2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

STEERING: I STARTED HEARING A NOISE - LIKE A CLUNKING IN, AT THE SAME TIME I WOULD FEEL IT IN MY STEERING WHEEL...WHEN I WOULD TURN LEFT OR RIGHT, IT WOULD CLUNK AND KIND OF SHAKE OR VIBRATE....IT GOT WORSE AND WORSE AND EVERY TIME I WOULD TURN THE CAR TO THE LEFT OR RIGHT, IT WOULD CLUNK LOUDER AND COULD HEAR IT AND FEEL IT. I WENT TO THE LOCAL AUTO REPAIR, AND THEY FOUND THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT....THIS PART COST $120.00 PLUS THE LABOR TO INSTALL. *TR

I OWNED A 2006 IMPALA WITH 100,000 MILES ON IT. ON 11-11-2009 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE TRACTION CONTROL CAME ON. I HAD TO SLOW DOWN TO 45 MILES AN HOUR AND CROSS 3 LANES IN HEAVY TRAFFIC TO GET TO THE RIGHT HAND LANE. AT THAT POINT THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AND STARTED SMOKING. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND THERE WERE FLAMES COMING FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE ENGINE. WITHIN 3 MINUTES THE WHOLE ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. CAR IS COMPLETELY TOTALED AND I OWE MORE ON IT THAN IT IS WORTH. LUCKILY I HAVE GAP INSURANCE BUT FINDING A NEW CAR WITHOUT A SIZEABLE DEPOSIT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. THIS WAS AN ERROR THAT GM SHOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT AND I SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF THIS. CAR FIRES JUST DON'T HAPPEN OUT OF NOWHERE ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. *TR

HEADLIGHTS SHUT COMPLETELY OFF WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. NO DASH LIGHTS, NO HEAD LIGHTS, NO LIGHTS ANYWHERE AND THEN IN ABOUT 5 SECONDS THEY COME BACK ON. CAR NEVER SHUTS OFF. DANGEROUS!!!!! HAPPENED TO ME DRIVING IN RURAL AREA TWICE IN ONE NIGHT. VERY DARK ROAD...COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING!!!!!!!!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE STEERING SHAFT ELICITS VIOLENT VIBRATIONS AND NOISES. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR AN AFTER MARKET STEERING PART (SEE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 09E005000), BUT HIS VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE NEAREST DEALER WHERE THEY FOUND THE STEERING SHAFT WAS FAULTY AND EITHER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED OR REPACKED. NO REPAIRS HAD BEEN MADE TO DATE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE UNDER 33,000.

ON MANY LATE MODEL CHEVROLET AND GM CARS, THERE IS A CLUNKING ISSUE ON THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFTS. I HAVE TAKEN MINE TO THE DEALER AND AT THAT TIME THE FIX WAS TO REPACK THE SHAFT WITH GREASE OR PUT A NEW ONE ON. THIS FI IS AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. GM AND CHEVROLET ARE VERY EXPERIENCED WITH THIS ISSUE AS DOING AN INTERNET SEARCH WILL BRING UP MANY ARTICLES. THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO REDESIGN OF THIS COMPONENT. THIS COMPONENT IS NOT EVEN A SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE ITEM. THE FACT THAT THERE ARE DESIGN ITERATIONS BUT STILL NO RECALL IS LUDICROUS. IF MY OWNERS MANUAL SAID GREASE THE STEERING SHAFT EVERY 10000 MILES, I CAN UNDERSTAND NO RECALL. BUT CHEVY HAS NEVER STATED IT TO BE A MAINTENANCE ITEM AND THE FACT THERE ARE REDESIGNS SAYS THERE IS AND ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AFTER. *TR

BROUGHT CAR TO DEALER SAID ISS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED....I WAS TOLD PER GM THIS IS NOT A RECALL PRODUCT JUST A NOISE ISSUE. I BEG TO DIFFER. THE ISS IS HINDERING THE STEERING TO MY VEHICLE AS WELL AS MAKING CLUNKING NOISES. IT IS HINDERING MY BREAKING ABILITY...CAR PULLS TO SIDE. IT IS HINDERING MY ABILITY TO TAKE OFF FROM COMPLETE STOP TIRES ARE STUTTERING. DEALERSHIP SAID ISS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NOTHING ELSE WRONG WITH CAR. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS; THE VEHICLE WAS CONSUMING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FUEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE FUEL SYSTEM ADHESIVE LAYER. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 12/07/09 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRIP COMPUTER, TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM, ABS, TRACTION CONTROL WERE ALL INOPERATIVE. ALSO ALL OF THE LIGHTS FLASH AT TIMES AND STAY ON. UPDATED 12/09/09

I AM A DEPUTY SHERIFF AND WAS DRIVING A 2006 CHEVY IMPALA WHEN I LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE ENDING UP IN A DITCH. DURING THE COLLISION MY AIRBAG DEPLOYED FRACTURING MY STERNUM FROM TOP TO BOTTOM ALONG WITH BREAKING A RIB. SINCE THE COLLISION I RECEIVED MY MRI RESULT FINDING I ALSO HAVE TWO COMPACTED DISKS IN MY NECK AND A COMPACTED DISK IN MY LOWER BACK. I AM AN AVERAGE SIZE MAN 5'9" TALL 190 POUNDS VERY PHYSICALLY ACTIVE AND WAS WEARING MY SEAT BELT AND A BULLET PROOF VEST. THE "BLACK BOX" IN THE VEHICLE SHOWED THE IMPACT WAS AT 11 MPH. ACCORDING TO MY DOCTOR THE BREAK TO MY STERNUM WOULD TAKE A MASSIVE FORCE WHICH WAS ALSO VERIFIED BY MY PULMONARY SPECIALIST.. I HAVE INVESTIGATED HUNDREDS OF MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS AS A PEACE OFFICER AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HEARD OF AN AIRBAG BREAKING SOMEONE'S STERNUM OR RIB(S). I STRONGLY FEEL IF A ELDERLY PERSON, TEENAGER, WOMAN OR SHORT INDIVIDUAL WOULD MORE SERIOUSLY BE INJURED IF THEY RECEIVE THE IMPACT I DID. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION JUMPED FORWARD. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP, THE ENGINE REVVED AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES FOR THE SAME ISSUE, BUT THEY CANNOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,000.

WHEN FRONT BRAKE ROTORS FAILED AT 26,455 MILES,CALLED DEALER THINKING IT WOULD BE COVER UNDER WARRANTY, DEALER STATED BRAKES ARE ONLY COVERED UP TO 7,500 MILES NOT THE 36,000 MILES. TOOK ROTORS TO PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP TO HAVE THEM TURNED AND THEY WOULD NOT DO IT STATING THEY WERE MADE OUT OF JUNK AND WOULD BE BETTER OFF REPLACING WITH NEW ROTORS WHICH I DID HOPING FOR BETTER RESULTS. *TR