2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, HEAVY SMOKE CAME UNDER THE HOOD. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO INDEPENDENT SHOP, TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK

CAR ROLLS BACKWARD WHILE IN DRIVE ON INCLINE. DEALER CLAIMED THAT IT IS NORMAL. SEEMS TO ME THAT IT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. ALSO WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE THE TRANS WILL SHIFT BUT WHEN I ACCELERATE THE TRANS SLAMS INTO GEAR. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TAKE CAR IN TO DEALER AS THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN EVERY DAY. AFTER READING OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSIONS IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE. *JB

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING. TOOK TO DEALER, THEY REPLACED THE AIR BAG MODULE. POTENTIALLY A PROBLEM WITH DEPLOYMENT IN AN ACCIDENT. AFTER READING OTHER COMPLAINTS I THOUGHT I SHOULD SUBMIT MINE. SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR! *JB

STEERING MAKES CLUNK AT LOW SPEED TURNS AND MAKES A WHINING NOISE. STEERING SEEMS TO SLIP ON CORNERING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM! 2001 IMPALA HAS BEEN IN TO HAVE THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT LUBRICATED 3 TIMES NOW. FIRST AT 17,840 MILES ON 11/16/01, THEN AT 22,773 MILES ON 2/26/02 AND THE THIRD TIME AT 43,594 ON 2/3/04. CHEVROLET NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM! *JB

I CURRENTLY OWN A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS, 3.8L V6. BEFORE 36,000 MILES I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING POORLY AND WHEN IT WAS COLD THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLAM INTO GEAR. DEALER MADE SOME REPAIRS AND TOLD ME THE FUEL SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE SERVICED. I DECLINED THE FUEL SERVICE AT THE TIME AND THE TRANSMISSION SLAMMING INTO GEAR FROM A COLD START CONTINUED. THE PROBLEM WORSENED AT 47,000 MILES. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND AFTER 2 DAYS I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE FUEL SYSTEM SERVICE. AT 50,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING SEVERELY. I TRIED TO GET THE CAR HOME AND IT FAILED TO ENGAGE WHILE PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. I GOT THE CAR HOME TO PERFORM THE 50,000 MILE SERVICE TO THE TRANSMISSION AND FOUND A HANDFUL OF METAL IN THE PAN. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FOUND OUT THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY TOTALLED. GM ONLY OFFERED TO PAY FOR HALF THE REPAIR COSTS. THERE IS NO RECOMMENDED SERVICE BEFORE 50,000 MILES AND I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS ON THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE OWNED IT LESS THAN 3 YEARS. *AK

KNOCKING NOISE & JOLT IN STEERING WHEEL OF 2001 CHEV. IMPALA AT APPROXIMATELY 40,000 MI.. THIS PROBLEM CONTINUED AND WORSENED. IT WAS DETERMINED BY AN INDEPENTENT AUTO SHOP AND THE DEALER THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A DEFECTIVE RACK. DEALER GAVE ME INFORMATION TO CONTACT CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE AT GM, WHICH I DID. GM REFUSED TO MAKE ANY CONCESSION FOR THE REPAIRS DUE TO THE FACT THAT WARRENTY HAD EXPIRED.*AK

WE OWN A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA , VIN # [XXX], THAT WAS PURCHASED NEW. WE HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THIS CLUNK NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN IN FOR REPAIR, WE WERE THEN ADVISED IT WAS THE TIRES SO WE REPLACED THE TIRES . THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE ISSUE. WE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK FOR REPAIR AND THE LEFT TIE ROD WAS REPLACED, THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE ISSUE. I HAVE FOUND THAT MANY OTHER OWNERS WITH THIS PROBLEM HAVE BEEN TOLD IT WAS THEIR TIRES AND ALSO HAVE HAD TIE RODS REPLACED. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND THE SUBJECT TSB. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR THE REPAIR CALLED FOR IN THE TSB, LUBRICATION OF THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT USING LUBRICATION KIT # [XXX]. THIS REPAIR LASTED ABOUT 30 DAYS. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT THIS IS NORMAL AND SINCE I HAVE 38000 MILES ON MY VEHICLE NO COVERAGE FROM CHEVROLET IS AVAILABLE. *AK THIS DEFECT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CHEVROLET SINCE BEFORE JULY OF 2002 WHEN THE TSB WAS ISSUED. I FEEL THAT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE INVOLVING THE STEERING AND CHEVROLET SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CORRECTING THE ISSUE AT NO COST TO ME.*AK UPDATED 07/26/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN, CAR SHOOK ALL OVER AND I HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. I COASTED TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD WHERE I WAITED FOR A TOW TRUCK. THE DEALERSHIPS SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED ME AFTER ABOUT A WEEK, THAT MY PLANETARY GEAR HAD EXPLODED. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE FLUID FILTER WAS FULL OF METAL SHAVINGS. HE STATED TO US THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. MY NEW TRANSMISSION COST ME $2200. THIS CAR HAS JUST 55000 MILES ON IT. IT IS ABSOLUTELY INSANE THAT I AM PAYING ALL OF THIS MONEY TO REPAIR THIS CAR, THAT IS PRACTICALLY NEW. I HAVE CONTACTED GM'S CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE AND THEY WILL OFFER NO ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER. THE SERVICE I RECEIVED FROM THEM WAS POOR. THE CASE WAS ACTUALLY LOST ONCE THEREFORE I HAD TO START ALL OVER AGAIN. THE WOMAN WHO THEN TOOK OVER THE CASE BOLD FACE LIED TO MY FIANCE AND THEN BACK PEDALED BY SAYING THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER CASE JUST LIKE MINE AND THE WOMAN JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE THE SAME NAME AS ME. WHAT A COINCIDENCE. IN ADDITION TO THIS, JUST 10 DAYS PRIOR TO THE TRANSMISSION'S DEATH, I HAD TO REPLACE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER IN THE VEHICLE. *AK

I OWN A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT ROTORS. THE FIRST TIME THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 20,000 MILES AND NOW I AM REPLACING THEM AGAIN 1 YEAR LATER WITH ONLY 46,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I HAVE USED BOTH GM ROTORS AND ANOTHER MANUFACTURER AND BOTH ROTORS WARPED VERY PREMATURELY. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS SITE REGARDING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEMS. I ALSO EXPERIENCE SEVERE VIBRATIONS WHEN BRAKING AT SPEEDS OF GREATER THAN 45 MPH. IT IS NOT NORMAL CAR MAINTENANCE TO HAVE TO REPLACE FRONT ROTORS EVERY 20, 000 MILES. I BELIEVE THERE MUST BE A DESIGN FLAW OR SOME OTHER EVENT CAUSING THIS SCENARIO.*AK

AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. HAVE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER THREE TIME AND THEY SAY NOTHING IS WRONG WITH IT. TURN SIGNALS STOP WORK INTERMITTENTLY. DEALERSHIP REPLACED BODY CONTROL MODULE (COSTING ME OVER $300) DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *JB