2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

PASSLOCK SYSTEM FAILURE ON 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS. MY WIFE BECAME STRANDED LATE AT NIGHT DUE TO THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM FAILURE, VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. IT TOOK ALMOST 30 MINUTES TO EVENTUALLY GET THE CAR TO START AND IT IS NOW HAPPENING MORE FREQUENTLY. AN INTERNET SEARCH TURNED OUT LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT REAR-ENDED THE PRECEDING VEHICLE. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED IN HER VEHICLE. SHE BELIEVES THAT THE IMPACT WAS SEVERE ENOUGH THAT THE AIR BAGS SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED SEVERE BACK PAIN AND A HEADACHE. SHE WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL AND RELEASED THREE HOURS LATER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 122,000.

I HAVE A 2002 IMPALA. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. SPECIFICALLY, THE SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON, THE DOOR LOCK FUSE BLOWS, CLICKING NOISES FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE FUSE PANEL, AND ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS THE STARTER WILL NOT TURN WHEN THE KEY IS PLACED IN THE "START" POSITION. THIS ISSUE CAN EASILY BE FOUND ELSEWHERE ON THE INTERNET. WE HAVE HAD THIS CAR SINCE SEPT 2003. NO ISSUES UNTIL THE LAST 7 MONTHS. THE PROBLEM HAS BECOME MORE FREQUENT AND SOMETIMES DISCONNECTING AND RECONNECTING THE BATTERY SEVERAL TIMES FIXES THE PROBLEM. IT IS A VERY FRUSTRATING EXPERIENCE HAVING TO "REBOOT" THE BCM BY DISCONNECTING AND RECONNECTING THE BATTERY ALL OF THE TIME. MY CONCERN IS EVENTUALLY THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WILL COMPLETELY FAIL OR WORSE CAUSE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. OTHERS WHO ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME ISSUE ARE SPENDING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS IN PARTS REPLACEMENTS ONLY TO HAVE THE PROBLEM RETURN A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER. THIS "SECURITY" PROBLEM HAS TO SOMEHOW QUALIFY AS A RECALL WITH CHEVROLET/GM. CURRENTLY, I AM STILL ABLE TO MANIPULATE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IN ORDER TO GET THE CAR TO START. I'M REALLY NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND BE CHARGED ENORMOUS FEES FOR PARTS AND LABOR KNOWING THAT THIS PROBLEM WILL RETURN LATER ON LIKE OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED. PLEASE FIND A WAY TO FORCE GM TO DO A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM. *TR

2002 CHEVY IMPALA LOW COOLANT LIGHT COMING ON AS MANY OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF AND THERE'S NO CHANGE OR VERY LITTLE CHANGE IN LEVEL OF THE ANTI-FREEZE. AS MANY OTHERS HAVE COMPLAINED OF THE INTAKE GASKETS ARE PLASTIC AND END UP LEAKING. THE 3.4 IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN GM PRODUCTS AND I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER NOT TO BUY 1. PLEASE MAKE THIS A RECALL. I DON'T HAVE $1000 TO FIX THIS CAR I ALREADY PAID $4400 FOR IT. *TR

FAULTY SYSTEM CAUSE ANTI-THEFT MECHANISM TO ACTIVATE INTERMITTENTLY DURING A NORMAL START ATTEMPT. THE VEHICLE'S MESSAGE INDICATOR WILL FLASH SECURITY/BATTERY/SERVICE VEHICLE SOON DESPITE HAVING A NEW BATTERY AND A WELL MAINTAINED CAR WITH A CLEAN HISTORY. THE MESSAGES ALWAYS FLASH TOGETHER IN A CYCLE, AND IS ALWAYS ACCOMPANIED BY THE SYMPTOMS BELOW: DURING THE ABOVE CONDITION, THE VEHICLE WILL NEITHER CRANK NOR START, OR THE VEHICLE WILL START, WITH THE ABOVE INDICATORS, AND THE RADIO WILL LOCK AS WELL AS THE DISABLING OF THE AIR CONDITIONER, HEAT AND ABILITY TO DEFOG/FROST. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS DRIVING CONDITION WHEREBY THE WINDOWS FOG DRAMATICALLY, COMPLETELY OBSTRUCTING MY VIEW. THE DEFECT HAS ALSO CREATED A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR ME IN CASES WHERE I'VE HAD TO TURN OFF THE CAR ON THE SHOULDER OF A HIGHWAY AND HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO RESTART IT, AND IN ONE INSTANCE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY GRAZED ON MY ARM BY A PASSING CAR AFTER I EXITED MY VEHICLE. SEVERAL MECHANICS HAVE LINKED IT TO EITHER A FAULTY PASSLOCK SENSOR, FAULTY BCM OR BAD WIRING, ALL OF WHICH I WAS TOLD SHOULD LAST AT LEAST THE LIFE OF THE ENGINE, AS IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN MODIFIED FROM IT'S ORIGINAL ASSEMBLY AND HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT OR OTHER DAMAGING CIRCUMSTANCE. THE VEHICLE HAS ALSO FOLLOWED ITS MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE TO A T. THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND MORE FREQUENT (SEVERAL TIMES DAILY AS OF 9 MONTHS AGO) SINCE THE INITIAL DATE OF INCIDENCE, BUT BECAUSE OF FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS, AND UNCERTAINTY FROM REPRESENTATIVES AT SEVERAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTERS, I HAVE BEEN PRIMARILY USING OTHER MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION UNTIL I CAN COVER WHAT WILL BE AN EXORBITANT COST TO REPAIR. *TR

HEAD LIGHTS WILL GO OUT WHEN USING THE DIMMER LEAVER. I HAVE REPLACE THE DIMMER SWITCH TWO TIMES ON MY 2002 CHEVY IMPALA. COST $450.00 EACH TIME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE FRONT HEADLIGHTS FAILED WHEN THE HIGH BEAMS WERE ACTIVATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTORE THE HEADLIGHTS BY TURNING OFF THE HIGH BEAMS. THE CONTACT CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WAS POSSIBLY FAILING. THE COST FOR REPAIR WOULD BE $600. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT NO COMPENSATION WOULD BE PROVIDED BECAUSE THERE WERE NO CURRENT RECALLS. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 84,000.

WE ARE THE OWNERS OF A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS. WE PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN OCTOBER OF 2001. IT HAS BEEN LIGHTLY DRIVEN AND WELL MAINTAINED. IT HAS HAD TWO MAJOR REPAIRS; THE FIRST BEING A RECALL OF THE STEERING SYSTEM, THE SECOND, A FAILURE OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHICH WAS COVERED UNDER FEDERAL LAW AND REPLACED. TODAY, I FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL FOR POSSIBLE FIRE FROM DRIPPING OIL. THAT IS THE BASIC HISTORY. FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, WE HAVE HAD A FRIGHTENING ISSUE WITH THE CAR. YOU TURN THE KEY AND NOTHING. A LIGHT THAT SAYS "SECURITY" FLASHES THREE TIMES OVER AND OVER AND YOU CANNOT START THE CAR FOR TEN MINUTES. GM'S PASSLOCK SYSTEM, WHICH I BELIEVE MALFUNCTIONS, THINKS THE CAR IS BEING STOLEN. TEN MINUTES LATER, YOU CAN START THE CAR. THE PROBLEM IS EVEN IN THE MANUAL FOR THE CAR. GM ADMITS THAT, BUT THEY SAY IT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN AS MUCH AS I HAVE IT HAPPEN, LIKE ONE TIME IS OK, BUT THE 5-6 TIMES OUT OF 10 THAT MY CAR WON'T START IS EXCEPTIONAL. TEN MINUTES IS A LONG TIME WITH A SICK CHILD, ALONE IN A DARK PLACE AT NIGHT, IN AN EMERGENCY OF ANY KIND. IT IS A TERRIFYING SAFETY ISSUE AND I HAVE READ THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. GM OFFERED ME A COUPON TOWARDS A NEW CAR. I KNOW THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS IN THE MANUAL AND PEOPLE ARE FRIGHTENED AND SCARED ABOUT IT. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL A LONG TIME AGO SINCE PEOPLE ARE BEING STRANDED WITH A CAR WITH NO FUEL SUPPLY. DUE TO THE CAR'S COMPUTER SOMEHOW MALFUNCTIONING AND THINKING THE CAR IS BEING STOLEN, THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM REACTS BY CUTTING OFF FUEL SUPPLY FOR A DESIGNATED PERIOD OF TIME, IN THIS CASE, 10 MINUTES EXACTLY. GM SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES FOR HAVING THIS ISSUE AND DOING NOTHING. *TR

PASSLOCK SENSOR ISSUES. SOMETIMES IT JUST WON'T START AND THEN I WAIT THE 8-10 MINUTES FOR IT TO RESET AND THEN IT WILL START. BEEN TOLD BY THE CHEVY DEALER THAT IT WILL BE ABOUT 800.00 TO FIX IT. I AM ALSO HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE SENSOR IN THE ABS WHEELS GOING OUT. *TR

8-10-2005 I BOUGHT IT USED MILEAGE WAS 91186 7-5-2006 TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP THEY REPLACED INTAKE/VC/HEAD/GASKETSFLUSHED RADIATOR REPLACED H2O PUMP/THERMOSTAT COOLANT OIL CHANGE RESURFACE HEADS COVERED BY GUARDIAN WARRANTY OVER $1700.00 DOLLARS 2/2008 IT STARTED ALL OVER LOW COOLANT LIGHT IT WOULD GET HOT BROWNISH LOOKING WATER REPLACED RADIATOR/HOSES/WATERPUMP/COOLANTSENSER /THERMOTSTAT/FLUSHED COOLANT SYSTEM BUT IT STILLWOULD GET HOT/BUT IF YOU TURN ON THE HEATER ON HOT BUT IT WOULD NEVER BLOW OUT HOT AIR IT WAS COLD ONLY IT SMELL AS IF THEIRS COOLANT SEEPING INTO THE MOTOR OIL MY MILEAGE AT THE FIRST REPAIR WAS 102100 MY MILEAGE AS OF TO DAY139297 AS IT SIT IN DRIVE WAY I STILL HAVE PAYMENTS OF 300.00AMONTH IM PAYING FOR 11MORE MONTHS AND CANT EVEN DRIVE IT NOT EVEN A1/2MILE TO WORK I BEEN TOLD ITS AFFECT IN THE CLOSED COOLINGSYSTEM AND DEX COOL IT INTERNAL AND I CANT AFFORD THE REPAIR OR THE PAYMENT BUT IM STUCK WITH THEM. *TR