2000 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

INTERMEDIATE SHAFT STICKS AND MAKES CLUNKING SOUNDS WHILE DRIVING. TSB SUGGESTED LUBRICATION KIT, THAT FIX WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. REPLACED SHAFT, NEW SHAFT HAS DEVELOPED SAME PROBLEM. THE DESIGN APPEARS FLAWED AND POSSIBLY DANGEROUS TO HAVE A STEERING COMPONENT BINDING. TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NO PERMANENT FIX FOR THIS AND A NEW INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WITH THE SAME DESIGN IS NOT A PERMANENT SOLUTION. *NM

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2000 CHEVY IMPALA WITH 85,000 MILES. INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT FAILS EVERY 20-25,000 MILES. IT HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES ALREADY, AND IS FAILING AGAIN. DEALER ADMITS IT IS A DESIGN FLAW THAT AFFECTS ALL 2000-2005 DESIGN IMPALA'S. YOU KNOW IT IS FAILING WHEN YOU FEEL CLUNKING AND LOOSENESS IN THE STEERING AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN CORNERING. I HAVE TALKED WITH MANY OTHER IMPALA OWNERS, AND THEY HAVE IDENTICAL PROBLEMS. COSTS $250 EVERY TIME THIS PART MUST BE REPLACED. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERN WHEN A CRITICAL STEERING COMPONENT REPEATEDLY FAILS. *JB

I DROVE AROUND THE REAR OF MY HOME WHICH IS WHERE MY GARAGE IS LOCATED. I CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I ACTIVATED MY GARAGE OPENER FROM MY VEHICLE. ONCE THE GARAGE DOOR COMPLETED OPENED I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR ACCELERATED TO A HIGH SPEED. I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR. THE CAR JUMPED A 9 INCH LEDGE AND I CRASHED THROUGH MY GARAGE WALL, AND INTO MY BASEMENT AND THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED IN MY BASEMENT WHEN IT HIT MY COMPUTER DESK. *NM

I WAS DRIVING INTO THE PARKING LOT OF MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. I WAS GOING SLOWLY AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR ACCELERATED TO A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AND, I COULD NOT STOP. I CRASHED INTO A CYCLONE FENCE, 2 CENTRAL A/C UNITS, WENT DOWN A HILL AND NEARLY CRASHED INTO 2 POLES . I FINALLY STOPPED THE CAR BY HOLDING THE BRAKES AND SHUTTING THE CAR OFF. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE ENGINE STALLED. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER, WHO COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE'S TURN SIGNAL INTERMITTENTLY DID NOT WORK WHILE TRYING TO SIGNAL IN ANY DIRECTION. ALSO THE HAZARD LIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE, WHEN THE HAZARD LIGHTS BUTTON WAS DEPRESSED. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND DETERMINED THAT THE CONTACT MAY NEED TO REPLACE THE TURN SIGNAL. THE CONTACT FOUND MANY OTHER CONSUMERS WITH THE SAME MODEL WHO HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AT 5 MPH, THE STEERING COLUMN LOCKED AND COULD NOT BE PULLED TO TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO WERE CURRENTLY EXAMINING THE VEHICLE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.

2000 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS, 3.8 ENGINE. AT 78,000 MILES THE "LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET" FAILED CAUSING LOSS OF COOLANT. REQUIRED $804 REPAIR. MY RESEARCH INDICATES THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PATTERN FAILURE OF GM 3.8 LITER ENGINES OF THAT YEAR, DUE TO INSUFFICIENT TORQUE ON THE INTAKE MANIFOLD BOLTS AND/OR A FAULTY GASKET. THIS AFFECTS OTHER GM BRANDS USING THE SAME ENGINE. A PROPERLY MAINTAINED ENGINE SHOULD NOT SUFFER THIS TYPE OF FAILURE AT 78K MILES. *NM

MY 2000 IMPALA HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO STOP WORKING OR SURGE WHILE DRIVING AND CAUSES INTERMITTENT DIFFICULTIES WITH STARTING. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM AMONG GM OWNERS AND WE HAVE MADE NEARLY 13 VISITS TO THE DEALER TO ADDRESS THIS SAFETY ISSUE. WE HAVE HAD THE IGNITION REPLACED, BUT ON MOST VISITS GM STAFF ARE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE, AND HENCE, UNABLE TO TREAT THE PROBLEM. ANOTHER SAFETY ISSUE IS RELATED TO STARTING. SINCE MY WIFE DRIVES THE CAR, SHE IS OFTEN LEFT UNSAFE IN AREAS DURING THE 20+ TIMES THAT SHE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO START HER CAR. WHILE NO INJURIES HAVE YET BEEN LINKED TO THIS PROBLEM WITH OUR VEHICLE, IS SUCH A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM WITH GM VEHICLES THAT IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, THE TRANSMISSION DROPPED TO THE LOWEST GEAR WITHOUT WARNING, AND HESITATED BEFORE ENGAGING TO THE NEXT GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER, WHO WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. ALSO, THE FUEL GAUGE DISPLAYED AN INCORRECT READING. FINALLY, WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THERE WAS A RATTLING NOISE IN REAR WHEELS. THE LAST TWO PROBLEMS WERE INSPECTED BY A DEALER.