All the problems i have had.......

[bermis519]

Here is a formal writeup of all the problems that i have had with my impala. I thought you guys would like to read this. Let me know what you think......

mike

2000 Chevrolet Impala 4dr FWD
3.4 Liter V-6
VIN: 2G1WF52E2Y9371105

I bought the car on 8/7/2003 with 41,674 miles.
When I bought it, dealership agrees to put new front pads and rotors on it because they where warped.
This was done at Great Lakes Ford in Ludington.

8/12/04 42,000 miles
Took car back to the ford garage to have them recheck to front brakes. They said that they replaced the rotors in which they didn't, they simply resurfaced them. Have problem fixed, no problems.

9/15/04
Front End Alignment done at Master Muffler and Brakes in Ludington for a pull, vibration in the front end. 43.00.

9/15/03 45,103 Miles
Wal-Mart oil change-Everything checked out fine.

11/17/03 50,164 miles
Took my car in to Great Lakes Ford in Ludington. I complained of a clunking in the front end, over bumps, acceleration, and turning. They test drove it and verified problem. Sold me shaft needed to be lubed. I told them it was already lubed once and I wasn't going to pay over a hundred dollars to have them lube it again, only to have it fail again down the road. Also complained about a constant vibration/shimmy in the front, they said they didn't notice it. A few months prior I have it aligned and the guy there said that he noticed it. I also complained that the fuel pressure regulator was leaking and they replaced it after I encountered a small fire which extinguish rather quickly. Almost like a quick flash, sustained 1st degree burns from the flare up. Also complained about the blower motor relay, only worked on high. Replaced blower motor resistor. 134.09

12/08/03 52,906 miles
Wal-Mart Oil change, tire balance and rotate. Everything checked out fine.

1/02/2004 55,306
Bought front and rear brakes. Replaced rotors because they where warped. Did this myself since its a common thing for a car owner to do. Rotors warped prematurely. 120.00

1/06/04 56156 miles
Wal-Mart Oil change. Everything checked out fine.

1/15/04 56,811 miles
Took car to Wal-Mart to have the tires balanced and rotated again because of the shimmy in the front end. Didn't change anything. Problem still there.

1/20/04 57,201 miles
Driving down the road coming to an intersection, light turned red and started to apply brakes, I heard a loud clunk type sound in the engine compartment and the pedal went right to the floor, NO BRAKES!!!! I started to apply emergency brake and at the same time put the car in neutral and went through the intersection at about 40 mph. Thank god I didn't get hit!!!! or killed.
Luckily the ford dealership was only a few miles away so I drove down back roads to the dealership. They then replaced the master cylinder. At this point I was starting to get worried about the car because I have only had the car about 4-5 months and already had these problems.

2/4/04 unknown miles(Wal-Mart was slacking )
I have a tired balance and rotate done again, the shimmy was still there. Still didn't fix the problem.

2/4/04 58,469
Took car to Midas and had a transmission flush done. I was told that they replace the filter at 90.000 miles. I had this done hoping it would solve the weird shifting and undesired effects from the transmission, and also because it was required at part of the maintenance schedule. $87.00

2/17/04 59,629
Another wonderful Wal-Mart Oil change. No noted problem.

4/28/04
Took car to Marvels. I kept taking it to the ford garage because they told me the warranty was only good if I went to them to have the work done. A few times they had to take it to a Chevy dealership to have it looked at because they didn't know or they couldn't do the work. I called the warranty company and complained about why they won't pay for the intermitted steering shaft, they told me about some type of a TSB out for it. They then told me that I could take my car anywhere that would accept MasterCard. So after that i called every few days and complained about it. I didn't want to have to pay for a lube job because it was done by a friend who works for a dealership. I bought the lube kit but I don't remember how much i paid for it.

4/28/04 66,008 miles
I took the car to Marvels Chevrolet in Reed City, MI to see if they could fix problems. I took it in with a transmission concern, the erratic undesired operation, shimmy in the steering, and the car was all over the road at highway speeds. I think this is when they replaced the pressure solenoid and the valves in the transmission and FINALLY replaced the intermitted steering shaft. After loosing my car for another day, I got the car back and noticed no change in the transmission. Also, after they replaced the intermitted steering shaft, i notice ALOT of play in the steering, I took it back, complained about how the transmission performance hasn't improved, they then told me that what it was doing was normal and that it wouldn't effect the "longevity" of the transmission. They also stated that the play in the steering was normal. About a week later I again took the car back and complained about the play in the steering, they insisted that it was normal, i told them it didn't do that before, so a lot of complaining to them, it took them 10 minutes to correct the problem with the play in the steering.

5/13/04 67,208 miles
I took the car in and had the A/C checked. I has the lines checked because the A/C wasn't getting cold. They checked it and said it was fine. I then took it to a friend who is a HVAC technician and he discharged the system and recharged it. Marvels told me that with the new A/C systems. Whatever the temperature is outside, the car will only make it 20 degrees colder inside. I don't know if this is true but i didn't buy it. 35.00

06/01/04 68,209
Was coming home one day, went in the house for five minutes, came back out to start my car, it wouldn't start. I did EVERYTHING I could think of and nothing. I then had it towed to Marvels. They said the battery had a dead cell in it. They quoted me some 70 bucks for a new one, went to Wal-Mart and bought one recommended for the car for a little over $40. They said some wire somewhere broke and they repaired it. 22.50

6/05/04 68,554
The car has been performing very poorly and started to guzzle gas. I pulled the spark plugs and put in new ones. Also replaced the wires. Oh, I also put in a new fuel filter because the guy at the parts store recommended it, at this point, I’m open to anything. After I did all this, and 60 dollars later, a bit of improvement in gas mileage and engine idling. Owners manual said that the plugs shouldn't have to be replaced until 100,000.

THIS IS STUFF I KNOW WAS DONE, BUT I DON'T REALLY REMEMBER BECAUSE OF SO MUCH WORK DONE TO IT AND DIDN'T HAVE A RECIEPT FROM DEALERSHIP.

I don't remember when this happened but it was around this point in time. After the car was at normal operating temperature. I would shut it off and walk away and I could notice the smell of antifreeze. I check all the hoses and the radiator and I couldn't find anything. At the same time, i took it in because there was a loud clanking noise in the front end when i went over bumps. They looked at it and wanted to replace the caliper. On that trip, i remembered the antifreeze smell and told them about it. I also stated that there was a loss of power in it. They looked at it and said I needed an intake manifold gasket. So again, I lost my car for a day and replaced it, just to avoid problems, i have them put a new PVC valve, a thermostat, and a coolant flush. So they replaced all the above and I believed i paid around 200 bucks on my half.

I had problems with the blinkers in it (which got me a ticket). Sometimes they would work, and sometimes not. I took it to Marvels and they replaced the hazard switch in it. 78 bucks.

Now, when I’m driving on the expressway at about 70mph. At that point if i want to increase speed, the only way to do it is to put it into passing gear. ANY type of an incline requires passing gear to get over it, yes, some hills do require it, but not all of them.

Most of my tyranny complaints consist of, when i put the car in reverse, it hesitates, RPM's go up, and nothing, car won't move, if i wait five-seven seconds, it will jump into gear, same thing going forward. When i try to merge into fast moving traffic, I can push the pedal to get a little lurch and then nothing(this poses as a huge safety issue, could cause an accident.) Then about 5-7 seconds later it will go and it will be fine. I'm so tired of how many times i have complained about the transmission and get nothing to fix it other then an excuse.

I also notice that after the car is warm, if i where to shut it off, then try to start it, it takes anywhere from 5-10 seconds to start it. I tried plug wires again, nothing, changed the plugs again, nothing changes the performance.

Now, the cooling problem. I noticed that if the car is sitting idling, with no heat or a/c running. it will from a little under 200 to 230-240. If i turn the heat on, it will go down to about 220, if the a/c is on, it will go down to the temp as if it was running down the road. The cooling fans kick on for like 10 seconds and then shut-off. It doesn't overheat, I’m just concerned about it because 250-260 is in the red and considered overheating. It's done this since i have owned it. I have looked at impalas that my friends own and it doesn't budge. I'm just concerned because i don't want to damage the motor. Why can't it maintain the same or close to the same temp as when it's going down the road?

Now there is a clunking type sound, feels and sounds like either some front end parts are going out, or the intermitted steering shaft is going out AGAIN!!! I attempted to get this checked out at Marvels, they told me nothing was wrong, i also complained about the transmission, which they stated nothing wrong with it either. The transmission now, shifts hard, has a nasty up shift, and does what ever it wants. It seems to me Marvels can't fix anything so I'm taking it elsewhere to get work done.

79,000miles- Took the car in to have to front clunking checked again, the rear struts and the catalytic converter check. They told me nothing is wrong with any of my complaints. I took to marvels to see what they say before I take it to another place that I have found and has agreed to work on it.

80,100miles- Took the car to Reed City GMC about four miles from marvels. They took the car for the day to get a good idea of all the problems I have previously had and give the car a good look through. Turns out the lower controls arms on both front wheels, the rack and pinion needs replaced, and both rear struts need replaced. Took a day and a half to replace it and about 2,000 dollars later I got the car back. After getting it back runs better then it has in long time. I have complained about the converter before, everyone says there is nothing wrong with it. Reed City GMC said that it needs replaced badly. I called chevy they said that it now is not covered under warranty and to seem to think that the car hasn’t been a financial burden to me. Then turns around and says, that due to all the problems I have had they agreed to give me a 1,000 incentive for a new car in the future. I told them to forget it and that I wasn’t going to buy another GM vehicle. This point, I don’t really care what happens to it. I’m about ready to get rid of the car, and cut my losses.

All in all, I'm EXTREMELY disappointed in this car. I have put a whole hell of a lot of time and days without a car and a considerable amount of money into it to keep it operational and I can't keep ahead like I would like. I now have to put new brakes on it again, and most of the miles are highway miles!

There are a few things I’m sure I have done that aren't included in this report. I put the oil changes in it just as a consistency to how often I attend to my car to make sure that everything is up and operational.

*If there is anything you guys can do to help me out I would greatly appreciate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm tired of it, I’m buried in it and I want something I can depend on. This is the first GM car I have had problems with and probably the last one I will own for awhile.

Thanks,
Mike

[public]

Sounds like this one has hit all of the issues. The temp swings are from DexCool gel in the radiator and thermostat housing has air in it(they must be bled). The intake gasket is a known issue. The Master Cylinder thing is scary. I think this car has been in an accident. Good Luck with your new Toyota LOL.

[3.4imp]

wow don't know whose problem is worse yours or mine. here's just a few of the many problems i've had.

2001 impala 3.4 liter

bought it brandnew with 7 mi. on odometer at steakley cheverolet,
got an extended warranty; don't know why something just told me to. glad I did.

1st= soon as i got it i noticed something funny about transmission. it would hesitate. fastfoward to 59,000mi just 1,000 miles before my 60,000 mile extended warranty was up. transmission went out totally in all gears forward and reverse. fun sounding right. even though I had warranty f***ing chevy dealear still made me pay 700$.

2nd= ofcoarse i had to have new rotors and pads around 29,000 mi.

3rd= the driver side switch that rolls up all windows went out at about 32,000 mi. paid 50$ ofcoarse.

4th= stopped at a light car died no electrical power whatso ever.about 35,000 mi. dealer said wire was loose on maf sensor.

5th= pulling into my garage it stopped completely no electrical power. at 37,500. dealer said it was because I had an alarm on it. yea right! got my car back and ofcoarse my alarm didn't work. had to go have it reconected.

there's more stuff that went wrong with it i've just been trying to forget it.

and ofcoarse my intermediate steering shaft needs to be oiled.
I think my rubber bushings are going out in the front because after they replaced my tranny its been making noises ever since.(when i slow down or accelerate). my interior lights flicker
lets not forget that ofcoarse i smell radiator fluid like EVERYONE ELSE.

my car has now about 99,000mi. lets just say i'm getting ready for the engine to go out. hell everything else has gone out. i hope ebay has a engine i can get.
I hope this car lasts long enough to be paid off. i still have a year and a half to go.

when you go to buy the impala they should have a disclaimer that says"great project car". cause believe me it's definately a fixer upper. new or not.

the only good thing about the impala's are they look good.my friends say"man your lucky thats a bad ass looking car" if they only new. you can view my car at cardomain.com/id/hatazkillme

[Pat_OD]

Lets see whats gone wrong with mine... o yea all this happened after 49,000 miles

Its a 2000 3.4L with 70,350m

1st: Transmission died due to some type of moisture or some crap like that, well thats what the dealer told me :/. payed like 2-3 grand
2nd: needed new intermediate steering shaft.
3rd: Have needed a number of rotors and pads due to warpage (i never slam my brakes on)
4th: Dexcool got all sludged up had to flush it out(at like 50,000) the manual says Dexcool will last till like 100,000 miles, bullshit! Talked to a mechanic friend of mine he said dexcool actually causes the head gasket to eat away and some of the metals in the engine as well.
5th: Engine mounts are bad have to buy 3 new ones
6th: Driver side window broke needed a new switch or something for like 180 bucks
7th: 2nd Tranny died because the gears started to rip apart(i def dont drive like a dick either) replaced by warranty
8th: 3rd tranny has a solenoid(<---right spelling?) problem car thinks im flooring it when i tap the gas.
9th: Blown head gasket
10th:Fan wasn't working for a week then started


and im sure im forgetting a few things but i keep up on my car and take care of it and its just a piece of shit.

[3.4imp]

yea these impala's with the 3.4 engine seem to go thru with alot of transmission problems. forgot to put it in original thread, but when my transmission went out dealer said it was because I had a flow master muffler. c'mon am I supposed to believe that these cars are so flimsy and cheap that putting a muffler on it will break the car. ok maybe it will. just glad I didn't get a durango. impala is made cheap but atleast the front wheels won't fall off when making a turn. shit i hope i didn't jinx myself. america is ready for a new car company. to make cars like they used to. lets face it. if a new company made a well made car that looked good performed good , wheels didn't fall off; intermediate steering shaft didn't need to be lubed and all that other stupid shit us impala owners go thru; it would put chevy,ford, and chrysler out of business, and send the japs back to the pacific. (no offense japs). is it wrong that i'm not an effeminate starbucks drinking yuppy. does that mean that If i want a well made car i have to settle with a new accord or 3 series bmw. well damnit I don't want to. THE TIME IS NOW WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING OR IT'LL JUST GET WORSE. AS LONG AS PEOPLE ARE BUYING THESE NEW CARS , AND THERE BREAKING LIKE THIS WHY SHOULD THE AUTO MAKER CHANGE. IF THEY CAN SAVE 4$ BY MAKING A CHEAP HEADGASKET OR INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT, TIMES 2MILLION CARS. THATS A HELL OF A PROFIT FOR THEM.

[rtebeau]

Well, I am not getting a warm fuzzy on my 02 impala either. Someone I know talked me OUT of getting the extended warranty when I bought it. Something along this line - today's cars can go at least 100k before having any problems extended warranty is a waste. Well ~ I am kicking myself in the butt - $2500+ in the past 3 months so far. Those 100k factory warranties are looking better and better all the time (from the overseas competition). Wish they made a big comfortable cars like the Impala, I think I would be sold. I try to buy American but problems like this make it hard on the consumer... I thought GM had a winner with the Impala series.

2002 Impala, 3.4L
3/9/05 @ 55k miles
9 registered trips to 4 dealers in Central PA - still looking for a good one!!

1. Intake gasket @ 52k - thanks dexcool, $800+
2. Brakes @ ~10k, 15k, 25k, 40k, 50k - warping rotors - $250-350/each time. - had problems all the time, finally the rears were done this last time seems to have fixed the shimmy/vibration when braking lightly at high speeds, I am sure it will return. Front rotors have been turned 3 times now, replacement next.
3. Rear Doors hard to open - still an issue, someone suggested lubing the door seals. Seems the handles are hard to grab.
4. Steering shaft - $220 (twice)
5. I had to replace some steering boots - clunking when turning at low speed (driveways, stop and turns)
6. Ignition switch @ 11k
7. And other parts I am sure I missed.

I have not had any tranny issues yet and the car seems to have enough power for me, that will be about the time I am looking for a new car.

Pros
- I do like the ride, very comfortable
- Cool styling

Cons
- Repairs, Repairs and more repairs.

[broil_me]

keeping in tradition with how this board is gone im gonna list the probs my mom has had with her 2001 3.4 L impala

at the moment it has 84k miles on it...we bought it new..and im not sure of the milages (or order for that matter) of these problems

aside from regular maintence....recent repair shop visits were caused by:

Heater core failure...she's now on her 3rd...bad replacement core maybe? not sure

Her turn signals do this fun little thing where, (she claims only when its warm...above 50 deg) they stop working all together...the only way to get them to work again is to screw around with the lever/hazard switch

the most recent problem are her wipers...one day she came home and said her wipers were stuck up...i eventually got them down but they still didnt want to work...so we got them "fixed"

a week later my unreliable truck caused me to have to take her car to work...and that nite the wipers would not work...the mechanic blames a plastic clip...

If she doesnt set the heat right when she's done driving for the day, when she goes to use it in the A.M. she will have no heat...this is due (im told) to a valve somewhere freezing open...


aside from that stuff its been pretty routine although that car eats rotors rather fast....

I'm glad to hear its not just our car

[MoNsTeR`ImPaLa]

WOW i cant imagine that all them problems if i bought a new car and had half the problems they for sure would b buying it back


let me just say one thing if you buy a ford at a chev dealer or vice versa
always take chev products to chev and ford to ford or what ever
alot of the problem is they have no idea about things like ISS or other alerts GM has out unless they inquire unlikely

and on second note always be sure to buy top quality brake parts never buy the cheap crap just look at the extra 20 or 30 bucks as one day it might save my life ...I had a 91 buick century that was always bad on roters soon as i spent the little bit extra on quality parts it was much better.. Now i have a 00 impala 3.8 with 120,000 kms on it and knock on wood its perfect mind you i upgraded the rotors and pads the day after i picked it up cause when a rotor starts vibrating things like ball joints and tie rods and bushing start going

[rtebeau]

Originally Posted by MoNsTeR`ImPaLa

WOW i cant imagine that all them problems if i bought a new car and had half the problems they for sure would b buying it back


let me just say one thing if you buy a ford at a chev dealer or vice versa
always take chev products to chev and ford to ford or what ever
alot of the problem is they have no idea about things like ISS or other alerts GM has out unless they inquire unlikely

and on second note always be sure to buy top quality brake parts never buy the cheap crap just look at the extra 20 or 30 bucks as one day it might save my life ...I had a 91 buick century that was always bad on roters soon as i spent the little bit extra on quality parts it was much better.. Now i have a 00 impala 3.8 with 120,000 kms on it and knock on wood its perfect mind you i upgraded the rotors and pads the day after i picked it up cause when a rotor starts vibrating things like ball joints and tie rods and bushing start going

The dealer has conned me into turning the rotors all but the last time. I insisted on replacing them because of the issues keep happing about every 10-15k miiles. So far I have not noticed any problems with the brakes since the rotors were replaced. Is there a brand of rotor we can trust on our Impala's?

[montecarlossfan]

Impalas would be hella more reliable if you had the 3.8...i know some do, but i've noticed the 3.8 is a diehard motor..and usually the tranny they pair it with holds up too

[MoNsTeR`ImPaLa]

Originally Posted by rtebeau

The dealer has conned me into turning the rotors all but the last time. I insisted on replacing them because of the issues keep happing about every 10-15k miiles. So far I have not noticed any problems with the brakes since the rotors were replaced. Is there a brand of rotor we can trust on our Impala's?

always insist on OEM parts and never reconditioned
i went with the brembo cross drilled and sloted rotors front and back
and a carbon metalic pad make sure when installing rotors that they are ballanced if they are not you could find they give off a vibration
check www.brakeworld.com

[MoNsTeR`ImPaLa]

Originally Posted by montecarlossfan

Impalas would be hella more reliable if you had the 3.8...i know some do, but i've noticed the 3.8 is a diehard motor..and usually the tranny they pair it with holds up too

i wouldnt have it any other way i had a 3.4 lumina once never again cost a arm and a leg to change the plugs and problem after problem

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by montecarlossfan

Impalas would be hella more reliable if you had the 3.8...i know some do, but i've noticed the 3.8 is a diehard motor..and usually the tranny they pair it with holds up too

Isn't the 3800 the Buick Series II....no wonder. If my Regal GS & LS had this many problems like most of you I'd have someone steal them and collect on insurance or run them off a cliff...lol.

Plus don't hold your breath on not having any tranny issues (4T65E) after the warranty expires, however, they are great until approx. 90K miles.

Good luck!

[rtebeau]

GM sort of pulled through on my Intake problem. After a few letters, faxes and a couple phone calls. I received a telephone call the other day from the GM customer assistance center and they are willing to reimburse 50% of the repair (or about $400), which is better than nothing and puts some form of renewed faith in me. The rep I talked to was very calm and polite, she explained even though the vehicle was out of warranty (50k) they were going to help out in the interest of providing customer service. I am sure this forgoes my claim for any class action lawsuit but at least GM is doing something for me.

2002 Impala, 3.4L
3/18/05 @ 56k miles
9 registered trips to 4 dealers in Central PA - still looking for a good one!!

1. Intake gasket @ 52k - thanks Dexcool, $800+
2. Brakes @ ~10k, 15k, 25k, 40k, 50k - warping rotors - $250-350/each time. - had problems all the time, finally the rears were done this last time seems to have fixed the shimmy/vibration when braking lightly at high speeds, I am sure it will return. Front rotors have been turned 3 times now, replacement next.
3. Rear Doors hard to open - still an issue, someone suggested lubing the door seals. Seems the handles are hard to grab.
4. Intermediate Steering Shaft (ISS) - $220 (twice)
5. I had to replace some steering boots - had clunking in wheel when turning at low speed (driveways, stop and turns). Felt like loose brake caliper or popping cv joint.
6. Ignition switch @ 11k
7. And other parts I am sure I missed.

I have not had the “transmission” issues yet and the car seems to have enough power for me, which will be about the time I start looking for a new car. I don’t think it will be a GM.

Pros
- I do like the ride, very comfortable
- Cool styling

Cons
- Repairs, Repairs and more repairs.

[BNaylor]

[quote=rtebeau]GM sort of pulled through on my Intake problem. After a few letters, faxes and a couple phone calls. I received a telephone call the other day from the GM customer assistance center and they are willing to reimburse 50% of the repair (or about $400), which is better than nothing and puts some form of renewed faith in me. The rep I talked to was very calm and polite, she explained even though the vehicle was out of warranty (50k) they were going to help out in the interest of providing customer service. I am sure this forgoes my claim for any class action lawsuit but at least GM is doing something for me.


Unless you sign a release of all claims against GM or indemnify them you do not waive ay rights to take legal action against GM under your state's lemon or deceptive trade practices laws, if any or joining in on a class action lawsuit.

All GM did was mitigate damages by acting in good faith and covering $400 of the repair bill. The intake manifold problem has been on notice and a GM TSB has been out on all GM 3.4 engines for a few years now.

Our dealer replaced ours when we took it in for a power steering pump problem before the bumper to bumper expired. We didn't have any problems with the engine or intake nor did we complain but the dealer complied with GM's TSB just for general principle. That's customer service.