2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

THE CHECK ENGINE AND THE ABS BRAKING LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. DRIVER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, BUT MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. DRIVER INFORMED THE MECHANIC THAT THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION AND HAD NOT BEEN RESOLVED. *AK

BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT HUB BEARING ASSEMBLY HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED AS LOOSE. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP ADVISED THAT BOTH NEED TO BE REPLACED BEFORE AN ALIGNMENT COULD BE PERFORMED. JOHN WIGANT OF WALKER CHEVROLET TOLD ME, PRIOR TO A WRITTEN STATEMENT, THAT BOTH SIDES EXHIBIT A WORN OUT DIAGNOSIS, BUT THAT ONLY ONE SIDE SHOULD BE REPLACED NOW AND THAT THE OTHER MIGHT NEVER NEED TO BE REPLACED OR IT COULD GET WORSE. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT FROM JOHN WIGANT OF WALKER CHEVROLET, I WAS INFORMED THAT ONLY THE PASSENGER SIDE BEARING SHOULD BE REPLACED. I HAVE HAD OTHER PROBLEMS WITH ROTORS THAT LITERALLY SHOOK MY FRONT END AND STEERING COLUMN DURING THE WARRANTY PERIOD OF 36,000 MILES. AND THE INTERMEDIATE SHAFT HAS BEEN REPAIRED AND REPLACED 3 TIMES. THE LAST TIME IT WAS REPORTED ON NOVEMBER 18, '04 AND NOT REPAIRED UNTIL DECEMBER 30, '04 AT 53,267 MILES. I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT REPLACING THESE HUB BEARINGS WILL COST ME ABOUT $1,000.00 TO REPAIR. I HAVE READ ANOTHER COMPLAINT IN NHTSA FILES THAT A SAME YEAR IMPALA FRONT WHEEL OR AXLE FELL OFF AND CAUSED A DRIVER TO VEER OFF THE ROAD. I FEEL THAT THE PAST ROTOR AND INTERMEDIATE SHAFT PROBLEMS HAVE EXASPERATED THIS WEAR AND CAUSED IT TO BE A BIGGER PROBLEM. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SPEEDOMETER CABLE, RADIO, AND REAR WINDOW. ALL HAVE BEEN SERVICED, BUT CONTINUE TO EXHIBIT THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT EXISTED BEFORE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT. *JB

THE CONSUMER STATES THE HEAD LIGHT LENSES PRODUCED CONDENSATION. AS A RESULT, THE LIGHTS WERE DIM. *JB WATER WAS GETTING INTO THE HEADLIGHTS AND THERE WAS A FRONT AND REAR ALIGNMENT PROBLEM. AS A RESULT OF THESE TWO PROBLEMS, THERE WAS POOR NIGHT VISION AND THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *SC *JB

CLUNKING NOISE WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL AND YOU COULD FEEL IT IN THE STEERING WHEEL DEALER SAID INTERMEDIATE SHAFT NEEDED REPLACING. THEY ALSO SAID THE TIE ROD ENDS WERE WORN SO BAD THE WHEELS COULD FALL OFF. ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENING WITH ONLY 26,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. *NM

WHEN THE CONSUMER ACCELERATED FROM A STOP HE HEARD A CLICKING NOISE. *NM THE TRANSMISSION HAD GONE OUT. THE BATTERY HAD GONE DEAD AND HAD A CRACK IN IT. ALSO, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, GOING 65 MPH IN CRUISE, THE MOTOR SUDDENLY SPED UP THEN SLOWED DOWN AND A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD. *SC *JB

GOING DOWN THE ROAD THE LIGHTS WENT OFF. CONSUMER TOUCHED THE TURN SIGNAL AND THE LIGHTS CAME ON. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC AND THE DIMMER SWITCH WAS REPLACED.*AK

CRUISE CONTROL NOT RESPONDING. SUDDEN LUNGE/ACCELERATION CAUSED CAR TO SPEED OFF THE ROAD. DRIVER INJURED, CAR TOTALED. SUSPECT CRUISE CONTROL LATER KICKED IN, SOME 40 MILES DOWN THE ROAD, CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND SUBSEQUENT ACCIDENT.*AK

I NOTICED THAT MY TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY HARD WHEN IT WARMS UP. I TOOK TO CHEVROLET DEALER, THEY CHANGED MY TRANSMISSION MOUNTS, AND DOG BONES. I PAID QUITE A FEW DOLLARS AND MY VEHICLE STILL HAS THIS SAME PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAS 85,000 MILES, BUT I,VE MAINTAINED THE VEHICLE VERY WELL. I,VE ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY STEERING PLAY.THE DEALER CHANGED SOME PARTS IN THE ASSEMBLY WHICH IS BETTER. I'M A MECHANIC AND I DON'T BELEIVE THAT THERE WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH MY DRIVETRAIN MOUNTS, BUT IT'S IN THE TRANSMISSION. I PAID ALOT OF MONEY AND STILL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. SINCE OWNING THE CAR I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE DRIVERS WINDOW. THE MOTOR WAS CHANGED ONCE UNDER WARRANTY NOW IT'S DOING THE SAME THING AGAIN. THE PROBLEM IS IT WILL GO DOWN BUT WON'T GO UP SOMETIMES. *AK

THE INTERMEDIATE DRIVE SHAFT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. IT STATED MAKING NOISES WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED. TOOK FOR SERVICE THE PART WAS ORDERED ON NOV 3 2004. PART STILL HAS NOT CAME IN. CALLED THE CHEVY DEALER. SEEMS LIKE ITS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM. AND TAKES ABOUT 2 MONTHS TO GET THE PART. I WAS TOLD ONLY 6,000 ARE MADE A WEEK AND THEY STARTED IN THE HOLE 100,000 AND THE PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE. IF THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM, WHY ARE THEY NOT RECALLING THE PART. I ASKED THE MAN IF MY CAR IS SAFE TO DRIVE HE SAID ISN'T IS UNDER WARRANTY. I SAID NO AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. IT DOES NOT FEEL SAFE AND I AM NOT AT ALL CONFIDENT ABOUT DRIVING AND I THINK CHEVY SHOULD ADMIT THEY HAVE A PROBLEM. *JB

MY 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA SUFFERED A BREAKDOWN OF THE ANTIFREEZE THAT TURNED INTO A THICK BROWN SUBSTANCE. THIS CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT AND GM DID HAVE THE COOLANT FLUSHED. TWO WEEKS LATER THE LIFTER BEGAN TO RATTLE WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS FIRST STARTED. WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, I WAS TOLD THAT A SEAL WAS LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE OIL. I WAS ASSURRED THAT THIS WAS NOT RELATED TO THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM AND WAS NOT COVERED. THE REPAIRS WILL COST OVER 760.00. I CALLED GM CUSTOMER SERVICE AND AFTER WAITING ALL DAY, THE RESPONSE WAS THAT THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS NOT THERE, BUT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE FIRST PROBLEM. THE COOLANT TURNED INTO A THICK BROWN GRITTY SUBSTANCE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE SANDPAPER GOING THROUGH THE ENGINE AND THEY CLAIM THAT IT COULD NOT HAVE CAUSED THE SEAL TO FAIL. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT GENERAL MOTORS REFUSES TO STAND UP FOR OBVIOUS FAILURE AND DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT. THEY REFUSE TO STAND UP FOR THE REPAIRS. THIS COOLANT ACCORDING TO GM IS SUPPOSED TO LAST AT LEAST 100,000 MILES AND IT DOES HOLD UP AS THEY STATE. THEY SHOULD ADMIT THE PROBLEM AND MAKE THE PROPER REPAIRS TO CUSTOMERS VEHICLES.