2000 Chevrolet Impala

I HAVE SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THAT THEIR RACK AND PINION HAS BROKEN AND THEY HAVE FIX IT AND IT HAS BROKEN AGAIN. THE RACK AND PINION ON MY CAR HAS BROKEN. I DONT FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE WITH DRIVING THIS CAR AT ALL. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE TIRE IS ABOUT TO FALL OFF. CAN YOU PLEASE GET THIS FIX. THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVING VERY WELL ON THE STREETS AND HIGHWAY. IT HAS STARTED TO SHAKE WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY. I MADE IT HOME SAFE TO BE TOLD THAT MY RACK AND PINION HAD BROKE. I FEAR FOR MY LIFE IF SOMETHING WOULD HAVE HAPPEN AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY.

MY 2000 CHEVY IMPALA HAS REAR END NOISES WHEN DRIVING OVER SLIGHT ROAD BUMPS. MY MECHANIC INSPECTED CAR REAR END AND FOUND BOTH REAR STRUT TOWERS BADLY RUSTED, ESPECIALLY IN TRUNK, WITH NOT MUCH SUPPORT FOR STRUT MOUNTS. I WAS TOLD THE REAR END WILL EVENTUALLY COLLAPSE AND CAR WILL NOT BE DRIVABLE. CURRENTLY, THERE IS VERY LITTLE ROOM BEFORE STRUT MOUNTS WILL TOUCH BOTH REAR TIRES DUE TO RUSTED STRUT TOWERS, A DEFINITE SAFETY CONCERN. WHAT I READ ELSEWHERE IS THAT ON THE FIRST 2000 NEW YEAR W-BODY DESIGN, THERE IS OVERLAPPING SHEET METAL AT THE TOP OF THE TOWERS, THAT GM DID NOT SEAL. SO IT'S A HUGE MOISTURE TRAP, CAUSING RUST TO OCCUR. LATER YEARS GM PUT IN PLASTIC SHIELDS IN THE WHEEL WELLS. AND WHETHER THEY PUT A SEALER IN WHERE THE METAL PANELS OVERLAP WASN'T MENTIONED. THIS 15 YEAR OLD CAR HAS VERY LITTLE OVERALL BODY RUST, BELOW AVERAGE MILES, MECHANICALLY RUNS GREAT AND HAS MANY MORE MILES TO GO. IT IS UNFORTUNATE THIS GM OBVIOUS DESIGN FLAW NOW HAS TO COST ME TO REPAIR IF I WANT TO CONTINUE DRIVING MY CAR. VERBAL ESTIMATES QUOTED ARE ACTUALLY MORE THAN KELLY BLUE BOOK VALUE OF THE CAR. I HAVE BEEN A LOYAL CHEVY OWNER STARTING WITH MY FIRST 1963 CHEVY BISCAYNE. THIS IS MY FIRST MAJOR COMPLAINT ABOUT GM BECAUSE THIS IS NOT DUE TO MY ABUSE OR NEGLIGENCE. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE LACK OF FORESIGHT TO THIS DESIGN FLAW, GM SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE.

I HAVE A 2000 IMPALA THAT HAS THE REAR STRUT TOWERS BEGINNING TO RUST OUT BADLY. THERE HAS BEEN NO INCIDENT YET AS I CAUGHT THIS ON ONE OF MY VEHICLES INSPECTIONS. IF THIS WERE TO RUST COMPLETELY OUT THE REAR TIRES COULD COME OFF OF THE CAR WHILE IN MOTION. I HAVE TRIED TO CONTACT GENERAL MOTORS, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. THIS DEFECT RENDERS TO CAR PRETTY MUCH USELESS. THANKS FOR YOU TIME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT END OF HER VEHICLE VIBRATES SEVERELY. THE TIE ROD ENDS, RACK, TRANSMISSION MOUNTS, TIRES, INTERMEDIATE SHAFT, AND BOTH AXLES HAVE BEEN REPLACED, BUT THE VIBRATION STILL PERSISTS. ON MARCH 6, 2009, THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND PAID $600 TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED HER TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, WHICH WOULD COST $88. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

EVER SINCE I BOUGHT MY CAR I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY WHOLE POWER STEERING AND SUSPENSION SYSTEM. I HAVE SPENT OVER $2000 DOLLARS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS FIXING PARTS THAT RELATE TO ANYTHING FROM THE WHEEL BEARING, RACK & PINION, BALL JOINTS AND NOW LOOKS LIKE MY POWER STEERING IS READY TO GO OUT. BASICALLY EVERYTHING MAJOR ON THE FRONT HAS FAILED. MY WARRANTY WOULDN'T COVER BECAUSE THEY SAID IT'S NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I FEEL IT'S A DEFECT BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THE SAME THINGS KEEP FAILING OVER AND OVER. I REALLY DEPEND ON MY CAR TO GET TO WORK AND FEEL THIS IS A MATTER THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT A LITTLE MORE CLOSER AND TAKEN SERIOUSLY BECAUSE FROM WHAT I SEE, A LOT OF 2000 CHEVY IMPALA OWNERS HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SAME THING. THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT THE DEALERS OR THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD TAKE CARE OF AND LOOK A POSSIBLE REIMBURSEMENT FOR MANY CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS, THANKS.*JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL THERE WAS A CLANKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP IN MARCH 2004, WHERE THE REAR STABILIZER LINK AND FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED AND LUBRICANT WAS APPLIED TO THE STEERING SHAFT. AFTER THE REPAIRS THE NOISE DID NOT COMPLETELY CEASE, AND THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP HAS DETERMINED THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *AK UPDATED 2/13/2006 - *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT A STRANGE ODOR ENTERED THE VEHICLE FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF POWER STEERING. HE MANAGED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHERE THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT VEHICLE WAS LEAKING POWER STEERING FLUID. THE DEALER REPLACED THE POWER STEERING FLUID HOSE AT THE CONSUMER EXPENSE. *AK THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE SERPENTINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE SUSPENSION. UPDATED 01/11/06. *JB

SINCE SHORTLY AFTER CAR WAS PURCHASED THERE IS A NOTICEABLE CLUNKING/POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE CAR. THIS IS ESPECIALLY HEARD WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP. ORIGINAL THOUGHT WAS THAT IT WAS EITHER AN ARM OR A JOINT. DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM AND SUBSEQUENT COMPLAINTS HAVE RESULTED IN MY BEING TOLD IT WAS EITHER "IN MY STEERING COLUMN" (WHICH I FIND ODD SINCE THAT IS ON THE LEFT), OR A "NOISE THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING", OR "SOMETHING TYPICAL TO ALUMINUM ROCKERS", OR EVEN THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THEY HEARD MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT BUT IT WASN'T HURTING ANYTHING. I HAVE HAD THE CAR SINCE IT WAS NEW IN NOVEMBER 2000 SO APPARENTLY THE NOISE IS NOT A SAFETY HAZARD, OR AT LEAST NOT TO ME, AND NOT YET. I REMAIN CONCERNED AND COMPLAIN ABOUT IT ALMOST EACH TIME I TAKE IT IN TO THE MECHANIC FOR ANY OTHER WORK. TODAY THE LOCAL CHEVROLET REP OFFERED TO PAY 50% OF THE REPAIR COST TO DO SOMETHING TO THE STEERING WHICH THEY THINK IS THE CAUSE, BUT WHY SHOULD I PAY FOR SOMETHING THEIR CAR DOES THAT IT SHOULD NOT? BESIDES, I DON'T THINK A RIGHT FRONT TIRE AREA NOISE IS MUCH RELATED TO THE STEERING. INCIDENT DATE IS SINCE SHORTLY AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR. *JB