2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A 2001 CHEVY IMPALA. SHORTLY AFTER I NOTICE WHEN I FIRST STARTED THE CAR,THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWED THE CAR OVERHEATING, TOOK TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE. A FEW WEEK AFTER THAT IT QUIT WORKING ALL TOGETHER. SO I LOOK ON THE CAR STATS. COM AND FOUND COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. SOLUTION I TOOK THE CAR TO REPEATABLE CAR MECHANIC .THE FIRST THING HE DID WAS TO TAKE THE RADIATOR CAP OFF, IT WAS FULL OF BROWN SLUDGE, HE SAID THAT GM TRIED TO SAVE MONEY BY PUTTING IN A $2.00 MANIFOLD GASKET IN ALL 3.4 ENGINES, THEY ALL FAIL BETWEEN 35,000 AND 40,000. IT COST $580. YOU CAN NOT REPLACE ONE GASKET YOU BUY ALL THREE IN A REPLACE KIT AND CHANGE THE OIL AND ANTIFREEZE. I FOUND OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM IS ROUTINELY MISSED. THEY JUST RESET THE COMPUTER AND THE GAUGE WORKS FOR A SHORT TIME THEN WITHOUT WARNING IT QUITS. MY MECHANIC SAID THIS IS SO COMMON HE HAS PAID FOR HIS CHILDRENS COLLEGE EDUCATION. GM DOES NOT COVER THIS COMMON FAILURE UNDER ANY WARRANTY. I WILL THINK TWICE BEFORE I BUY ANY GM PRODUCT. *NM

REPORTED TO FAIRGROUNDS CHEVY THAT ALL THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS CAME-ON INTERMITTENTLY - AUG 12, 2005 WE HEARD A HISSING NOISE FROM THE DASH AREA AND THAT THE EMERGENCY LIGHTS STILL COME ON AS REPORTED EARLIER. THEY DETERMINED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS BAD. *JB

LOW COOLANT LIGHT STAYS ON - REPLACED FIRST TIME LOW COOLANT LIGHT STAYS ON - REPLACED SECOND TIME. *JB

2001 IMPALA REAR DEFROSTER DID NOT WORK. THIS WAS CAUSED BY A LOOSE CLIP INSIDE THE WINDOW. *TS *JB

STEERING COLUMN HAS HAD CLUNKING NOISE THAT CAN BE HEARD AND FELT WHILE DRIVING. HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP ON DIFFERENT SERVICE VISITS. *JB

TURN SIGNALS ONLY WORK SPORADICALLY. 2001 CHEVY IMPALA. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURRING OVER THE PAST YEAR. THE DEALER CAN'T TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG. *JB

THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AND WAS COVERED BY A GM SPECIAL POLICY. DUE TO THE FAILED CATALYTIC CONVERTER THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD ALSO FAILED RESULTING IN AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR BILL. GM WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD EVEN THOUGH IT FAILED FROM A KNOWN ISSUE. THE REPAIR BILL STATES, "UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILURE DUE TO CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE." *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE TURN SIGNALS ARE IN USE THEY WILL ONLY FLASH ONCE OR TWICE BEFORE THE LIGHT STAYS ON. THE CONTACT MUST PUSH IN THE HAZARD LIGHT SWITCH TO GET THE TURN SIGNALS TO FLASH ON AND OFF CORRECTLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION. *AK DEALER REPLACED SWITCH HAZARD WARNING SWITCH. *AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE WOULD NOT START ON TWO OCCASIONS. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THERE WERE NO DASHBOARD LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, AND IT APPEARED AS IF THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. AFTER WAITING A DAY OR TWO THE VEHICLE STARTED. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING CAN BE DONE UNLESS PROBLEM ORIGINATED AT DEALERSHIP. *AK VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THE WHEEL SENSORS STOPPED WORKING, CAUSING ABS FAILURE. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THERE WAS A GRINDING NOISE AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WHEEL SENSORS, RESET THE CODES, REPLACED THE RIGHT AND LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY, AND RESURFACED ALL FOUR ROTORS ON THE VEHICLE. THE REPAIR SEEMED TO HAVE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, WHILE TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL THERE IS A CLANKING NOISE. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 04-02-35-0048 DEALT WITH THE STEERING PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED *AK.