2011 Chevrolet Impala

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTED INTO REVERSE, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTARTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION EXPLODED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS ON THE ROADWAY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PUSH THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE WAY OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,700.

2011 IMPALA 3.5L V6 SFI (LZE)OCTOBER, 2016 (60,104 MI) WHILE TRAVELING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. DROPPED DOWN TO 20 MPH WHILE ENGINE SURGED. DISPLAY READ, " SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL," SERVICE STABILITRACK," "ENGINE POWER REDUCED." BY FEATHERING THE GAS PEDAL, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE SPEED UP TO 40-45MPH AND DROVE 1 MILE TO GM DEALERSHIP. AT TRAFFIC LIGHT THE VEHICLE SURGED WHILE STOPPED AND NEEDED VERY FIRM BRAKING TO KEEP IT FROM SURGING AHEAD. THE DEALERSHIP STAFF "GUESSED" THAT IT WOULD BE THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WITHOUT DOING DIAGNOSTIC CHECK - I ASSUMED THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO LDA AUTO WHERE THE OWNER/EXPERT ON VEHICLE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS INSTALLED AN AFTERMARKET THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY (PART = $254); THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY SO THE ENTIRE PIECE HAD TO BE REPLACED. A "RELEARN PROCEDURE" WAS PERFORMED. ANY NEEDED ADJUSTMENTS MADE. CODE SYSTEM RESET AND TESTED. VEHICLE WAS TEST-DRIVEN. (LABOR = $80). I DROPPED MY VEHICLE OFF AT 7:00AM, GOT A RIDE TO WORK FROM SHOP STAFF, AND RECEIVED MESSAGE THAT MY VEHICLE WAS COMPLETED SAME DAY. OWNER EVEN DEDUCTED THE $20 "SHOP SUPPLIES" FEE FROM MY BILL BECAUSE HE STATED HE DID NOT USE ANY SUPPLIES. KUDOS FOR HIS HONESTY!!! TOTAL BILL CAME TO A LITTLE LESS THAN $350. OWNER SHOWED ME EXACTLY WHAT HE DID, OFFERED TO GIVE ME THE OLD PART, LET ME CHOOSE WHICH MFG TO ORDER FROM ONLINE. CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GREAT THINGS ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE! TODAY IS 2/23/2017 AND MY IMPALA HAS NOT HAD ANY OTHER PROBLEMS SINCE THIS REPAIR; IN FACT, IT SEEMS TO BE A BIT MORE RESPONSIVE.

MY SERVICE STABILITRACK, REDUCE ENGINE POWER LIGHT CAME ON WHILE I WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY. WHEN THIS HAPPENED I HAD ALMOST NO BRAKE PEDAL. I COULDN'T STOP AT THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE EXIT, LUCKILY NO OTHER CARS WERE AROUND. IF I HAD BEEN ON A MAIN STREET AT 45MPR AND HAD TO STOP FOR A RED LIGHT I WOULD HAVE NEVER STOPPED ON TIME. I'M VERY LUCKY NO CARS WERE AT THE LIGHT WAITING OR COMING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION WITH THE GREEN LIGHT. I SEE THIS PROBLEM ALL OVER EDMUNDS AND ON YOU TUBE AND AS FAR AS I CAN TELL IT'S 100% CHEVROLET. HOW CAN THIS NOT BE A RECALL. THERE ARE DOZENS AND DOZENS OF THE SAME COMPLAINT ON EDMUNDS AND YOU TUBE. IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY YOU TUBE VIDEO HAS A DIFFERENT FIX FOR THE PROBLEM....FROM PULLING OUT THE FUSE TO THE STABILITRACK TO OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS IN REPAIRS. DOES THERE HAVE TO BE A DEATH TO GET THE ATTENTION OF CHEVROLET. THE LIGHT HAD COME ON A FEW TIMES BEFORE BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. USUALLY IT CAME ON AND I WOULD TURN THE CAR OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES AND IT WOULD BE FINE......SO HOW COULD THIS BE ANYTHING BUT A MALFUNCTION IF IT GOES OFF AND ON AT ANY WHIM. THEY MUST KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AS IT SEEMS TO BE VERY PREVALENT AND AGAIN FROM WHAT I HAVE READ IT'S ALWAYS A CHEVROLET.

IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC MY 2011 IMPALA STOP ACCELERATING. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING AND RPM WAS REACTING BUT NO ACCELERATION. I COULDN'T EVEN PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE BECAUSE OF NO ACCELERATION. I'VE SEEN ONLINE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS EXACT PROBLEM WITH THEIR IMPALA. I WAS NEARLY REAR ENDED AND THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SAFETY ISSUE.

I HAD DRIVEN APPROX. 8 MILES ON AN EXPRESSWAY....WHEN I EXITED THE EXPRESSWAY THE CAR SLOWED DOWN AND WOULD NOT EXCEED 10 MPH. THANKFULLY, I WAS ABLE TO COAST INTO A PARKING LOT. IT WOULD NOT GO FORWARD OR IN REVERSE FROM THEN ON. WHEN I CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID IT WAS DARK AND HAD SEDAMENTS IN IT. MY VEHICLE HAS ONLY 86000 MILES. I ALWAYS HAVE THE OIL CHANGED AT THE DEALER WHERE I BOUGHT THE CAR. EVIDENTLY, THEY DIDN'T CHECK ALL THE FLUIDS LIKE THEY PROMISED.