13 of the 1,375 complaints about the 2004 Chevrolet Impala are about the equipment — 1% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 42,037 miles.
13
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. CONSUMER HAD CAR FIXED AND RECEIVED NO REIMBURSEMENT. *TA THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE DASH LIGHTS AND THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE AIR CONDITION AND HEAT. .
NHTSA complaint #10661742 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
MY CHEVY IMPALA IGNITION WOULD NOT START MY CAR ON. I CALLED THE SEVERAL DEALERSHIP. [XXX] SAID THERE'S NO RECALL FROM GM ON THAT. NOW I DON'T HAVE A CAR BECAUSE OF A IGNITION PROBLEM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
NHTSA complaint #10611159 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY
THE TRACTION CONTROL TURNS ON VERY FREQUENTLY WITHOUT CONTROL,LIGHTAPPEAR CLAIM THAT THE TRACTION SYSTEM NEED SERVICES AND SOME OTHER TIME THE SINF OF THE ABS I CONSTANTLY PUSH THE TRACKING SYSTEM OFF WHEN IS ON BUT DO NOT RESPOND AT OLL. THIS CAUSES THE CAR TO MAKE A GRINDING NOISE. WHEN BRAKING THE CAR MAKES A GRINDING NOISE AND CAR IS NOT STOPPING IT FEELS LIKE IT'S LOCKING UP AND MY STEERING GOING FROM LEFT TO RIGHT IN SLIDING WAY TO . IN A SUDDEN STOP NEEDING TO BE MADE IS AT GREAT RISK OF A ACCIDENT, ALREADY WAS CLOSE TO PASS OVER A PEATON THAT WAS MAD AT ME AND HIT MY CAR IN THE BACK BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM THAT I TRAY TO CORRECT BUT IS A MANUFACTURE DEFECT TO RESOLVE AS SOME AS YESTERYEARS,Y HOPE THAT NOBODY ARE KILL ALREADY,BUT I WILL HOLD STARTING WITH "GM CHEVROLET"RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING WHO HAPPENED TO ME AND FAMILY.
NHTSA complaint #10565847 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
BRAKE PAD AND ROTOR. AT 14,584 & 49,883 MILES PADS ON ALL 4 WHEELS & REAR ROTORS WERE REPLACED. PADS BECAUSE OF SEVERE WEAR. REAR ROTORS ON BOTH OCASSIONS WERE SEVERELY RUSTED AND WARPED CAUSING THE FRONT BRAKES TO PROVIDE ALL THE BRAKING FORCE RESULTING IN SEVERE WEAR & DAMAGE TO THE FRONT PADS. AT 14584MILES TOOK CAR TO CHEVY. DEALER BECAUSE OF NOISE AT REAR WHEN STOPPING. REAR ROTORS & PADS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, FRONT PADS AT OUR COST. AT ABOUT 35000 HAD FRONT BRAKES CHECKED BECAUSE OF LOUD SQUEALING, FOUND FRONT PADS TO BE GLAZED. REARS NOT CHECKED AT THIS TIME. AT49884 MILES BRAKES GAVE OUT WHEN EXITING X-WAY. WHEN THE WHEELS WERE PULLED REAR ROTORS WERE AGAIN FOUND TO BE COMPLETELY RUSTED & WARPED . ONE OF THE FRONT PADS HAD BROKEN & FALLEN OUT, THE OTHER PADS WERE SEVERELY WORN. ONCE AGAIN THE FRONT BRAKES WERE DOING ALL THE STOPPING BECAUSE OF THE DEFECTIVE REAR ROTORS. THIS TIME WE HAD TO PAY FOR THE WHOLE REPAIR. CHEVY. DEALER SAID GM FELT THIS WAS NORMAL WEAR. TWO SETS OF WARPED & RUSTED ROTORS IN LESS THAN 50000 MILES DOES NOT SEEM LIKE NORMAL WEAR, IT APPEARS MORE LIKELY TO BE A DEFECT IN THE QUALITY OR DESIGN OF THE ROTORS & THE PREMATURE FAILURE OF THE PADS IS A RESULT OF THIS DEFECT. A WEB SEARCH OF THIS PROBLEM SHOWS THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE HAVING THIS DEFECT WITH RUSTY & WARPED REAR ROTORS ON GM PRODUCTS OF THE SAME MODEL YEAR. SERVICE TECH'S I'VE TALK TO ABOUT IT TELL ME IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE.
NHTSA complaint #10417059 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
INCIDENT DESCRIPTION = I PURCHASED RAIN-X WIPER AT WALMART FOR MY 2004 IMPALA VEHICLE. IT COST $17.99+ AND WAS A 22-INCH MODEL. A WEEK OR SO LATER I RAN INTO A HEAVY DOWNPOUR WHILE DRIVING WEST ON I-40 FROM MEMPHIS TO LITTLE ROCK. THE WIPER PORTION OF BLADE ASSEMBLY BEGAN TO WORK ITS WAY OUT OF THE END OF THE HOLDER AND QUICKLY REACHED ABOUT 5 TO 6 INCHES OUTSIDE THE HOLDER. THE RUBBER BEGAN TO WHIP AROUND AND I HAD TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY TO PUT THE RUBBER PART BACK IN PLACE. THIS HAPPENED 3 MORE TIMES BEFORE I HAD TO STOP AND SEARCH OUT A MINI-MART WHERE I COULD BUY A ROLL OF ELECTRICAL TAPE TO TAPE THE RUBBER END TIGHTLY ENOUGH SO IT WOULD STOP FLYING OUT OF THE HOLDER.
NHTSA complaint #10293434 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:APPLIANCE:AIR CONDITIONER
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES STOPPED WORKING. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE HEATER UNIT SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE, IT FINALLY STARTED AND DROVE ROUGHLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FAILURES WERE RELATED TO THE SECURITY SYSTEM IN THE CONTROL PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTIONS. RECENTLY, THE DRIVER MESSAGE CENTER AND HORN WERE NOT OPERATING, AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT RUNNING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,000.
NHTSA complaint #10241807 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
I HAVE A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA, THE SPEEDOMETER AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE SPEEDOMETER SHOWS ALL DIFFERENT SPEEDS EVEN IF THE CAR IS NOT MOVING. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. I AM ALSO BEGINNING TO DOUBT THAT THE FUEL GAUGE IS CORRECT. I WAS TOLD BY MY CHEVROLET DEALER THAT THE COST OF REPAIR WILL BE AROUND $700.00. I LEARNED TODAY ON A NEWS REPORT THE GENERAL MOTORS ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM ON THEIR SUV'S AND PICK-UP TRUCKS, BUT NOT ON THE IMPALA'S. I AM STILL TRYING TO SAVE THE $700.00 FOR THE REPAIR.
NHTSA complaint #10240523 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
THE EVENT ACTUALLY STARTED THE DAY THAT MY WIFE AND I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. WE BOUGHT OUR VEHICLE USED FROM SANGER FORD IN SANGER, CA. FIRST THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT OUT. LATER THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING AND NOW OUR FUEL GAUGE DOESN'T WORK. THE MECHANIC AT SANGER FORD STATED THAT IT WAS THE CLUSTER AND IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND TOLD US IT WOULD COST $507.45 TO REPLACE. WE HAVE SINCE SPOKEN TO GM, WHO INSTRUCTED US TO GET A DIAGNOSTIC AND THEY WOULD TAKE IT FROM THERE. WE PAID $85 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AT TOM BENSON CHEVROLET IN SAN ANTONIO, TX. GM THEN TOLD US THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THE CLUSTER ON THE IMPALA, BUT THERE ARE RECALLS ON THE CHEVY TAHOE, SUBURBAN AND THE SILVERADO AND THAT IF WE WANTED IT REPLACED WE COULD DEDUCT THE COST OF THE DIAGNOSTIC FROM WHAT TOM BENSON WANTED TO CHARGE TO REPLACE IT, WHICH WAS $500. I HAVE SEEN COMMENTS ONLINE FROM OTHER '04 IMPALA OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THEIR CLUSTER GOING OUT, THEY JUST EITHER PAID TO HAVE IT REPLACED AND THE ONES WHO DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO REPLACE IT, LIKE MYSELF, ARE STUCK WITH NOT KNOWING HOW FAST THEY ARE DRIVING, HOW MUCH GAS THEY HAVE OR IF THEIR ENGINE IS RUNNING HOT. PLEASE HELP US. I KNOW THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND GM DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY TO FIX IT.
NHTSA complaint #10239170 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY IMPALA AND HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT FROM THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. WHEN I GOT THE "NEW" CAR I WAS NOT INFORMED THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN WRECKED, YEAH, A "NEW" CAR. THEN FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS WE HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH IT CRANKING. SOMETIMES IT WILL TAKE UP TO 2 HOURS TO GET IT TO CRANK. WE HAD HEARD THAT IT COULD BE SOMETHING WITH THE STARTED AND THE DEALER SAID THERE ISN'T ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO BECAUSE YOU ARE OVER YOUR MILEAGE. THIS IS A VERY KNOWN ISSUE AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT MY FOR 24 HOURS AS OF 7/26/2008 AT 10:23 AM BECAUSE IT NOW WILL NOT CRANK. WE HAVE TRIED ALL THE LITTLE SECRETS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING IN THE PAST. I AM TAKING IT TO THE SHOP ON MONDAY AND HOPEFULLY IT IS NOT GOING TO COST MY BOTH OF MY LEGS AND ARMS. I THINK THAT GM SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE WELL KNOWN PROBLEMS IF THEY WANT PEOPLE TO KEEP BUYING THEIR CARS. I CAN TELL YOU THAT I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GM CAR IF SOMETHING IN THE NEAR FUTURE ISN'T DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND I WILL SPREAD THE WORD ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND HERE IN TOWN. WORD OF MOUTH CAN MAKE OR BREAK A COMPANY. I KNOW I AM JUST ONE RIGHT NOW BUT SOON I WILL BE MANY AND SOMETHING WILL BE DONE.
NHTSA complaint #10235849 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.
ORIGINALLY RADIO FAILED TO WORK. WENT TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD NEED TO REPLACE THE RADIO. AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION, FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A WIRING HARNESS THAT WAS CORRODED IN THE PASSENGER REAR SEATING AREA. THIS HARNESS ALSO CONTROLS THE WARNING BELLS FOR THE ENTIRE CAR. THERE IS DEFINITELY A WATER ENTRY ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL. NOW THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS COMING ON AND YOU CAN HEAR WATER 'SLOSHING" AROUND IN THE DASHBOARD AREA. WATER IS COMING IN TO THE PASSENGER FLOOR AREA.
NHTSA complaint #10220536 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT
ON OCT 6TH 2005, WHILE DRIVING THE DEPARTMENT ISSUED 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA, POLICE PATROL SQUAD CAR, I NOTICED A UNFAMILUAR VERY STRONG FOUL ODOR WHEN I WOULD TURN ON THE HEATER. UNKNOWN TO ME AT THE TIME, BUT AFTER I SUFFERRED INITIALLY AN INHALATION INJURY WHICH NEARLY KILLED ME BY SUFFICATING ME CAUSING MY BLOOD PRESSURE TO ESCALATE THEREBY CAUSING ME TO SUFFER DUEL ANYURSM' OF THE UPPER THORACIC VEIN AND THE ABDOMINAL VEIN. I WAS FLOWN VIA FLIGHT-FOR-LIFE HELICOPTER TO A TRAUMA CENTER, HOSPITALIZED IN INTENSIVE CARE, LEFT INCAPACITED ME FOR FOUR MONTHS AND WITHOUT AN INCOME. I AM NOW LEFT WITH INTERNAL SCAR TISSUE ON MY AORTA VEIN. MY POLICE SUPERVISOR VISITED ME IN INTENSIVE CARE IN THE HOSPITAL AND INFORMED ME THAT THE MECHANIC FROM THE DEALERSHIP WHICH SERVICES OUR FLEET OF LEASED VEHICLE, INSPECTION RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM WAS OVERCHARGING THE BATTERY AND AS A RESULT THE BATTERY BEGAN TO OVERHEAT GIVING OFF BATTERY ACID FUMES WHICH EXPLAINED THE FOUL ODOR.
NHTSA complaint #10189122 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT
THE JACK SUPPLIED WITH A 2004 CHEV IMPALA WAS USED FOR THE FIRST TIME ON ASPHALT SURFACE ON A LESS THAN 1% GRADE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS JACKED UP TO REPLACE A TIRE WITH NO STRESS ON THE WHEEL OR VEHICLE, THE JACK FAILED AND DROPPED THE VEHICLE TO THE GROUND. THE JACK BENT AND THE CENTER ALL THREAD SCREW ALSO BENT. THE OEM SUPPLIED EQUIPMENT IS INADEQUATE TO ELEVATE THE VEHICLE SAFELY TO REPLACE A FLAT TIRE.
NHTSA complaint #10151345 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT
WHILE USING MANUFACTURER SUPPLIED SCISSORS JACK TO RAISE 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA TO CHANGE RIGHT FRONT TIRE, JACK FOLDED OVER CAUSING VEHICLE TO DROP TO GROUND AND ROLL BACK SLIGHTLY. VEHICLE WAS ON SMOOTH, CLEAN, LEVEL CONCRETE GARAGE FLOOR AT THE TIME. SCISSORS JACK HAD COME APART AS A RESULT AND IS NO LONGER SERVICEABLE. IT HAS BEEN RETAINED.
NHTSA complaint #10144194 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.