2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

[Deleted User]

I didn't see a one on the lot, when I was at my local dealer trying yet again to get the seat fixed.

hunter39

That must be one crappy dealer you have there. Anytime I've taken my Impala in for service be it warranty or paid for, they have been more than helpful. I don't understand why this is so hard for them to figure out...

ljordan4

I own a 93 Taurus and have recently had to have rear main seal work, transmission seal work, fuel pump replacement and radiator replacement work. I follow the maintainance schedule religiously. I am thinking about buying a new Impala. Does anyone have any knowledge of problems with the Impala such as I have experienced. Whenever I took the vehicle in for repairs, the mechanics would say, "Oh yeah, this is common to the Taurus." Anything like that out there for the Impala?

I forgot to add, I am the original owener and the car has less than 62,000 miles on it.
Thanks ljordan4

macgyver24

Hi ljordan4.

I can tell you from personal experience as a former Ford Taurus driver, that Impala has very few problems compared to the Taurus. Probably the two most serious problems with the Impala are with a defective engine cradle in some early 2000 models, and water leaking into the passenger area from a faulty A/C unit. I can't think of any serious problems like the Taurus had.

Do yourself a favour, dump that Taurus now and get something else! You'd be most pleased with an Impala. In fact, just about ANYTHING is better than a Taurus! Rent an Impala or take one for a test drive.

[Deleted User]

Maybe. I opened a file today with Chevy. I'll give the dealer one more chance on Monday. After that, I might try another dealer. If that doesn't work, I might try the buy back route.
I know it's not a major thing, but it bothers me. I wonder if anyone who has experience with the buy back procedure can offer some advice.

crosley4

I must admit that when we bought our 2k LS Impala in 1999 from Chapman Chev in Tempe AZ I was concerned about service and the quality of service.

We had not bought a new or near new vehicle in 18 years. Years ago dealer service complaints seem to be quite high.

Even with the on going trouble of our engine cradle which lead to the replacement of the cradle, Chapman's service dept has been great.

Our engine cradle was replaced at 43k miles after the Chapman service rep worked to get GM to cover the costs. GM did cover all costs given the history of complaints on our engine cradle.

Hunter39..... sounds like you had a good trip. I do not travel well, I am one of those ppl that want to be there NOW. I could very easily ask the pilot of a airplane traveling at 450mph to "step on it!"

Tony

hunter39

I've been getting my service at Lou Grubb Chevy on Camelback and have been happy with the service as well as the price. It used to be I didn't want to take my car to the dealer for service because they were so expensive and you had to leave the car for 5 days or some nonsense. hese days they really seem to want to keep that GM car there for all service. They have really earned my business.

LJordan, I have a 2k Impala with 25k miles on it, haven't yet experienced any of the common problems that have been on the 2k's (cradle, steering shaft and engine hesitation) But even given that I haven't heard too many complaints from anyone who owns a 2001 concerning those things either. I've had minor things, all taken care of through warranty and handled quickly and fixed the first time. If you want the size and feel of a big car without the price, Impala is your strongest bet. You get more for your money for sure.

Tony, I just didn't tell you how ticked off I got at the lack of service provided (letters have been written, I doubt I'll hear anything)I'll put up with a lot , to a point and then I start telling people! Fortunately the problems came on the return trip home and it didn't stress out my vacation.

00impala

Click this link

there are 7 small pages of production pics

http://www.theherd.com/factory/factory1.html

Cool Assembley pics. Don

licavy1

Thanks for the info on painting the moldings. I will check with another body shop and see what they say. Frank

b4z

I wonder how well they taped off the mouldings?
Also, had those mouldings ever been waxed? I think it would be difficult to get the wax off completely.
It is definitely an option to taking them off.

00impala

I found some Impala Base 16" Wheelcoves (Look-a-likes) done in Chrome. These I would think would hold up longer than the originals since the originals like to turn different shades of green very quickly due to the shoddy paint they recieve

http://www.jcwhitney.com/item.jhtml?ITEMID=65354

Sure they lack the Bowtie in the center and do not attatch to the lugnuts but they are a very close knock-off. Don

dieselone

I would like to see what percent of that sales number went to fleet sales. Subtract the fleet sales from 150,599 and you'll get a sobering number. Same can be said of the Taurus. Everyone I know that drives an Impala or Taurus has one for a company car. The bad thing about fleet sales is it kills resale value. My wife's company leases their cars for 2 years or 50k which ever comes first then they dump them. Many businesses do the same thing, so every year the used car market gets flooded with 2 yr old Impalas/Taurus etc. The Impala seems to be an ok car. I don't like the way it drives, but all that means is it's not my type of car. My wife likes it and it's free so I don't have any complaints. My dad has a fully loaded Taurus and I've driven them back to back. It's not a fair comparison since my wife's Impala is a base model. I prefer the handling of the Taurus, it has a tighter feel with better steering feed back with a lot less torque steer. The Impala has a softer ride, more room and seems to have less squeaks and rattles. Overall I prefered the Taurus, mainly because I'm partial to tight suspensions and multivalve engines. I have absolutely no use for the 3.4. I know the 3.8 is much better. But as I said I am comparing apples with oranges and a more fair comparisson would be with an Impala LS which probably would change my opinion. Maybe my wife can order and LS for her next company car.

hank64

In a recent post you mentioned that the hesitation problem (GM refers to it as "chuggle") was due to a software error. Could you post where this info can be obtained? The dealership here has not yet been able to solve that long continuing problem I have been having.

b4z

The LS has the firmer suspension and the base car is softer. My LS corners very well with little sway. Much like my intrigue did but without the harsh impacts that were transmitted into the intrigue's cabin.
I just got back from the mountains in the impala and it handles and corners great.

cabello

I now have 46,000 miles on my car. Yesterday I think I heard the dreaded Cradle clicks. I wonder if I will still be covered? I 'm going to take it in next week....Has anybody had there cradle replaced after 36,000 miles?

wyoimp

Dieselone - Try an LS for handling comparison with your Dad's Taurus. I've had several occasions to drive my LS on windy, twisty, I-70 (Denver west through the Eisenhower Tunnel) and some fine twisty two lane roads west and south of Denver at high altitude - the performance is OUTSTANDING!. I haven't had this much fun driving a car since my (then) brand new 1980 Datsun 200SX (Fastback, 5 Spd). Also with Traction Control and ABS you can't beat it for slick surface driving.

2001 LS
Build Date 01/01

dieselone

I don't doubt the LS is a solid performer. But to say the performance is outstanding would definitely be an overstatement. GM doesn't build and outstanding performance front driver. The Impala holds its own in the full size category unless you go up the price scale considerably. But their are other midsize sedans that perform much better and cost about the same. For example the 02 Altima which now has more interior room than a Maxima, has some serious sporting potential. A 3.5L 240 hp and 246 ft-lbs of torque v6 going thru a 5 speed trans, Motorweek just did a test on it and it ran 14.4 @ 100mph in the qtr mile and 0-60 in 5.9 seconds. All for under 25K. Now that's serious performance.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to dis the Impala, it's a nice large sedan for a reasonable price. But it's not a sport sedan and it wasn't designed to be one. I guess it comes down to what you compare it to. I'd hope any 2001 vehicle would be would be a better performer than a 1980 Datsun 200SX, I'm sure it was a good car then but I doubt it had over a 80hp. By today's standards everything sucked in 1980. Hell a 1980 Corvette only had like 180hp and I bet a new Impala would probably outperform that in everyway as well.

nosirrahg

Been awhile since I posted anything, and may have more interesting info to pass along about my 2000 Impala in a few weeks (I'm @ 28k miles, taking it in soon to have a number of issues resolved).

However, wanted to say that I bought regular unleaded last night here in central AR for $1.159; that's about as cheap as I've seen gasoline in some time.

nosirrahg

...someone may have already mentioned it, but aren't the US flags posted by our names especially nice now!

teo

Dieselone. You love the *Germanic* small car feeling. You are not persuaded by the handling/driving dynamics of larger sedans, unless of course they are MB's or BMW's

I have driven the Jetta. Nice car. Many times I taught about buying one, specially the VR6 model. The V6 is a bit mushy in the corners for a German tuned car, plus it is pretty heavy upfront. The 1.8T does seem to solve this complaint.

The Jetta is a nice car, good quality of materials all around, nice build fit and finish but very below average reliability. Upon reading hundreds and hundreds of posts of VW Jetta owners here in Edmunds, VW Vortex, et al, these cars do seem to have a fair share of irritants beginning with the often poor dealership service,Poor quality mechanical components, short warranty (Which was finally upgraded to 4 years), high prices and smallish dimensions. Call me insane, but I think that if I buy a four door car, I want my rear passengers to have reasonable comfort. The Jetta has an alarming lack of rear seat leg room and head room. The back is suited for small toddlers and pets. $24K for a car that has the interior room of a 2+2 sports coupe....ridicoulous.

But hey the car has its attributes but until the day Dr.Piech gets its act together to seriously improve the reliability of its products and stop the bickering and non-sense at VW dealership service dept, then I might consider one. The 4 year warranty is a step in the right direction, but there is much room for improvement.

The Impala LS handles beautifully for a 3400 pound sedan. But large heavy FWD sedans are not your beef; therefore in your mind, nothing will ever drive closely as your Jetta. I have owned Hondas and Acuras and let me tell you that each car has it set of attributes. This Impala really impressed me enough to change my Honda only and Japanese only mind sets. 6000 miles and not a single problem not even a rattle or noise, just a solid car built like a tank. Ask your VW Jetta fellow owners of their experiences at 6K miles...at least 10 unscheduled trips back to the VW dealer to get 20 items fixed not only once but 2 and 3 times.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and certainly yours is more than welcome. And in that tone I encourage you to take a test drive of a new Impala LS. Take it down your favorite twisty road or mountain pass (If you happen to live near the mountains) and then come back with a full report.

The Impala base sedan and LS are two different cars wearing same clothes.

GM does make a very competitive car, vastly underrated by the import loving automotive press and owners that will never accept the fact that the US can make a good handling sedan, not only Asia or Germany.

dieselone

Actually I appreciate many different vehicles of various types. I even enjoy driving my grandfathers 00 Park Avenue while visiting in FL. I guess you've got it in your head that I think the Impala is a bad vehicle. That's not what I said. I actually said that it is a good performing large car. What I am disputing is that it an outstanding performing vehicle. I agree that it is a good value for the size it offers and price it affords.

As for VW, I sold my Jetta back in early July and now drive an 01 Pathfinder LE (Impala still has more seating room and takes up more space in our garage). I don't want to start a debate over suv's vs. sedans, but I needed the suv to tow my boat. But you can't compare a Jetta to an Impala. Their completely two different cars that happen to have a similar price range.

As for comparing quality among vehicles, that's tough to do on a forum. For example, the 2000 Jetta (diesel) that I had was absolutely trouble free for 35K and got 50mpg to boot. Like you, I've read and talked to people that had many problems with their VW's, thankfully I wasn't one of them. But it seems everyone knows someone thats had good or bad luck with different vehicles. I've owned GM, Chrysler, and Ford products in the past and my last 2 new vehicles have been foreign makes only because of the poor quality of my past 3 domestics (My wife's Impala not one of those). At the same time I don't have brand loyalty to any one car company. I buy what I like, as I imagine you do. I've never owned a BMW but have driven several and they have always put a smile on my face, but they should considering their price. I appreciate and agree with your suggestion of driving an LS, but if I'm going to waste my time and a sales persons time to go for joy ride thru some twisties, it won't be in an Impala LS(though I don't doubt it could provide some enjoyment), I'll take the 6 speed vette please.

You hit the nail on the head with mentioning I prefer "germanic" feel and the Impala doesn't fit my description of a sporting sedan. Maybe when I'm older and my kids are out of car seats my preferences/needs may change. Which is already the case since I am driving an SUV which a few years ago I would have never dreamed.

[Deleted User]

You'll have to forgive Teo. He's in love. ;-)
Ain't that right, Teo?

hvan3

The only way to truely understand the performance of the LS is to drive it. Otherwise, you'll continue to have this bias opinion on the Impala as a whole...base model vs LS is completely different.

I can tell you first hand that the Impala LS drives 10x better than the top of the line Taurus.

b4z

i abslolutely smoked a DOHC Sable on an offramp a couple of weeks ago. He was ahead of me by many car lengths coming off the interstate and by the time we got to the merge lane i was only a couple of lengths behind him.
I cornered noticeably flatter than he did too.

lrcobra

Did you make a complaint with your dealer before the warrenty ran out? I did with my transmission problem and it saved me close to $1,000 bucks. They changed out the valve body in the tranny and so far (knock on wood) no more hesitations in shifting. With all the problems with the original cradles it should be covered. If your dealer gives you any hassle I would call the 1-800 number in the manual and see where it goes from there.
LRCobra
Silver Bullet

dieselone

In my experience it usually is a case by case with the dealer. My guess is being several thousand miles out of warranty will really put you behind the eight ball. As LR mentioned, if you put a complaint in before the warranty expires they generally will make the repairs. A coworker of mine lost reverse in his 99 Montana and it was about 1000 miles out of warranty. After much complaining and negotiating he was able to get a new trans for free, but had to pay for laber. With the cost transaxles these days I'm sure that saved him a bundle.

crosley4

My 2k LS had the engine cradle replaced at 43k miles. It was all paid for by GM.

We had a history of complaints with the engine cradle from the original complaint at 9k miles.

We could have pushed the issue sooner. But now the car has the lastest design cradle under it. This cradle is fully welded and stress tested.

Under the stress test do they have a nagging boss, along with a wife and kids yelling at it??

LOLOL I am just kidding there, do not flame me!

Tony

night_owl1

I finally finished the Radio FAQ ( just in time too). Take a look at it and send me any comments, suggestions, corrections, or any questions that can be included.

http://home.hawaii.rr.com/impala/

hunter39

Dieselone mentioned that you could get a 02' Altima with v6 power for under 25 k! I'd sure like to know where. We are shopping for an Altima right now and the v6 power plant pretty much comes with every option they have, price tag? About 28k, yes that's what I said... for an Altima

BTW, they are only selling at MSRP, wouldn't even accept my offer of 195.00 under

dieselone

Yes it can be had at under 25K. But as you mentioned all the ones I've seen on dealer lots are fully loaded. At this point you would probably have to order one. The dealer near me only has full loaded models. But if you look at the base price for the 3.5 SE 5speed, the MSRP starts around 23K. Like anything else that's new when they come out they are loaded and the dealers ask a premium. When I was shopping for suv's all the new Trailblazers I looked at were LTZ models in the mid 30's and the dealers didn't want to deal. So I decided to go with a Pathfinder LE and got it for invoice minus a $1500 rebate with the options I wanted. I'm sure in a few months the dealers will be loosing up on the Altima's when supply meets the demand.

impalaboy2001

For the last week I've been working on installing an Eclipse 7002 Display Headunit and 8 disk CD Changer. I'm finally done and I've posted my work on my webpage under Interior. I still need to install a noise filter to get rid of the whistling sound from the speakers and get that Onstar working again.

Chris

http://members.home.net/chrbut

hunter39

whatever reason Nissan will not order a car for you the way you want it. We have tried. The standard line from every dealership we have talked to (four so far)is that they will check around the country to see if the car you want with the options you want is somewhere, if it is they will get it for you. The car we wanted was in SoCal (I'm in AZ)and they wanted 275.00 transport fee to get it here. I'm not going for it unless they discount the car at least that much, they did offer more for my trade than it was worth, at least for a day, then said the buyer they had for it was no longer interested it. They lost my business on that point alone, so it's back to the search...

nosirrahg

I had the ISS clunking earlier last year, but it seemed to go away, and has been pretty much nonexistent for most of this year. However, in the past month, it suddenly returned stronger than ever. So I'm getting ready to take it in later this week (starter went out on my truck Saturday, so I've got to get it fixed first so I'll have something to drive).

Question: Has anyone noticed a noise when turning their cruise control on/off at relatively low speeds (i.e. @ 45 mph). I happened to do so last night on the way home from church, and found when I set the cruise @ 45 mph, it made an audible click that seemed to come from the front drivers side of the engine area, and when I hit both buttons to turn off the cruise, it made a similar sound. It sounded very similar to the clicking/clunking coming from the ISS, but it was a singular sound, not a series like what I hear applying the brakes.

tpken

On that Altima you're looking at - what is the gas mileage expectation? I've heard that the new v-6 Altima is abysmal in that regard.
In fact I even read somewhere that a larger gas tank has been incorporated to compensate for the lousy mileage.


Ken

[Deleted User]

I brought the car back to the dealer this morning to finally, hopefully, get the seat fixed. I'm actually confident it will be.
You see, I realized after the last reapir that they actually did fix the seat back recliner OK. It's just that the seat rails are also loose, causing a slight wobble.
They're familiar with the seat rail TSB, so I'm pretty confident at this point.

teo

I haven't had any driver's seat track or recliner problems as of yet. My seat is rock solid regardless of acceleration of braking. It must be one annoying problem having the seat "shift" position with vehicle movement. Will keep an eye on this one.

[Deleted User]

When I first brought it in, way back when, they immediately said "seat rails", as if they were familiar. However, the guy who does that work wasn't there. I went back and a different guy said "recliner" which is how it felt to me.
They replaced the recliner, which solved most of it. However, now that I don't have the big movement in the seat back, I'm noticing a rocking in the base.
Considering there is a specific "seat track" TSB, and other here have mentioned having the rails replaced, I guess there is a fair amount of this going on. It may be that some people don't care. It's not huge. But, I'm picky like that.
Thanks for keeping your eyes open.

teo

My seat simply doesn't move. I know it is an on going issue for there is even a TSB for the seat tracks. I guess it will eventually with time but for now my seat has been unaffected by the track problem. Hope you'll get it taken care of for good today.

gweilo

I am picking between 2 20002 LS and wonder if anyone had some reasoning for adding the extra $500 for the 1SB package. I like the steering mounted radio controls but is that combined with the convenience center worth it? Seems like people are getting inaccurated MPG readings with it.
Both have the radio/cassette/CD combo. Did they sort out the sound issues for 2002?
Anything else I should consider?
Rich

hvan3

It's not worth the $500 for the 1SB package. Use the money and add leather seats.

Did you say you're getting two 2002 LS? Dang!

bdime

I haven't noticed any movement of the seat but see my post under repair issues about a loose cover on the side of the drivers seat and a tear found there. My dealer replaced the whole seat cover but I can't say which came first - was the tare underneath the cover
and not visible until the cover came up or did the cover come loose and then the leather caught on something. Not sure- but I did notice the loose cover when it snagged on my leather coat- visible foam padding at the edge of the cover. Keep a sharp eye out
on the leather seats folks- it could be very pricey to replace them on your own.

[Deleted User]

Connolly leather, it ain't.

artwis

Check out the 1SB package again but not on Edmunds as they are still using 2001 numbers. For 2002 the 1SB has what you mentioned plus the enhanced radio system. The MSRP for the 1SB for 2002 is $785 and invoice is $699. MSNCARPOINT or LYCOS has the correct numbers and you can check the GM numbers by going to GMBUYPOWER and finding a car similar to what you want and at least get MSRP numbers. Your question has made me think about maybe not taking the 1SB option myself (if I buy the Impala LS instead of a Lesabre) although the few 2002's I've seen on the lots so far all have had the 1SB option.
Art

gweilo

As part of information center.
A dealer told me that it detects glass breakage in case of a robbery and triggers horn and lights. Anyone know more about this? Opinions?Could it possibly decrease insurance rates? What does a similar after-market alarm cost?

b4z

I have found on long trips that the DIC is very accurate. If you are driving the car around town and turning it on and off it will register a mile or two per gallon high.

[Deleted User]

The DIC errs on the high side? Oh great. So, I'm getting less than what it says?

bh0001

nosirrahg: I tried the cruise control this morning on the way to work. I get a "clunk" when I engage and disengage at about 80kph (50mph). I never noticed this before (although I rarely use cruise going less than 100+). I've never heard any sound like this from the front of my LS (build date 04/01).

I suspect it's just the cruise control mechanism and nothing to worry about (at least I HOPE that's the case!).
Brad

bh0001

I keep very detailed records on mileage. Every time I fill up I record odometer reading, actual litres used, and DIC litres used. This all goes into a spreadsheet to calculate distance travelled, actual mileage, actual range, DIC mileage, and DIC range. Mileage is calculated in litres/100km, US MPG, and CDN MPG.

Over the life of my car (18,058km since May 14/01), here are the stats (format is litres/100km - US MPG - CDN MPG):

Lifetime actual average: 10.21 - 23.34 - 28.03
DIC actual average: 9.09 - 26.13 - 31.38
Best actual: 7.44 - 31.62 - 37.97
Worst actual: 12.63 - 18.63 - 22.37

I agree that the DIC is more accurate over long highway distances. As soon as you do lots of city driving or stop-and-go driving, the DIC completely loses it.

One interesting thing I have noticed is that the low-fuel warning DOES seem to be accurate. I've tested it a few times, and regardless of what it thinks your "range" should be, it seems to come on when I've got about 10 litres left in the tank (or about 100km range left).
Brad

bdime

The theft deter that is included in the 1sb does indeed give you a better insurance deduction
than an add-on car alarm system- this per my insurance carrier. I believe the extra money was
worth it- I also absolutely love the control for the radio on the steering wheel. I believe this adds
to my safety- not fumbling for the radio controls. Think it all through and make your choices.

casl

I've been noticing a noise when engaging and disengaging the cruise control too. It's sort of like a clunk, but not a very loud one. I've noticed it within the past few months, however, I don't know if it's new or something I've just never paid attention to before. FYI - I have a 2k Impala (build date 10/99) with almost 40,000 miles.