2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH CHEVY IMPALAS, HOWEVER GM REFUSES TO DO A RECALL. SOMEONE WILL DIE AGAIN AT THEIR HANDS. WHEN DRIVING THE CAR, ALL OF A SUDDEN A "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" MESSAGE POPS UP, THEN "REDUCED ENGINE POWER", THEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LOSES POWER AND THE SPEED IS CUT ALMOST IN HALF VERY ABRUPTLY. ONE TIME, THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST ALL ELECTRICAL AND POWER WHILE TRAVELING AT 65MPH ON THE INTERSTATE. I WAS STUCK WITH NO POWER STEERING, NO POWER BRAKES, ETC AND HAD TO NAVIGATE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT KILLING MYSELF. I HAVE FINALLY FIGURED OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS DUE TO THE MANY FORUMS THAT ARE POPPING UP WITH OTHER OWNERS DESCRIBING THEIR FIXES. TURNS OUT IT IS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR. I HAVE REPLACED IT MYSELF AND THE CAR IS NOW RUNNING FINE. I AM NOT HAPPY WITH CHEVROLET PLAYING WITH MY SAFETY AND MY LIFE BY NOT RECALLING THIS PART. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER.... PEOPLE WILL DIE, I ALMOST DID. *TR

SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL MESSAGE ALONG WITH REDUCED ENGINE POWER MESSAGE. CAR JERKED/HESITATED UPON STOPPING AND STARTING AT INTERSECTION. REDUCED SPEED AUTOMATICALLY AND COULDNT SPEED UP. *TR

DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS THE VEHICLE SPEED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING LOSS OF VEHICLE FORWARD MOTION, DROPPING TO APPROX 25 MPH. "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" AND TRACTION SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED REPEATEDLY CAUSING A TRAFFIC DANGER PROBLEM. RETURNED TO DEALER A NUMBER OF TMES. PROBLEM CONTINUES, SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING LOSS OF POWER ON ROADWAY. EXTRAEMLY DANGEROUS IN THE HEAVY TRAFFIC CONDITIONS OF SUDDEN INEXPLICABLE LOSS OF VEHICLE FORWARD MOTION. HAVE TO PUT ON SAFETY FLASHERSAND MOVE TO FAR RIGHT OF ROADWAY AREA. .*TR

WE OWN THE CAR LISTED ABOVE AND HAVE FOR OVER TWO YEARS. WE BOUGHT IT AT A DEALERSHIP IN EAST TENNESSEE. THE CAR WAS PREVIOUSLY USED AS A RENT A CAR FOR ENTERPRISE. NOT EVEN A YEAR AFTER WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE WE HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THE FACT I HAVE DROVE THIS CAR AND ALL ISSUES STATED FOR A RECALL WE HAVE HAD A PROBLEM WITH. THE MOST RECENT IS THE VEHICLE SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING IT ON HIGHWAYS. IT'S IS SAYING SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT MAD THAN WILL SAY SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL,THAN IT WILL SHUTOFF I BEEN GOING 70 DOWN AN INTERSTATE AND IT SHUTOFF MAD ABOUT KILL US. WE HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS THE PROBLEM BY WHAT TECHNICIAN SAY. I AM JUST NOW STARTING TO RESEARCH THE ISSUES WE HAVE AND FOUND NUMEROUS RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE IN WHICH WE HAVE THE PROBLEMS LISTED ABOVE AND MORE. MAINLY THE AIRBAG STEERING CONTROL ARM AND VEHICLE JUST SHUTTING OFF. I GUESS THE BEST WAY TO SUM IT UP IS THEY SOLD US A LEMON PERHAPS BUT AFTER LOOKING AT THE RECALL LIST OUR VEHICLE MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SURE. TOO MANY PROBLEMS FOR A NEW VEHICLE. JUST LOOKING TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM BEFORE THE CAR INJURES US OR SOMEONE ELSE ON THE HIGHWAYS. HOPE THIS DOESN'T TAKE LONG TO GET RESOLVED BECAUSE DEATHS COULD OCCUR. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME HOPE TO SPEAK WITH SOMEONE SOON BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. I MEAN I THOUGHT SOMETHING MAJOR WAS WRONG BUT THE AUTOMD WEBSITE REALLY ASSURED WHAT WE BEEN THINKING. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME. *TR

AFTER PURCHASING THIS "ONE OWNER DRIVEN BY [XXX] CAR ON MARCH 27, 2014 WE HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH THE CAR .SUPPOSEDLY PURCHASED FROM THE DEALER WERE THE ORIGINAL OWNER TRADED IT IN.WITH ONLY APPROX. 34,800 MILES....SO MUCH SO WE PURCHASED ANOTHER ONE...A 2014 (NOT NEW BODY STYLE). I'M DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AT ABOUT 6:45AM ON A NORMAL SUNNY MORNING IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I GET AN ALERT STATING "REDUCED ENGINE POWER/SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL ALERT...THE CALL LOST MOST POWER AND WAS SHIFTING STRANGELY...I HAVE DONE SOME INTERNET RESEARCH AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH GM CARS BETWEEN 2008- AND 2011...WE HAVE ONLY MADE ONE PAYMENT ON THIS VEHICLE AND ARE CURRENTLY TRYING TO CONTACT THE DEALER AND WAITING ON A RETURN CALL.......THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED AGAIN LAST NIGHT AND HE BARELY MADE IT TO WORK....SOMETIMES WHEN THIS ALERT IS NOT ON THE ENGINE LIGHT IS ON...SOMETIMES NO LIGHTS AT ALL...BUT THIS IS POTENTIALLY A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION ESPECIALLY IF TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED ON EXPRESSWAY OR SOMETHING...IF GM IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM...WHICH THEY APPEAR TO BE BASED ON MY RESEARCH, THERE SHOULD BE A BULLETIN OR A RECALL AVAILABLE TO FIX SAID PROBLEM....I HOPE WE DO NOT HAVE TO PURSUE ANY FURTHER ACTION AGAINST GM AND THAT THE DEALER WILL MAKE THIS RIGHT...THIS CAR IS LIKE BRAND NEW!! *TR PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACCELERATION SENSOR WAS MALFUNCTIONING WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO IDLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THE ACCELERATION SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,490.

I TOO HAVE SUFFERED FROM THE ACHING NOISE THAT COMES FROM THE BLEND DOOR ACTUATOR. I WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT, THAT THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM IN THE IMPALAS. MY IMPALA WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR A WEEK AND I WAS TOLD THE REASON THAT IT TOOK SO LONG WAS THAT THERE ARE THREE ACTUATORS AND THEY HAD TO FIGURE OUT WHICH ONE IT WAS OR CHARGE ME TO FIX ALL THREE BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T MAKE OUT WHICH ONE IT WAS. I PAID TO GET THE ONE FIX AND A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER IT STARTED AGAIN. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT MAYBE THEY FIXED THE WRONG ONE AND I COULD PAY TO GET THE OTHER TWO FIXED. THIS IS A $40 PART THAT I PAID $238.00 TO GET FIXED. I DECLINED AND FOUND NUMEROUS YOUTUBE VIDEOS AND BLOGS REPORTING MODELS AS EARLY AS 2006 WITH THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE ENCOUNTERED SEVERAL PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD OR HAVE THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE "KNOCKING NOISE FROM THE DASH BOARD". I AM VERY SURPRISED AND DISHEARTENED THAT THIS A COMMON ISSUE WITH THESE MODELS AND YET GM HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL. HOPEFULLY, I CAN GET OTHERS TO SPEAK OUT ON THIS ISSUE AND FILE COMPLAINTS. *TR

WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE SERVICE STABILITRAK AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. LUCKILY I WAS GOING SLOW DID NOT LOSE ENGINE POWER. I TURNED OFF THE CAR THE SERVICE STABILITRAK AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHTS WERE NOT LIT BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. WHEN I GOT IN THE NEXT DAY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS NOT LIT. THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ON NO CHECK ENGINE FOR ABOUT A WEEK AND THEN IT STARTED COMING BACK ON AGAIN. IT HAS STARTED AGAIN ON A MORE RECURRENT BASIS. I HAVE READ THREADS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT GM HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. I HAVE READ THREADS ON THIS ISSUE ON YOUR WEBSITE AND APPARENTLY IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE IMPALAS. *TR

2009 IMPALA, OWNED SINCE 2011. STARTED TO GIVE US ISSUES A YEAR AFTER PURCHASE WHERE WE WOULD GET NO CRANK, NO START. REPLACED BATTERY THINKING IT WAS THE ISSUE. IT WORKED FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND STARTED OVER AGAIN. NO CRANK, NO START. REPLACED STARTER WITH AUTOZONE BRAND AND IT WORKED FINE A FEW DAYS. IT STARTED TO HAPPEN AGAIN, NO CRANK, NO START. REPLACED STARTER WITH OEM FROM GM. IT WORKED FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS AND THE ISSUE STARTED TO HAPPEN AGAIN. NO CRANK, NO START. REPLACED STARTER RELAY, PULLED BCM AND CLEANED ALL CONTACTS. AFTER CLEANING BCM CONTACTS IT SEEMED TO OF WORKED BUT A FEW WEEKS LATER IT GAVE US THE SAME PROBLEM. CHANGED IGNITION SWITCH AND CONTINUED TO HAVE THE SAME NO CRANK, NO START ISSUES. WE JUST CONTINUED TO LIVE WITH IT. THE CAR CRANKS AFTER 5 OR 6 TURNS OF THE KEY AND BECAME APART OF OUR DAILY LIFE. NOW THE BIG ISSUE IS THE CAR TURNED OFF ON US WHILE DRIVING A FEW DAYS AGO. LET IT SIT 30 MINS. AND TRIED TO CRANK BUT WE WERE GETTING NO CRANK NO START. IT EVENTUALLY CRANKED AND STARTED BUT I'M WORRIED BECAUSE I HAVE MY GRAND KIDS WITH ME OFTEN AND FEAR IF IM ON THE HIGHWAY I CAN GET INTO A SERIOUS COLLISION. AIRBAG LIGHT HAS CAME ON SINCE THEN AND CAN'T AFFORD TO GO TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED. I'VE CALLED GM AND SINCE THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING. HAVE ALSO CHECKED THE CABLES TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE TIGHT AND FREE OF CORROSION. NO OIL DRIPS ON THE STARTER. WE GIVE THE CAR SCHEDULED OIL CHANGES AND TAKE CARE OF IT VERY WELL. *TR

I COULD NOT REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE SWITCH. I CONTACTED MY CRAIN CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND THE STAFF ATTEMPTED TO WALK ME THOUGH ON HOW TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE SWITCH, EVERY ATTEMPT DID NOT WORK. *TR