2003 Chevrolet Impala

IN THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, MY VEHICLE HAS BEGAN TO LOSE POWER, ESPECIALLY IN LOW RPM RANGE. THE VEHICLE SPITS ON SPUTTERS ON HARD ACCELERATION AND TAKES SEVERAL (30 OR BETTER) SECONDS TO REACH 55 MPH. I AM AN ASE TRAINED MECHANIC AND DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE AS HAVING A FAULTY CATALYTIC CONVERTER. A VACUUM TEST DETERMINED THAT THE PRESSURE DROPS SIGNIFICANTLY ABOVE 2500 RPM'S AND TO 0 BY 4000 (WHEN IT MISFIRES). THE CAT MAKES NOISE AND EVEN JUMPED THE HANGER (TELLING ME THE CONVERTER IS TWISTING FROM THE BACK PRESSURE). ONCE I DIAGNOSED IT, I LOOKED AT A LIST OF GM TSB'S FOR THIS VEHICLE AND THIS WAS LISTED ON THERE ALONG WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DEALER / TECH TO REPLACE FREE OF CHARGE UNTIL THE SERVICE LIFE HAS REACHED 10 YEARS OR 120K. MY VEHICLE FITS BOTH CONDITIONS AS IT IS A 2003 WITH 99K. I CONTACTED MY DEALER AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE IT FREE AS THE WARRANTY ON EMISSIONS ITEMS IS 80K. WHEN I EVEN GAVE THEM THE TSB NUMBER (SPECIAL POLICY ADJUSTMENT - CATALYTIC CONVERTER # 05551 - (9/14/05)) THEY SAID THAT WAS JUST IN THE CASE OF PLENUM DAMAGE RESULTING FROM THE CLOGGED CONVERTER. DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT IN NO WAY EVEN MENTIONS THE PLENUM. THIS IS THE ONLY VEHICLE I CURRENTLY OWN AND I HAVE BEEN OUT OF WORK FOR A WHILE. I CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE IT, NOR TO HAVE MY VEHICLE TIED UP FOR DAYS TO DO A 2 HOUR JOB. HOWEVER, IF IT CONTINUES, IT WILL BLOW UP. HOW CAN I RESOLVE THIS? *TR

I BOUGHT A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. ON VALENTINES DAY I PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR A FUNERAL, THE NEXT THING I KNOW MY THEN BOYFRIEND NOW HUSBAND TOLD ME TO GET OUT OF THE CAR THE WHOLE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. I AM GRATEFUL THAT WE GOT MY THEN FIVE MONTH OLD DAUGHTER OUT OF THE VEHICLE. WE HAD NO IDEA THAT COULD HAPPEN. MY FATHER CALLED AND INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NOW A RECALL ON THAT MODEL CAR. THE CAR BURNT COMPLETELY. ON THE RECALL MY FATHER INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS FOR 3.8 LITER. I DO NOT BELIEVE MINE WAS A 3.8 LITER BUT MY VEHICLE WAS A V6. IT WAS EITHER A 3.4 OR A 3.6 LITER. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. I LOST EVERYTHING IN THAT VEHICLE. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. THE POLICE WERE NOT CONTACTED BUT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS PRESENT TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. *TR

MY 2003 CHEVY IMPALA HAD LOST ALL THE DEX COOL ANTIFREEZE AND WAS OVERHEATING W/THE ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON. ON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, MY MECHANIC SAYS IT IS THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND IS LIKELY CAUSED BY THE DEX COOL COOLANT AS THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THAT PARTICULAR COOLANT CLOGGING UP AND DESTROYING THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. I CHECKED OUT THE WEBSITE FOR DEXCOOL AND YOU HAD TO BE IN ON THE CLAIM BY OCTOBER 2008 TO GET ANY TYPE OF REIMBURSEMENT. IT IS JANUARY 09 SO I GUESS I AM NOW STUCK WITH THE PROBLEM????? I AM REQUESTING A TOTAL RECALL OF ALL THE VEHICLE MADE WITH DEX COOL AS THIS IS EATING THROUGH AND DESTROYING THE CHEAPLY MADE PARTS OF MY CAR. A SEARCH ON THE INTERNET AMAZINGLY BROUGHT UP SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THESE POORLY MADE PARTS IT IS SICKENING. I AM UPSET THAT I RECEIVED NOTHING FROM MY DEALER REGARDING THIS PROBLEM OR FROM GM FOR THAT MATTER. RECALL THIS PROBLEM AND MAKE THE AUTOMAKER RESPONSIBLE. BY THE WAY, MY CAR HAS ONLY 36,000 MILES ON IT. TAKE THAT FOR A CAR IN NEED OF A COSTLY REPAIR WITH THAT FEW OF MILES! THANKS FOR YOUR HELP IN THIS MATTER AS IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING AS A CONSUMER. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. IN AUGUST OF 2007, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE TURN SIGNALS FAILED. IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THIS INCIDENT, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE CONTACT PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, LIFTED THE HOOD, AND NOTICED SMOKE RISING FROM THE ENGINE. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED HER THAT THE RADIATOR WAS CRACKED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE REPAIRS WERE MADE, BUT THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AGAIN MONTHS LATER. IN AUGUST OF 2008, BODY WORK WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE AND AFTERWARDS THE EXTERIOR LIGHTING BEGAN TO ILLUMINATE ON AND OFF AUTOMATICALLY. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE BODY SHOP AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE COMBINATION SWITCH. THE COMBINATION SWITCH WAS REPLACED AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE REPAIR WAS UNSUCCESSFUL; THEREFORE, THE ORIGINAL PART WAS REINSTALLED. AFTER THE FAILED ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE FAILURE, THE MECHANIC PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO THE COMBINATION SWITCH. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 171,920 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

2003 CHEVY IMPALA WITH 61,000 MILES HAD TRANSMISSION REBUILT, REPLACE RADIATOR, HEATER CORE, WATER PUMP AND INTAKE MANIFOLD ALL DUE TO DEXCOOL DUMPING INTO ALL THE ABOVE FROM RADIATOR CALLED CHERVOLET AND DEXCOOL MANUFACTURE THEY BLAMED ONE ANOTHER FOR THE PROBLEM, NEITHER DID ANYTHING ABOUT. RESULTING IN $2293.87 WORTH OF REPAIRS AND NOT TO MENTION NO VEHICLE FOR OVER 3 WEEKS DOES NOT INCLUDE PRICE OF RENTAL FOR A WEEK OR SO AND TIME OFF FOR RUNNING VEHICLE TO REPAIR SHOPS. *TR

ABOUT 1 YEAR AGO MY 2003 IMPALAS HEAT GAUGE STARTED ACTING FUNNY LIKE THE CAR WAS OVERHEATING BUT THEN IT WOULD GO BACK TO NORMAL. IT WAS COOL OUT ABOUT THAT TIME OF YEAR AND I ALSO NOTICED THE CAR HAD NO HEAT. I REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT THINKING THAT WAS THE PROBLEM BUT IT DID NOT HELP AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. MY HUSBAND THEN NOTICED THAT THE COOLANT LEVEL WAS LOW AND ADDED MORE. THAT ALSO DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM, AND ABOUT A WEEK LATER WE NOTICED THE COOLANT WAS LOW AGAIN. WE LOOKED FOR THE LEAK AND COULD NOT FIND ONE. I FINALLY TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY AUTOMATICALLY KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS AND STATED IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE 3400 SERIES ENGINE. WE PAID NEARLY $700 TO HAVE THE CAR FIXED. I HAVE RECENTLY NOTICED THAT MY COOLANT LEVEL AGAIN IS LOW BUT CAN NOT DETECT ANY OF THE SAME PROBLEMS AS BEFORE, I STILL HAVE HEAT AND A/C AND THE HEAT GAUGE IS NOT FLUCTUATING BUT I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AROUND AT RECALLS SOME FORUMS ABOUT THE SAME TYPE OF CAR AND HAVE DISCOVERED MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME TROUBLE, BUT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THE 3400 SERIES MOTOR AS THERE IS FOR THE 3800. *TR

MY IMPALA BEGAN TO HAVE ISSUES WITH THE THERMOSTAT READING GOING FROM COOL TO HOT EXTREMELY QUICK AND THE RED CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT THESE VEHICLES ARE NOTORIOUS FOR INTAKE MANIFOLD ISSUES AND THAT THIS IS THE CAUSE OF MY PROBLEM. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT CHEVROLET IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND STILL REFUSES TO ISSUE A RECALL. IT WILL COST APPROXIMATELY $1,500.00 TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AND IF REPAIRS ARE NOT MADE, THE VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE A SLOW LEAK OR EVENTUALLY, THE ENGINE WILL GO COMPLETELY. *TR

I RECENTLY FOUND THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILS ON THE CHEVROLET 3.8 V6 AND THAT CHEVROLET HAS KNOWN OF THE PROBLEM FOR YEARS AND HAS NOT CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. I TRAVEL CROSS COUNTRY REGULARLY IN MY 2003 IMPALA WITH THE 3.8 ENGINE AND AM CONCERNED THAT THE ENGINE WILL FAIL ON THE HIGHWAY AND COULD CAUSE SERIOUS ACCIDENT. BEFORE I KNEW THAT GM WAS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM I OWNED A 2000 S-10 PICK UP AND HAD THE GASKET REPLACED FOR OVER $700 DOLLARS. I NOW FACE THE SAME EXPENSE OR MORE TO FIX THE IMPALA. I FEEL THAT GM SHOULD HAVE RECALLED AND FIXED HIS PROBLEM BECAUSE HEY WERE AWARE OF THE DEFECT IN THE GASKET AND PLASTIC COOLANT PART GOING THROUGH THE VALVE COVER. *TR