2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE ENGINE AND ALL THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TURNED OFF WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH. THE IGNITION WAS TURNED ON RIGHT AFTER, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE STALLED AFTER FIVE MINUTES WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TOGGLE SWITCH OF THE PASSLOCK SECURITY SYSTEM HAD BECOME DEFECTIVE. UPDATED 8/1/2006 - *NM

IGNITION - KEY WOULD NOT TURN. UNABLE TO MOVE CAR. WARM, SUNNY DAY AT A LOCAL STORE PARKING LOT. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. CAUSE: FROZEN LOCK CYLINDER. DEALERSHIP HAD CAR FOR TWO (2) DAYS TO ORDER PART, REPROGRAM AND REPLACED. SAFETY WAS A ISSUE. COST TO REPLACE WAS $600. *JB

SINCE JUNE 2006, I HAVE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE OF MY CHEVROLET IMPALA, 2003 (3.4L; 72,000 MILES) HAVE BEEN DISPLAYING INCORRECTLY THE AMOUNT OF FUEL IN THE GAS TANK. THE FUEL GAUGE HAS BEEN SHOWING FULL DESPITE THE FACT THAT I HAVE LESS THAN HALF TANK OF GAS. I HAVE BEEN USING THE TRIP ODOMETER TO GUIDE ME IN MY FUEL CONSUMPTION ESPECIALLY DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF JULY WHEN I MADE LONG TRIP. ARE THERE OTHER REPORTS REGARDING THE ERRATIC FUEL GAUGE OPERATION IN THIS YEAR MODEL OF CHEVROLET IMPALA 2003? *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE SERVICE DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE, THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE BREAK ROTORS WERE CRACKED. THE BREAK ROTORS AND BREAK PADS WERE REPLACED.

2003 IMPALA LS - HEADLIGHTS GO OFF WHILE DRIVING. JUST SHUT OFF. DOESN'T MATTER IF MANUAL HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS ENGAGED OR NOT. INTERMITTENT FAILURE, SOMETIMES NOT FOR TWO HOURS, SOMETIME EVERY FEW SECONDS, SOMETIMES WHEN SWITCHING LOW TO HIGH BEAMS, NO SPECIFIC SPEED OR DRIVING CONDITIONS. ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS AND PARKING LIGHTS APPEAR TO REMAIN ON WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS FAIL. SOMETIMES CAN GET HEADLIGHTS BACK ON BY SWITCHING OFF AND ON AGAIN, SOMETIMES BY FLASHING LOW TO HIGH, BUT THEY DON'T ALWAYS COME BACK ON REGARDLESS OF ACTION. SOMETIMES JUST HAVE TO PARK THE CAR UNTIL DAYLIGHT. CAR HAD JUST OVER 44,000 MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT. DROVE FOR TWO WEEKS, BUT NEVER AT NIGHT, SO NOT EXACTLY SURE OF MILEAGE OF FIRST INCIDENT. HAPPENED SECOND TIME I DROVE THE CAR AT NIGHT. UNABLE TO REPEAT INCIDENT AT DEALER, BUT CAR WAS IN "PARK" WHEN THEY LOOKED AT IT, AND IT WAS DAYTIME. IT COULD BE HAPPENING WHILE DAYTIME, TOO, BUT I CAN'T TELL FROM INSIDE THE CAR. I COULD GET A TICKET IN MARYLAND FOR DRIVING WITH NO HEADLIGHTS WHILE USING WINDSHIELD WIPERS. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FIRST WEEK AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE TIRES STARTING MAKING NOISES WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH AND THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN OUT OF ALIGNMENT CAUSING TIRES TO WEAR DOWN. NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER WHO DETERMINE ALL FOUR TIRE SHOULD BE REPLACED AT A COST. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED BECAUSE THE CONTACT DID NOT WANT TO PAY FOR THE REPLACEMENT. THE TIRES WERE ROTATED BY THE CONTACT TO REMEDY THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 8/1/2006 - *NM

I PURCHASED MY CHEVY IMPALA 2003 BRAND NEW IN MARCH OF 2003. EVERY SINCE THEN WHEN I TURN ON MY HEADLAMPS, THEY TURN OFF AT RANDOM, WHICH IS VERY DANGEROUS ON A DARKENED ROAD AT NIGHT. EVERYTHING GOES OFF (INTERIOR, TAIL LIGHTS, ECT). *NM

HAD TO HAVE UPPER AND LOWER MANIFOLD GASKET REPLACED ON 2003 IMPALA. SOUND OF WATER WITHIN THE DASH. TSB ON SAME ISSUE BACK IN 2000 GM IS AWARE OF THIS WHY AREN'T OWNERS BEING HELPED WITH FAULTY GASKETS. TBS #03034 NHTSA #10003430. WHY ARE WE IN A POSITION TO DAMAGE AN ENGINE OR WORSE AND GM HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY IN SUCH A CRUCIAL COMPONET. ITS AFFECTED EVERY MODEL YEAR IMPALA 2000-2003 MANY TBS'S LISTED EACH YEAR. THEY REPAIRED MY IMPALA AT FULL COST TO(48K.) ME. I WOULD NOT PURCHASE A NEW CAR WITH THIS BEING A HAZARD TO ME AND MY FAMILY. I WAS JUST SURPRISED NO REACTION UNTIL SOMEONE GETS HURT. ALSO A VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR A NEWER CAR. *JB

AT ABOUT 45,000 MILES THE BRAKE WARNING TAB STARTED MAKING THE SCRATCHING NOISE WHEN I PUT ON THE BRAKES. TWO DAYS LATER THE CAR WAS IN THE SHOP FOR FRONT BRAKE SERVICE. I WAS EXPECTING JUST PADS WERE NEEDED, BUT NOT THE CASE. I WAS TOLD AND SHOWN THE ROTORS HAD WORN DOWN TOO FAR TO CUT. BOTH FRONT ROTORS WERE BELOW SAFE DEPTH. I COULD NOT BELIEVE THIS WITH ONLY 45,000 ON THE CAR. THE ROTORS WERE JUNKED AND MY REPAIR BILL WENT TO TWICE AS MUCH. IS THIS AMERICAN QUALITY OR WHAT! OTHER THAN THIS, I HAVE AND DO LIKE MY IMPALA. CHEVY COULD CALL AND MAKE THIS RIGHT WOULD PUT THING 100% RIGHT WITH ME. WILL THEY DO THAT??? JB

I OWN CHEVROLET IMPALA WHICH IS LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD. THE COOLANT IS SUPPOSED TO LAST 100,000 MILES OR MORE. BUT THE SYSTEM HAS PROBLEMS AND IT LEAKS. THE CAR GETS OVERHEATED AND PRESENTS A FIRE HAZARD. *NM