2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER AND THE POWER STEERING WOULD NOT FUNCTION. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIANS STATED THAT THE POWER STEERING SHAFT WAS BROKEN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

CAR WOULD NOT START. TRIED ABOUT 10 - 100 TIMES AND IT WOULD USUALLY TURN OVER. HAPPENING OVER THE LAST YEAR, BUT GETTING WORSE (CAR WILL NOT START RIGHT AWAY FOR LAST THREE DAYS!). EVERYTHING INSIDE CAR (LIGHTS, RADIO, ETC.) IS ON BUT ENGINE WILL NOT TURN OVER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THE GAS GAUGE DOES NOT READ THE FUEL LEVELS PROPERLY. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE FUEL GAUGE WOULD DRIFT INDICATE THAT THE FUEL TANK WAS FULL AND THEN IT WOULD DISPLAY HALF FULL AND EMPTY WITHIN MINUTES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE SENDER AND WIRING HAD FAILED. THE VIN WAS REJECTED FROM THE SYSTEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 92,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000. UPDATED 06/13/11 *BF UPDATED 1/19/2012 *LN *TR

I FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL AND WAS HEADING STRAIGHT FOR A TELEPHONE POLE. I AWOKE AT LAST SECOND AND MANAGED TO SWERVE TO AVOID HITTING POLE HEAD ON, IN WHICH CASE I WOULD PROBABLY BE DEAD. DOCTORS SAID I WAS LUCKY TO BE ALIVE EVEN THOUGH I WORE MY SEATBELT B/C THE CAR HIT THE POLE AND THEN FLIPPED OVER 2 OR 3 TIMES BEFORE LANDING ON ITS HOOD WITH ME TRAPPED INSIDE. THE JAWS OF LIFE WERE USED TO HELP PULL MY PASSENGER DOOR OFF ENOUGH TO GET ME OUT OF CAR ONTO A FLATBOARD, ONCE THEY HAD ME IN A NECKBRACE, THAT IS. THE REASON I AM MAKING A COMPLAINT IS BECAUSE I LEASED THIS CAR AT A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE RATE AND WAS MORE THAN 75% DONE PAYING IT OFF AND NOW I HAVE NOTHING. THE '02 CHEVROLET IMPALA HAD FRONT AIRBAGS, (AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT THEY SAID WHEN THEY SOLD ME THE CAR), HOWEVER, NEITHER DEPLOYED IN THE ACCIDENT AND I SUSTAINED A SERIOUS INJURY TO MY WHOLE LEFT SIDE. MY HEAD AND SHOULDER WENT RIGHT THROUGH THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW, HITTING THE PAVEMENT, AND I HAVE NERVE DAMAGE NOW B/C OF THIS. MY LEFT ARM IS NOW TINGLING AND GOING NUMB, WHICH COMES DOWN FROM A PINCHED NERVE IN MY NECK. I WILL NEED TO GO TO PHYSICAL THERAPY ONCE I AM ABLE. I AM ON HIGH DOSE PAIN MEDS. RIGHT NOW AND CAN BARELY WALK. I NOW WONDER IF THE AIRBAGS HAD BEEN DEPLOYED ALREADY SOMETIME B/F I BOUGHT THE CAR, PUT BACK IN USED, AND THAT IS WHY NEITHER CAME OUT WHEN THEY SHOULD HAVE. I AM THINKING ABOUT CONTACTING A LAWYER REGARDING THIS SITUATION. DO YOUR HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS ON THIS? THANK YOU AND PLEASE GET BACK TO ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. AS TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE IN THIS SITUATION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL MECHANISM WAS SLIGHTLY JOLTED THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE UNIVERSAL LIGHT SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. UPDATED 04/15/11*LJ UPDATED 11/21/11

MY 02 CHEVY IMPALA HAS ISSUES WITH THE STARTING SYSTEM. I HAVE NO KNOW ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR EXCEPT SOMETIMES IT WILL NOT START AND HOURS OF TRYING TO START THE CAR IT STARTS. I EVEN TRIED TO SHORT OUT MY STARTER AND THAT DIDN'T WORK. IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER AND MY INFANT CHILD GOT VERY HOT WAITING ON ME TO START THE CAR. *LN

BOTH HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF AT NIGHT WITH NO WARNING. SOMETIMES LOW LIGHTS TURN OFF AND THEN COME BACK ON AFTER A FEW SECONDS. SOMETIMES HIGH LIGHTS SHUT OFF AND DO NOT COME BACK ON UNLESS THE LIGHTS ARE MANUALLY SWITCHED TO LOW. THIS HAPPENS AS MUCH AS ONCE A MONTH TRAVELING AT 65 MPH EVER SINCE I OWNED THE VEHICLE. THERE IS NO INDICATION WHEN AND WHERE THIS WILL HAPPEN. IT IS JUST RANDOM. IF YOU ARE UNAWARE HOW TO GET THE LIGHTS TO COME BACK ON, THEY WILL NOT. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF SEVERAL OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO REMEDY! *TR

I OWN A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS 4D. I WOULD BE DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON AND FOR NO REASON BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD TURN OFF, DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITHOUT ABILITY TO SEE. WHEN I THEN I THEN HIT THE HIGH/LOW DIMMER SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES WITH MY HAND THE LIGHTS WOULD RETURN. THIS WOULD OCCUR ONCE EVERY MONTH OR SO, AND OCCURRED AT THIS APPROXIMATE FREQUENCY OF TIME FOR AS OFTEN AS I OWNED MY CAR, SINCE 2007. IT IS QUITE FRIGHTENING TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WHEN YOUR LIGHTS WOULD SUDDENLY GO OFF WITHOUT WARNING. FINALLY, LAST YEAR THE HIGH BEAM WOULD NOT CLICK ON WITH THE SWITCH APPARENTLY BEING BROKEN. MY FATHER OWNED THE SAME YEAR IMPALA, AND HE REPORTED THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM, THE LIGHTS WOULD SUDDENLY GO OUT AND HE WOULD HAVE TO HIT THE SWITCH TO HAVE THE LIGHTS RETURN ON. HE HAD HIS FIXED AND IT COST HIM IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 600 DOLLARS. MY BRIGHTS ARE CURRENTLY NOT FUNCTIONING DUE TO THIS BROKEN SWITCH WITH THE COST TO FIX BEING AROUND 600 DOLLARS. I FIND IT QUITE UNUSUAL WITH THE SAME YEAR IMPALA TO HAVE THIS OCCUR, AND FIND IT EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. *TR

MY CAR LEAVES ME STRANDED FOR HOURS BEFORE IT STARTS. PASSLOCK/PASSKEY II IS THE WORST THING CHEVY EVER CREATED. WHILE DRIVING THE GAUGES GO OFF AND ON; AND THE CAR SHUTS THE FUEL OFF. BEING SAID MY SISTER USED MY CAR ONE DAY AND THE FUEL SHUT OFF, THE CAR DIED, AND SHE WAS REAR ENDED. THANKFULLY IT WAS A BUMP AND SHE WASN'T SERIOUSLY INJURED. I'M ALWAYS LATE FOR WORK AND I HAVE REPLACED THE BCM, IGNITION SWITCH, AND TUMBLER. NOTHING IS RESOLVED. I'VE BEEN HOME STRANDED FOR A WEEK, WHICH HAS CAUSED ME TO MISS SCHOOL. DUE TO THE LACK OF MONEY I AM FORCED TO WITHDRAW FROM COLLEGE AND THIS IS MY SENIOR YEAR WHICH THROWS MY OUT OF MY INTERNSHIP. CHEVY NEEDS TO RECALL THIS "PASSLOCK" FEATURE AND REIMBURSE ALL OF THE PEOPLE THEY HAVE SWINDLED. THIS IS THERE FAULT AND WE, THE CONSUMERS, SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. THIS FEATURE ALLOWS OWNERS TO NOT BE ABLE TO USE THEIR VEHICLES, AND A PROFESSIONAL THIEF CAN STEAL THE CAR. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THOUSANDS OF CONSUMERS ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM AND STILL NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE, AND FRANKLY, I DO NOT THINK ANYTHING EVER WILL BE. I FOR ONE WILL NEVER PURCHASE A CHEVY AGAIN. *TR

HEAD GASKET FAILURE. HEAD GASKETS ARE DEFECTIVE ON THE 3400 SERIES ENGINES. THE COOLANT USED IN THESE VEHICLES CAUSES PREMATURE EROSION IN THE HEAD GASKET. *TR