2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

RECENTLY, WHEN I ARRIVED AT A LOCAL BUSINESS CENTER, I ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE IGNITION KEY TO OFF AND I COULD NOT. THE KEY WAS STUCK IN THE ACC POSITION, AND THUS COULD NOT BE REMOVED. IN ADDITION, ALL THE ACCESSORIES WERE ON. RELUCTANTLY, I HAD TO LEAVE MY CAR IN A PUBLIC PARKING LOT WITH THE POWER ON AND MY KEYS DANGLING IN THE IGNITION. WHEN I DROVE HOME, ONCE AGAIN THE KEY WOULD NOT ROTATE TO THE OFF POSITION -- IT REMAINED AT ACC. I ATTEMPTED MANY FIXES FOR THE PROBLEM -- REPEATEDLY SHIFTING INTO PARK, TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL, ETC. I WAS FORCED TO LEAVE THE CAR ON, AND WITH THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. MY BATTERY IN TIME WOULD BE DEAD. PERHAPS WORSE, MY CAR WAS JUST SITTING THERE WAITING FOR AN OPPORTUNISTIC THIEF. I SEARCHED ONLINE FOR HELP AND FOUND SCORES OF REPORTS OF IMPALA OWNERS WHO HAD THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM. THE IGNITION KEY GETS STUCK IN ACC AND CAN'T BE REMOVED. IT'S AN INTOLERABLE SITUATION BECAUSE YOU CAN'T SECURE YOUR CAR. NOT TO MENTION THAT YOU CAN'T TURN THE ACCESSORIES OFF, SO YOU HAVE A GUARANTEED DRAINED BATTERY. HERE IS JUST ONE FORUM WHERE THIS SPECIFIC IMPALA PROBLEM WAS DISCUSSED: HTTP://REPAIRPAL.COM/IGNITION-KEY-STUCK-DUE-TO-FAILED-SHIFTER-020. CHEVROLET SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL AND FIX THIS PROBLEM. THERE'S NO WAY ONE CAN FORCE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION, AND THE ONLY MEANS OF AVOIDING THE DRAINED-BATTERY PROBLEM IS TO REMOVE THE BATTERY CABLES. THAT'S NOT TECHNOLOGY, THAT'S A NIGHTMARE. MY CAR IS CONSTANTLY AT RISK OF BEING STOLEN, AND I'M HOOKING AND UNHOOKING THE BATTERY CABLES ALL THE TIME. THIS IS A VERY PERVASIVE AND PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH IMPALA OWNERS. JUST THIS ONE WEB SITE ALONE (ABOVE) CONTAINS DETAILED ACCOUNTS BY SCORES OF COMPLAINANTS, AND IT'S BUT ONE OF MANY. WE PAID TOO MUCH FOR THESE CARS TO BE RIPPED OFF AND JERKED AROUND. *TR

ABS TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR 3 YEARS. HAD THIS CHECKED BY DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES AND WAS NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM. THE LIGHTS NOW STAY ON FOR THE LAST 8 MONTHS. *TR

LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS HAVE FAILED TO COME ON AND WILL NO LONGER FUNCTION. HIGH-BEAMS AND DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS STILL FUNCTION, BUT AT DUSK THE LOW-BEAMS WILL FAIL TO LIGHT; HOWEVER HIGH-BEAMS CAN BE USED INSTEAD CREATING A TRAFFIC HAZARD. I REPLACED THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WITH A NEW SWITCH, AND REPLACED THE RELAY WITH A KNOWN GOOD WORKING RELAY. THE RELAY WILL STILL WORK AND ACTUATE INDICATING THAT THE RELAY IS NOT THE PROBLEM. I CHECKED THE BULBS AND THEY ARE STILL GOOD, FUSES ARE FINE, 12V POSITIVE POWER IS PRESENT AT THE BULB, BUT THE GROUND IS NOT ACTIVATED ON EITHER SIDE AT ANY TIME. ALL PROBLEMS POINT TO A BAD BODY CONTROL MODULE (BCM). I HAVE CHECKED ONLINE AND THERE ARE MANY MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VEHICLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. IF THE LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAIL ON SOMEBODY WHILE THEY ARE DRIVING, IT COULD CAUSE A CRASH AND WITH THAT COMES THE POSSIBILITY OF THE FATALITY OF THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS. THE BCM COMPUTER IS KNOWN TO CAUSE MANY PROBLEMS WITH STARTING THE VEHICLE, FLASHING THE LIGHTS BOTH INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR AND THESE WILL CAUSE SAFETY ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. *TR

THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR 2 DAYS IN MEXICO AND I ATTEMPTED TO START IT EARLY AFTERNOON AND IT AFTER 1 HOUR OF WAITING TO START IT AGAIN, IT WOULD NOT START. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME A IN THE PAST AND THE LAST TIME IT DID WAS ABOUT 3 MONTHS AGO. MY CAR WOULD NOT START AT FIRST AND THEN AFTER 10-15 MINUTES OF WAITING IT WOULD THEN TURN ON BUT NOW ITS TAKEN LONGER TO FUNCTION. I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT REASON WHY THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURRING BUT WOULD LIKE IT TO GET FIXED ASAP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE ABS AND THE SERVICE TRACTION SOON LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY TURNED THE TRACTION OFF. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 276,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED TO START. THE FAILURE RECURRED CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT THE BOARD MODULE CONTROL WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE MALFUNCTION PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED FOR THE MOST RECENT FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PERSONAL MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND WAS INFORMED THE VEHICLE WOULD NEED A NEW CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. FIVE MONTHS LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN TAKEN TO A PERSONAL MECHANIC AND HAD THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AGAIN AND THE CAM SHAFT SENSOR AND O2 SENSORS WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 119,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE PARKED THE CONTACT NOTICED THE ABS, CHECK TRACTION SYSTEM AND TRAC OFF WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THERE WAS ALSO A GRINDING NOISE WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC. THE MECHANIC STATED THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE HUB BEARING ASSEMBLY WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE REPAIR THE WARNING LIGHTS CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE MECHANIC. THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE HUB ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THE LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE AFTER THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC A THIRD TIME. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,878.

2003 CHEVY IMPALA 87,000 MILES ON IT- SECURITY PASS LOCK SYSTEM BEGINS FLASHING PERIODICALLY WHILE I AM DRIVING AND THEN RANDOMLY WILL NOT START. THE ENTIRE DASH LIGHTS UP AND I HAVE POWER TO THE WINDOWS, BUT THE KEY WILL NOT START THE IGNITION. IF I WAIT 10 MINUTES, IT WILL START. I TOOK MY CARE TO GM SERVICE AND THEY SAID IT CAR NEED TO CHANGE SOME ELECTRICAL PARTS LIKE BCM COMPUTER, IGNITION KEY SET, ETC ETC WILL COST ME AROUND $850 AFTER MY RESEARCH ONLINE DISCOVERED THAT GM KNOWS ABOUT THE ISSUE IN THEIR SYSTEM, BUT DOES NOT CARE TO FIX IT. IN THIS ECONOMY, NO ONE CAN AFFORD TO REPLACE A 850 DOLLAR ERROR. IT IS DISHEARTENING. THE REASON WE WENT WITH A CHEVY IMPALA IS THE DEPENDABILITY. I CANNOT AFFORD THIS ISSUE AND IT IS SIMPLY CARELESS ON GM'S PART. I'M A VERY DISAPPOINTED CUSTOMER AND I WILL SPREAD THE WORD AROUND TO NOT PURCHASE GM VEHICLES. *TR

I PURCHASED FROM VALLEY FORD 4/18/2009 I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE WITH IT EVER SINCE I PURCHASED IT. I HAVE HAD ROCKER ARMS REPLACED, PINS, THE AFTERMARKET WARRANTY COMPANY WOULDN'T REPLACE THEM BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT AN INTERNAL PROBLEM, I HAVE HAD PASS LOCK PROBLEMS WHICH I HAD TO GET DONE, I JUST REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION IN 2012 THE COMPUTER ON THE CAR READ THAT IT WAS SHIFT SOLENOIDS WHEN IT TURNED OUT TO BE THE TRANSMISSION. NOW AS OF THE PAST THREE MONTHS MY LOW BEAM HEAD LAMPS WILL NOT COME ON .THE DAY TIME RUNNING LAMPS WORK BUT WHEN IT GETS DARK THEY SHUT OFF & THE PARKING LAMPS STAY ON. THE ONLY WAY I WILL BE ABLE TO DRIVE IS TO HOLD THE TURN SIGNAL TOWARDS ME, ITS NOT THE BULBS THEY HAVE BEEN REPLACED & ITS NOT THE FUSES AND NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM. MY CRUISE CONTROL LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF WHILE IM DRIVING & WHILE THE SWITCH IS OFF & ALSO MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHES ON & OFF BUT WHEN I TAKE IT TO AUTO PART STORE TO HAVE IT HOOKED UP TO THE MACHINE IT DOESN'T READ ANYTHING.....I ASK THAT YOU GUYS CAN PLEASE HELP ME WITH THIS CAR, & I ALSO HAVE PROOF OF EVERYTHING I JUST WROTE RECEIPTS AND ALL. *JS