2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

I HAVE A 2001 CHEVY IMPALA AND IT HAS BEEN LEAKING ENGINE COOLANT FOR SOMETIME NOW. WE PUT THE REQUIRED DEXCOOL COOLANT TO REPLACE THE LOST, BUT IT JUST KEPT ON LEAKING. WE TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC TO REPAIR IT AND HE INFORMED US THAT IT WAS LEAKING FROM THE INTAKE GASKET DOWN ONTO THE SPARK PLUGS AND IT WAS DAMAGING THE SPARK PLUGS. HE SAID DON'T PUT DEXCOOL COOLANT INTO THE CAR AGAIN BECAUSE IT JUST DAMAGES THE GASKETS. HE SAID I CANT TELL U HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE HAD TO REPAIR THIS SAME THING ON CHEVROLET VEHICLES. TOTAL REPAIRS $749.43 . THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS. NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE DEXCOOL COOLANT BUT BECAUSE OF THE GASKETS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ANY SPEED THERE WAS A BANGING NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN ACCOMPANIED BY A VIBRATION. THE BANGING AND THE VIBRATION BECAME GRADUALLY WORSE WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED TO EITHER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER WHO DETERMINED THAT THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPACKED. THE SHAFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPLACED, BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. UPDATED 9/22/2006 - THE FUEL TANK SENDING UNIT WAS REPLACED. THE FUEL INJECTOR UNIT WAS REPLACED INTAKE GASKET LEAKED. *NM

POWER TRAIN FAILURE: FIRST SIGN OF PROBLEM WAS HARSH SHIFTING, HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FILTER CHANGED, STILL HAD SAME PROBLEM. BEFORE I FOUND THE SERVICE BULLETINS ON THIS PROBLEM THE PLANETARY GEARS GOT CHEWED UP BY A BROKEN PIECE OF METAL, HAD TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION $1800. FILED COMPLAINT WITH GM, SINCE I DID NOT HAVE IT REPAIRED AT A DEALER (FOR TWICE THE PRICE) THEY WOULD NOT HELP. NOW I HAVE A 2001 MONTE CARLO SHOWING THE SAME HARSH SHIFTING. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BE FLUSHED BY THE DEALER AND THEY PUT AN ADDITIVE INTO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO HELP THE STICKY VALUE PROBLEM, DID NOT WORK. THERE IS A PATTERN HERE AND GM WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *NM

(1) I WAS DRIVING ON 2 LANE UNDIVIDED STATE HIGHWAY ON A CLEAR DAY WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL AND FELL ASLEEP WHILE DRIVING. MY WIFE AND I WERE THE ONLY OCCUPANTS. I WOKE ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 65 MPH. I STARTED BRAKING (ABS BRAKES) I THINK WE SLOWED TO ABOUT 50 MPH BEFORE HITTING THE BLUNT END OF A GUARD RAIL. THE CAR IMPACTED ABOUT 6 INCHES RIGHT(DRIVERS SIDE) OF CENTER ON THE FRONT. SEAT BELTS WERE IN USE. THE CAR HAD SPUN 170 DEGREES CLOCKWISE AND COME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THEN I LOOKED AT MY WIFE FOR AN INSTANT WHEN HER AIRBAG WENT OFF CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY MY AIR BAG. (2) THE FAILURE OF THE AIRBAGS RESULTED IN SEAT BELT RELATED STRAINS AND SOFT TISSUE INJURIES FOR MY WIFE. I RECEIVED A BRUISE ON THE CHEST. (3) SO FAR NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. THE INSURANCE COMPANY SOLD THE CAR TO A USED AUTO PARTS YARD. I WAS ABLE TO TRACK IT DOWN AND I BOUGHT THE COMPUTER MODULE THAT WAS UNDER THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT. I WITNESSED THE REMOVAL. I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AT CONTACTING CHEVROLET. *JB

THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM WOULD ENGAGE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AT LOW TO MODERATE SPEEDS. THIS OCCURRED ON DRY PAVEMENT AND SEEMED TO EXTEND THE LENGTH OF TIME NEEDED TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE HUB AND SENSOR. THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE HUB AND SENSOR WERE ADJUSTED. THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. OLD PARTS WERE NEVER OFFERED IN RETURN. THE REPAIR WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY. *JB

THE TURN SIGNALS ARE INOPERATIVE IN NORMAL DRIVING MODES, I CAN NOT SHOW INTENT OF LEFT OR RIGHT SIGNALING. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE SIGNAL ASSEMBLY AND THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WAS THOUGHT TO BE DEFECTIVE AND REPAIRED FOR A COST OF $557.00. WITHIN A DAY, THE SIGNALING PROBLEMS SURFACED AGAIN AND WAS THEN SCHEDULED FOR A FOLLOW-UP APPOINTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS FOUND TO HAVE A DEFECTIVE HAZARD WARNING SWITCH, AT A REPAIR COST OF AN ADDITIONAL COST OF $149.79. THIS IS EXTREMELY A LOT OF MONEY TO PAY FOR A DEFECTIVE PART, AND HAS CAUSED MUCH HARDSHIP. PLEASE REFER TO 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU RECALL, NHTSA: 03V327000 AND AUTO RECALL DATE 20030828. I AM FORMALLY REQUESTING FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ON THIS MATTER. *JB

2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA. POWER STEERING HARD LINES ON PASSENGER SIDE NEAR RADIATOR HAVE BEEN PARTIALLY SEVERED BY THE ATTACHING FENDER WELL COVER PLATE. CAR HAS 89K MILES. BOTH HARD LINES WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. IT APPEARS THAT OVER TIME, THE COVER PLATE RUBBED INTO THE HARDLINES AND PUNCTURED THE LINE RESULTING IN COMPLETE RESERVOIR DRAINAGE. CAR VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER FOR MY WIFE WHO WAS ABLE TO GET HOME. *NM

TURN SIGNALS WORK SOMETIMES...SOMETIMES NOT. YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN THEY WILL OR WILL NOT WORK. *NM

I AM HAVING PROBLEMS STARTING THE CAR. ABOUT ONCE EVERY 2 WEEK IT JUST WILL NOT START. I HAVE HAD THE BATTERY REPLACED TWICE IN ONE YEAR. IN THE WINTER YOU CAN TURN THE KEY NOTHING HAPPENS BUT ON THE FLIP BACK IT WILL START,. NOW THIS SUMMER IT JUST WON'T START AND I STILL HAVE ELECTRIC. THEN SOMETIMES IT WILL GO INTO A VERY HIGH IDLE AND I TURN IT OFF AND RESTART IT TO FIX IT. WHAT DO I DO? *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE'S RIGHT TURN SIGNAL DID NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN ACTIVATED. BOTH TURN SIGNALS DO NOT FUNCTION AT TIMES. THE SIGNAL MALFUNCTIONS INTERMITTENTLY. THERE WAS ANOTHER VEHICLE MADE BY THE SAME MANUFACTURER WHO HAD A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED BUT HAS NOT RESPOND TO THE CONTACT'S CONCERNS.