2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

MY 2003 IMPALA IGNITION SWITCH FAILS EVERY 2-3 YEARS. IT CAUSES THE CAR TO STALL OR NOT START. THIS PART IS KNOWN IN THE INDUSTRY TO BE FAULTY AND SHOULD BE REPLACED. *TR

THE TRACTION CONTROL IS CONSTANTLY ENGAGING EVEN UNDER IDEAL DRIVING SITUATIONS. IT ENGAGES WHILE DRIVING AND TURNING AT SLOW SPEEDS. ONCE ENGAGED DURING PULLING ONTO A ROAD AND DUE TO HOLDING CAR BACK (NO TRACTION) ALMOST HAD A COLLISION. ALSO WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED A NOISE IS HEARD AND A SLIGHT PUSH BACK OF THE BRAKE PEDAL OCCURS. NOISE IS POSSIBLY FROM THE ABS. SINCE THE TWO (TC AND ABS) ARE LINKED IT COULD BE DISRUPTING ONE OR THE OTHER. I HAVE SEARCHED SEVERAL FORUMS AND MANY CONSUMERS ARE COMPLAINING OF THE SAME PROBLEM. MANY HAVE TRIED SEVERAL SOLUTIONS, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. WROTE A LETTER TO GM ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. I AM VERY CONCERNED THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE A DEATH OCCURS DUE TO THIS ISSUE. ALSO NO KNOWN ROOT CAUSE OR EASY FIX AND CUST HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS TO FIX ISSUE AT DEALER YET ISSUE REMAINS. THIS SHOULD BE RESEARCHED AND RECALLED BEFORE ANYONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE. *TR

2003 CHEVY IMPALA SECURITY LIGHT RANDOMLY COMES ON WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE. LIGHT WILL TURN OFF SOMETIMES AFTER DRIVING OR SOMETIMES AFTER CAR IS TURNED OFF. CAN GO AT THE LONGEST A WEEK BETWEEN LIGHT COMING BACK ON AGAIN. CAR WITHOUT WARNING DID NOT START. TURNED KEY LIGHTS WORKED RADIO WORKED AND AC BUT WOULDN'T TURN OVER. *KB

BCM - BODY CONTROL MODULE - 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. STARTED WITH FAILURE OF ELECTRONIC DOOR LOCKS, THEN RADIO WENT OUT, THEN CAR WILL NOT START. NEW BCM ORDERED. *TT

I HAVE A 2003 CHEVY IMPALA WITH THE DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS ON CAR FROM FACTORY. WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON EVENING SHE LOST ALL HER HEADLIGHTS AND THEY COULDN'T EVEN BE TURNED ON MANUALLY. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR SOME STREET LIGHTS IN HER LOCATION SHE MIGHT HAVE LOST CONTROL OF CAR. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS BEING IN THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH IN THE STEERING COLUMN. A GM REPLACEMENT PART WAS QUOTED TO ME AT $500 PLUS INSTALLATION. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ITEM AS I UNDERSTAND FROM MY MECHANIC THAT IT IS COMMON. IT IS VERY UNSAFE AND COSTLY TO FIX. THE AVERAGE PERSON CANNOT FIX THIS SWITCH BECAUSE IT INVOLVES REMOVING THE AIR BAG FIRST. SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SECURITY LAMP ILLUMINATED AND WHEN INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE DRAINED THE BATTERY, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOOSE POWER. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED WHO STATED THAT THE PASS LOCK KEY WAS PROBABLY DEFECTIVE AND ADVISED HER TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN TO RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST . THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37,000.

MY CHEVY IMPALA 2003 INTERMITTENTLY WILL NOT START; IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS SOME ELECTRONICALLY ACTIVATED LOCKOUT SYSTEM THAT TEMPORARILY PREVENTS THE CAR FROM BEING STARTED. (THE BATTERY, STARTER AND OTHER CONVENTIONAL PART OF THE STARTING SYSTEM ARE OK.) UNDER CERTAIN SITUATIONS, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE CAR HAS BEEN IN POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS LOCATIONS FOR A 30 SECOND STOP BUT THEN IT WON'T START FOR 10 MINUTES DUE TO AN UNKNOWN PROBLEM WITH THE CAR'S PASSLOCK SECURITY / ELECTRICAL / KEY TUMBLER / SYSTEMS. ASIDE FROM THE FRUSTRATION, I CANNOT RELY ON MY AUTOMOBILE WHEN TRANSPORTING MY 90+ YEAR OLD PARENTS TO LUNCH OR WHATEVER BECAUSE I MAY BECOME STRANDED AND THEIR HEALTH ISSUES CANNOT TOLERATE SITTING IN A HOT CAR FOR UNKNOWN PERIODS OF TIME. *TR

SECURITY LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY COMING ON. VEHICLE WILL NOT START FOR 10 MINUTES AFTER INITIAL ATTEMPT TO DRIVE. TRANSMISSION KICKS TERRIBLY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. BRAKE LIGHT, BATTERY LIGHT, AND AIRBAG LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY FLASH WHEN BRAKING. ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY CHECK FINE AT SERVICE. ALL SIGNS POINT TO BCM AND GAUGE CLUSTER. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 IMPALA. I WENT TO START MY CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. THE BATTERY IS NOT DEAD. EVERYTHING INSIDE THE CAR CAME ON AND THE WINDOWS WOULD ROLL DOWN. BUT THE ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER. AFTER WAITING FOR ABOUT TEN MINUTES IT STARTED RIGHT UP. I HAVE READ THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE PASSLOCK SECURITY SYSTEM IN A LOT OF GM CARS. *TR

2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA SECURITY SYSTEM CAUSING STARTING FAILURE. CAR HAS NEW BATTERY, STARTER, AND ALTERNATOR, AND HAS NO OTHER DEFECTS, OTHER THAN INTERMITTENT FAILURE OF THE SECURITY SYSTEM, CAUSING FAILURE TO START. *TR