NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine And Engine Cooling complaints
80 reportsClear category filterMileage unknown · Mar 22, 2005
Engine And Engine Cooling
TOOK CAR TO HAVE A SIMPLE OIL CHANGE, I GET A PHONE CALL INFORMING THAT I NEED MAJOR WORK DONE. I PURCHASED MY CHEVROLET IMPALA IN 2003, AND NOW I'M BEING TOLD I HAVE ALMOST A THOUSAND DOLLARS OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT A CLOSE RELATIVE AND A NEIGHBOR WHO ALSO HAVE 2003, CHEVROLET VEHICLES (CARS) NE…
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TOOK CAR TO HAVE A SIMPLE OIL CHANGE, I GET A PHONE CALL INFORMING THAT I NEED MAJOR WORK DONE. I PURCHASED MY CHEVROLET IMPALA IN 2003, AND NOW I'M BEING TOLD I HAVE ALMOST A THOUSAND DOLLARS OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT A CLOSE RELATIVE AND A NEIGHBOR WHO ALSO HAVE 2003, CHEVROLET VEHICLES (CARS) NEEDED THE SAME WORK DONE TO THEIR CAR. THE CARS COOLANT IS SOMEHOW MIXING WITH THE OIL, BECOMING A SLUDE LIKE SUBSTANCE CAUSING THE OIL TO DIRTY. THIS IS CAUSING ALL KINDS OF PROBLEMS, THE CAR IS RUNNING HOT, AND THE TEMPERATURE GUAGE IS JUMPING FRANTICALLY. THREE DIFFERENT CARS, ALL THE SAME YEAR/MAKE, AND EGINE SETUP; I THINK THERE IS DEFINITELY A DEFECT IN HERE SOMEWHERE.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10114488
3,900 miles · Feb 9, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
DRIVING 2003 IMPALA IN RAIN WHEN ENGINE DIED SUDDENLY IN THE MIDDLE OF STREET,CAUSING TRAFFIC HAZARD. STARTER REFUSED TO TURN OVEREVEN THOUGH ELCTRICSL SYSTEM CONTINUED TO FUNCTION, DEALER SAID WATER GOT INTO ENGINE AND CHEVY WAS NOT RESPONCIBLE, ENGINE WOULD HAVE TO BE REBUILT AT OWNERS EXPENSE.
NHTSA ODI #10056886
9 miles · Jan 23, 2004
Engine And Engine CoolingService Brakes, Hydraulic
THERE WAS A BAD ODOR WITHIN THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE ODOR DID NOT OCCUR WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ON . THE ODOR MADE THE OCCUPANTS SICK. THE CAUSE AND LOCATION OF THE ODOR WAS UNKNOWN ALTHOUGH THE DEALERSHIP SERVICED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE VIBRATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE DEALERSHIP IN…
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THERE WAS A BAD ODOR WITHIN THE CABIN OF THE VEHICLE. THE ODOR DID NOT OCCUR WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS ON . THE ODOR MADE THE OCCUPANTS SICK. THE CAUSE AND LOCATION OF THE ODOR WAS UNKNOWN ALTHOUGH THE DEALERSHIP SERVICED THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE VIBRATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT IT WAS CAUSED BY THE ROTORS BEING TO THIN. *AK THE ODOR WAS CAUSED BY A BAD FAN MOTOR. THE DEALER REPLACED THE PART. THE BRAKE ROTOR PROBLEM CONTINUED. GM REFUSED TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *SC *JB
NHTSA ODI #10047921
Mileage unknown · Jan 5, 2004
Engine And Engine Cooling
WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY STALLED. CONSUMER TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, TECHNICIAN COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10053343
2,000 miles · Nov 15, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
STRONG SMELL OF ANTI-FREEZE IN THE PASSENGER AREA OF 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. *LA
NHTSA ODI #10046971
Mileage unknown · Nov 10, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
CONSUMER STATED THAT DASHBOARD LIGHT WAS FLASHING , INDICATING THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. CONSUMER'S SON IN LAW HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED OUT. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE OIL LEAKING IN THE RADIATOR. ALSO, CONSUMER WAS ADVISED BY THE MECHANIC THAT THERE WAS INTAKE MANIFOLD PROBLEM. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10046731
13,000 miles · Sep 10, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
WHILE DRIVING WITH THREE PASSENGERS IN MY 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS AT 35 MPH THE ENGINE SHUT-OFF WITHOUT WARNING WITH COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES, REQUIRING EMERGENCY MANEUVER TO BRING CAR TO A STOP BEFORE HITTING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE WAS NOT MADE AVAILABLE. WHILE DRIVING TO A MEDICAL EMERGENC…
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WHILE DRIVING WITH THREE PASSENGERS IN MY 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS AT 35 MPH THE ENGINE SHUT-OFF WITHOUT WARNING WITH COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES, REQUIRING EMERGENCY MANEUVER TO BRING CAR TO A STOP BEFORE HITTING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE WAS NOT MADE AVAILABLE. WHILE DRIVING TO A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, LATER THAT EVENING, THIS RECURRED AT 50 MPH (ENGINE SHUT-OFF WITHOUT WARNING, LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING POWER REQUIRING EMERGENCY STOP IN CENTER MEDIAN 4 LANE HIGHWAY MERGE SITE). THIS HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY WITH THIS VEHICLE ON 7/4/03 AT 50 MPH WITH MY WIFE DRIVING ON THE VAN WYCK EXPRESSWAY. AT THAT TIME, AFTER 3 DAYS GM REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT THERE WAS A DEFECTIVE CRANK-SHAFT SENSOR WHICH WAS REPLACED. I ADVISED GM THAT THERE WERE OTHER REPORTS TO NHTSA ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH CHEVROLET IMPALAS. I REQUESTED THAT AN INVESTIGATION AND POSSIBLE RECALL SHOULD BE INITIATED AND ASKED FOR A REFUND OR REPLACEMENT OF MY VEHICLE. THIS WAS DENIED "AS THERE WERE TOO FEW EPISODES TO WARRANT THIS ACTION" AND MY CAR" WAS REPAIRED PER WARRANTY OBLIGATION OF GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION". UNFORTUNATELY THIS HAPPENED TO MY VEHICLE AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING PLACING MYSELF AND MY PASSENGERS IN DANGER. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING DEFECT REQUIRING IMMEDIATE ACTION TO PREVENT INJURY OR LOSS OF LIFE. THE CAR IS PRESENTLY AGAIN AT THE DEALERSHIP. I HAVE CONTACTED GM CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS ABOUT THIS ISSUE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THEY WILL FULFILL THEIR WARRANTY OBLIGATIONS AND ATTEMPT TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE AGAIN. *JB
NHTSA ODI #10037592
13,000 miles · Sep 9, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
WHEN DRIVING 35 MPH VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER LOST POWER STEERING, BUT MANGED TO PULL OVER. HAD NOTIFIED THE DEALERSHIP, AND MECHANIC HAD NOT RESOLVED THE PROBLEM.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10038512
43,030 miles · Jan 28, 2003
Engine And Engine Cooling
$688 TO REPLACE THE UPPER ENGINE PLENUM DUE TO ANTI-FREEZE LEAK FROM ENGINE.
NHTSA ODI #10003549
Mileage unknown · Dec 3, 2002
Engine And Engine Cooling
CONSUMER STATES ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING AND PULLING OUT IN THE ROAD. CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. PH
NHTSA ODI #568455
Official recalls
5Oct 26, 2015
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
Remedy: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1-800-442-6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
Consequence: Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
Remedy: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1-800-442-6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
Consequence: Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
Remedy: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1-800-442-6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.
Jul 3, 2014
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
Apr 8, 2009
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 1,497,516 MY 1997-2003 BUICK REGAL, MY 1998-2003 CHEVROLET LUMINA, MONTE CARLO AND IMPALA, MY 1998-1999 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE, MY 1997-2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 3.8L V6 NATURALLY ASPIRATED ENGINE. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A CONDITION IN WHICH DROPS OF ENGINE OIL MAY BE DEPOSITED ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD THROUGH HARD BRAKING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE MANIFOLD IS HOT ENOUGH AND THE OIL RUNS BELOW THE HEAT SHIELD, IT MAY IGNITE INTO A SMALL FLAME AND MAY SPREAD TO THE PLASTIC SPARK PLUG WIRE CHANNEL AND BEYOND INCREASING THE RISK OF AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENGINES FRONT VALVE COVER AND FRONT-VALVE-COVER GASKET WITH NEW PARTS OF AN IMPROVED DESIGN AND REMOVE THE ENGINES PLASTIC COVER AND PLASTIC OIL-FILL-TUBE EXTENSION, FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MAY 2016. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537, AND PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 OR HTTP://WWW.PONTIAC.COM OR HTTP:WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
Feb 14, 2003
ON CERTAIN MINI VANS, PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG THAT MAY NOT DEPLOY AS DESIGNED. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG INFLATOR COULD RUPTURE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN REDUCED CAPABILITY OF THE AIR BAG TO PROTECT THE DRIVER. ALSO IF THE AIR BAG INFLATOR RUPTURED, PIECES OF THE INFLATOR COULD STRIKE AND INJURE THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT, AND IF NECESSARY, INSTALL A NEW DRIVER'S AIR BAG. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 11, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BUICK AT 1-800-521-7300, CADILLAC AT 1-800-458-8006, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737.
Aug 9, 2002
CERTAIN PASSENGER, MINI VANS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE AN AIR BAG INFLATOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE THAT COULD FRACTURE AT A WELD DURING A DEPLOYMENT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: PIECES OF THE INFLATOR COULD STRIKE AND INJURE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AND THE AIR BAG CUSHION WOULD NOT INFLATE FULLY, REDUCING THE CAPABILITY OF THE BAG TO PROTECT THE DRIVER.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT, AND REPLACE, IF NECESSARY, THE AIR BAG MODULE ASSEMBLY ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 15, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BUICK AT 1-800-521-7300, CADILLAC AT 1-800-458-8006, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537, OR PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
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