2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

TL*- THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT SPEED OF 55 MPH THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UNEXPECTEDLY. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHTS, HEADLIGHTS, SPEEDOMETER AND GAS GAUGE WERE TURNING ON AND OFF. BOTH THE WEATHER AND ROAD CONDITIONS WERE GOOD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SHE TOOK FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED ON BOTH THE DRIVER 'S SIDE AND PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHEN THE HORN STARTED SOUNDING. THE HORN HAD TO BE DISENGAGED MANUALLY. THEN THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSURANCE COMPANY WOULD NOT COVER THE EXPENSE OF THE REPAIRS BECAUSE THE CONTACT DIDN'T STRIKE ANYTHING. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT THE REPAIR WILL COST $3,000. *AK UPDATED 02/27/07. *JB

HEADLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS VERY MOMENTARY (JUST A FEW SECONDS AND THEY AGAIN CAME ON AND FUNCTIONED OK). NONE-THE-LESS IT CAUSED A RAPID APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES. SECOND TIME, APPROXIMATELY 10 DAYS OR SO LATER, SAME HAPPENING AND RAPID STOP CAUSED AND PULLED OFF TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY. AGAIN THE LIGHTS CAME ON AND FUNCTIONED NORMALLY AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS TO A MINUTE OF TIME PASSED. THIRD TIME, APPROXIMATELY 2 DAYS LATER, SAME HAPPENING ONLY LIGHTS REMAINED OUT. WAS NECESSARY TO REPLACE THE DIMMER SWITCH AND THE COST TO REPAIR WAS $345. *JB

DASH INDICATOR FOR AIRBAG STAYS ON. DEALER SAYS COMPUTER MODULE CONTROLLING AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT DEFECTIVE AND WILL NOT RESPOND TO DIAGNOSTICS. DEALER SAYS THAT CONTROL UNIT MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $557 PARTS AND LABOR. GM WILL ONLY PAY FOR PART, LEAVING CONSUMER WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR $225. *JB

IN JANUARY 2006 MY 2002 IMPALA LOSS POWER. I WAS GOING UP A VERY SMALL HILL AND I DIDN'T THINK I WAS GOING TO MAKE IT UP. I TOOK MY CAR TO MY LOCAL MOM AND POP'S GARAGE AND THEY PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER. IT SHOWED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS BAD EVENTHOUGH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID NOT COME ON. I HAD THEM REPLACE NOT KNOWING THAT THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY FOR EMISSIONS AND THEY DIDN'T USE A GM PART. A FEW MONTHS LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DID COME ON. AGAIN IT SHOWED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AS THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN SAID HE HAD NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH PUTTING A NON-DEALER PART ON A CAR BEFORE BUT DID REPLACE THE CONVERTER ONCE AGAIN WITH A NON-GM PART IN CASE THE FIRST ONE HAPPENED TO BE A BAD PART. A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS BACK ON. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER SHOWS AS WELL AS THE TRANSMISSION. OF COURSE, THEY WOULDN'T MAKE GOOD ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BY THIS TIME BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND IT WASN'T THE ORIGINAL GM PART. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD COST $775 JUST FOR THEM TO LOOK AT THE TRANSMISSION. I CANNOT AFFORD THIS AND JUST BROUGHT THE CAR HOME. I'M STILL DRIVING IT BUT IT'S WORSE AND WORSE EVERY DAY. I WOULDN'T TRUST DRIVING THIS CAR VERY FAR. I'VE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER & THE TRANSMISSION THAT YOU WOULD THINK GM WOULD HAVE TO STEP UP AND DO SOMETHING. AT THIS POINT I WOULD NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER GM VEHICLE AND MY HUSBAND IS DIEHARD GM. I'VE TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF THIS CAR HOPING THAT IT WOULD LAST UNTIL MY DAUGHTER STARTS DRIVING AND I COULD HAND IT TRUSTINGLY DOWN TO HER BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE CASE. MY HUSBAND DOESN'T TAKE CARE OF HIS TRUCKS LIKE I WOULD AND HE STILL HAS A 1995 THAT RUNS GOOD.

2002 IMPALA WIPERS WILL NOT RETURN TO PARK POSITION WHEN TURNED OFF. NORMAL OPERATION IS OK. WHEN WIPERS ARE TURNED OFF THEY STAY IN THE FULL UPPER MOST POSITION, CAUSING AN OBSTRUCTED VIEW THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD. *NM

THE FOLLOWING MATTER IS A POTENTIAL DISASTER WAITING TO OCCUR. I HAVE INFORMED GM BY MAIL AND TELEPHONE. I HAVE WENT TO THE CHEVY DEALER ONLY TO COME OUT WITH MY KEY FIVE HAND HELD TRANSMITTER TO STOP WORKING. I HAVE SENT LETTERS TO THE DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD ME THE CAR. T THE SECURITY SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN THE VEHICLE AT RANDOM TIMES AUTOMATICALLY. CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS: SECURITY LIGHT ON MESSAGE CENTER CONTINUES TO FLASH SECURITY SERVICE VEHICLE SOON, - BATTERY THE SECURITY SYSTEM AUTOMATICALLY, CONTINUOUSLY ATTEMPTS TO SHUT DOWN MY CAR THIS SECURITY SYSTEM ALSO UNLOCKS MY TRUNK THE HANDHELD TRANSMITTER DOES NOT WORK AFTER REPLACING THE BATTERY AFTER THE CHEVY DEALER CHECKED THE PROBLEM I HAVE TO UNLOCK THE DOORS MANUALLY THE LIGHTS FLASH AND THE MESSAGE ON THE RADIO PANEL SAYS LOCKED I CANNOT USE MY CAR, IT WILL NOT START - ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON - ALL LIGHTS GO OUT WHILE DRIVING , THIS FAULTY "PASS LOCK THEFT DETERRENT" SYSTEM, AUTOMATICALLY COMES ON AND SHUTS MY CAR DOWN WHEN I PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF. IT WILL NOT TURN ON AGAIN, ONLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. I HAD THE CAR INSPECTED TODAY AT A CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND THE RESULTS WAS," REPLACE THE CONTROL MODULE AT $325.00, FIRST, THEN I CAN PROGRAM THE KEY FIVE TRANSMITTER." REPLACED TRANSMITTER BATTERY AND CAR BATTERY I CONCLUDE THAT GM HAS THE MONOPOLY ON VEHICLE PARTS AND SERVICE ALL IN THE NAME OF TECHNOLOGY AND COST THE CONSUMER A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF REPAIRS ON TOP OF THE COST FOR THE VEHICLE. CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR A SERVICE THAT THEY CANNOT REPAIR AT ANY SHOP IN TOWN. FOR INSTANCE, I CAN TAKE MY TRANSMISSION ISSUES TO ALMOST ANY TRANSMISSION SHOP, HOWEVER, I CANNOT TAKE MY MANUFACTURER BUILT- IN SECURITY SYSTEM TO ANY SHOP. THEY WILL NOT TOUCH IT JUST BECAUSE IT IS MANUFACTURER BUILT. I WANT THE LAWS CHANGED. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS A STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE IN THE CAB. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE FUEL LINE AND THE CONNECTOR FROM THE GAS TANK WERE DEFECTIVE. THE FUEL HOSE AT THE RAIL WOULD NOT SEAL AT THE FITTING FORM WHICH CAUSED RAW FUEL TO LEAK ONTO THE ENGINE. UPDATED 01/10/07. *JB

AT 89,000 MILES I NOTICED THAT MY ENGINE COOLANT LIGHT WAS ON. I FILLED THE COOLANT. THE LIGHT CONTINUED TO COME ON AND I FILLED IT A FEW MORE TIMES, BUT COULD NOT PINPOINT THE LEAK. THEN ONE NIGHT THE ENGINE STARTED TO MAKE NOISES AND I PULLED OFF THE ROAD TO CHECK THE COOLANT. I FILLED IT AND WAITED UNTIL THE CAR COOLED. I STARTED THE ENGINE AND DROVE ABOUT A QUARTER MILE AND THE CAR SHUT DOWN. WHEN I TOWED IT TO A GARAGE I LEARNED THAT THE HEAD GASKETS WERE LEAKING WATER INTO THE ENGINE. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED. SINCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED I PAID THE GARAGE TO PUT IN A USED MOTOR. IT COST ME OVER $1300. I NEVER THOUGHT TO CONTACT CHEVY SINCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED. NOW, BECAUSE OF MY INTERNET RESEARCH, I KNOW THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME I ALSO BOUGHT A SECOND CHEVY IN 2002. WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT - MY 2002 CHEVY MALIBU HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS AT 62,000 MILES. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET BY WITH REPLACING THE HEAD GASKET. THE SAME GARAGE GAVE ME A PRICE BREAK AND FIXED IT FOR $252.00. BOO TO CHEVY. *NM

COOLING SYSTEM LEAK LOW COOLANT WARNING--INTAKE GASKET REPLACED AT 25,461 MILES (AUGUST 2002) LOW COOLANT WARNING--WATER PUMP AND INTAKE GASKET REPLACED AT 60,045 MILES AGAIN. *JB

HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT. FLICKING THE HIGH-BEAM SWITCH RESTORED THE LIGHTS. I JUST LOOKED IN THE ODI DATABASE & DISCOVERED A CLOSED INVESTIGATION (PE06017). IT WAS PITCH DARK & RAINING OUTSIDE, LUCKILY I WAS IN A RURAL AREA & NO OTHER CARS AROUND. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I'M GLAD TO KNOW YOU CAN RESTORE LIGHTS BY MANIPULATING THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH BUT WHAT IF THE DRIVER DOESN'T KNOW TO DO THIS! A RECALL IS REALLY IN ORDER, IF FOR NO OTHER REASON THAN TO ALERT PEOPLE TO THE POTENTIAL RISK SO THEY KNOW WHAT TO DO IF IT HAPPENS. *NM