2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

2001 IMPALA WON'T START AT DIFFERENT TIMES HAVE TO WAIT 20-30 MINUTES, DOOR LOCKS DON'T WORK ANYMORE, INSIDE LIGHTS DON'T WON'T WHEN THIS HAPPENS THEY COME ON AT DIFFERENT TIMES, WHEN SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON SOMETIMES THE AC DOESN'T WORK. I HAD THE IGNITION LOCK CHANGED BUT STILL SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AT NIGHT SINCE I AM A SINGLE PARENT WITH GRANDCHILDREN AND ALSO IN THE HEAT OF SUMMER HAVING TO WAIT FOR THE CAR TO START. *TR

SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM/ABS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THE TRACTION FEATURE ENGAGING WITHOUT CAUSE. IT BEGAN TO GET WORSE AND ENGAGES MOSTLY WHEN YOU TURN (EITHER DIRECTION), BUT HAPPENS VERY OFTEN. TOOK TO DEALER WAS TOLD IT NEEDED NEW WHEEL BEARINGS, HAD BOTH REPLACED (WHICH WAS VERY PRICEY) AND IT WAS OKAY FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS AND HAS SINCE STARTED AGAIN. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, WHEN THE TRACTION IS ENGAGED IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP WHEN BRAKING, IT CAUSES A DELAY IN STOPPING. I'VE ASKED OTHER MECHANICS, NOBODY IS SURE WHAT TO DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT ALL HAVE HEARD SEVERAL OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS. I GOOGLED THE PROBLEM IN HOPES OF FINDING A SOLUTION, TO NO AVAIL, BUT THERE ARE 1000'S OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE FOR THE 2001 IMPALA. THERE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A RECALL.....THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS!! *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, A TIRE FLATTENED ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT THEN NOTICED SMOKE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. SHE OPENED THE HOOD AND FOUND FLAMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE. SHE WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE HERSELF. SHE ARRIVED HOME AND CALLED HER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO COME TO HER RESIDENCE AND INVESTIGATE. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM GENERAL MOTORS, WHICH STATED "THAT SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A CONDITION IN WHICH DROPS OF ENGINE OIL MAY BE DEPOSITED ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD THROUGH HARD BRAKING. IF THE MANIFOLD IS HOT ENOUGH AND THE OIL RUNS BELOW THE HEAT SHIELD, IT MAY IGNITE INTO A SMALL FLAME AND MAY SPREAD TO THE PLASTIC SPARK PLUG WIRE CHANNEL AND BEYOND, INCREASING THE RISK OF AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE." THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 211,000. UPDATED 06/27/09 *BF UPDATED 06/23/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING LESS THAN 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE EXPLODED. THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARRIVED AT THE SCENE AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 50,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RECEIVING ENOUGH POWER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AND THE STARTER, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. WHILE DRIVING MORE THAN 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE FAILURES. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 100,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNED A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD OF HER VEHICLE. SHE LIFTED THE HOOD AND NOTICED A SMALL FIRE BETWEEN THE ALTERNATOR AND SEVERAL WIRES. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE AFTER A FEW MINUTES WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AFTER THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. THE LOCAL GM DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE; HOWEVER, THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE MANIFOLD GASKET WAS LEAKING AND MAY HAVE STARTED THE FIRE. ONE WEEK LATER, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE THAT STATED "IF THE MANIFOLD IS HOT ENOUGH AND THE OIL RUNS BELOW THE HEAT SHIELD, IT MAY IGNITE INTO A SMALL FLAME AND MAY SPREAD TO THE PLASTIC SPARK PLUG WIRE CHANNEL AND BEYOND, INCREASING THE RISK OF AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE". NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V116000 WAS REFERENCED. NO REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 100,000. UPDATED 8/10/09 *CN UPDATED 08/13/09.*JB

SAFETY RECALL RECEIVED FROM GM ON 6/5/09 REGARDING RECALL #09047. CONTACTED DEALER ON 6/8/09 FOR NEEDED REPAIRS AND WAS TOLD THAT PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE AND NO ETA FOR AVAILABILITY AND/OR REPAIRS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REMEDY REFERENCED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 09V116000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) WOULD NOT SUFFICIENTLY CORRECT THE FAILURE. HE STATED THAT BY INSTALLING TWO NEW SPARK PLUG WIRE RETAINERS FOR FREE WILL NOT STOP DROPS OF ENGINE OIL FROM BEING DEPOSITED ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD THROUGH HARD BRAKING. THE DEALER DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 158,000.

I HAVE 2001 CHEVY IMPALA AND IT HAS STARTING ISSUES. IT DOESN'T START AT TIMES AND IT'S GETTING TO BE MORE OFTEN AND NOTHING WILL GET IT TO START. I JUST LEAVE IT SIT, SOMETIIMES FOR 2 HOURS AND IT MAY OR MAY NOT START. IT QUIT WHILE GETTING READY TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT, AS I COULDN'T STEER MY CAR AND IT SMELLED HOT. ALSO THE BLINKERS WON'T WORK AT TIMES AND I HAVE TO PRESS MY EMERGENCY FLASHER SWITCH TO GET THEM TO WORK. I HAVE REPLACED THE STARTER AND THE STARTING ISSUE HASN'T IMPROVED AT ALL. IT IS VERY MADDENING AS I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WILL NOT START WHEN I GO TO LEAVE SOMEWHERE AND IT'S VERY UNDEPENDABLE TO TAKE ANYWHERE. PLEASE CAN YOU HELP WITH THIS PROBLEM? IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR THE LAST YEAR AND IS HAPPENING MORE OFTEN LATELY. *TR

WHILE I WAS DRIVING TO A STORE MY CAR WAS DRIVING JUST FINE BUT, AS I WAS TURNING A CORNER MY STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP ON ME. THIS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO HIT A CAR THAT WAS AT A STOP SIGN. I HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS UNTIL NOW.. IT JUST HAPPENED UNEXPECTEDLY. I CHECKED THE FLUID AND IT WAS FINE THE CAR THEN DROVE OFF JUST FINE. *TR