2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

ON MARCH 19, 2008 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AT 5AM AND TURNING ON MY HIGHBEAMS. A CAR WAS COMING OVER THE HILL SO I TURNED OFF MY HIGHBEAMS AND MY HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF. IN A PANIC I HIT THE BRAKES AND ENDED UP PUTTING MY CAR IN THE DITCH. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT OUT OF THE DITCH BUT I WAS PRETTY SHOOK UP. AFTER JIGGLING MY DIMMER SWITCH I WAS ABLE TO GET MY HEADLIGHTS AGAIN. I TOOK MY CAR TO THE MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE DIMMER SWITCH THAT NEEDED REPLACED AND IT WOULD COST $450. I FOUND AN AFTER MARKET ONE ONLINE AND PUT IT IN MYSELF FOR $350. I NOTICED MY LIGHTS FLICKERING BEFORE THIS EVENT BUT THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. USUALLY IT WAS 1 OR 2 TIMES A WEEK FOR TWO WEEKS WHEN THE SWITCH FINALLY WENT OUT COMPLETELY. I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE A RECALL ON ALL DIMMER SWITCHES DUE TO THE FACT THAT I COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS OR FATAL ACCIDENT. THE HEADLIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT LIGHTS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING ON A VEHICLE WHEN TRAVELING IN THE DARK. IN MY CASE I WAS LUCKY NOT TO HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN DURING BAD ROAD CONDITIONS. *TR

HAVING PROBLEMS WITH PASSLOCK SECURITY SYSTEM IT HAS LOCKED AND WILL NOT LET ME START MY CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ANTI-THEFT DEVICE PREVENTS THE VEHICLE FROM STARTING. THE DEVICE DRAINS THE BATTERY, MAKES THE INTERIOR LIGHTING FLICKER, AND DISABLES THE RADIO. IN ADDITION, THE RELAYS IN THE VEHICLE CLICK ON AND OFF AS SOON AS THE KEY IS PLACED IN THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT HAS NOT YET TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT AN IMPACT OR CRASH OCCURRING. THE CONTACT WAS SLIGHTLY INJURED DURING THE DEPLOYMENT. THE INSURANCE COMPANY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TO BE INSPECTED BY A GM ENGINEER. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AND THE VEHICLE IS WAITING TO BE REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT A FIELD TECHNICIAN WOULD COME OUT TO INSPECT THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 77,000.

I HAVE A 2002 IMPALA AND THE SAME PROBLEM AS EVERYONE ELSE. MY BLINKERS WILL RANDOMLY STOP WORKING. WHEN I PUSH THE HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND OFF 3 OR 4 TIMES THE BLINKERS START TO WORK AGAIN. *TR

THIS IS A PASS-LOCK PROBLEM. RANDOMLY THE PASS-LOCK SYSTEM ON THE 2002 CHEVY IMPALA I OWN WILL NOT ALLOW THE CAR TO START. I WAIT 15 MINUTES AND THE CAR STARTS. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CHEVY IMPALA AND IT CAUSES ME LOTS OF PROBLEMS. I AM LATE FOR WORK, LATE PICKING UP PEOPLE, SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS WHEN I RUN ERRANDS SO I HAVE TO SIT IN THE PARKING LOT AND WAIT FOR IT TO RESET. A HUGE WASTE OF MY TIME. THE REASON WHY I AM WRITING TODAY IS THAT IT JUST HAPPENED THIS MORNING AND I HAVE FINALLY REACHED THE END OF MY ROPE. *TR

THERE WERE NO EVENTS THAT LEAD TO THIS FAILURE. WITH ALL FUSES OPERATIONAL, I DO NOT HAVE ANY DASHLIGHTS ILLUMINATED AT NIGHT. I HAVE TO USE MY CELL PHONE LIGHT TO PLACE OVER MY SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER PANEL TO VIEW MY SPEED, GAS LEVELS AND ANY WARNING LIGHTS. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR. WHEN MY DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ARE ON, THEY BLINK CONSTANTLY AND OTHER DRIVERS THINK I AM EXPERIENCING AN EMERGENCY. IF I USE MY INTERIOR LIGHTS, THEY FLASH LIKE I AM TRYING TO SIGNAL FOR HELP. SAME IF I OPEN THE VISOR TO USE THE LIGHTED MIRROR. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS REPAIRED SINCE GM WILL NOT GUARANTEE A RESOLUTION WITH A REPAIR. I CANNOT AFFORD TO KEEP GIVING MONEY TO GM DEALERSHIPS WITHOUT A REPAIR. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR ME AT NIGHT, I CANNOT USE MY CRUISE CONTROL EVERYWHERE. MY TRACTION CONTROL WILL NOT DISENGAGE EITHER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TWO REAR BRAKES WERE RUSTED AND WORN DOWN TO THE POINT THAT ONLY HALF OF THE BRAKE SHOES WERE USED. THE ROTORS AND BRAKES WERE REPLACED. A FEW MONTHS AFTER THE REPAIRS, HE HEARD A NOISE AND NOTICED THAT THE TWO FRONT BRAKE SHOES HAD SPLIT INTO TWO PIECES. THE TWO FRONT BRAKES, ROTORS, AND BRAKE SHOES WERE ALL REPLACED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000.

BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A RELATIVE. HAS HAD THE PROBLEM THE ENTIRE TIME I OWNED IT. I WAS TOLD TO JUST NEVER USE THE HIGH BEAMS. THEY DON'T STAY ON ANYWAY. I RECENTLY SPOKE TO A CHEVROLET MECHANIC THAT STATED THAT ALMOST ALL IMPALAS THAT COME IN ON TRADE HAVE A DEFECTIVE HEADLIGHT DIMMER SWITCH. $300-400 REPAIR. I HAVE NO HIGH BEAMS. SWITCH HAS BEEN BAD ENTIRE TIME. BUT IF EVERY IMPALA THAT COMES INTO THE DEALERSHIP HAS THIS ISSUE WHY IS THERE NO RECALL. I ASK EVERY IMPALA OWNER TO FILE A COMPLAINT. ESPECIALLY SINCE SOMETIMES THE LIGHTS JUST GO OUT, WHICH MAY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. LETS GET THIS TAKEN CARE OF. ESPECIALLY SINCE GM KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM AND IS DOING NOTHING TO ADDRESS IT. ALSO HAVE THE PROBLEM WITH THE WIPERS GOING TO THE FULL UP POSITION WHEN TURNING THEM OFF. HEARD THIS IS ALSO A COMMON PROBLEM. *TR

2002 CHEVY IMPALA - DID FINE THE FIRST YEAR OR SO. ENGINE LIGHT STARTED COMING ON. LONG STORY SHORT - BEEN HAVING TO MAKE SURE THERE'S ALWAYS ANTIFREEZE FOR YEARS NOW AND HOPING AND PRAYING I DON'T END UP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. NOW I'M NOTICING HAVING TO ADD 1/2 TO 3/4 GALLON OF ANTIFREEZE EVERYDAY. TEMP LIGHT GOES OFF AND ON. ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF WHICH WORRIES ME MORE THAN WHEN IT'S ON. NOW NOTICING ANTIFREEZE BURNING AFTER I HAVE DROVE IT A LITTLE WHILE. LEAVES ME A LITTLE PUDDLE NOW EACH NIGHT. SEEMS TO LOSE ANTIFREEZE MORE IN THE WINTER WHILE RUNNING THE HEATER THAN IT DOES IN THE SUMMER. TIRED OF STRESSING ABOUT THE POS!!!!!!!!! *TR