2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

I TOOK MY 2001 IMPALA TO THE GM DEALER AT 23K MILES FOR A NOISE IN THE STEERING COLUMN, AT THAT TIME THEY SAID THEY HAD TO REPLACE AN INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT PLUS OTHER ISSUES NON RELATED. AT 73K THEY REMOVED THE SHAFT AND LUBED IT AND REPLACED LEFT OUTER TIE ROD FOR $510+. AT 98K MY FRONT WHEEL HUBS WERE REPLACED AND THEY REPLACED THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT AGAIN AND CHARGED ME $125 FOR THE SHAFT AND ANOTHER $975+ FOR THE REST. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR BACK TWO WEEKS LATER FOR YET ANOTHER STEERING PROBLEM THEY SAID IT WAS MY RACK AND PINION THIS TIME AND CHARGED ME $1083. THAT WAS TODAY, TONIGHT ON MY WAY HOME WITH MY WIFE, THE CAR DID THE SAME THING WHILE TURNING RIGHT ON AN EXIT RAMP. I CALLED 1-800-GM AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT DO ANYTHING FOR ME EXCEPT OFFER ME A GM LOYALTY CERT GOOD FOR SOME $ OFF A PURCHASE OF A NEW GM PRODUCT. I HAVE BEEN FAITHFUL RETURNING TO THE GM DEALER EACH TIME WITH STEERING PROBLEMS (AND OTHER ISSUES NOT RELATED) EXPECTING A FIX AND OVER THE ALMOST 5 YEARS AND ALMOST 100K MILES AND MANY DOLLARS SPENT I HAVE LOST MY FAITH IN GM. *NM

AFTER A YEAR OF CLUNKING SOUNDS IN THE STEERING COLUMN, I'VE JUST TAKEN THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE. I WAS TOLD IN THE PAST THAT IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM. NOW THE SOUNDS ALL ADD UP TO $1500 IN REPAIRS, FOR A PROBLEM THAT I'VE FOUND 4 OTHER IMPALA OWNERS HAVE. NEEDED FOR REPAIR ARE STEERING GEAR, STEERING SHAFT, POWER STEERING PUMP, SERPENTINE BELT (OLD ANYWAY), AND ALL WHEEL ALIGNMENT (RECOMMENDED FOR THIS WORK). ALL TOTALING JUST UNDER $1700. MY AUNT HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM, IT WAS REPAIRED TWICE UNDER WARRANTY. TALKING ON BREAK AT WORK, FOUND OUT OUR COMPANY CAR (IMPALA) HAS THE SAME ISSUE, ANOTHER EMPLOYEES IMPALA HAS THE SAME NOISE. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER PROBLEM THAT THEY WILL NOT RECOGNIZE. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT RECEIVED A LETTER, BUT THIS WAS NOT A RECALL LETTER. THE LETTER STATED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS BEING REPLACED DUE TO THE END CONE INSULATION BREAKING AWAY AND BLOCKING THE FRONT OF THE FIRST CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND PREVENTING THE FREE FLOW OF THE GAS. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED BECAUSE IT WAS OVER THE MILEAGE LIMIT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO 2 SEPARATE TRANSMISSION MECHANICS AND THEY TOLD HIM IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND NOT TRANSMISSION.*AK

THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE IS NOT WORKING CONSISTENTLY. IT WILL GO BELOW COLD SPORADICALLY. THIS WILL CAUSE THE FANS TO RUN CONTINUOUSLY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. THE CODES DO NOT MATCH THE PROBLEM AND THE HAYNES BOOK DOES NOT MATCH THE CAR EITHER. COOLANT LEAKS FROM INTAKE MANIFOLD, PROBABLY BAD GASKETS. *NM

DT CONSUMER STATED THE THERMOSTAT WENT OUT ON THE VEHICLE. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD NOISE, AND THE FAN WOULD RUN FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. THE MECHANIC HAD FOUND OIL IN THE COOLANT. THE LOWER INTAKE GASKET, WATER PUMP, AND THE THERMOSTAT WERE REMOVED AND REPLACED. THE MECHANIC STATED WHEN GOING FROM WARM TEMPERATURES TO COLD TEMPERATURES THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. *AK UPDATED 11/16/2005. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT AN ABS BRAKE PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME THE DEALERSHIP GROUNDED THE ROTORS. ANOTHER TIME THEY REPLACED THE ROTORS, AND ANOTHER TIME THEY REPLACED THE BRAKES. THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE DRUMS, ROTORS, AND PADS. THE CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THE PROBLEM STARTED SOMETIME IN JULY 2002. THE CONSUMER HAS RECORDS OF ALL THE MAINTENANCE THAT WAS DONE TO THE VEHICLE. THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS AS OF YET. SINCE THE LAST REPAIR THE ONLY PROBLEM WAS THE NOISE WHEN BACKING UP. *AK *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HIS 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA HAD AN IGNITION PROBLEM. THE KEY COULD BE REMOVED WHILE THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING. THE KEY COULD ALSO BE REMOVED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN REVERSE. THE CONSUMER PARKED THE CAR IN A GARAGE AND THE CAR ROLLED OUT INTO THE STREET AND HIT A TREE. THE CONSUMER WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM SINCE JUNE 2004. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED GM LAST YEAR AND GM WAS SUPPOSE TO CALL THE CONSUMER BACK BUT HE HAS NOT HEARD FROM THEM. THE CONSUMER IS HAVING THE CAR REPAIRED.*AK

FOR THE LAST YEAR, EVERY SO OFTEN, MY IMPALA WON'T START. I'VE PUT A NEW BATTERY IN IT, BUT THE DAY I DID THAT, IT STILL WOULDN'T START. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT, BUT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND ALSO REFUSED TO WORK ON MY CAR. IN CONTACTING CHEVROLET REGARDING THE PROBLEM, THEIR RESPONSE WAS FOR ME TO TRADE IN MY CAR AND MAKE IT SOMEONE ELSE'S PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT IT COULD BE ONE OF TWO THINGS, EITHER THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM OR THE IGNITION SWITCH AND BOTH WOULD COST AROUND $700 EACH TO FIX. I'M TIRED OF WONDERING IF MY CAR IS GOING TO START OR IF I'M GOING TO BE STRANDED SOMEWHERE.*JB

I OWN A 2001 CHEVY IMPALA. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS WORKING. THEY WORK WHEN THEY FEEL LIKE IT. I AM A SINGLE MOM AND CAN'T AFFORD TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE HELP. I HAVE A CO WORKER WHO HAS THE SAME CAR AND IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM

ON 6/29/05 I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND LOSS POWER. THE CAR WOULD ONLY GO A FEW MILES PER HOUR. IT WAS HESITATING UPON TAKE OFF. I DROVE IT HOME AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. IT WAS PICKED UP AND TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I PAID TO HAVE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND ALL PARTS REPLACED. *NM