2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S BRAKE ROTORS PULSATED AT 11,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP REFACED THE ROTORS AND THE PROBLEM REOCCURRED AT 33,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO INSTALL NEW ROTORS BUT REFACED THE ROTORS A SECOND TIME. THE ROTORS BEGAN PULSATING A THIRD TIME. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE 2005 MODEL OF THE SAME VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED SIMILAR BRAKE PROBLEMS.

THE HEADLIGHTS ON OUR 2002 IMPALA WILL GO OUT ON THEIR OWN. YOU CAN GET THEM BACK ON BY QUICKLY OPERATING THE HIGH/LOW BEAM ARM. WHEN OPERATING AT NIGHT YOU DON'T DARE TRY TO SWITCH TO HIGH BEAM OR THE LIGHTS SHUT OFF. THIS IS A VERY,VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION NOT ONLY FOR IMPALA OWNERS BUT ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO TOLD ME THE REPAIR WILL LIKELY BE EXTENSIVE AND EXPENSIVE BECAUSE OF THE AIRBAG .WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL?ALSO THE TURNING SIGNAL DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY ALL THE TIME. TO GET THIS WORKING ONCE IT HAS STOPPED YOU MUST TURN OFF THE CAR AND RESTART IT CONTINUALLY UNTIL IT WORKS AGAIN. *JB

I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 45 MILES AN HOUR. FORD RANGER IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON BRAKES TO AVOID HEAD ON COLLISION. I HAD PLENTY OF TIME FOR CAR TO STOP BUT ABS BRAKES LOCKED UP AND I REAR ENDED THE TRUCK. THEN AFTER HITTING THE TRUCK HARD ENOUGH TO HAVE CAR TOWED THE BATTERY BURST AND THE AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. *JB

WHEN GETTING INTO MY CAR I GO TO START MY CAR AND NOTHING HAPPENS. I HAVE TO WAIT FOR 10 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL START. THE SECURITY LIGHTS COMES ON WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. IT COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF SOMEONE DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. NO ONE CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS WHEN THE CAR WILL NOT START AND THE SECURITY LIGHT IS ON. IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE SECURITY SYSTEM. THERE ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE SAME ISSUES WITH THIS. SOME PEOPLE HAVE TO WAIT 30 MINUTES BEFORE THEIR CAR WILL START. THIS COULD PUT A WOMAN IN A SERIOUS SITUATION. WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE PROBLEM AND I HOPE SOMEONE CAN HELP. *JB

DEFECTIVE EXTERIOR LIGHT SWITCH MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH) ON 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THIS LIGHT SWITCH BECOMES DEFECTIVE WITHOUT WARNING AND IS A SAFETY HAZARD. CURRENT MODELS COME EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC HEADLIGHTS WHICH COME ON AT DUSK (OR IN DARKENED CONDITIONS) HOWEVER THIS DEFECT DOES NOT PROVIDE ANY WARNING THAT THIS AUTOMATIC FUNCTION HAS FAILED AND THE MANUAL LIGHT SWITCH IS ALSO DISABLED BY THE SAME DEFECT. *JB

(1) AT FIRST, THE TURN SIGNAL DID NOT WORK SOMETIMES. AND IT WOULD BE OKAY WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT DOWN AND RESTARTED. BUT AFTER THAT, THE PROBLEM WAS MORE SERIOUS. 2)TURN SIGNAL FAILURE WHEN DRIVING. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I CAN NOT WARN OTHER DRIVERS THAT I WILL BE TURNING WHICH MAY CAUSE A CRASH. (3) NOT YET DONE. THE REPLACEMENT OF HAZARD SWITCH SHOULD FIX THIS PROBLEM. *JB

DT:CALLER STATES THAT HIS SPOUSE WAS DRIVING AT 20 MPH WHILE CROSSING INTERSECTION A CAR CAME AN HIT THE VEHICLE THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE CAR.VEHICLES AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. ANOTHER VEHICLE HIT THE CAR HEAD ON. NEITHER THE SIDE AIRBAGS AND AIRBAGS DEPLOYED.INSURANCE DETERMINED THAT THE CAR WAS TOTALED NO REPAIRS WERE MADE.NO LOSE OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. THE WARNING LIGHT DID NOT SIGNAL DURING OR AFTER ACCIDENT. NO INJURIES.DID NOT CONTACT MANUFACTURER.NO PRE-IMPACT BRAKING OCCURRED. DRIVER WAS WEARING THEIR SEATBELT.NO PICTURES WERE TAKEN MY OCCUPANT POSSIBLE PICTURES TAKEN BY INSURANCE COMPANY.

MY 2002 IMPALA HAS JUST 70K MILES. THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON AND OVER HEATED SEVERAL TIMES. THE MECHANIC SAYS THAT IT IS A INTAKE GASKET THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT UNUSUAL WITH THE DEXTRON COOLANT THAT GM USES. I HAVE HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM FROM MANY MECHANICS AND IT SEEMS THAT GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO FIX THIS VERY EXPENSIVE REPAIR. MY FAILURE HAPPENED WHEN MY FAMILY WAS STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BECAUSE OF NO COOLANT IN THE ENGINE. *JB

IS THERE A WAY TO LOOK INTO THE CHEVROLET IMPALA 2002, 2001, AND 2000 MODELS FOR FAILURE OF THE SECURITY SYSTEM. THE LIGHT COMES ON AT TIMES AND WHEN TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE YOU ARE TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM CAN'T BE FOUND. AFTER THE LIGHT COMES ON, YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN OR IF THE CAR WILL START AND YOU HAVE IT TOWED AND NO PROBLEMS ARE FOUND. I THINK THIS CAN LEAD TO SOME TYPE OF SAFETY PROBLEM IF YOU NEED TO MOVE YOUR CAR IN A HURRY AND IT DON'T START. I'VE TALKED WITH MANY OWNERS OF THE TYPE OF CARS AND THEY ALL HAVE THIS PROBLEM. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN ALERTED. UPDATED 6/16/2006 - WHEN THE HIGH BEAMS WERE USED THE DASH LIGHTS WENT DARK. *NM