2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

MY IMPALA BEGAN TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE THERMOSTAT READING GOING FROM COOL TO HOT EXTREMELY QUICK AND THE RED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THESE VEHICLES ARE NOTORIOUS FOR INTAKE MANIFOLD ISSUES AND THAT THIS IS THE CAUSE OF MY PROBLEM. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT CHEVROLET IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND STILL REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL. IT WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $1,500.00 TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AND IF REPAIRS ARE NOT MADE, THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE A SLOW LEAK OR EVENTUALLY, THE ENGINE WILL GO COMPLETELY. *TR

I RECENTLY FOUND THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILS ON THE CHEVROLET 3.8 V6 AND THAT CHEVROLET HAS KNOWN OF THE PROBLEM FOR YEARS AND HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. I TRAVEL CROSS COUNTRY REGULARLY IN MY 2003 IMPALA WITH THE 3.8 ENGINE AND AM CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE WILL FAIL ON THE HIGHWAY AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENT. BEFORE I KNEW THAT GM WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM I OWNED A 2000 S-10 PICK UP AND HAD THE GASKET REPLACED FOR OVER $700 DOLLARS. I NOW FACE THE SAME EXPENSE OR MORE TO FIX THE IMPALA. I FEEL THAT GM SHOULD HAVE RECALLED AND FIXED HIS PROBLEM BECAUSE HEY WERE AWARE OF THE DEFECT IN THE GASKET AND PLASTIC COOLANT PART GOING THROUGH THE VALVE COVER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HEADLIGHTS AND INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTS SHUT OFF. THE FIRST FAILURE, THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AGAIN AND THE SECOND TIME, THE CONTACT COULD ONLY USE THE HIGH BEAMS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 73,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,500.

2003 CHEVY IMPALA -- INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET -- TOLD FACTORY PUTS ON PLASTIC ONES THAT DO NOT LAST, CAUSING OIL LEAKAGE AND POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO THE MOTOR IF NOT CORRECTED IN TIME - DID NOT SEE ANY RECALL ON THIS ISSUE -- WHY??? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS FAILED AND WOULD NOT ENGAGE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MODULE AND THERE HAD BEEN NO FURTHER OCCURENCES. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,100 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,047. UPDATED 05/21/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALERSHIP REAPIRED THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 05/20/08. *JB

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HOME DURING EVENING HOURS ON A NARROW 2 LANE COUNTY ROAD WHEN WITHOUT WARNING THE HEADLIGHTS AND INTERIOR LIGHTS TOTALLY TURNED OFF. SHE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED ON THE ROADWAY AS THERE WAS NO SHOULDER TO MOVE ONTO. SHE TRIED TO OPERATE THE HEADLIGHTS MANUALLY WITH NO EFFECT. THE ENGINE WAS NOT AFFECTED. SHE CALLED ME VIA CELL PHONE AND BEGAN TO EXPLAIN WHEN THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. SHE PROCEEDED TOWARD OUR HOME AND ABOUT 500 FEET FROM OUR DRIVEWAY THE LIGHTS WENT OFF AGAIN. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND SEVERAL OTHER IDENTICAL INSTANCES WITH NO RESOLUTION AS THE PROBLEM APPEARS INTERMITTENTLY. AN INTERNET TECH SAID THE FIX IS TO REPLACE THE BODY CONTROL MODULE (BCM). I HAVE ALREADY HAD ONE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE FOR A NON-RELATED PROBLEM ON 08/04/2006. I HAVE NOT YET CALLED THE DEALER THIS TIME BECAUSE OF THEIR DENIAL OF THE PREVIOUS BCM PROBLEM - THAT ONCE REPLACED AT MY INSISTENCE FIXED THAT PROBLEM. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS AND SCARY SITUATION WITH HUGE POTENTIAL FOR HARM. MY WIFE WILL NOW NOT DRIVE THE CAR AT NIGHT AND MUCH OF HER WORK (AND MINE) INVOLVES EVENING MEETINGS. *TR

I DISCOVERED ACCIDENTALLY THAT MY 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA HAS A DESIGN DEFECT THAT MAY CAUSE SOME HEALTH PROBLEMS AND POSSIBLE LEAD TO DEATH. IN THE RIGHT REAR QUARTER PANEL OF THE CAR IS A DEVICE THAT IS CALLED A BODY PRESSURE VALVE THAT VENTS CABIN PRESSURE. THE PROBLEM IS IT LETS SNOW AND RAIN IN THE STAGNANT WATER SITS IN YOUR FENDER AND IS A BREEDING GROWN FOR GERMS. THE DEALER WAS SHOCKED WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN AND ASKED ME WHAT MADE ME THINK TO REMOVE THE CARPET AND LOOK IN THE FENDER. ALL THEY COULD DO WAS TAKE THE WATER OUT. STANDING WATER IN A FENDER WILL CAUSE A RUST PROBLEM. I ASKED THEM WHAT COULD BE DONE AND THEY TOLD ME TO PUT A NEW VALVE IN. THAT WILL NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THE FLAP IS NOT AIR TIGHT AND IS VENTED WATER AND FUMES SUCH AS CARBON MONOXIDE CAN ENTER THE CAR THROUGH IT . THE EXHAUST IS ONLY 12 INCHES OR LESS FROM IT. THE OWNERS MANUAL STATES DO NOT RUN THE CAR WHEN SITTING STILL LETS ME KNOW THAT GM KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM . WE ALL HAVE BEEN TOLD NOT TO RUN CARS IN ENCLOSED BUILDINGS BUT THIS IS TOO MUCH. IF IDLING IN TRAFFIC ONE MUST BE ASTUTE ENOUGH TO KEEP THEIR VEHICLE FAN ON AND OUTSIDE AIR COMING INTO THE VEHICLE AT ALL TIMES SO NOT TO ALLOW THE CAR TO FILL UP WITH FUMES FROM THE TAIL PIPE THAT SITS BENEATH THE PRESSURE VALVE. WHAT A DUMB DESIGN. CAR WAS SERVICED ON 03/04/08 I WAS ALWAYS SPRAYING DEODORIZER IN THE TRUNK AND IT SMELLED LIKE A CESSPOOL AS FAR AS THE REST OF THIS REPORT GOES THE NUMBER OF FAILURES IS TOTAL FAILURE IT HAS NEVER WORKED AND COULD BE CONSTRUED TO BE CRIMINAL NEGLECT. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AT NIGHT, THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING FAILED SPORADICALLY AND THE CONTACT WOULD HAVE TO MANUALLY TURN THEM BACK ON. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN, ENGINE SIZE, AND NUMBER OF CYLINDERS WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 45,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AT NIGHT, THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS, AND TURN SIGNALS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON AUGUST 3, 2007. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BODY CONTROL MODULE AND THE LIGHTS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY FOR THREE MONTHS. THE DEALER INFORMED THE MANUFACTURER THAT THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,868 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,407. UPDATED 04/03/08. *LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE PROBLEM HAPPENED AGANON ON MARCH 15,2008.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH IN THE SNOW, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE CONTACT PLAYED WITH THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH UNTIL THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE LIGHTS DIMMED AGAIN SHORTLY AFTERWARDS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE DIMMER SWITCH MAY BE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 66,000. UPDATED 3/25/08 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THIS IS THE 2ND INCIDENT AND VERY DANGEROUS. UPDATED 03/25/08 *TR