2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA Complaints

THE SPEEDOMETER AND OTHER GAUGES ON MY INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT HAYWIRE. THEN THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING COMPLETELY. THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER HAD TO BE REPLACED. *TR

THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER STARTS TO FAIL ONE GAUGE AT A TIME UNTIL NONE OF THE GAUGES WORK. *TR

SPEEDOMETER BEGAN ACTING ERRATICALLY AT ABOUT 50,000 MILES. I CORRECTED THE PROBLEM MYSELF BY SENDING THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER TO AN ONLINE VENDOR WHO REPLACED THE MOTORS IN ALL FIVE OF THE GAUGES. I DID THIS AFTER SEEING MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE AND RESEARCHING THE COST TO FIX. THE WORST ALTERNATIVE WAS TO RETURN THE CLUSTER TO THE MANUFACTURER. *TR

2004 CHEVY IMPALA WOULD NOT START. SECURITY LIGHT CAME ON. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLES SECURITY ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM CAN SOMETIMES LOCKUP MAKING IT APPEAR AS IF THE CAR IS BEING STOLEN. VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE. WAS TOLD TO RESET THE SECURITY SYSTEM AS FOLLOWS...TURN KEY TO ON POSITION AND WAIT 10 MINUTES UNTIL SECURITY LIGHT STOPS FLASHING. TURN THE KEY OFF FOR 5 SECONDS AND RESTART THE CAR. THIS HAS WORKED EACH TIME WE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM, HOWEVER, MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS STRANDED..BY HERSELF..AT 10:30PM IN A UNIVERSITY PARKING LOT AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO DO. LUCKILY SHE HAD A CELL PHONE SO SHE COULD CALL ME. I STEPPED HER THROUGH THE PROCESS TO GET THE CAR STARTED AGAIN. THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR YOUNG WOMEN TO BE STRANDED. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET AND FOUND SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM..EVEN IN MUCH OLDER MODELS. WHEN IS GM GOING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM? *TR

2004 CHEVY IMPALA--BOTH TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS STOP FLASHING. TRIED TO REPLACE FUSES, BUT ALL STILL GOOD. COULD NOT LOCATE A TURN SIGNAL RELAY IN THE FUSE BOX. SPOKE TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID IT DIDN'T MAKE SINCE THAT THERE WAS NO RELAY IN THE FUSE PANEL. LOOKED UP THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH PART AND IT WAS ON BACK ORDER. THE PART ALONE WAS OVER $300.00. MECHANIC ALSO STATED IT DID NOT MAKE SINCE THAT IT WOULD BE THE TURN SIGNAL SWITCH WHEN ALL OTHER COMPONENTS ON THE TURN SIGNAL ARM (WINDSHIELD WIPERS, CRUISE CONTROL, ETC.) STILL WORKED. UNABLE TO GO TO THE DEALERSHIP SINCE IT WAS A SUNDAY. LOOKED UP OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON TOPIX.COM AND FOUND SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. WAS ADVISED TO TURN ON AND OFF THE HAZARD SEVERAL TIMES. IN DOING SO (ABOUT 100 TIMES) THE SIGNALS STARTED WORKING. THEREFORE, IT DOESN'T SEEM AS IF THIS IS A TURN SIGNAL SWITCH ISSUE, BUT A HAZARD SWITCH ISSUE. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IF DRIVING AND YOUR TURN SIGNALS STOP WORKING WHICH COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. *TR

MY SON'S 2004 IMPALA FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR IS LEAKING FUEL. IT SEAMS TO BE COMING OUT OF THE TOP PART OF REGULATOR. THIS IS LOCATED ABOVE THE ENGINE AD IS A FIRE HAZARD WE HAVE BEEN SMELLING GAS FORA YAER AND THE LEAK HAS GOTTEN BIG ENOUGH FOR US TO FIND. *TR

SPEEDOMETER IS BURNING THE NEEDLE AT THE 3RD GEAR MARK WHILE DRIVING. WHILE STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT YESTERDAY (12/08/07), THE SPEEDOMETER WAS READING 112 MPH, SITTING STILL!! I CANNOT GET THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE TO SET AT 0 ANYMORE. I AM IN THE PROCESS OF TEACHING MY 15 1/2 YEAR OLD SON TO DRIVE AND THIS IS A HUGE ISSUE. I AM CONSTANTLY MAKING HIM PULL OVER AND SWITCHING SEATS WITH ME AS HE CANNOT GET A SPEEDING TICKET ON HIS PERMIT. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GUESS AT YOUR SPEED, EVEN WITH THE OTHER TRAFFIC FLOW AND WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DO THIS. I HAVE HAD THE CAR CHECKED AND THE RESULT IS THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IS BAD, WITH AN ESTIMATE TO FIX IT THAT IS UNREASONABLY HIGH. ADDITIONALLY, GM KNOWS THIS IS AN ISSUE, SO THEY SHOULD RECALL AND FIX THESE SINCE THEY ORDERED AN ASSEMBLY CHANGE ON THEM. *TR

WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER START UP AT LOW SPEEDS (LESS THAN 20MPH) THE ANTILOCK BRAKES KICK IN WHEN NOT NEEDED. FOR ABOUT 2-3 SECONDS, THERE IS EXTREMELY REDUCED BRAKING ABILITY. AFTER THIS INITIAL TIME PERIOD, THE WHOLE ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN AND ALSO TURNS OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. ONCE THE SHUTDOWN HAS TAKEN PLACE, THE CAR'S BRAKING SYSTEM FUNCTIONS AS IF THERE WAS NO ANTILOCK BRAKES ON THE VEHICLE. TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP WHICH INDICATED THAT THE WHEEL SENSOR WAS BAD AND COULD BE REPLACED FOR $600.00. ALSO WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, NOTICED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS STUCK AT 65MPH, REGARDLESS OF SPEED. WHEN TURNED OFF, THE VEHICLE STILL READ 65MPH. WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE PROPER SPEED. NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE RESET THE SPEED 5MPH LOWER EACH TIME THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS MOVED FROM OFF TO ON. MULTIPLE CYCLES OF TURNING THE IGNITION SWITCH ON AND OFF FINALLY RESET THE SPEEDOMETER TO 0MPH. DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX FOR A PROBLEM THAT WILL PROBABLY GET WORSE. ALTHOUGH NOT A SERIOUS ISSUE, THE TACHOMETER DOES THE SAME THING. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, NOTICED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WAS STUCK AT 65MPH, REGARDLESS OF SPEED. WHEN TURNED OFF, THE VEHICLE STILL READ 65MPH. WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE PROPER SPEED. NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE RESET THE SPEED 5MPH LOWER EACH TIME THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS MOVED FROM OFF TO ON. MULTIPLE CYCLES OF TURNING THE IGNITION SWITCH ON AND OFF FINALLY RESET THE SPEEDOMETER TO 0MPH. DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX FOR A PROBLEM THAT WILL PROBABLY GET WORSE. ALTHOUGH NOT A SERIOUS ISSUE, THE TACHOMETER DOES THE SAME THING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYED INACCURATE AND HIGH READINGS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 54,000. UPDATED 03/05/08. *LJ UPDATED 03/05/08 *TR