2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE FAST LANE ON I71 HEADING FROM COLUMBUS, OHIO TO CLEVELAND, OHIO. SHE SET THE CRUISE CONTROL AT 75 MPH AND WENT TO BRAKE BECAUSE TRAFFIC WAS SLOWING DOWN. WHEN SHE HIT THE BRAKE THEY DID NOTHING! SHE IMMEDIATELY PANICKED AND MOVED OVER 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE BERM NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. SHE QUICKLY THREW THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND IT STOPPED. I CALLED A CHEVROLET DEALER AFTER SHE CALLED ME FRIGHTENED TO DRIVE THE CAR. THEY ASKED IF THE CAR MATS POSSIBLY BLOCKED THE BRAKE AND MY DAUGHTER SAID NO, SHE REACHED DOWN AND PULLED IT OUT AND THE CAR WOULD STILL NOT SLOW DOWN. SHE EVEN STATED BOTH FEET WERE PUSHING DOWN ON THE BREAK PEDAL AND NOTHING WAS SLOWING DOWN THE CAR. I JUST HAD A FRONT HUB REPLACED AT AUTO PLUS (WHERE I TAKE MY CARS FOR SERVICE) IN ORIENT, OHIO. MY DAUGHTER AND HER FRIEND COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BECAUSE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL. *TR

I HAVE ROTATED MY FRONT ROTORS AND CHANGED BRAKE PADS 2. I ALSO HAVE REPLACED THEM AND 6 MONTHS LATER I HAVE TO TURN THE NEW ONES. THEY HAVE WARPED AND MY CAR VIBRATES VERY BAD. *TR

I PURCHASED THIS CAR WITH 28,000 MILES ON IT. AROUND 38,000 MILES IS WHEN THE PROBLEMS STARTED. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT WOULD NOT PASS SMOG BECAUSE OF THAT. THE THERMOSTAT GETS STUCK, THE FAN CONTINUES TO RUN AFTER CAR IS SHUT OFF, THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT COMES ON EVEN WHEN IT IS NOT LOW. THE CAR SMELLS LIKE IT IS BURNING OR RUNNING HOT. THE CAR NOW HAS 53,000 MILES ON IT AND I CANT AFFORD TO GET IT FIXED. IT HAS EXPIRED TAGS ON IT BECAUSE I CANT GET IT TO PASS SMOG. I AM REALLY UPSET TO FIND OUT THIS IS A DEFECT IN THE MAKE OF THE CAR. IT WAS HARD ENOUGH TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY TO BUY THIS CAR AND NOW I CANT DRIVE IT MORE THEN TO WORK AND BACK. I AM HOPING THEY WILL RECALL THIS CAR AND I COULD FINALLY GET IT FIXED. *TR

THE BCM (BODY CONTROL MODULE) CAUSED MY 01 IMPALA TO DO SOME CRAZY THINGS. IT STARTED WITH TURN SIGNALS INTERMITTENTLY WORKING. MY WIFE AND I WERE IN SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OTHER DRIVERS COULD NOT TELL WHAT WE WERE DOING. THEN IT PROGRESSED TO EACH TIME THAT I APPLIED THE BREAKS THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD FLASH FROM HIGH BEAM TO LOW BEAM AT LEAST A DOZEN TIMES. IT DISTRACTED THE DRIVERS IN FRONT OF ME WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. ON MANY OCCASIONS IT CAUSED THE ENTIRE DASH INSTRUMENTATION TO FAIL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SPEEDOMETER. THE MESSAGE CENTER WOULD GIVE ME FALSE INDICATIONS OF REQUIRED MAINTENANCE AND LOW TIRE PRESSURE. TWICE IT LOCKED THE CAR OUT ON "SECURITY" THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO INTERMITTENTLY START. AFTER ABOUT 10MINUTES THE VEHICLE TYPICALLY STARTED BACKUP AGAIN. ONCE, THE VEHICLE LEFT THE HEADLIGHTS ON AFTER VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF. I HAD TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TO KEEP IT FROMDRAINING THE BATTERY. AGAIN, AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES IT WOULD ALLOW SOMETHING TO RESET AND ALL WOULD BE FINE. AFTER SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS ON THE MAKE AND MODEL I TOOK IT TOA GM DEALER LEADING THEM TOWARDS THE BCM. I DIDN'T WANT TO PAY AN EXUBERANT AMOUNT OF MONEY FORTHEM TO CHASE AN "ELECTRICAL GHOST". AFTER $500 THEY REPLACED THE BCM AND THE VEHICLE RAN PERFECT FOR ABOUT 2 1/2 MONTHS AND NOW THE TURN SIGNALS ARE INTERMITTENT ONCE AGAIN. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED AND WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE AGAIN. THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD TAKE TEN MINUTES OR THE NEXT DAY TO ILLUMINATE. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY ARE INSTALLING NEW PARTS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. UPDATED 05/05/09 *BF THE DIMMER SWITCH WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 05/07/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE WAS FAULTY AND A MAJOR SAFETY RISK. THE TURN SIGNALS DO NOT WORK, THE DOME LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED, THE TRUNK OPENS AUTOMATICALLY, THE SECURITY LIGHT ILLUMINATES, THE HEADLIGHTS FLASH OFF AND ON, AND THE DAYTIME RUNNING LAMPS DO NOT ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 205,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

I HAVE A 2001 CHEVY IMPALA AND WHEN YOU GO TO START THE CAR IT WON'T START. IT DOESN'T DO IT ALL THE TIME, BUT WHEN IT HAPPENS IT TAKES NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS WITH THE KEY TO GET IT STARTED. *TR

FIRST OCCURRENCE 01-08 IS EXACTLY DEPICTED IN NHTSA #04V090000. REPAIR COST $1,600. SECOND OCCURRENCE 01-09 IS REPEAT OF PRIOR, THIS TIME EXPLOSION CAUSED ENGINE FIRE. CAR AT DEALERSHIP, REPAIRS APPROX. $2,000. GM SAYS VIN IS NOT IN RECALL SERIES. HAVE FOUND OTHER PEOPLE WITH SAME COMPLAINT ON INTERNET. *TR

SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM, ABS LIGHT CONTINUE TO COME ON. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO GET SERVICED FOR THIS PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED IT. IT HAD ONE OF THE BEARINGS REPLACED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, BUT I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE OTHER BEARING, AND HUB SENSORS AT MY EXPENSE. THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM ACTIVATES FOR NO REASON AND CREATES A VIBRATION AND INABILITY TO BRAKE ON TIME. THE CAR ALSO HAS A SECURITY LIGHT COME ON INTERMITTENTLY AND THE CAR SOMETIMES DOESN'T START FOR NO APPARENT REASON. USUALLY IF WE WAIT ABOUT 30 MIN. IT WILL TURN BACK ON, BUT I HAVE HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP WHEN NOTHING WOULD TURN IT ON. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND WAS FIRST TOLD IT WAS THE EGR VALVE THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, BUT NOW AM BEING TOLD IT NEEDS A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I'VE TAKEN IT TO A CERTIFIED DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 5 TIMES A YEAR SINCE 2006 AND THESE PROBLEMS ARE NEVER CORRECTED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. ON MOST OCCASIONS, HE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT FIFTEEN MINUTES FOR THE VEHICLE TO CRANK. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANY FAILURES OR ERROR CODES WITH THE VEHICLE. DURING THE FAILURE, THE ENGINE FAILS TO START, BUT ALL THE OTHER COMPONENTS WORK NORMALLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.