2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

GM 2006 IMPALA TRANSMISSION FAILURE. UPON INITIAL OPERATION TRANSAXLE SHUDDERS, STUTTERS, AND STALLS UPON ACCELERATION DEMAND. FAILURE CREATES AN UNANTICIPATED AND WARNING-LESS SLOW-DOWN OF MY VEHICLE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF OTHER ACCELERATING VEHICLES. A SAFETY HAZARD RESULTS FROM POSSIBLE REAR-ENDING BY FOLLOWING MOTORISTS THAT HAVE TO BE UNAWARE THE CAR IN FRONT OF THEM HAS STUTTERED AND SLOWED DOWN. IT ALSO IS A PROBLEM FOR DRIVERS AS THEY CANNOT ACCELERATE OR PASS OTHER CARS, AND CANNOT SAFELY OR CONFIDENTLY EVADE ROAD OBJECTS/DEBRIS/POTHOLES. A REVIEW OF THIS TRANSAXLE PROBLEM INDICATES MANY GM MOTORISTS SHARE THE SAME PROBLEMS AND VOICE THE SAME CONCERNS. *TR

WHILE GOING TO WORK ON 3/30/2009 I WAS UNABLE TO STEER MY 2006 CHEVY IMPALA I SLID DOWN THE ROAD ON THE DRIVERS DOOR THERE WAS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO MY CAR AND I BROKE A BONE IN MY KNEE. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ENTERING STATE HIGHWAY WITH 65 MPH SPEED LIMIT THE POWER STEERING LINE RUPTURED AND BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHENEVER THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS INCLUDING 35 MPH HE NOTICED THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT AND TIRE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD, MOMENTS LATER, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE ACCELERATOR PANEL ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 74799.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA PURCHASED NEW IN 2006. SHE STATED SHE WOULD HEAR A KNOCKING SOUND IN THE STEERING WHEEL UPON TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THEY FOUND THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT KNUCKLE WAS FAILING AND WOULD EVENTUALLY CAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL TO LOCK. THERE WERE NO RECALLS. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE TO DATE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 13,571. UPDATED 03/04/10. *LJ

REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER-- WHEN WE HAD A RECENT SNOW STORM (ONE OF MANY), I USED MY REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER (DEFROSTER) ONLY TO FIND OUT IT WASN'T CLEARING THE WINDOW OF FOG OR MELTING THE BLOWING SNOW. THIS PREVENTED ME FROM SEEING THE VEHICLES BEHIND ME EXCEPT FROM MY SIDE MIRRORS. THE LAMP ON THE CONTROL LIGHTS NORMALLY, BUT THERE IS NO VOLTAGE GOING TO THE REAR DEFOGGER GRID CONNECTORS (ON EACH SIDE OF WINDOW). THERE IS NO SEPARATE FUSE GOING TO THIS DEVICE, ONLY A RELAY IN THE FORWARD FUSE BOX. THE PROBLEM TURNED OUT TO BE A BURNT PIN ON THE LARGE CONNECTOR BLOCK UNDER THE KICK PANEL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. AS A NEW CONNECTOR (BOTH HALVES) WOULD BOOST THE COST FROM $261 TO $411, AT THE DEALERS SUGGESTION, I HAD THEM JUMPER THE WIRE FROM EACH SIDE OF THE CONNECTOR INSTEAD OF REPLACING THE CONNECTOR. (AS THIS CONNECTOR IS THERE FOR ASSEMBLY PURPOSES ONLY, WHY NOT JUMPER IT.) I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM WAS DUE TO EITHER A POOR CONNECTION OF THE PINS DURING MANUFACTURING (HIGH RESISTIVE CONNECTION) OR IMPROPER SIZED PINS THAT ARE NOT HEAVY ENOUGH TO CARRY THE CURRENT. AS THIS CONNECTOR IS NOT NORMALLY ACCESSIBLE TO THE OWNER/OPERATOR AND DOES NOT MOVE, IT IS NOT A "WEAR ITEM" AND THUS WAS A MANUFACTURING ISSUE. MY SERVICE WRITER TELLS ME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED ON AT LEAST ONE OTHER IMPALA THAT HE HAS SEEN IN HIS GM SHOP. WHY ISN'T THIS POWER GRID FUSED AS IT USED TO BE IN EARLIER IMPALA'S? IS THE PIN THE PROPER SIZE FOR THE CURRENT GOING THROUGH THE PIN? THIS NEEDS TO BE CHECKED OUT BEFORE IT CAUSES A FIRE IN A CAR. I HAVE A PHOTO AVAILABLE OF THIS CONNECTOR IF NEEDED. THE OLD CONNECTOR AND PINS ARE STILL IN MY CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. HE DISCOVERED RECALL # 09E005000 (STEERING) FOR HIS YEAR, MAKE, AND MODE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND INSPECTED FOR ONE FULL DAY. AFTER THE DAY OF SERVICE HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE RECALL DID NOT APPLY TO HIS VEHICLE. ONE WEEK AFTER THE INSPECTION. WHILE DRIVING HE LOST POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING AND CRASHED INTO A SNOW EMBANKMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER AND REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA SS. THE CAST ALUMINUM RIMS HAVE DEVELOPED CRACKS AND THE COATING PEELED. WHEN SHE STRIKES A POT HOLE, THE CRACKS DEEPEN. THE RIMS HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES . THE FOURTH REPLACEMENT COST OVER $300.00. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE CONTACTED. SHE WAS ADVISED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE RIMS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,800. UPDATED 2/22/10 *CN UPDATED 06/11/10.*JB

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. IT WAS RAINING HARD AND MY VISION WAS TOTALLY OBSCURED. I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE RAIN ABATED TO CONTINUE ON MY JOURNEY. I CONTACTED A GM SERVICE CENTER AND WAS INFORMED THAT I WOULD NEED TO BUY A NEW MOTOR ALTHOUGH THE CURRENT MOTOR WORKS JUST FINE HOWEVER THE RUBBER AROUND THE ARM THAT ATTACHES TO THE MOTOR IS CRACKED. THIS SHOULD NOT OCCUR IN A CAR THAT IS NOT THAT OLD. *TR

I HAVE A 2006 CHEVY IMPALA AND THE STEERING IS TERRIBLE. IT CLUNKS AND WHEN I PUT ON THE BRAKE IT GOES TO THE LEFT, HAVING NO CONTROL. PLEASE IS THIS COVERED IN A RECALL. *TR