2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

I OWNED A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA AUTOMOBILE. "SECURITY LOCK" LIGHT CAME ON DURING NORMAL DRIVE 2 DAYS BEFORE CAR FAILURE. ON THE MORNING OF FAILURE, CAR DOORS WERE UNRESPONSIVE TO REMOTE KEY. A CONTINUOUS LOW DRONING NOISE EMITS FROM INSIDE OF DASHBOARD. WHEN KEY WAS INSERTED INTO IGNITION CYLINDER AND TURNED, NOTHING HAPPENS. ENGINE DID NOT START, ELECTRONIC SYSTEM CHECKS DID NOT COME ALIVE. NOT EVEN A SPUTTERING SOUND FROM THE CAR HOOD. AFTER CHECKING ONLINE FOR SIMILAR PROBLEM, PROFILE FITS THE RECURRENT PROBLEM OF PASSLOCK SENSOR OF GENERAL MOTOR CARS. CAR TECHNICIANS QUOTED ME $400 - $600 FOR REPLACEMENT OF IGNITION SWITCH AND CYLINDER; $600 ON AVERAGE FOR CHANGE OF BODY CONTROL MODULE. HTTP://WWW.AUTOMOTIVEFORUMS.COM/VBULLETIN/T147983.HTML HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/CHEVROLET-IMPALA/T30R7CEJ84KTJEL1M/P4 TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THIS RECURRING PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED ON VARIOUS SOURCES FOR THE PAST 7 YEARS. TO THIS DAY, IT REMAINS UN-RESOLVED. I IMPLORE THE AUTHORITIES TO TAKE CHARGE AND INVESTIGATE THOROUGHLY THE EXTENT OF THIS "NON-START" PROBLEM THAT AFFLICTS THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF CHEVROLET CARS ON THE ROAD. SINCERELY YOURS, DEXTER (KENG HAO) CHUN *TR

THIS IS AN ONGOING REPEATED PROBLEM. MY 2001 IMPALA RANDOMLY WON'T START ABOUT 3 TIMES A WEEK. I WILL TAKE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION WAIT 10 MINUTES AND THE SECURITY (PASSLOCK) SYSTEM WILL RESET AND THE CAR WILL CRANK, BUT NO TIME IN BETWEEN...THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ABOUT 8 MONTHS NOW AND I HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS OCCASIONS OF THIS HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE BOTH THAT I HAVE SPOKEN WITH AND THAT I HAVE READ ONLINE.. THIS DOES NOT JUST OCCUR IN CHEVROLETS. ONE PERSON SAID THAT IT OCCURRED IN A PONTIAC. I WOULD ASSUME THIS IS A GM PROBLEM...AND WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN RECALLED? THIS IS AN EXTREME INCONVENIENCE FROM CHEVROLET AND I HAVE READ INSTANCES WHERE THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN FIXED BY REPLACING THE IGNITION, BCM, ETC. AND THIS PROBLEM STILL CONTINUES. WHY ARE THERE SO MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM AND NO KNOWN SOLUTION. RECALL? DEFECT? *TR

FOR THE PAST FEW MONTHS, MY 2001 CHEVY IMPALA HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE IGNITION TO START. IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY WORSE AS TIME GOES ON. I HAVE TO KEEP TURNING THE WHEEL AS I TURN THE IGNITION TO GET IT TO START. I AM THINKING THAT ONE DAY I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO TURN IT. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THIS IS HAPPENING. *TR

2001 CHEVORLET/IMPALA PURCHASED NEW, CURRENT MILES 51,000. INTERMITTANT LOSS OF DIRECTIONALS. **NOW COMPLETE LOSS OF DIRECTIONALS AND EMERGENCY SIGNALS. FAILED RECENT CAR INSPECTION. ADDITIONAL FAILURES INCLUDE: COMPLETE BRAKE LOSS AT 38,000. RESULTING IN REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM. FIRESTONE TIRE, WEST ROXBURY, MA STATED ON DOCUMENTS THAT "ROTORS WERE THINNED DOWN TO SIZE OF SHEET OF PAPER &/OR COMPLETELY GONE." TWO TIRE BLOWOUTS AT 35,000, ALSO REPLACED BY ABOVE REPAIR SHOP, WITH 4 NEW TIRES. BATTERY LEAK WITH CORROSION TO EXTENT OF NEED OF CONNECTION CABLES TO BE REBUILT FOR ATTACHMENT. BATTERY REPLACED WITH NEW CONNECTIONS AT 40,000 BY SEARS AUTO BODY IN DEDHAM, MA. PASSENGAR SIDE WIPER FIXED AND REPLACED AFTER FAILURE. WORKED FOR 3 MONTHS AND HAS FAILED AGAIN, HAS NOT AT PRESENT BEEN REPLACED/REPAIRED. CARE OF CAR WAS UPDATED AND MAINTAINED ACCORDING TO ALL REQUIREMENTS/RECOMMENDATIONS BY MANUFACTURER. NO HISTORY OF ACCIDENTS. THIS INCLUDING, OIL CHANGES, WIPER BLADE CHANGES, TIRE ROTATIONS WITH EVEY OTHER OIL CHANGE, WHICH WAS DONE EVERY 3 MONTS, ETC. BRAKE INSPECTION AND PADS CHANGED ON CAR 1 YEAR BEFORE COMPLETE FAILURE. BRAKE LOSS WAS THANKFULLY UNEVENTFUL ONLY DUE TO TIME OF NIGHT AND LOW TRAFFIC, ONLY ABLE TO STOP CAR WITH GLIDING TO STOP. THEN TOWED TO SERVICE STATION. ON AVERAGE MY PRESENT YEARLY MILAGE IS PROBABLY LESS THAN 3000. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER/OPERATOR TO THIS CAR AND ALTHOGH MENTIONED #1 OWNER, MY FATHER ORIGINALLY PURCHASED THE CAR, (HOWARD CHEVORLET, WEST ROXBURY, MA) BUT DID NOT DRIVE IT. I CURRENTLY AM THE TITLE HOLDER. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME ANYTIME IF YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COULD HELP ME. I FEEL THAT THERE IS MAJOR FAILURE THAT BEYOND MY CONTROL AND IS DANGEROUS TO MYSELF, OTHERS AND MOST IMPORTANT TO ME, MY 4 Y/O DAUGHTER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU (SOMEONE) SOON. TERESA CORRIGAN *TR

MAJOR ELECTRICAL FAILURES ON OUR 2001 CHEVY IMPALA. TURN SIGNALS WORK INTERMITTENTLY, POWER WINDOWS FAILING, ALARM SOUNDS IF THE REMOTE KEY IS USED TO OPEN CAR. I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE AND EXPERIENCED A COUPLE FROM ACQUAINTANCES AS WELL. *TR

MY CAR RANDOMLY DOESN'T LIKE TO START. I HAVE BEEN STRANDED IN MANY PLACES BECAUSE OF IT. I DO NOT THINK IT IS FAIR TO ME TO HAVE TO BE LATE TO WORK JUST BECAUSE MY CAR DOESN'T FEEL LIKE STARTING FOR 10 MINUTES. IT'S GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE I AM GOING TO HAVE TO START IT LIKE A HALF HOUR EARLY JUST SO I KNOW THAT I WON'T BE LATE TO WORK. I HAVE ALSO BEEN STRANDED AT A STORE AT NIGHT. WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF SOMEONE WOULD HAVE CAME UP TO ME...LET ME SEE A YOUNG GIRL SITTING IN A CAR LATE AT NIGHT ALL BY HERSELF...THAT'S NOT A GOOD WAY TO GET ROBBED OR ANYTHING ELSE...THANK YOU GM FOR A WONDERFUL CAR. *TR

PASSLOCK SYSTEM IN CHEVY IMPALA PREVENTS CAR FROM STARTING INTERMITTENTLY. DEPENDING ON CIRCUMSTANCES, LOCATION, AND PERSONS ON BOARD, THIS COULD LEAD TO ILLNESS OR INJURY. *TR

THE TURN SIGNALS AND BRAKE LIGHTS QUIT WORKING IN MY 2001 CHEVY IMPALA. AFTER SEARCHING ON LINE TO SEE HOW TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM I AM FINDING THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WHO IS HAVING OR HAS HAD THIS ISSUE HAPPEN TO THEM. I AM ALSO FINDING OUT THAT IT IS BECAUSE OF A BAD TURN SIGNAL SWITCH LOCATED ON THE STEERING COLUMN. *TR

I WAS PASSING ANOTHER CAR, MY CAR BACKFIRED, I THEN LOST POWER. RETURNING HOME AT A VERY SLOW SPEED. I NOTICED A BURNING SMELL, THE EXHAUST WAS RED HOT. THE PROBLEM WAS A BURN HOLE IN THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH MELTED SOME ELECTRICAL WIRING. *TR

2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA ABS / TRACTION CONTROL PROBLEM ENGAGES BRAKES INTERMITTENTLY AND SPONTANEOUSLY WITHOUT WARNING. EXCESS HEAT BUILDS UP AND CAUSES BRAKE FLUID LOSS. POTENTIAL FOR BRAKE FAILURE EXISTS. PERHAPS THE GOVERNMENT COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. YEAH, RIGHT. I PREDICT THAT YOU GUYS WILL FAIL THE CONSUMER YET AGAIN. *TR