1996 Chevrolet Impala

CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD GASKET IS CAUSING ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND COOLANT LEAKAGE, CONSEQUENTLY CREATING A POTENTIAL ENGINE FIRE. PRIOR ENGINE COOLANT LEAKAGE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE WATER PUMP, POWER STEERING ASSEMBLY, AND POSSIBLY THE CURRENT HEAD GASKET DEFECT. PRIOR COOLANT LEAKAGE ONTO THE POWER STEERING BELT CAUSED POWER STEERING FAILURE THAT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE POWER STEERING BELT AND ENGINE SERPENTINE BELT. POWER STEERING BELT AND ENGINE SERPENTINE BELT WERE REPLACED SEPT. 1999. WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED NOV. 2000.

BOSCH ANITLOCK BRAKE SYSTEM PUMP COMPLAINT ABOUT THE FAILURE OF THE BOSCH ABS PUMP ON MY 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE REAR BRAKES FAILED ON MY AUTOMOBILE. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC WHO DISCOVERED A FLUID LEAK IN THE REAR BRAKES AND SUSPECTED SOME TYPE OF FAILURE WITHIN THE ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM. SINCE THE CARS MILEAGE WAS ONLY 14,783 AND THE BRAKES SHOULD NOT BE FAILING ALREADY, HE TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP, CHUCK OHL IN CHARDON, OHIO. THE CHEVY DEALERSHIPS SERVICE DEPARTMENT DIAGNOSED THE TROUBLE AS ABS PUMP FAILURE, SO THEY REPLACED THE BOSCH UNIT FOR $1,635 BILLED TO MY MECHANIC. CHEVROLET HAD NO REPORTED RECALLS ON THIS UNIT AND SINCE THE NEW CAR WARRANTY OF 36,000 MILE/3 YEARS IS EXPIRED, I WAS LEFT TO PAY $1725.14 (INCLUDES TAX) FOR THE NEW BOSCH ABS PUMP. CHEVROLET SERVICE LISTED THE ABS PUMP LEAKING DUE TO CORROSION. I KEPT THE ORIGINAL PUMP- THERE IS NO CORROSION ON IT OR ANY OTHER AREA OF THE VEHICLE. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THIS CAR AND HAVE KEPT IT GARAGED EVERY WINTER FROM OCTOBER TO MAY. THEREFORE, IT SUFFERS NO CORROSION FROM OHIO WINTERS. THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. IN NO WAY HAVE THE BRAKES BEEN ABUSED ON THIS VEHICLE. THE ONLY REASONABLE EXPLANATION FOR THIS BRAKE FAILURE IS THE ORIGINAL BOSCH ABS PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE. I WROTE COMPLAINT LETTERS TO CHEVROLET AND TO BOSCH. CHEVY CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE HAS NEVER ANSWERED MY LETTER BUT I CALLED & THEY DENIED THE CLAIM BECAUSE THE CAR IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. BOSCH ANSWERED IN WRITING. WITH NO CORROSION ON MY VEHICLE AND THE ABS WARNING LIGHT HAS NEVER ILLUMINATED, BOSCH'S EXPLANATION FOR THE ABS PUMP FAILURE SUGGESTS THE BRAKE SYSTEM ABSORBED MOISTURE. THEY ALSO STATE THE BRAKE FLUID SHOULD BE REPLACED EVERY 1 TO 2 YEARS, "LIKE MANY VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS INCLUDE IN RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES." I HAVE CAREFULLY CHECKED THE CHEVROLET OWNER'S MANUAL DELIVERED WITH MY VEHICLE-CHANGING BRAKE FLUID IS NOT MENTIONED. *AK

ON 7/2/2000 I WAS RETURNING HOME FROM A TRIP AND MY CAR WENT DEAD WHILE I WAS DRIVING ALONG AT ABOUT 35 MPH. I WAS ABOUT 5 MILES FROM HOME WHEN THIS HAPPENED SO I GOT THE CAR OFF THE ROAD AND CONTACTED MODERN CHEVROLET IN WINSTON SALEM NC ON MONDAY MORNING AND HAD THEM PICK THE CAR UP FOR REPAIR. WHEN THEY CONTACTED ME THE SAME DAY THEY TOLD ME THE FUEL PUMP FUSE HAD BLOWN OUT AND MY CAR WAS READY TO PICK UP. WHEN I PICKED THE CAR UP THEY TOLD ME IF THE FUSE BLEW OUT AGAIN THAT I MAY NEED TO HAVE THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED. THIS REPAIR COST ME $150.00. ON AUGUST THE 20TH, 2000 I WAS ON THE WAY HOME FROM A TRIP WITH MY COUSIN AND WE WERE ABOUT 150 MILES FROM HOME TRAVELING EAST ON I-40 AT ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN THE CAR WENT DEAD AGAIN. I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD AND GET ASSISTANCE TO GET IT HOME. I LEFT IT AT MODERN CHEVROLET AGAIN FOR REPAIR. THAY CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND SAID THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED SO I TOLD THEM TO GO AHEAD. AS IT WENT THE FUEL PUMP AND THE SENDING UNIT BOTH NEEDED REPLACING. I TOLD THEM I WANTED THE PARTS WHEN THEY FINISHED. WHEN IT WAS ALL OVER THIS COST ME $1050.00 IN REPAIR AND TOWING. WHEN I RECEIVED THE FUEL PUMP AND SENDING UNIT WHICH I HAD TO ASK FOR AS THEY DIDN'T LEAVE IT WITH THE VEHICLE I FOUND THE WIRING TO THE PUMP HAD SHORTED OUT SOME HOW AND THE WARE WAS BARE FOR ABOUT AN INCH AND HAD SHORTED AGAINST ANOTHER WIRE. THIS WAS AN IN TANK FUEL PUMP AND SENDING UNIT AND I FEEL I WAS LUCKY THE VEHICLE DIDN'T CATCH ON FIRE. I HAVE THE FUEL PUMP AND SENDING UNIT IF IT IS NEEDED.

I BELONG TO AN IMPALA SS CLUB AND SEVERAL YEARS AGO WE NOTICED THAT THE STOCK AC/DELCO (?) 676 BATTERY WOULD SOMETIMES LEAK. MANY COMPLAINED TO GMC BUT NOTHING HAPPENED SO AS PRECAUTION MANY PEOPLE CHANGED OUT THEIR BATTERY SINCE GM WOULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. NOW WE (THE CLUB) NOTICED THAT THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION ON THE CHEVY SUBURBAN AND TAHOE AND YUKON ABOUT THE SAME BATTERY. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING AT LEAST SINCE 1994 WHEN OUR IMPALAS STARTED TO BE MADE. THESE BATTERYS ARE SHODDY. PLEASE TAKE HELP TAKE THEM OFF THE ROAD. I ALREADY SWAPPED OUT MY BATTERY SINCE I DIDN'T WANT ANY ACID SPILLING IN THE ENGINE BAY.*AK