2008 Chevrolet Impala

VEHICLE HAS 65,937 MILES AND FAILED NC INSPECTION DUE TO EXCESSIVE PLAY IN BOTH FRONT HUB AND BEARING ASSEMBLIES. NO STEERING PROBLEMS NOTED PRIOR TO THIS INSPECTION. DEALER STATED THEY HAVE REPLACED SOME ASSEMBLIES BUT HAD NOT BEEN MADE AWARE BY CHEVROLET THIS WAS A PROBLEM NOR HAS ANY RECALL BEEN INITIATED. WITH SO FEW MILES AND A DEFECT SO POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SOME FORM OF NOTIFICATION TO VEHICLE OWNERS OF MODELS USING THIS TYPE OF ASSEMBLY SHOULD BE NOTIFIED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER TO TURN THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 29,900.

I WAS DRIVING ON A SMALL SIDE STREET ON THE WAY TO PICK MY SON UP FROM SCHOOL. THE STREET IS PRETTY DEEPLY POT HOLED, AND IT HAD BEEN RAINING SO IT WAS ALSO VERY MUDDY. FOR THIS REASON I WAS LUCKILY GOING SLOW. AS I MADE MY WAY THROUGH ONE PARTICULAR LARGE PUDDLE ON A RIGHT HAND CURVE I COULD SEE THAT I WAS GOING TO ALMOST IMMEDIATELY GET INTO THE LEFT LANE TO GO AROUND SOME PARKED CARS. AS SOON AS I WENT TO VEER LEFT THE CAR WOULDN'T BUDGE. IT FELT AS IF THE POWER STEERING HAD SHUT OFF. NO LIGHT CAME ON NO NEW SOUNDS WERE MADE, NOTHING TO INDICATE THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG. LUCKILY WITH A FEW QUICK PULLS LEFT AND RIGHT ON THE STEERING WHEEL EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BACK I'M WORKING ORDER. VERY VERY SCARY.

SUBJECT: 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA REAR TIRE WEAR. CASE # [XXX]VIN # IS [XXX] WE ARE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH OUR 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. OUR REAR TIRES ARE WEARING OUT TWICE AS FAST AS THE FRONT TIRES. I WENT TO COSTCO YESTERDAY TO HAVE MY TIRES ROTATED, AFTER LOOKING AT THE REAR TIRES WE HAD TO BUY NEW ONES BECAUSE THE BACK TIRES WERE WORN DOWN TO THE METAL BACKING, THE FRONT TIRES WERE STILL GOOD. ONLY ONE HALF OF THE WARRANTY HAD BEEN USED. THE TIRES WERE MICHELIN X-RADIAL DT MICH PASSENGER S/T P225/60R16 BW MSPN 17457 TIRES WITH AN 80,000 MILE WARRANTY. WE ENDED UP BUYING FOUR NEW MICHELIN TIRES FOR AROUND $600.00. THE COSTCO GUY THOUGHT THAT SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG WITH THE CAR. AFTER I GOT HOME I CHECKED ON THE INTERNET AS TO WHAT COULD CAUSE THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE 2007 AND 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA'S. THERE HAD BEEN A SERVICE BULLETIN #08032A SENT OUT IN 2011 TO REPLACE THE SPINDLE RODS ON ALL THE 2007 AND 2008 IMPALA'S THAT WERE SOLD AS POLICE CARS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM THAT THEY WERE HAVING WITH REAR TIRE WEAR. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT SERVICE BULLETIN EXTENDED ALL THE OTHER 2007 AND 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA'S. THE PART NUMBER FOR THE SPINDLE ROD IS THE SAME ON ALL 2008 IMPALAS, POLICE OR NON POLICE. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY PROBLEM AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE KILLED IF THIS PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED, YOU JUST DON'T EXPECT THE TIRES TO WEAR OUT SO FAST. WE HAD JUST FINISHED A TRIP WERE WE DROVE FREEWAY SPEEDS UP TO 75 MILES AN HOUR. AFTER SEEING OUR TIRES I DON'T KNOW HOW WE KEEP FROM HAVING A BLOW OUT ON THE BACK TIRES. I THINK THAT LOTS OF ACCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED WITH THESE 2007 AND 2008 CHEVY IMPALAS WITH TIRES BLOWING OUT BECAUSE REAR TIRE WEAR BECAUSE THE SPINDLE BOLTS ARE ENGINEERED WRONG AND EVERY ONE THINKS ITS THE TIRES FAULT.. GM NEEDS TO FIX THIS PROBLEM AND REPLACE THE FOUR SPINDLE BOLTS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN MAKING A LEFT OR RIGHT TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE RACK AND PINION STEERING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED CAUSING ANOTHER VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO THE PASSENGER FRONT SIDE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE PASSENGER FROM THE OTHER VEHICLE SUSTAINED UNKNOWN INJURIES WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. IT WAS UNKNOWN IF A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.