2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

2002 CHEVY IMPALA HEADLIGHTS DO NOT COME ON. TAIL LIGHTS ARE OK. MANUAL SWITCH DOES NOTHING. BOTH TIMES THE LIGHTS DID NOT WORK, A COUPLE DAYS LATER EVERYTHING WAS OK. *NM

I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY 2002 CHEVY IMPALA. WHEN YOU TURN THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT, THERE ARE CLUNKING NOISES COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SHARPER THE TURN, THE WORSE THE PROBLEM IS. I ALSO HEAR AN INTERMITTENT WHIRRING NOISE WHEN I MAKE TURNS (THE SOUND IS LIKE WHEN YOU WEAR A NYLON COAT, AND YOUR SLEEVES RUB AGAINST THE BODY OF THE COAT). IT IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM, AND I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE I'M AFRAID THAT I WILL LOOSING STEERING CONTROL. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF LOOKING AT THE COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE, AND I HAVE FOUND 17 OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS EXACT ISSUE WITH 2002 CHEVY IMPALA VEHICLES. NOW I AM REALLY AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR. I AM PLANNING ON GETTING THE FIRST AVAILABLE APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER TO SEE IF THEY CAN RESOLVE THE ISSUE. I WILL HAVE TO PAY TO FIX IT, OF COURSE, SINCE IT IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. BUT I FEEL THAT MY LIFE IS WORTH THE MONEY. HOWEVER, DON'T YOU THINK THAT THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE BY NOW? HOW MANY COMPLAINTS DO YOU NEED BEFORE YOU REALIZE THAT THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED? I HOPE THAT SOMEONE DOESN'T NEED TO BE INJURED OR KILLED BEFORE ANY ACTION IS TAKEN. I HOPE THAT MY ADDITIONAL COMPLAINT WILL HELP OTHER IMPALA OWNERS GET THIS PROBLEM FIXED THROUGH A RECALL NOTICE. I'M SURE THAT YOU WOULD HAVE NUMEROUS MORE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE (AND OTHERS) IF MORE PEOPLE REALIZED THAT THIS COMPLAINT PROCEDURE WAS AVAILABLE. MAYBE THE ROADS WOULD BE SAFER. PLEASE TRY TO HAVE THIS ISSUE RESOLVED THROUGH A RECALL NOTICE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH AND MAKING A TURN, A CLANKING NOISE CAME FROM THE STEERING WHEEL COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED A LACK OF LUBRICATION, HOWEVER THE NOISE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO DETERMINED THAT THE LOW STEERING SHAFT, BUSHES AND LINKS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE NOISE RECURRED AFTER THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY CREATED BY THE NOISE. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED.

IT HAS BECOME DIFFICULT, AND IT TAKES EXCESSIVE FORCE TO SWITCH FROM LOW BEAM TO HIGH BEAM. THERE IS NO PROBLEM GOING FROM HIGH TO LOW. *NM

STEERING COLUMN SHAFT RATTLES. PROBLEMS WITH THIS SINCE SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING. NOW AFTER 100,000+ MILES, THEY HAVE SAID THIS IS THE PROBLEM. I HAVE FOUND THAT OTHER PROBLEMS LIKE THIS HAVE BEEN REPORTED. I CAN NOT BELIEVE THIS HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. *NM

DRIVING WHEN ALL WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, THEN THE BATTERY LIGHT STAYED ON FOR A SHORT PERIOD. IT DID NOT EFFECT THE CAR PERFORMANCE BUT IT DID RESET THE CLOCK ON THE RADIO AS IF THE BATTERY HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED. ANOTHER TIME THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS BRAKE LIGHTS FLASHED AND THE RADIO PULSED. THE SECURITY LIGHT REMAINED ON AS I WAS MOVING FORWARD OUT OF A DRIVEWAY THE VEHICLE STALLED BUT IMMEDIATELY RESTARTED AND ALL THE LIGHTS CLEARED. *NM

PURCHASED A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA USED AT A LOCAL CHEVY DEALER. THE COOLANT LIGHT HAS BEEN ON FOR A MONTH, BUT I COULD NOT FIND ANY LEAKS, THE DEALER TELLS ME IT IS THE LOWER INTAKE GASKET AND THE COST IS ($1000). HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN THAT THE GASKET IS NOW PLASTIC, WHEREAS PREVIOUSLY WAS MADE OF METAL. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE REPLACEMENT PART IS ALSO PLASTIC AND INDICATED THAT THIS WILL PROBABLY NEED TO BE REPLACED IN THE FUTURE. THERE IS NO BETTER PROOF OF PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE. AS I AM DOING MY RESEARCH, I FIND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS VERY COMMON. THE SERVICE MANAGER EVEN SAID THEY HE IS SURPRISED THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL. THX, GEK. *NM

MOISTURE IN DRIVERS SIDE HEADLIGHT. IT NEVER DRIES OUT. MAKES DRIVING AT NIGHT ON THAT SIDE HARD TO SEE. TALKED TO DEALER, WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. COULD NOT AFFORD $450.00 TO REPAIR. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE HITTING A BUMP, THERE WAS EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE OIL IN THE GEAR BOX. THE PROBLEM RETURNED TWO YEARS LATER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALERTED.

I HAVE A 2002 IMPALA. I EXPERIENCED A COOLANT LEAK FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO TOLD ME THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. THIS CAN RESULT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, ENGINE SEIZURE, BLOWING A ROD, ETC. I BELIEVE THIS IS REFERRED TO IN SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER: 070803 AND NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: 10003814 PER RECORDS FOUND ON THIS SITE. AFTER CALLING CHEVROLET'S 800 NUMBER, I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FOR MY VIN, BUT THEY ONLY OFFERED IT FOR 2 YEARS, FROM 07/03 - 07/05. SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED, I WAS NOT SENT A RECALL NOTICE AND NOW IT APPEARS I HAVE TO PAY THE RATHER EXPENSIVE REPAIR BILL.