2004 Chevrolet Impala

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

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 8 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. SHE ALSO NOTICED THAT THE ABS AND TRACTION WARNING LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SHE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE ABS AND STEERING COLUMN. TWO WEEKS LATER, WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CONTACT FELT EXCESSIVE VIBRATION COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. SHE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,901 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32,000.

I HAVE A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE BRAKES AND ROTORS FOR THIS CAR A FEW TIMES A YEAR. THE ROTORS ARE CONSTANTLY GETTING WARPED WITH ORIGINAL GM ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS. IN 2005, I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT IN WHICH THE WHEELS LOCKED AND I WAS UNABLE TO STEER THE CAR AWAY FROM CRASHING INTO A CURB INSIDE A HEAVILY TRAVELED TUNNEL. AT FIRST, I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS THE WET ROADS DUE TO RAIN. HOWEVER, AFTER REPLACING ROTOR AND BRAKES CONSTANTLY, I RESEARCHED AND FOUND OUT THAT A NHTSA ISSUED A RECALL FOR BRAKES IN JUNE OF 2004. THE CAMPAIGN # IS 04V28700. I CALLED GM AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ISSUED FOR MY VIN#. I INFORMED THEM THAT THE NHTSA RECALL DID NOT SPECIFY PARTICULAR 2004 IMPALAS BUT THE WHOLE MODEL YEAR. THEY GAVE ME THE CASE #71-546836626 AND SAID THAT THEY HAVE NO RECORD OF A RECALL FOR MY CAR. WHAT CAN I DO TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE DASHBOARD AREA AND THEN SPREAD TO THE HOOD. THE FIRE OCCURRED TWO TO THREE MONTHS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED. A RELATIVE SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HAND DUE TO THE FIRE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS ELECTRICAL. THERE IS NO FIRE OR POLICE REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE CONTACT DOES NOT KNOW THE SPECIFICS OF THE REPAIR WORK. THREE MONTHS AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN VIBRATING WHEN THE BRAKES WERE DEPRESSED. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH OR MORE. THE BRAKES AND THE DISC WERE REPLACED AND ALIGNED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR AND THE BRAKES WERE REPLACED WITHIN A MONTH. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE DISC FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE BRAKES TO FAIL. THE CONTACT DETECTS THE SMELL OF FUEL WITHIN THE VEHICLE. THE FUEL GAUGE HAS FAILED TO OPERATE NORMALLY SINCE THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE FUEL GAUGE INDICATED THAT THE FUEL LEVEL WAS FULL; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND THERE WAS NO FUEL IN THE VEHICLE. THERE WAS ALSO THE PRESENCE OF FUEL ON THE GROUND AFTER ADDING FUEL TO THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER HAS NOT DIAGNOSED THE CAUSE OF THE FUEL GAGE FAILURE OR THE ODOR. THE INSPECTOR STATED THAT THE VEHICLE MAY NOT PASS INSPECTION DUE TO THE FUEL ODOR IN THE INTERIOR. ALTHOUGH THE BRAKES WERE REPAIRED TWICE, THE VIBRATION CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE ENGINE SIZE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT CAN PROVIDE RECEIPTS FOR ALL OF THE REPAIRS THAT WERE PERFORMED, INCLUDING AN INSURANCE REPORT. THERE IS NO FIRE OR POLICE REPORT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 81,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 08/15/07.*JB

MY 2004 IMPALA'S ABS TROUBLE LIGHT CAME ON AS DID THE "SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM" LIGHT. THE DEALERS DIAGNOSIS BASED UPON ABS SCANNER CODES WAS THAT THE LEFT REAR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR HAD FAILED/SHORTED. GM'S SEALED WHEEL HUB DESIGN ON THIS VEHICLE MEANT THAT IN ORDER TO REPLACE THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR THE ENTIRE HUB HAD TO BE REPLACED. SINCE THE VEHICLE HAS JUST OVER 40K MILES AND IS OUT OF WARRANTY, MY TOTAL COST WAS OVER $690 INCLUDING PARTS, LABOR, AND TAXES. THIS IS ABSURD AND RIDICULOUS. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE FOR THE CONSUMER TO HAVE TO EXPERIENCE THIS KIND OF OUTRAGEOUS COST SIMPLY TO GET A SENSOR REPLACED. IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE NECESSITY OF REPLACING THE ENTIRE HUB, THERE IS NO WAY THAT THIS REPAIR SHOULD EVEN COST $100. AS A MECHANICAL ENGINEER, I RECOGNIZE POOR DESIGN AND POOR LOGIC WHEN I SEE IT, AND THIS SITUATION CERTAINLY FALLS UNDER THOSE CATEGORIES. I AM EXTREMELY DISSATISFIED THAT I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO PAY THIS IN ORDER TO RESTORE OPERATION OF THE ABS AND TRACTION SYSTEMS. IF THIS IS STANDARD GM DESIGN PRACTICE, I WILL DEFINITELY CONSIDER THAT A NEGATIVE WHEN PURCHASING MY NEXT VEHICLE. *JB

MY 2004 IMPALA SS HAS HAD A CHRONIC PROBLEM WITH BRAKES AND STEERING. THE CAR NOW HAS 64,000 MILES ON IT, AND IS AGAIN EXPERIENCING ISSUES WITH NOISES IN THE STEERING WHEN TURNING, STOPPING AND STARTING. THE FRONT END JUST FEELS LOOSE. THIS WAS AN ISSUE CORRECTED WHEN THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY AROUND 35,000 MILES. THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY, BUT HAS RETURNED SOME 30,000 MILES LATER. ALSO, HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKE ROTORS TURNED AROUND 25,000 MILES. TODAY, THE CAR IS HAVING ITS LEFT WHEEL BEARING REPLACED. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED, THE PEDAL PULSATED AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK. THE FRONT ROTORS WERE REPLACED TWICE AND THE FRONT AND REAR BRAKES AND REAR ROTORS WERE REPLACED ONCE. THE SHAKING STOPPED FOR ONE WEEK, BUT THEN THE SHAKING PERSISTED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL, # 04V287000, REGARDING THE SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN.

WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT THERE IS A CLICKING SOUND COMING FROM THE TURN IN THE STEERING. DURING THE TURN IT FEELS AS THOUGH THERE IS A BREAK IN THE STEERING LINE. IT SEEMS AS IF IT WERE A CHAIN I WOULD SAY ITS MISSING ABOUT 4 LINKS. I TOOK IT IN FOR THIS PROBLEM ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO AND IT WAS RESOLVED FOR A WHILE. I WAS TOLD THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TIGHTENING. HERE IT IS DOING THE SAME THING FOR THE LAST 2 MONTHS. NOW I NOTICE THE BRAKING IS NOT STOPPING IN THE MANNER IT SHOULD. I HAVE NEARLY REARENDED A FEW PEOPLE IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS OR CONTINUED JUST PAST THE STOP LINE AT AN INTERSECTION. *JB