2005 Chevrolet Impala

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND SUDDENLY STARTED TO JERK VIOLENTLY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE AND DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND THE FILTER. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR FURTHER DIAGNOSIS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,000.

AS THE ORIGINAL AND ONLY OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE, THIS IS THE SECOND ITERATION OF A CRACKED FLEX PLATE. THE FIRST EVENT AND REPAIR FOR $661.69 HAPPENED WITH 48,929 MILES. THE CRACKS APPEAR TO BEGIN AT THE CRANKSHAFT MOUNTING BOLTS AND SPREAD OUT TO THE STAMPED STEEL CUTOUTS. IT IS A 3800 SERIES II V-6 DRIVEN IN NORMAL MANNER AND WELL MAINTAINED. I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAPPENS...CHEAP FLEXPLATE?? *TR

FIRST, I HAD TO REPLACE THE RACK AND PINION STEERING. COULD HAVE BEEN THE STEERING KNUCKLE, DON'T KNOW. THEN, I WAS DRIVING ABOUT DUSK AND THE LOW BEAMS WENT DARK. THE CAR HAS AN AUTOMATIC SWITCH THAT MOVES THE HEADLIGHTS FROM DAYTIME MODE TO NIGHTTIME. LOCAL MECHANIC CALLED THE GM DEALER AND SPOKE WITH A GM MECHANIC. THE GM MECHANIC TOLD HIM THE TURNSTALK ASSEMBLY WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT THEY FREQUENTLY REPLACED THEM ON IMPALAS. I PAID FOR BOTH REPAIRS OUT OF POCKET. THEN, THE HEATER WOULD ONLY WORK ON THE PASSENGER SIDE; HEATER BLEND DOOR ON DRIVER'S SIDE WAS DEFECTIVE. RECENTLY, I HAD THE HEATER BLEND DOOR REPAIRED AT MY EXPENSE. THEN, I HAD THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT AT MY EXPENSE. GM WOULD NOT ASSIST WITH ANY OF THESE REPAIRS EVEN THOUGH SERVICE BULLETINS EXISTED ON ALL OF THESE ISSUES. LOOKING AT ONLINE DISCUSSION BOARDS FOR THIS CAR I FOUND ALL OF THESE ISSUES WITH NUMEROUS OWNERS. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP WHEN GOING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR AND THEN BEGAN BUMPING IN OTHER OWNERS. WHAT A LEMON THIS CAR HAS BECOME. *TR

WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP, THE CAR JERKED INSTEAD OF TAKING OFF SMOOTHLY. THIS SEEMED TO HAPPEN AT LOW SPEEDS WHEN CAR IS SHIFTING FROM ONE GEAR TO ANOTHER EVEN THOUGH IT HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE SAFETY RISK HERE IS THAT ACCELERATION IS NOT EFFECTED AND A CAR COULD POTENTIALLY HIT YOU FROM BEHIND ESPECIALLY AT A STOP SIGN/LIGHT. *TR

OVER THE LAST 2 YEARS I HAVE EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS PROBLEMS. THE FIRST PROBLEM WAS SHIFTING OF THE VEHICLE WHICH SHIFTS VERY HARD. THE SECOND PROBLEM WAS A LOT OF RUST AND NEEDING TO HAVE BODY WORK DONE. NOW WITH A LITTLE OVER 70,000 MILES ON THE CAR IT MIGHT NOT PASS INSPECTION NEXT YEAR BECAUSE THE BODY/FRAME IS SO RUSTED THAT IT WOULD COST MORE TO HAVE IT FIXED THAN THE CAR IS WORTH. THE CAR IS WELL TAKEN CARE OF SO IT IS NOT FOR LACK OF CARETAKING ON MY PART. THE THIRD PROBLEM IS IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS PERIODICALLY WE CAN SMELL GAS IN THE INSIDE OF THE CAR, NOT EXHAUST FUMES - GAS. IT'S AWFUL; NAUSEATING AND UNBEARABLE. THIS SMELL CAN ALSO BE DETECTED OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. I WORRY ABOUT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ME AND MY FAMILY IN THIS VEHICLE FOR THESE REASONS. ALSO, AT THIS POINT I AM AFRAID TO PARK THE CAR IN OUR ATTACHED GARAGE FOR FEAR IT COULD START A FIRE. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION HESITATES AT STOP AND GO TRAFFIC, TRANNY SHOP SAYS IT IS A SWITCH SOLENOID THAT IS DEFECTIVE IN THE TRANSMISSION ITSELF. IT IS COMMONLY REPORTED BY MANY CONSUMERS OF THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR. SEEMS TO SHIFT FINE WHEN DRIVING ON LONGER DRIVES IE. INTERSTATE DRIVING. COULD CAUSE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD WHEN TRYING TO PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC FROM STOPPED POSITION. *TR

WHEN PRESSING GAS PEDAL FROM A STOP SIGN OR STOP LIGHT, I HEAR A GRINDING/ SLIPPING SOUND AND THEN A LOUD POP AND THE CAR JERKS INTO GEAR. THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM 2 WEEKS AGO GAVE ME A 30 DAY OR 1000 MILE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY, IT HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER FOR THE PAST 2 DAYS .THEY KEEP TELLING ME THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE SYMPTOM. AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH I FOUND HUNDREDS OF ONLINE REPORTS OF THE EXACT SAME SYMPTOMS. PLEASE GIVE ME SOME ADVISE ON RECOURSE. *TR