROX 105,000. *TR