2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

WHEN I PRESSED DOWN ON MY ACCELERATOR PEDAL (SPEED LIMIT WAS INCREASING FROM 50MPH TO 65MPH), A MESSAGE OF "STARTING DISABLED. SERVICE THROTTLE" CAME UP ON THE DASH. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND STEERING WHEEL COMPLETELY LOCKED UP AND THE CAR STARTED TO DECELERATE. I WAS ABLE TO FORCE THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO TURN ONTO A SIDE STREET (NARROWLY AVOIDING A CAR STOPPED IN THE LEFT LANE TO TURN) AND PARK THE VEHICLE IN A LOCATION OUT OF THE MAIN LANE OF TRAFFIC. HAD THIS SIDE STREET NOT BEEN THERE AT THAT EXACT MOMENT, THE POSSIBILITY OF A CRASH WOULD BE VERY LIKELY AS STEERING WAS UNRESPONSIVE AND I MAY HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED DUE TO THE SUDDEN LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. *TR

THE REAR POWER DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS HAVE FAILED. THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR LOCK FAILED FIRST, THEN A FEW THOUSAND MILES LATER THE DRIVER SIDE ACTUATOR FAILED. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT BUT WITH A 90%+ OCCURRENCE OF FAILURE. ONE OR BOTH WILL FAIL FOR WEEKS AT A TIME, BUT MAY OCCASIONALLY SURPRISE YOU AND WORK ONCE OR TWICE. THE FAILURE IS IN BOTH THE LOCK AND UNLOCK MODES. THE FAILURE IS UNRELATED TO USING KEYLESS ENTRY OR THE MANUAL SWITCH OR HAVING CHILD SAFETY LOCKS ON OR OFF. IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH THE REAR DOOR TOP MANUAL LATCH POST FROM THE FRONT SEAT. ON ONE OCCASION I WAS TRYING TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR FROM THE FRONT SEAT. MY HEAD/NECK BECAME TRAPPED BETWEEN THE SIDE OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND THE DOOR PILLAR. I WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE MY NECK UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO REACH THE SEAT ADJUSTING MECHANISM AND MOVE THE SEAT FORWARD. IN THE PROCESS OF THAT I AGGRAVATED A CHRONIC BACK CONDITION PULLING A MUSCLE IN MY BACK. AN INTERNET SEARCH OR DISCUSSION WITH REPAIR SHOPS WILL QUICKLY REVEAL THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE FOR MANY 2008-2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA, TAHOE, MALIBU AND SILVERADO OWNERS. DUE TO THE APPROXIMATE $365 PER DOOR REPAIR COST, THE DEFECTIVE LATCHES ARE NOT BEING REPLACED BY MANY OWNERS. CHEVROLET IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND OFFERS NO REPAIR ASSISTANCE. IN A CRASH SITUATION THE CRASH COMPUTER SEQUENCE CANNOT BE RELIED ON ACTUATE THE DEFECTIVE LOCK ACTUATORS. THE POSITION OF THE MANUAL LOCK POST DOES NOT FACILITATE MANUAL OPERATION WITHOUT EXTREME CONTORTION OF THE BODY. IN A FIRE, CRASH OR EMERGENCY IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO ACCESS CHILDREN OR PASSENGERS FROM THE REAR SEAT FOR EXTRACTION. MY SON HAS TOLD ME THAT IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT THE REAR DOORS ON THIS GENRE OF VEHICLE ARE COMMONLY UNLOCKED AND A TARGET OF THIEVES AND POTENTIALLY CARJACKERS. *TR

A FRONT TIRE DEVELOPED A BUBBLE PROTRUDING FROM A SIDEWALL CRACK ON THE INSIDE OF MY GOODYEAR LS-2 TIRE. A SECOND LS-2 FAILED FROM A SIMILAR SIDEWALL CRACK AT JUST OVER 30,000 MILES. MY 3RD LS-2 IS CURRENTLY FAILING ON THE INTERIOR SIDEWALL WITH ABOUT 48,000 MILES ON THE CAR. THE TREAD WAS GOOD ON ALL TIRES REPLACED. *TR

I WAS AT A STOP SIGN AND THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER, CHECK TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS CAME ON. THE CODE CAME UP I HAD IT CHECKED IT IS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR THIS CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE .NHTSA PLEASE LOOK AT THESE COMPLAINTS IT IS A 75 DOLLAR PART AND LABOR OF 4 HOURS.IM PAYING FOR PART AND DOING MYSELF I NEED SOME REIMBURSEMENT OR PAYMENT OF THIS TO SHOP. *TR

THIS IS THE 1ST TIME I AM FILING A COMPLAINT, BUT THIS COMPLAINT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES! MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR! MY CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON. THE DASH ALTERNATES BETWEEN "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" AND "REDUCED ENGINE POWER." THIS IS REALLY FRIGHTENING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE ENGINE BEGINS TO REDUCE POWER AND YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY FAST MOVING VEHICLES. THE FAULT HAS BEEN CHECKED MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT THE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK REVEALS BOGUS FAULTS UNRELATED TO THE TRACTION CONTROL FAULT. I HAVE LEARNED THAT WHEN THIS HAPPENS, I NEED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD, TURN OFF THE IGNITION, OPEN THE DOOR AND WAIT FOR THE DOME LIGHT TO GO OFF. THEN I CAN RESTART AND GO ON MY WAY. THIS HAPPENS ABOUT ONCE PER MONTH AND HAS DONE IT FOR 2 YEARS. CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I CAN AFFORD TO BUY A DIFFERENT VEHICLE. I HAVE TALKED WITH OTHER CHEVROLET OWNERS AND THEY EXPERIENCE THIS SAME FAULT, BUT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH IN CRUISE CONTROL, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO STALL. THE VEHICLE ALSO FAILED TO INCREASE SPEED WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE ALSO FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT LISTED UNDER ANY RECALLS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

THREE TIMES NOW THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE FIRST TIME I WAS DRIVING DOWN A MAIN STREET AT ABOUT 35 MILES PER HOUR AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AND THE WORDING WAS DISPLAYED, AS WELL AS MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE WORDING "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" WAS DISPLAYED. ABOUT A MONTH LATER, I WAS LEAVING A PARKING LOT WHEN THE SAME THING HAPPENED AND THEN AGAIN FOUR DAYS LATER I WAS MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED. WHEN I TRY TO ACCELERATE, IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING IS GOING TO FALL OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF MY CAR. AFTER READING THE OTHER COMPLAINTS, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS ISN'T BEING TAKEN CARE OF BY THE COMPANY AND LEFT UP TO THE CAR OWNER TO DEAL WITH. IT IS VERY UNSAFE AND I CAN'T AFFORD TO GET A DIFFERENT CAR NOR PAY FOR EXPENSIVE REPAIRS THAT ARE BEYOND MY CONTROL OR FAULT. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON CITY STREETS AND MY CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. THE DASH ALTERNATED BETWEEN "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" AND "REDUCED ENGINE POWER." YES THE ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED BUT I WAS STILL ABLE TO DRIVE IN THE CITY. *TR

TODAY MUST OF BEEN A RECORD FOR HOW MANY TIMES MY IMPALA SHUT ITSELF OFF! I LOST COUNT AT ABOUT 20 TIMES! IM OVER A HUNDRED MILES AWAY FROM HOME AT MY PARENTS HOUSE AND ON MY ATTEMPT TO GET HOME THE IMPALA WOULDN'T LET ME DRIVE MORE THAN 10 MINUTES. BECAUSE OF THIS I HAVE NOW HAD TO CALL OFF WORK AND AM OUT OF A DAYS WAGE BECAUSE I MADE THE MISTAKE OF BUYING THIS CAR. I HAVE NO MONEY AND CANT GET THIS FIXED FOR AWHILE BUT IT SEEMS THAT I MAY HAVE TO CHOSE BETWEEN EATING THIS MONTH OR FIXING THIS SO I GUESS ILL JUST GO HUNGRY. I'VE BEEN SEARCHING THIS SITE FOR OTHER YEAR IMPALAS AND IT SEEMS THAT EVERY SINGLE YEAR IS HAVING THIS ISSUE, EVEN THE 2014 MODELS! THIS HAS MADE ME REACH THE CONCLUSION THAT THE NHTSA DOESN'T REALLY CARE ABOUT OUR SAFETY NOR DO THEY ATTEMPT TO SOLVE ANY PROBLEMS BASED ON HOW MANY TIMES THIS COMPLAINT GETS REPORTED AND DOES ANYTHING EVER HAPPEN!? THE ANSWER IS NO! SO IM BASICALLY WRITING THIS TO INFORM OTHERS WHO PLAN ON GETTING AN IMPALA, PLEASE FOR THE SAFETY OF YOURSELF, THOSE AROUND YOU, AND YOUR WALLET DON'T! THIS IS MY LAST GM CAR I WILL EVER PURCHASE! NOT THAT GM REALLY CARES BECAUSE THEY ALREADY GOT MY $60,000 FOR MY LAST 3 CARS SO THIS PROBLEM WILL NEVER GET RECALLED, NOR WILL THIS WEBSITE ATTEMPT TO PROVIDE ANY TYPE OF HELP SO SAVE YOURSELF THE HEADACHE AND BUY FOREIGN. *TR

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AND THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT CAME ON. I DROVE A FEW MILES FURTHER GOING ABOUT 65 MILES AND HOUR, AND THE ENGINE DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. I HAD TO PULL THE CAR OFF THE ROAD WITH NO POWER STEERING (I WAS STILL ROLLING THANKS TO MOMENTUM) SO I WOULDN'T GET HIT BY ANOTHER CAR. AFTER I SAT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR A FEW MINUTES, I WAS ABLE TO START IT AGAIN AND DRIVE IT ABOUT 10 MILES BACK HOME. OUR REPAIRMAN SAID THE THROTTLE MOTOR SIGNAL CAME UP WHEN HE PLUGGED IT IN TO THE COMPUTER, SO WE SPENT THE $280 TO REPLACE IT. IT WORKED FINE FOR ABOUT 4 DAYS, AND THEN THE TRACTION LIGHT AND AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN A FEW DAYS AGO. WE'VE GOT IT IN THE SHOP AGAIN AND ARE WAITING FOR THE NEWS AS TO WHAT IT IS THIS TIME.