2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

MY CAR STARTED A SOUND IN THE WIRING SUCH AS A POPPING SOUND AS IF THE WIRES ARE GROUNDING OUT THEN SOMETHING SMELL SMOKE THEN IT STARTED NOT CRACKING AND I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WAY I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY REPLACED IT THEN WOULDN'T START AGAIN AFTER I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE BATTERY THE DASH READS SECURITY ON IT THIS HAPPEN TO MY CAR MY FRIENDS CAR AND MY HUSBANDS COUSINS CAR THEY ARE ALL IMPALAS ALL IN 2002 I HAVE ALSO SPOKE TO OTHER PEOPLE WITH THEM SAME PROBLEM WANT START READS SECURITY ON DASH WIRES GROUND OUT AND HEAR POPPING SOUND AND THE BATTERY DRAINS FROM THE HEAD LIGHTS NOT TURNING OF OR SECURITY READS AND THE LIGHTS FLASH ITS BROKEN DOWN IN MY YARD NO ONE AROUND HEAR REALLY KNOWS THE PROBLEM THEY SAY ITS THE SECURITY MY HUSBAND BELIEVES ITS THE WIRING AND IT GROUNDS OUT CAUSING THINGS TO HAPPEN. *TR

MY CAR, A 2002 CHEVY IMPALA, HAS AN INTERMITTENT STARTING PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED IT AT 2006. FOR EVERY 2-3 WEEKS, IT SIMPLY DOES NOT CRANK BY TURNING THE KEY. BUT AFTER 10 MINS, IT STARTS AGAIN. I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF MONEY TO TRY TO FIX THIS ISSUE BUT IT IS UNSUCCESSFUL. AFTER SEARCHING ON WEBSITE, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE FOR GM CARS AND MAY BE RELATED TO SOME ELECTRIC SECURITY ISSUE. THEREFORE, HERE I AM FILING THE COMPLAINT. *TR

AS I BRAKE MY STEERING WHEEL SHAKES ON MY 2002 CHEVY IMPALA. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME FOR THIS VEHICLE. I HAD IT SERVICED AT AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP IN PLAINVILLE CT. ON OR ABOUT JUNE 20 2009. *TR

BOUGHT CHEV IMPALA 2002 BRAND NEW, NO MILES. 2005 BEGAN EXPERIENCING COOLING SYSTEM PROBLEMS-RUNNING HOT ETC. REPLACED RADIATOR, FLUSHED SYSTEM, REPLACED THERMOSTAT, ETC. ETC. SEVERAL TIMES, BODY CONTROL UNITS- LIGHTS AND LOCKS GOING CRAZY, HUB ASSEMBLY/TRACKING SYSTEM PROBLEMS- SOUNDS AND PULSATING WHEN TRY TO BRAKE OR TURN, HIGH BEAM LIGHT WON'T STAY ON TO THIS DATE. EXPERIENCING SMOKE FROM HOOD-MAY BE A LEAK WHICH SEEMS TO BE ACOMMON COMPLAINT BUT DEALER PUT DYE IN AND SAID THEY DON'T DETECT A LEAK. NO AIR-FREON REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES. *CN

STARTING WITH THE 2000 CHEVY IMPALA THEY HAVE A WINDSHIELD WIPER PROBLEM, WHERE IF HEAVY SNOWS SLIDES OFF THE ROOF ONTO THE WINDSHIELD, OR IF THE WIPERS ARE FROZEN TO THE WINDSHIELD WHEN YOU OPERATE THE WIPERS, IT BENDS A TAB UNDER THE WIPER MECHANISM AND CAUSES THE WIPERS TO PARK IN THE OUTWIPE CONDITION WHEN TURNED OFF INSTEAD OF OUT OF THE WAY OF THE DRIVERS VISION JUST UNDER THE FRONT HOOD. THEY PARK STRAIGHT UP CAUSING A DANGEROUS OBSTRUCTION IN THE DRIVERS VIEW. THERE HAVE BEEN HUNDREDS OF POSTINGS ON THE INTERNET WHERE IMPALA OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SPECIFICALLY IN THE STATES THAT EXPERIENCE FREEZING WEATHER AND SNOW. SOME HAVE STATED AFTER PAYING FROM $75 TO $300 TO HAVE IT REPAIRED THE PROBLEM WOULD RETURN. PERHAPS A VERY POOR DESIGN ON GMS PART BUT TO THIS DATE GM HAS NOT INSTITUTED A RECALL. GM HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND DESIGNED REPLACEMENT KIT FOR THE BENT TAB AT GREAT EXPENSE FOR THE OWNER TO HAVE IT REPAIRED.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH THE CONTACT NOTICED A LOUD CLUNKING SOUND COMING FROM OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE STEERING JOINT SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SERVICED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37464 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37964.

AS OF YET THERE HAS BEEN NO INCIDENT HOWEVER THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS CLOSE CALLS AS THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT SHIFTING INTO GEAR UNLESS YOU RACE THE MOTOR. NEARLY REARENDING OTHER VEHICLES, PROPERTY OR PEDESTRIANS. I CAN NOT SAFELY PULL OUT AT AN INTERSECTION BECAUSE THE TRANSMISSION MAY SLIP. I'VE READ ON MESSAGE BOARDS WHERE HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM AND GM HAS NO GOOD FIX FOR IT. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO MATER IF THE CAR IS WARM OR COLD THE TRANSMISSION STILL ACTS UP. 89K MILES ON THE CAR WHEN THIS BEGAN AND I HAVEN'T FELT SAFE DRIVING THE CAR SINCE. THANK YOU *TR

02 IMPALA 3.8 ENGINE WOULD NOT START. IT HAS DONE THIS COUNTLESS TIMES AND I WILL HAVE TO WAIT 20 OR 30 MINUTES FOR IT TO START. MY BATTERY IS LIKE NEW, AND NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE STARTER, I'VE HAD IT ALL TESTED. I'VE READ IT COULD BE THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM OR SOMETHING CALLED THE TUMBLER. MY SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON RANDOMLY EVEN WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I'VE READ THAT MANY IMPALA OWNERS CARS HAVE CUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND I'M HOPING MINE DOESN'T DO THE SAME. MY CAR WAS A FORMER POLICE CAR. IT NOW HAS ABOUT 112,000 MILES ON IT. I HOPE I NEVER HAD TO GO SOMEWHERE IN AN EMERGENCY OR GET STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NO WHERE AT NIGHT. I'VE READ SEVERAL FORUMS EXPLAINING HOW CHEVY KNOWS ABOUT THE DEFECT BUT WILL NOT FIX IT UNLESS YOU PAY ABOUT 600 TO ALMOST 1,000 DOLLARS. BUT THEN WHEN THEY CLAIM IT'S FIXED, THE PROBLEM HAPPENS ALL OVER AGAIN. I READ FROM A MECHANIC THAT WORKED FOR CHEVY IN THE PAST, THAT THEY POLITELY IGNORE COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS PASSLOCK AND SECURITY PROBLEM. I GUESS NO ONE WILL TAKE IT SERIOUSLY UNTIL PEOPLE START TO GET INJURED OR EVEN KILLED LIKE TOYOTA DRIVERS. MUST WE WAIT FOR THE DEATH TOLL TO RISE BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT STEPS IN TO ACT??? POLICEMEN DRIVE THESE CARS ALTHOUGH THERE SLOWLY BEING PHASED OUT WITH THE NEWER MODELS. A POLICEMAN THAT CANNOT GET TO THE SCENE OF A CRIME ON TIME BECAUSE HIS CAR WOULDN'T START. I GUESS THAT'S THE HEADLINE WERE WAITING FOR BEFORE CHEVY OR THE GOVERNMENT DECIDES TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE PASSLOCK PROBLEM THAT COUNTLESS AMERICANS ARE HAVING AND GM DOESN'T WANT TO FIX. THIS IS WHY I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER AMERICAN CAR BECAUSE THE PARTS ARE CHEAP AND GM COULD CARE LESS. THE TIME TO ACT IS BEFORE MAJOR INCIDENTS HAPPEN, BEFORE PEOPLE LOSE THEIR LIVES, BEFORE 5 CAR PILE UPS ON THE HIGHWAY, BEFORE AN EMERGENCY THAT GM DRIVERS CANNOT GET TO BECAUSE THERE CAR WILL NOT START. NOT AFTER!!! THAT'S TOYOTA'S PROBLEM NOW. ADVICE FOR GM AND THE U.S. GOVERNMENT - GET IT TOGETHER!!! *TR

THE POWER STEERING WENT COMPLETELY OUT MANY TIMES IN THE PAST 2 YEARS. IT CONTINUES TO GO OUT ALL THE TIME. THE RACK & PINION GEAR, THE PUMP AND THE HOSES WERE REPLACED WITH ORIGINAL DELCO PARTS BUT THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE CHEVROLET DEALER MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS CAUSED BY LOW TIRES BUT MY TIRES WERE NOT LOW. I BOUGHT NEW TIRES BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. IT IS HARD TO STEER ON THE STRAIGHT ROAD AND IT GOES OUT ON A TURN AND I CAN'T STEER IT. I HAVE TO HIT MY BRAKES. A LOCAL MECHANIC HAS TRIED TO REPAIR IT ABOUT 5 TIMES AND HE FINALLY GAVE ME MY MONEY BACK AND SAID TO TAKE IT TO THE CHEVROLET DEALER WHICH I DID AS NOTED ABOVE. *TR

LIGHTS WENT OUT AFTER DARK. IN A PANIC, I MOVED THE DIMMER SWITCH BACK AND FORTH UNTIL THEY CAME BACK ON. IT LASTED JUST A COUPLE OF SECONDS, BUT I WAS GOING 60 MPH AND IT WAS PITCH BLACK. THIS IS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA, 4 DOOR SEDAN WITH 68, 000 MILES. I HAVE SPENT SEVERAL THOUSAND DOLLARS ON REPAIRS FOR THIS VEHICLE. SEAL LEAKS (OIL LEAKING ON MANIFOLD) HEATER WENT OUT DURING ZERO WEATHER, REPLACED BODY CONTROL MODULE, PASS LOCK SYSTEM, TRACTION SYSTEM PARTS ( TWO SEPARATE TIMES). THESE ARE A FEW. I BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND PUT ONLY 68 THOUSAND MILES ON IT IN THE LAST 9 YEARS. I BELIEVE THE LIGHTS ARE A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD NOT COST $695.00 TO REPAIR. *TR