2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

1-28-06, WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS ON MY 2002 CHEVY IMPALA WENT OUT. WE FLASHED THE DIMMER/BRIGHT SWITCH AND THEY CAME ON. THIS HAPPENED 3-4 TIMES OVER THE NEXT 3 MONTHS. WE THOUGHT WE HAD A WIRING PROBLEM. THEN IN LATE APRIL, MY CAR JUST QUITE RUNNING, WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD. IT STARTED BACK UP, BUT IT THEN WAS OUR CUE TO HAVE IT FIXED. THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY TO WE TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. I HAD TO TAKE IT BACK A SECOND TIME BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WASN'T FIXED, THE LIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN. AT THIS POINT, MAY, 2006, SINCE IT IS DAYLIGHT FOR MORE HOURS OF THE DAY, WE DON'T DRIVE A LOT AT NIGHT SO I HAVEN'T NOTICED IT HAPPENING AGAIN. ON 5-30-06 I HEARD ON A NEWS REPORT THAT YOU HAVE RECEIVED 15 COMPLAINTS OF HEADLIGHTS GOING OUT ON CHEVY IMPALAS, I WANTED TO ADD ANOTHER COMPLAINT TO THAT. *NM

ENGINE COOLANT LEAK AT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD, OR AT THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD TO LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET. THIS CONDITION MAY RESULT IN A LOW ENGINE COOLANT LEVEL OR COOLANT POOLING ON MANIFOLD. SAME PROBLEM AS NOTED IN TSB#03034(NHTSA ID#10003430, JULY 01, 2003) THIS PROBLEM IS PRESENT IN MY IMPALA THAT HAS BEEN WELL SERVICED EVERY 5K MILES AND SUDDENLY PRESENTED AT 96K MILES. *JB

HEAD LIGHT POPPED OUT OF PLACE AS I WAS RIDING DOWN THE ROAD ONE EVENING. ONE WORKED BUT ONE DID NOT. I TOOK IT TO A LOCAL SERVICE STATION IN MY HOMETOWN. THE OWNER LOOKED AT IT AND SAID HE COULD SEE WHY IT MAY HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE THE SEAL LOOKED AS IF IT HAD BEEN BROKEN FROM AROUND THE LIGHT. HE SAID THIS COULD POSSIBLY BE CAUSED FROM THE FACT THAT IT WAS NOT A PROPER SEAL AND SEEMED TO SHRINK BECAUSE OF EXPOSURE TO THE SUN. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT HAD NOT BEEN RECALLED. I CHOSE TO GET IT FIXED TO KEEP FROM GETTING A TICKET FOR A DAMAGED HEADLIGHT. *JB

ONLY 78000 MILES ON MY 2002 IMPALA WHEN THE COOLANT LIGHT COMES ON. NEARLY $1000.00 LATER THEY TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW WATER PUMP, INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, BELT, RADIATOR CAP, THERMOSTAT AND OF COURSE AN OIL CHANGE. ALL OF THIS BECAUSE THE COOLANT GM REQUIRES IS CORROSIVE AND CAUSES THE ABOVE ITEMS TO DETERIORATE. HOW LONG WILL THE REPLACEMENTS LAST? NOT SURE I WANT TO FIND OUT. *NM

I OWN A CHEVROLET, IMPALA - 2002. IN THE BEGINNING OF APRIL I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK AND WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO PULL OUT INTO A BUSY FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY AS I HIT THE GAS PEDAL TO ACCELERATE THE CAR FELT SLUGGISH AS THOUGH IT WERE NOT GETTING ENOUGH GAS OR NOT SHIFTING INTO GEAR. THAT EVENING I STOOPED TO FILL UP THE GAS TANK AND UPON LEAVING I WAS CLIMBING A HILL AND THE CAR ACTED UP AGAIN AND MADE A DIFFERENT SOUND AND AGAIN ACTED AS THOUGH IT WERE NOT SHIFTING INTO GEAR OR NOT GETTING ENOUGH FUEL AND THE SECURITY LIGHT (NOT SERVICE ENGINE) CAME ON AND STAYED ON. I IMMEDIATELY PHONED MY HUSBAND AND HE MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO TAKE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP (JOHN SERRETTI). WE HAVE MAINTAINED THIS VEHICLE FAITHFULLY SINCE WE PURCHASED IT OIL CHANGES, TIRES ROTATED ETC. ALL PERFORMED AT JOHN SERETTI'S EVERY 3/4 MONTHS. AFTER REVIEWING ALL PAPERWORK RECEIVED AT HOME FOR THE IMPALA MY HUSBAND CAME ACROSS A LETTER FROM GENERAL MOTORS MAILED IN OCTOBER 2005 STATING THAT SOME VEHICLES WERE EXPERIENCING LOSS OF POWER DUE TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND IF WE DID INDEED HAVE ANY ISSUES WITH THIS TO TAKE TO THE DEALER AND THEY WOULD REPLACE IT, BUT IF NOT, NOTHING NEEDED TO BE DONE AND THIS LETTER WAS NOT A RECALL. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST ($90) AND FOUND THAT INDEED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTED WAS CLOGGED AND SUPPOSEDLY CAUSED THE SPARK PLUGS WIRE TO ARC AND MELT WHICH ALL HAD TO BE REPLACED AT OUR EXPENSE (ALMOST $600). MY HUSBAND HAS TALKED TO SEVERAL MECHANICS IN REFERENCE TO THIS AND THEY ALL AGREE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION POSSIBLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. GM DID COVER PART OF THE REPAIRS BUT IN MY OPINION THEY SHOULD HAVE COVERED THEM ALL BECAUSE THE CONVERTER WAS DEFECTIVE AND IF CARBON HAD BUILT UP TO THAT EXTENT TO CAUSE ALL OF THIS DAMAGE AND LEADING ME AND OTHER MECHANICS TO BELIEVE IT COULD VERY WELL HAVE STARTED A FIRE, WHY WASN'T IT DISCOVERED AT THE PREVIOUS INSPECTION-OIL CHANGE? *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL THE VEHICLE PULSATES UNTIL STOPPED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PADS AND ROTORS TWICE BUT THIS HAS NOT REMEDIED THE PROBLEM.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE MATERIAL PADDING HOOKS WERE BROKEN OFF OF THE SIDE OF THE SEAT AND PLACED IN THE MOUTH BY THE TODDLER. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A RISK OF CHOKING, THE CHILD DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE SEAT WAS INSPECTED BY A CHILD SAFETY SEAT TECHNICIAN WHO SUGGESTED DISCARDING THE SEAT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE FUEL GAUGE READS FULL UNTIL THE VEHICLE RAN OUT OF GASOLINE. THE CONTACT VERBALLY SPOKE WITH THE DEALER WHICH STATED, THE FUEL PUMP HAD FAILED AND WOULD NEED REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION.

LOW ENGINE COOLANT LIGHT WENT ON. HAD IT CHECKED OUT. LOCAL MECHANIC SAID THAT OIL WAS GETTING INTO THE RADIATOR, POSSIBLE INTAKE MANIFOLD OR HEAD GASKET PROBLEM. WENT TO CHEVY DEALER EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND HE STATED IT WAS VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2002 IMPALA. HE DIAGNOSTIC THE PROBLEM AS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET, COST TO REPAIR $1000. I PHONE ANOTHER CHEVY DEALER COST $800, LOCAL MECHANIC $600. COST OF THE PARTS AT AUTOZONE LESS THAN $75 AMOUNT OF LABOR TIME SHOULD BE 3-5 HOURS. CHEVY DEALERS 8 + HOURS. ALL THIS BECAUSE GM USES BAD ANTIFREEZE. GM CAUSED THE PROBLEM THEY NEED TO STEP UP AND PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO IMPALA OWNERS. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS WILL BE MY LAST GM PRODUCT. *JB

NOTICEABLE LOOSENESS AND "CLUNK" IN STEERING WHEN TURNING AND/OR ACCELERATING FROM A STOP OR AT LOW SPEED. CAR HAD NEARLY 50,000 MILES. HOW MUCH LONGER BEFORE A LOSS OF STEERING COULD OCCUR? *NM