2007 Chevrolet Impala

2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA BRAKING SYSTEM GRABS AND SHAKES CAR EXCESSIVELY WHEN USING THE BRAKES TO CONTROL DESCENT DOWN MOUNTAIN ROADWAYS. THIS HAS ALSO OCCURRED DURING COMMUTING TO AND FROM WORK WHEN THE BRAKES ARE USED QUITE OFTEN. THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS TESTED BY A CHEVROLET DEALER, THREE DAYS AFTER THE MOUNTAIN DRIVING PROBLEM. THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND NO PROBLEM COULD BE IDENTIFIED. A WEB SEARCH IDENTIFIES OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME SYMPTOM. ALTHOUGH NO DAMAGE WAS CAUSED, THE CAR WAS OPERATING IN A VERY UNSAFE MANNER. EVEN AT 30 - 40 MPH THE CAR WAS SHAKING ENOUGH TO DEGRADE SAFE CONTROL. *TR

MANY CHEVROLET VEHICLES HAVE A LONG TERM PROBLEM WITH INADEQUATE, DEFECTIVELY MANUFACTURED BRAKE ROTORS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE, CHATTER, VIBRATE, ETC., WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THE CHEVROLET BRAKE CHATTER, SHAKE, PULSATING, ROUGHNESS PROBLEM REPORTED BY MANY CHEVROLET OWNERS IS NOT ONLY AN ANNOYING PROBLEM BUT ALSO A SAFETY PROBLEM!!!! THE FOLLOWING IS A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE NEARLY RESULTING IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE BRAKES ON MY 2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA VEHICLE. RECENTLY WHILE TRAVELING ALONG AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH MY WIFE DRIVING, WE WERE SUDDENLY FACED WITH AN PANIC STOPPING REQUIREMENT BECAUSE OF BACKED UP TRAFFIC ON A CURVE. MY WIFE APPLIED THE BRAKES HEAVILY AND THE CAR WENT INTO SUCH A VIOLENT FRONT SHAKING FIT THAT SHE PANICKED AND RELEASE THE BRAKE TO STOP THE SHAKING AND HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID STOPPED CARS IN FRONT OF US. THE NHTSA SHOULD FORCE CHEVROLET TO RECALL ALL CHEVROLET VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM AND CORRECT IT BEFORE MAJOR ACCIDENTS HAPPEN WITH LOSS OF PROPERTY AND LIFE. THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON TO MANY CHEVROLET VEHICLE AS REPORTED ON MANY WEB SITES BUT BECAUSE IT IS OFTEN JUST AN ANNOYING CONCERN MOST PEOPLE DON'T CONSIDER THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF THIS PROBLEM UNTIL THEY ARE FACED WITH A SITUATION AS DESCRIBE ABOVE. NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT ASSOCIATE THIS CHATTER, SHAKING, VIBRATING BRAKE PROBLEM DUE TO DEFECTIVE BRAKE ROTOR DESIGN/MANUFACTURE WITH THE ACTIVATION OF THE ANTI-BRAKE SYSTEM. THIS PROBLEM SHOWS UP WITH JUST NORMAL BRAKE ACTIVATION. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA. HE STATED THAT WHEN APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE ROTORS TWICE WITHIN 10,000 MILES. NONE OF THE REPAIRS HAVE REMEDIED THE FAILURE AND THE BRAKES ARE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 36335. UPDATED 10/20/09 *CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT AND REAR ROTORS WERE WARPED. UPDATED 10/22/09.*JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHENEVER THE CONTACT APPLIES THE BRAKES WHILE DRIVING DOWNHILL, SHE HEARS A THUMPING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE FAILURE STILL PERSISTS. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 29,000. UPDATED 10/13/09. *LJ UPDATED 10/15/09.

FRONT ROTORS ARE WARPED AT 22,000 MILES ON THE CAR. IT APPEARS THAT THE ROTORS ARE EITHER UNDERSIZE, MADE OF POOR STEEL, AND OR IMPORTED FROM CHINA. THERE IS NO REASON FOR THE ROTORS TO HAVE FAILED AND BE RESURFACED. AS A MECHANIC THIS CONDITION CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE UNDER HIGHWAY SPEED BRAKING TO A STOP. MY WIFE THOUGHT IT WAS THE ROAD BUT INSTEAD IT WAS A ROTOR SHIMMY. I THOUGHT THE CAR WAS GOING TO SHIMMY APART AND BRAKE STEERING TIE ROD LINKS AT THE TIME IT HAPPENED. THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS GOING TO LET UP ON THE BRAKE OR I WOULD HAVE HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. INSTEAD I RODE OUT THE VIOLENT SHIMMY AND GRINDING SOUNDS COMING FROM THE FRONT END. THE CONCERN I HAVE IS THAT OTHER PEOPLE WOULD NOT IDENTIFY THE SHIMMY FOR WHAT IT IS LIKE MY WIFE DID AND THINK IT WAS THE ROAD. I FEEL THAT IF THE ROAD WAS WET I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF THE CAR. *TR

FRONT DISC BRAKES MAKE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN APPLIED ESPECIALLY GOING DOWNHILL. ROTORS AND PADS ARE IN PERFECT CONDITION. DEALER SAID THAT THEY ARE NOTED FOR THIS PROBLEM YET THEY WILL DO NOTHING TO CORRECT AS THERE IS PLENTY OF PAD LEFT. NOISE IS VERY BOTHERSOME. IT SOUNDS AS IF THE PADS ARE WORN OUT AND STARTING TO GRIND INTO THE ROTORS. THIS IS DEFINITELY A FACTORY DEFECT AND GM SHOULD OFFER A NEW TYPE OF PADS TO ELIMINATE THE NOISE! THESE ARE THE FACTORY ORIGINAL PADS ON THE CAR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES WOULD SQUEAK VERY LOUDLY WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE LUBRICATED AND SHOULD BE FINE. TWO MONTHS LATER, THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE DEALER PLACED AIR INTO THE TIRE AND THE SENSOR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED; THEREFORE, IT WAS REPLACED AND RECALIBRATED. THE CONTACT THEN BEGAN TO HEAR A RATTLING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRACKET FOR THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD MALFUNCTIONED AND WAS REPAIRED. THE LATCH MECHANISM ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR MALFUNCTIONED AND CAUSED THE DOOR TO SHAKE RAPIDLY WHILE IN MOTION. THE DEALER REPLACED THE DOOR LATCH. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, HE SUDDENLY DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO AVOID A CRASH ON THE INTERSTATE. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BRACKET SNAPPED AND THREW THE CONTACT BACKWARDS INTO THE REAR SEAT. THE PASSENGER IN THE VEHICLE GRABBED THE STEERING WHEEL TO AVOID A CRASH. THE CONTACT WAS COMPLETELY DISPLACED FROM THE NORMAL DRIVING POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WAS UNABLE TO BE DRIVEN. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE SEAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT MADE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO BE DRIVEN AGAIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 21,932.