2000 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS PROBLEMS FROM DAY ONE WITH THIS CAR. AT 60,000 MILES, I HAD A TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THERE WAS A WHINING NOISE THAT CAME FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, USUALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN 4TH GEAR, OR OVERDRIVE. I HAD THE CAR DIAGNOSED AT A TRANSMISSIOIN SHOP, AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS GOING TO NEED TO BE COMPLETELY REBUILT. THIS FAILURE COULD HAVE OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY, IF I HAD NOT BEEN VIGILANT IN MY INVESTIGATION OF THE PROBLEM. AS A RESULT, I HAD A HUGE REPAIR BILL, WAS WITHOUT THE CAR FOR 1 WEEK, AND HAD TO PAY FOR A RENTAL TO DRIVE TO WORK. TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM THE TRANSMISSION AND TORQUE CONVERTER HAD TO BE REBUILT, AND REPALCED. SPECIFIC PARTS THAT I KNOW OF WERE, THE "TORRINGTON BEARING", WHICH CAUSED FAILURE OF A SET OF PLANETARY GEARS, AND THE 4TH GEAR SPLINE. THE REPAIRMAN SAID THAT THE BEARING AND THE 4TH GEAR SPLINE ARE OF SUBSTANDARD QUALITY, AND THAT REPLACEMENT PARTS HAVE PURPOSELY BEEN MADE STRONGER, AND HEAT TREATED, BECAUSE THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM IN THESE TRANSMISSOINS.60'000 MILES IS MUCH TOO EARLY FOR A FAILURE OF THIS TYPE TO OCCUR. TOTAL REPAIR BILL WAS OVER $2,500.00.*AK

"PLASTIC" BY PASS TUBE FROM INTAKE MANIFOLD TO WATER PUMP CRACKED, CAUSING ANTIFREEZE TO LEAK OUT AT A RAPID AMOUNT. CAN'T BELIEVE THAT THE TUBE IS MADE OUT OF PLASTIC SINCE IT IS IN CONTACT WITH THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WHICH IS VERY HOT. FORTUNATELY MY WIFE AND SON WERE JUST AROUND THE CORNER FROM OUR HOUSE AND NOT ON THE TRIP TO OHIO WHICH WAS PLANNED. ONLY GOING ABOUT 10 MPH WHEN NOTICED A GURGLING SOUND. GOT OUT OF CAR AND SAW FLUID LEAKING. CAME BACK TO HOUSE AND I CHECKED IT OUT AND FOUND THAT THE PLASTIC TUBE ABOVE THE WATER PUMP LEADING INTO THE MANIFOLD WAS INDEED THE PROBLEM. TOOK CAR TO CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. THEY REPLACED THE BY PASS TUBE AT A HEFTY COST OF $262.38.*AK

WHIEL DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE OWNER THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD HAD FAILED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

WHEN DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THIS CAUSED THE DRIVER TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE OWNER THAT THE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SINCE SHE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN AUGUST 2003 THE BRAKES DID NOT WORKED PROPERLY. WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THEY CONSTANTLY GRABBED AND LET GO. SHE DID NOT KNOW WHETHER SHE COULD TALK TO THE DEALER ABOUT THE PROBLEM, BUT WILL GET IN TOUCH WITH THE DEALER TOMORROW. *AK THE BRAKES WERE REPAIRED AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE BRAKES PULSATED WHEN THEY WERE APPLIED THE TRUNK LIGHT WAS INOPERATIVE. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT FLASHED THEN STAYED ON. DEALERSHIP SERVICED VEHICLE AND REPLACED DRIVER SIDE SEAT AIR BAG. *AK *NM

ON JULY 4, 2003 MY 2000 CHEVROLET IMPALA WAS LUBED AT THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP BECAUSE OF STEERING ISSUES. THE CAR WOULD VIBRATE, POP, AND JERK WHEN ACCELERATING, SLOWING DOWN OR MAKING TURNS AND STEERING BECOMES VERY TIGHT AND DIFFICULT TO TURN. IT TOOK 3 SEPARATE VISITS TO THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE THEY DISCOVERED WHAT THEY THOUGHT WAS THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. I HAVE SEVERAL CHILDREN AND I AM GREATLY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR SAFETY. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO BECAUSE THIS SEEMS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH MANY 2000 IMPALAS. I DID A LOT OF RESEACH AND FOUND OTHER COMPLAINTS ON YOUR SITE DUE TO THE SAME ISSUE, AS WELL AS COMPLAINTS ON WWW.IMPALAHQ.COM. I'VE ALSO READ ISSUES WHERE SOME POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE USING THIS SAME MODEL AND THEY HAVE REPORTED ACCIDENTS DUE TO STEERING LOST, WHICH SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT ISSUES. THE LAST STEERING SHAFT LUBE WAS 11 MONTHS AGO AND COST ME $140. LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE TO HAVE THIS SERVICE DONE EVERY 10-12 MONTHS TO KEEP THIS CAR FROM LOOSING STEERING. I CAN NOT PUT A PRICE ON THE SAFETY OF MY CHILDREN, BUT I CAN INFORM OTHER AND HOPE CHEVY WILL FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM QUICKLY. *AK

PERIODIC TRANSMISSION SLIP FROM INITIAL DATE OF PURCHASE - DEALER COULD NOT DUPLICATE WHEN TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE, UNTIL OUT OF WARRANTY. REFLASH E-PROM/UPDATE DONE AT 75K MILES TO CORRECT PROBLEM. NOW AT 110K DEALER SAYS NEW TRANSMISSION IS NEEDED AS CAR IS EXHIBITING SAME PROBLEMS. CAR HEADLIGHTS GO OUT WHEN USING HIGH BEAMS. CAR HAS LOST ALL POWER TWICE WHEN DRIVING AND COMPLETELY SHUT OFF, THUS CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT STEERING PROBLEM UNTIL THE CAR COULD BE STOPPED. GROUNDING WIRES ADDED TO SEE IF CORRECTION COULD BE MADE. LIGHTS & CAR HAVE NOT QUIT YET, BUT TRANSMISSION CONTINUES TO EXHIBIT SHIFTING PROBLEMS WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON. WHEN CAR IS SHUT OFF THE ENGINE LIGHT WILL GO OUT AND NOT COME BACK ON AND THE CAR WILL RESET IT SELF AND RUN OKAY FOR AWHILE. THE CAR ALSO EXHIBITS A LOUD WHINING NOISE WHEN THE SLIPPAGE / JERKING IS ABOUT TO OCCUR. GM WILL NOT ALLOW CONVERSATION WITH ANYONE BUT A CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON. ALL FILE NUMBERS GIVEN TO ME BY GM PERSONNEL WHEN CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY ARE NOT LOADED INTO THEIR DATA BASE, THUS NOTHING CAN BE DONE, MILEAGE IS TOO HIGH AND THESE THINGS ARE EXPECTED TO HAPPEN. *NM

VEHICLE STALLS, MOVING ANYWERE FROM 30-70-MPH. HAS NEARLY CAUSED 4 ACCIDENTS. TWICE WE WERE NEARLY REARENDED; ONCE THIS HAPPENDED WHEN WE WERE PASSING A VEHICLE AND WE LOST CONTROL; AND ONCE THIS OCCURRED AS I WAS DRIVING AROUND A CORNER TOWARDS A GROUP OF CHILDREN. HAS BEEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIR 6 TIMES FOR SAME CAUSE. STILL NOT CORRECTLY DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. DEALER HAS REPLACED "WIRES", PLUGS, FUEL PUMP, AND COMPUTER "PARTS" TO NO AVAIL.*AK

THE SERVICE VEHICLE SOON AND LOW COOLANT LEVEL LIGHTS KEEP COMING ON. I HAD THE RADIATOR CHECKED AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. THE LIGHT STILL COMES ON AND SO DID THE SERVICE VEHICLE SOON LIGHT. TOOK THE CAR BACK IN AGAIN TODAY TO GET IT HOPEFULLY FIXED. A SENSOR WAS SHORTING OUT FOR THE DRIVER DISPLAY AND REPLACED. I ALSO HAD TROUBLE LAST YEAR WITH THE DIRECTIONAL SIGNALS GOING NUTS. IT WAS FINALLY DIAGNOSED AS A FAULTY HAZARD SWITCH THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *LA