2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

I HAVE A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. IT HAS AROUND 53,000 MILES ON IT. MY WIFE DRIVES THE CAR AND IT HAS BEEN DRIVEN SLOWLY. ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO SHE TOLD ME THE CAR SHIFTED HARD AND I DROVE IT AND FOUND THAT PROBLEM ALSO. THAT WENT AWAY FOR 2 WEEKS AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. WE WERE REFERRED TO A INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOP AND WE WERE TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION IN THE IMPALA HAS BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS AND WE WERE TOLD IT NEEDED TO BE REBUILT. I THEN TOOK THE CAR TO THE CHEVY DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY IS SOME PROBLEMS BUT JUST WOULDNT GET SPECIFIC WITH ME. I THEN WENT TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOP AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING AS THE FIRST SHOP TOLD ME AND THAT WAS I NEEDED THIS REBUILT. THEY SAID THE TRANSMISSION IS A BAD DESIGN AND WANT $2400. TO $2600. TO FIX IT. THIS IS THE SAME PRICE AS THE FIRST PLACE GAVE ME. I THINK IF THIS IS SO COMMON OF A PROBLEM G.M. SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I AM GOING BACK TO THE CHEVY DEALER AND AM GOING TO ASK THEM JUST WHAT THEY CAN DO FOR ME. I'M NOT A HAPPY PERSON, THIS CAR HAS NOT BEEN DRIVEN HARD AND INFACT IT'S BEEN TREATED NICELY. I CAN'T FIND A RECALL ON IT BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THERE SHOULD BE ONE IN EFFECT FOR IT. I ALSO THINK THIS PROBLEM COULD BE A SERIOUS ROAD HASSARD IF THE TRANSMISSION GOES OUT WHILE BEING DRIVEN.

DT: ON 4/20/05 WHILE DRIVING,GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD. VEHICLE BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN UNINTENTIONALLY ,AND UPON PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL, CAR WOULD NOT SPEED UP. THIS OCCURRED ON DRY PAVEMENT ON HIGHWAY. CAR WAS REGULARLY SERVICED WITH RECORDS AVAILABLE. THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED ABOUT EVERY 6 MONTHS. *AK

DT: CONSUMER STATES: BODY CONTROL MODULE FAILURE. WHEN TRYING TO START IT'S LIKE A DEAD BATTERY, NO NOISE LIKE SOMEONE TOOK THE STARTER OFF. HAVE SOME LIGHTS COME ON BUT NOT ALL.*AK

DT: WHILE DRIVING ON A 2 LANE ROAD AT 2000 RPMS AND ABOUT 65 MPH, USING CRUISE CONTROL FOR ABOUT 50 MILES, THE ROAD STARTED CHANGED TO ONE LANE AND CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM STOPPED ELECTRICALLY, BUT THE MECHANICAL PORTION CONTINUED TO ENGAGE. BRAKES HAD TO BE DEPRESSED HARD TO STOP THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND PUT INTO NEUTRAL TACHOMETER JUMPED TO 4000 RPMS. *AK

DT: ABOUT 12,000 MILES WHEN THE CONSUMER STEPPED ON THE BRAKES THE CAR WOULD SHAKE AND VIBRATE. THE CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE BRAKES WERE FIXED. AT 29,000 MILES THE PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN, THE CAR WOULD SHAKE AND VIBRATE WHEN BRAKE PRESSURE WAS APPLIED. THE CONSUMER WASN'T SATISFIED WITH THE DEALER SO THE CONSUMER TOOK THE CAR TO HIS OWN MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ROTORS AND THE PADS. THE FRICTION MATERIAL ON THE PAD SEPARATED FROM THE METAL BACKING. THE MECHANIC HAD NEVER SEEN THIS IN A VEHICLE BEFORE. THE MILEAGE IS LOW AND THE CAR HAS BEEN VERY WELL TAKEN OF. THERE IS ONLY AN ADULT DRIVER THAT USES THE VEHICLE. *JB UPDATED 11/16/2005. *NM

AT APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES I HAD BEEN TOLD THAT MY CAR HAD A MINOR ANTIFREEZE LEAK AT THE LOWER INTAKE. NOW AT 130,000 MILES IT HAS TURNED INTO A MAJOR PROBLEM THAT WILL REQUIRE AT LEAST 600 DOLLARS IN REPAIR COSTS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT ALOT OF IMPALAS DO THIS. HAVE NOT RESOLVED THE ISSUE YET, NOR RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE.

TWO MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR BOTH MY HEADLIGHTS FOGGED OVER. THEY COST $250 A PIECE TO REPLACE (HAVE NOT YET REPLACED). ABOUT A MONTH LATER A COMPUTER CHIP THAT CONTROLLED MY LIGHTS, LOCKS, WINDOWS, INTERIOR LIGHTS, AND STEREO WENT BAD AND THAT COST $353 TO REPLACE. SOON AFTER THAT I NOTICED THAT MY CAR FELT LIKE IT MOVED BACK AND FORTH WHEN I DROVE IT, AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS VERY LOOSE WHEN I TURNED. I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS A VERY BIG DEAL BUT TOOK IT INTO THE SHOP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. I TOOK IT IN AND FOUND OUT THAT I WAS MISSING 2 BEARINGS ON MY SUSPENSION WHICH PUT PRESSURE ON MY DRIVE SHAFT(NOT SURE ABOUT ACTUAL TERMINOLOGY HERE NOT SURE IF IT WAS DRIVE SHAFT OR STEERING COLUMN) CAUSING MY RACK AND PINION TO GO BAD. THAT COST $1100 TO FIX. SO NOW I AM $1453 INTO HAVING MY CAR REPAIRED FOR THINGS THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE GONE BAD IN THE FIRST PLACE. TODAY (MAY 9TH 2005) I FOUND OUT THAT MY INTAKE MANIFOLD HAS GONE BAD AND I CAN SMELL BURNING ANTIFREEZE WHEN I DRIVE, AND MY COOLANT SENSOR IS BAD. TO FIX THOSE TWO THINGS IS GOING TO COST ME $840. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT I HAVE CHECKED THIS CAR OUT ON CARFAX.COM THERE WAS ONLY ONE PREVIOUS OWNER AND NOTHING SIGNIFIGANT AS HOW IT WAS TREATED. I PURCHASED THIS CAR AT 34,000 MILES AND IT NOW HAS 53,000 MILES. THIS CAR HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE I BOUGHT ALMOST 2YRS AGO. I HAVE CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE 3 TIMES NOW, AND EACH TIME I AM GIVEN THE SAME ANSWER "I AM SORRY MS.... THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO FOR YOU AT THIS TIME...". GM NEEDS TO GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER AND START MAKING CARS THAT ARE WORTH WHAT THEY SELL THEM FOR. HAD I KNOWN HOW GM MADE VEHICLES WITH BAD PARTS AND REFUSE TO BACK THEM UP, I WOULD NEVER HAVE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE THAT NOW SITS IN MY GARAGE.

2002 IMPALA LS HAS A DISC BRAKE PROBLEM . DISCS REQUIRED RESURFACING AFTER 15000 MILES. THE PROBLEM RETURNED AFTER 5000 MILES. THE FIRST RESURFACING WAS DONE UNDER NEW CAR WARRANTY. UPON RETURNING THE SECOND TIME I ASKED THAT THE DISCS BE REPLACED. DEALER REFUSED, AND SAID THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOW MINE SINCE EVEN THOUGH HE FAILED TO FIX THE PROBLEM THE WARRANTY PERIOD WAS OVER. SINCE THE PROBLEM OCCURRED UNDER WARRANTY, AND HE FAILED TO FIX IT, I REFUSED TO HAVE THE DISC RESURFACED AGAIN. THIS IS A PROBLEM UNDER NHTSA 10012633 CALLED BRAKE ROTOR ALLOWABLE THICKNESS AFTER RESURFACING. DEALER DOESN'T KNOW OR DOESN'T CARE. I COMPLAINED TO CHEVROLET, THEY SIDED WITH THE DEALER, AND GAVE ME A NUMBER 1-328237740, BUT NO SATISFACTION. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY DEFECT WHICH CHEVROLET IS IGNORING.*AK

P102 MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR FAILURE, CAUSING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO REMAIN IN A STEADY ON CONDITION. VEHICLE WOULD FAIL EMISSIONS TEST WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, BUT DEALER SAYS THIS CONDITION NOT COVERED BY EMISSIONS WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THE OWNER'S MANUAL CLEARLY STATES THIS CONDITION IS A EMISSIONS SYSTEM MALFUNCTION.*AK

TRACTION CONTROL OFF LIGHT CAME ON . ALSO THE ABS LIGHT CAME ON.I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF. A SHORT WHILE LATER THE LIGHTS CAME ON AGAIN. I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO MATTHEW HARGREAVES CHEVROLET. 2000 E. 12 MILE RD. P. O. 278, ROYAL OAK, MI 48068 PHONE 248-398-8800 FAX 248-398-0867. THEY TOLD ME THE LEFT REAR ABS SPEED SENSOR HAD AN OPEN CIRCUIT. SO THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE LEFT REAR WHEEL BEARING HUB ASSEMBLY. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 39,020 MILES, AND WAS PURCHASED ON JANUARY 14, 2002.*AK