2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIANS DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE TO BE THE STEERING SHAFT. THE STEERING SHAFT WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN APPROXIMATELY FIVE YEARS LATER. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED IN ORDER TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO PAY A FEE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,262. THE APPROXIMATE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40,000. UPDATED 2/17/11 *CN UPDATED 05/31/11

PROBLEM STARTED WITH THE TRANS - WASN'T SHIFTING RIGHT, HARD SHIFT. TOOK IT TO ROTOLO CHEVY IN FONTANA, CA. DX: CATALYTIC CONVERTER, NEARLY $800 TO GET NEW ONE ONLY TO HAVE THE CAR COMPLETELY DIE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHEN THE TRANNY DISINTEGRATED. REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY. EVER SINCE I HAVE HAD SHIFTING DIFFICULTIES - TOOK IT BACK A WEEK LATER TO BE TOLD IT HAS A "SMART ADAPT" IN TRANS AND NEEDED APPROX 1000 MILES TO SYNC ITSELF, NOW THE CAR SPUTTERS, HAS A MISFIRE CODE IN CYLINDER 2, TRANS CODE. HARD STARTS, RANDOMLY STALLS WHEN MAKING RIGHT TURNS, INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS SURGE WHEN AT AN IDLE, CAR CONSTANTLY FEELS LIKE IT WANTS TO STALL - IT CAN ACTUALLY MAKE YOU NAUSEAS WHEN SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT BECAUSE OF THE SURGING OF THE CAR. THIS MORNING THE CAR JUST STALLED WHEN I WAS AT A STOP SIGN. ALL PLUGS, PLUG WIRES AND COIL PACK FOR CYLINDER 2 HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH NO CORRECTION TO HOW THE CAR RUNS. SOUNDS AND FEELS WORSE WHEN YOU PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE, BUT SMOOTHES OUT SOME WHEN IN DRIVE. FILED COMPLAINT WITH BAR REGARDING CAT REPLACEMENT, RECOMMENDED REFUND TO DEALER FOR UNNECESSARY ITEM - DEALER REFUSES TO GIVE MONEY BACK. TOLD ME CAR WOULD NEVER RUN RIGHT AFTER THE TRANNY WAS REPLACED BECAUSE I REFUSED TO HAVE THEM CHANGE THE MOTOR MOUNTS. THE CAR HAS NOT RUN RIGHT SINCE, BUT A SECOND OPINION FOUND THAT THE MOUNTS WERE OK - RECOMMENDED THAT ONE OF THE BACK MOUNTS BE REPLACED AS IT WAS MORE WORN THAN THE OTHERS. *TR

I HAVE 2003 CHEVY IMPALA AND I HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE PASSLOCK THEFT SYSTEM THAT GM PUTS IN THE CAR. I ONLY HAD THE CAR YEAR AND HALF, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEM UP TO AUG 28 2010. NOW ONCE EVERY 3 MONTHS IT WONT START. THE CAR FOR NO REASON WILL NOT START. WHEN IT DOES START IT STALL OUT THEN AFTER OTHER TRY IT START AND THE SECURITY LIGHT STAYS ON FOR 4 TO 7DAYS. I HAVEN'T FIXED IT YET READING LOT ABOUT THE CHEVY DEALERS HAVEN'T FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

HEADLIGHTS RANDOMLY TURN OFF AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 IMPALA. NOTHING I DO SEEMS TO HELP THEM COME BACK ON. I HAVE PULLED OVER AND TRIED TO MANUALLY TURN THEM ON, I HAVE TURNED OFF MY CAR AND RESTARTED, I HAVE HIT THE SWITCH TO GO FROM BRIGHT TO DIM. NOTHING HAS HELPED. THEY EVENTUALLY COME BACK ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED MAYBE THREE TIMES SO FAR. I HAVE NO CLUE AS TO WHEN THIS STARTED BUT SINCE YOU ARE MAKING ME PICK A DATE I DID. IT WOULD PROBABLY HAPPEN MORE BUT I QUIT DRIVING MY CAR AT NIGHT FOR THE FEAR OF IT HAPPENING AGAIN! HAVE NEVER TAKEN IT TO THE SHOP TO HAVE FIXED SINCE I AM MARRIED TO A MECHANIC. HOWEVER HE HAS YET TO BOTHER TRYING TO FIX IT OR SEE WHAT COULD BE WRONG EITHER. *TR

FRONT WINDSHIELD DEFOGGER BLOWS ONLY COLD OR HOT AIR- IE GETS STUCK IN ONE OR THE OTHER POSITION. *TR

2003 CHEVY IMPALA BRAKES FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOUR TIMES SINCE 11/17. I AM EXPERIENCING THIS EVERYTIME WHEN I DRIVE THIS CAR SINCE 11/17. HERE ARE THE STEPS TO CREATE THE PROBLEM. 1. SHIFT TO PARK (P) AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. (LET IT SIT FOR 30 MINUTES) 2. START THE ENGINE 3. SHIFT TO REVERSE (R) AND BACK MY CAR FOR AROUND 10 - 15 FEET (A COUPLE OF CLICK SOUNDS COME OUT UNDER THE HOOD WHEN CAR STARTS MOVING) 4. SHIFT TO DRIVE (D) START SLOWLY AND APPLY BRAKE. 5. AT THIS POINT THE CAR DOES NOT SLOW A BIT BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL ALREADY ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR. 6. RE-APPLY THE BRAKE AGAIN ASAP. I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE EVER REPORTED THIS BEFORE. SINCE THIS IS A SEVER SAFETY ISSUE, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMPLAINT ON THIS ISSUE. *TR

HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT COME BACK ON AFTER HIGH BEAMS WERE USED ON A BACK ROAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. CHECKED CONNECTIONS AND SPARK PLUGS AND THEY WERE NOT THE ISSUE. BELIEVE IT IS A FAULTY SWITCH AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH. *TR

MY 03 IMPALA SOME TIMES WON'T START. I HAVE ALREADY GOT IT FIXED FROM DEALER AND AS SOON AS IT RAN OUT OF WARRANTY, IT STARTED TO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM, WHICH WAS FIXED 6 MONTHS EARLIER BY THE DEALER. GM WON'T HELP AND I AM STUCK SOME TIMES, WITH THE CAR BEING LEFT ABOUT TWO TO THREE TIMES IN SHOPPING MALLS. NEED SOME HELP FROM GM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON. SUDDENLY, THE HEADLIGHTS BECAME INOPERATIVE. THE SPEED RATE WAS REDUCED AND THE HI-BEAMS WERE ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE IN OPERATION. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERN OF THE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 57,000. UPDATED 01/28/11*LJ THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 03/23/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE HEAD LIGHTS SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE HEADLIGHTS THEN ILLUMINATED WHEN THE CONTACT DROVE UP A HILL BUT THEN TURNED OFF AGAIN WHEN A TURN WAS MADE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 82,000.