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2006 Chevrolet Impala

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Comments

  • susan5042susan5042 Member Posts: 2
    Update on my 08 Impala. The coolant was almost completely gone! In less then 5 months since last oil change and fluid top off! Called my mechanic and he said keep an eye on it and bring it in ASAP. He also said that coolant can't just disappear. There has to be a leak however small. I smell anti=freeze every now and then too. So next month it goes in. These cars have a 5yr/ 100,000 warranty on gaskets. That's what it says in manual, don't let them fool you. How do we get a recall on this? Shouldn't be happening to so many @ such low miles.
  • rogerm2rogerm2 Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem & what happened is The coolant level went low. The heater core lines are prone to get an air lock. Wait for the car to cool off so you don't get burnt. Top up the coolant tank above half way or higher if you prefer. The rest will leak out on it's own. Remove the top heater hose clamp and pull off the hose off the pipe and hold it close to the pipe to let air out. Have someone start the car and be redy to install the hose back. You just want to let some coolant leak out to let the air come out. Stop the car and in stall the hose clamp back. Oh yes you will need to put the heater on the low setting and at the floor setting while you do this.
  • oileatingchevyoileatingchevy Member Posts: 4
    Car dont leak any oil, no oil in cooling system, so must be burning it, even if you dont see it smoking out the exhaust. the dealer said the plugs were dry ! To me if its being burned up by the heat in the catalytic converters, they must be caking up inside. I have read by others that they seam to notice more oil consumption closer to the time of oil change time and also with more expressway driving. I told my dealer I'm not playing anymore games, and Chevrolet called me and said a district manager will be contacting me in a few days. I told my dealer I will put oil sucking signs and picture on my car, park in in front of every Chevrolet dealer around with a picket sign saying Unhappy Chevy Owner. I think they now beleave that I will !
  • oileatingchevyoileatingchevy Member Posts: 4
    Update I made the signs for the car, my UNHAPPY CHEVY OWNER picket sign. I parked in front of 4 of the biggest Chevy dealer around. In 5 mins they came running out to talk to me, after 15 mins more talking total around 20 mins at each dealer They said they will make calls, then on to the next. I told them I was not mad at them they just sell them. I was mad at Chevy in Detriot and told them on there BS customer sevice line, I would do this, so here I'm ! they are building the junk ! cover ups till they are forced to fix cars with recalls or what ever ! One of the big chevy dealers said he already fixed one with my same oil eating problems. He said call him back monday morning he will make some calls, I did and at 11:00 monday morning he had the car, the wife had a 2012 loaner, Tuesday morning he called said car was ready. They did the heads a intake gasket was leaking but not on to the ground, the found it using mirrors. When we picked car up he said my picketing sure woke things up. We were treated like New car buyers again !!!! But isnt that the way it should be !!!! No Games 100,000 or 5 years of the 3 new car we bought in 2009 one was good # 2 was junk traded it in for the a lost for the $26,000 Impala and the oil problem out of all 3 new Chevy cars they never said that Chevy says if the car use's 1 quart of oil every 2,000 miles that is exceptable oil use !!!!!
  • lisairwinlisairwin Member Posts: 2
    I have owned my impala for 16 months...I've never had any problems until now. I recently got the message engine hot/ ac off. I took it to a mechanic and they replaced the climate control sensor. It was fine for almost a month. The message keeps comming back and I can get the computer reset and all is fine for about a week or a day or how ever long. When this message is on the temp gauge does not work, no heat or ac. the mechanic i took it to say's they don't know what is causing this and i need to take it to a dealer. They think it's an issue with the wires at some place. I spoke to another person about this and they think maybe the fan in some way is causing this. HELP!!!
  • lisairwinlisairwin Member Posts: 2
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    I'm sorry that your Impala keeps encountering this same issue, lisairwin. If you decide on visiting a dealer to get this looked into, please let us know! We're available to assist in whatever way we can.

    Best,
    Sarah
    GM Customer Service
  • mbohlembohle Member Posts: 2
    gm knows it has problems of oil consumption in the 3,6 engine
    my 06 cts has the same problem good ole gm/fitgerald caddie wants me to spend 90,00 for a new oil change and 118,00 p/service hour to determine ,why, after a recent oil change my dip stick showed zero oil
    there are 52 pages of oil consumption problems listed on edmunds.
    gm got 130 billion bailout,made 40 billion profits and won't fix these problems
    when the kenyan,hawaian fired miller;he fired the guy who would fix these kinds of problems. your gm zone rep knows the problems but seldom admits they exist
  • khbuzzellkhbuzzell Member Posts: 2
    edited July 2012
    So - is there any update / fix for this - I purchased my 2008 LTZ in December of 2011 - this is so far my only complaint - if I didnt love this car so much it would be a deal breaker - altho Im thinking of trading it in for a newer model where hopefully this irritating issue has been worked out. What a pain in the rear!!
  • spalmisanospalmisano Member Posts: 1
    thinking about buying, want a reliable vehicle. any problems with this year??
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,146
    Since this discussion is about the 2006 model year, you might want to look in our 2009 Impala discussion and ask 09 owners there.

    We have another discussion in which members are talking about a "reduced engine power" message that seems to occur in several model years. It's probably worth your time to read message there too.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    Share your vehicle reviews

  • ladyzladyz Member Posts: 14
  • beckijbeckij Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 with the identical complaint. Sometimes if you shut the vehicle off in a specific order, it will work. Put it in park, shut the a/c off, shut the radio off, shut the car off. Then undo your seatbelt and open the door.
    If any of this is done out of order then you never know if the radio will come on the next time or not. Definitley frustrating.
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    We're glad that you've found a way to make the radio work, beckij, although understand that you're still frustrated. Are you planning on getting this looked into at all?

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • buickloverbuicklover Member Posts: 15
  • buggie3buggie3 Member Posts: 1
    My 2007 with 3.9 Engine would use about 1/2 qt in 4,000 miles with mixed city/hwy driving. I drove it to Nashville one day (about 350 miles round trip) and used 1 quart just on that trip. The car was still in powertrain warranty so I took it to the dealership and they told me about a small orfice inside one of the valve covers where the PCV hose connects. They said the hole can get stopped up and oil will route through the throttle body and burn through the engine. The car never smoked. They just removed the pcv hose and blew out the orfice. Problem solved.

    Since then the car was totalled but I like Impalas so I have a new 2012 coming in next week. Guess I'll see how the oil consumption is on the new 3.6.
  • yewlseeyewlsee Member Posts: 1
    I have experienced the loud blinker noises with no radio. I've had no blinker noise and no radio. I've had radio that could barely be heard after the ignition was shut off but before I opened the door and no door chimes with all of the above. The mechanic said to bring it in when it happens; however, when it happens, the shop is closed. It's indeed frustrating to have no solution available for a frequently recurring problem.
  • cdnonecdnone Member Posts: 6
  • gmcustsvcsarahgmcustsvcsarah Member Posts: 1,964
    Hello yewlsee,

    Is your mechanic with one of our GM dealerships? If so, we're happy to check into this further! Please email us at socialmedia@gm.com with more details (including your name and Edmunds username, phone and address, the last 8 of your VIN and mileage, and the name of your dealership).

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • caoroncaoron Member Posts: 4
    I have the same problem with our heater not working idle as well as not warming up with remote start. My wife also complains about hearing the sloshing sound of water in the dash area. We have a 2008 Impala.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    caoron,
    Are you planning on getting this checked into? If you do, and if you work with a GM dealership, please let us know as we're available to follow up on the visit for you. We can be reached via email at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name, contact information, and the last 8 digits of your VIN in your message).
    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • ebrazealebrazeal Member Posts: 1
    Please keep us all posted if you hear anything. Of course my car is out of warranty and I am experiencing all the same symptoms as everyone else. I have an '06 Impala, never had any issues till this winter. When idling, my car is freezing cold. I added coolant and then it is fine. I also hear the gurgling by the dash after I shut my car off for only a few min. I am now leaking coolant and at about $10 a gallon this is costing me. I am checking it all the time and we will look at the hoses this weekend to try and determine if we can find maybe where it is leaking from. Now I have a "oil pressure low, shut engine off" light and dingier going off. I checked with the place that recently changed my oil and they said nothing was wrong. Getting really tired and frustrated. Thinking I might need to trade my Chevy in for something else, if they can't design their cars to run more than 5 years, it is NOT worth my investment!!!!
  • klrssklrss Member Posts: 28
    Just an FYI, in my 2010 Impala, I am hearing sloshing sounds in my dash and have been for a while now, so I guess I need to bring it back in to have more antifreeze put in it, and have the air bled out again. Last time I had this done was just about a year ago based on my last post on this subject. Again, I ask, where did the antifreeze go? A month ago the car just died on me with " service charging system". Had to have the alternator replaced. My 2009 civic is going strong, not a drop of antifreeze gone, no broken alternator no complaints, and my 2012 Elantra has 15K miles and not a problem. I have 46K miles on my 2012 Impala and Im not confident in it at all. I am a Realtor, and I really need to rely on this car to get me places. I was just telling friends at lunch today that I really need to get rid of my car before I get stranded with clients somewhere. Not sure when I will make an appointment for my sloshing sound, but if I think about it, I will pop back in here and update everyone on what they did to fix it, under my now extended warranty with a 100 dollar deducible. ug! :sick: :lemon:
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Good morning ebrazeal,

    We can understand that you're tired and frustrated what with the difficulties you've listed here. I see that you're outside of your warranties and understand if it isn't an option at this point; however, if you do decide to get this checked out by a dealership, please let me know as we'd be happy to work with you through that process.

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Good morning, klrss.
    We're sorry to hear that you have lost confidence in your Impala. If you do decide to go in to your dealership and would like for us to check into the situation further, please contact us via email at socialmedia@gm.com.

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • klrssklrss Member Posts: 28
    I appreciate you reaching out, but all they will say is " it is low on antifreeze" I will ask them " antifreeze just doesn't evaporate, where did it go?" and they will tell me that they pressure tested the system and it tested good with no leaks. When I think about the other cars I have had and currently own that have not needed a drop of antifreeze added, and this will be the second time I have to bring it in for the same thing, I just naturally think it is leaking. But Chevy says it isn't, so that is supposed to cancel out the evidence and we are supposed to just be happy chevy owners.
    I think it is good that you gmCustsvc folks check these posts, but this is not the only place folks are complaining about this issue. And if all data was compiled, it would probably be a pretty big collection of information about the same issue(s). BUT, again, If I brought all of that to the dealer, and set it on the service advisors desk, he would say " we tested the system and found no leaks, so we filled it up and you are good to go".
    I have been through this before with this car on the sulfer smell. They say nothing is wrong, but everyone who I take around in my car sure smells it. Chevy said in the beginning it was the gas I use. They had me drive all over town filling up at different gas stations in case there was a " bad batch" of gas in my area. ha! I did everything they said for me to do and the smell is still there. So what happened the last time I brought it in for that? They said " no smell detected". If there is no smell detected, then they have nothing to fix and there is no issues with the car. I got custsrv involved and they told me the same thing " we talked with the dealership and they didn't smell anything". Of course they didn't! They cant have a record of it smelling like sulphur, so they just call me crazy and write on the report " no smell". So frustrating!
    Do we dare to even talk about the uneven tire wear issue on the Impala and how the inside of the tires wear pre-maturely? Then when you bring it in to chevy they say everything is fine, but when you bring it into a local repair shop, they say it has too much camber, but there is no way for them to adjust the camber because Chevy didnt design it with any more room for adjustment! Nice!
    Sorry for the rant! :sick:
  • frustrated73frustrated73 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2010 Impala. First problem was the sloshing...they bled the cooling system, fixed the problem for a couple days then it came back. They bled it again and it came back again. My question is - where is the air coming in? My coolant hasn't been low.
    Also asked about the sulfer smell with my car - they couldn't reproduce the smell and said there were no code errors when they checked it.
    Then I had no A/C and had a light on on the dash (can't remember what it was) and the display where the mileage is kept flashing something at me. I took it to the dealer and they said it was the 4th Impala that day with that problem. They replaced the thermostat and it worked.
    Most recently, the sloshing came back and my heat wasn't working when I was stopped or using the remote start. They replaced the thermostat, suggested I flush the coolant system and I told them they could flush it at their cost if they felt it would help this problem but a coolant flush isn't even suggested with the mileage I have on the car....they didn't flush it but blew out the lines to the heater core.
    Their shuttle came and picked me up - I started the car in the parking lot with the remote start then sat in it for a little bit while I figured out my plans for the day and tried to get organized....the car still wasn't blowing warm air (it was about as warm as if you breathe on your hand). I went right back in and told them, they said "you have to drive the car to get the thermostat to open up to get heat" Seriously! I live in a family full of mechanics and had to learn how to work on a car before I was even allowed to get my license!
    We went and started 3 other Impalas on the lot and they all heated up fine - - without driving them.
    Over a week later I am still having the same problem and now when sitting in traffic all I smell is anti-freeze. They asked if I was sure it was my car that smelled. Seriously, again!!
    So, the dealer keeps my car all day and calls to say there is nothing wrong with it, it's heating up to spec. and they didn't smell antifreeze. Funny, the mileage was the same when I picked it up as when I dropped it off. So they didn't even bother to DRIVE it to check out the smell!

    Your uneven tire wear is from the spindle being bad. Husband dealt with this on his 2007 Impala. They insisted it was just the police cars that had a spindle problem. Funny, they finally changed his and his tires were fine.
    As he was fighting it, they suggested he get his tires rotated more often. He was already getting them rotated every 3,000 miles with his oil change.
    Check the recalls or TSB on your car, I think they added the spindle on there.

    My car is at another dealer today - we'll see what they have to say.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    frustrated73,

    What news from the dealership visit today? If we can follow up on anything with them, please contact us at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name and contact information, the last 8 digits of your VIN and mileage, and the name of your involved dealership with a brief recap of the situation).

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • frustrated73frustrated73 Member Posts: 3
    Well, this dealership was SOOO much more helpful.
    They started the car with remote started, no heat, did it again, no heat. Started it with the key - had heat.
    Checked the programming to be sure it was right since there was an issue with this model blowing air when it should have been blowing heat and vice versa - with the remote start. Programming is good.
    The very nice mechanic THEN explained to me that when the car thinks it's about 48 degrees out the remote starter doesn't blow out really hot air...just warm air. Well, this makes complete sense with some of the issues I have had - obviously if the remote start automatically turns on the air when it's hot and heat when it's cold there must be a cut off point as to when it switches. Hhhhmmm - magic - just an explanation on how the car thinks and I felt much better.
    They didn't stop there. They pressure tested the car, they started it, drove it, heated it up, cooled it off and checked the temperature and pressure tested it several times to be sure that there was no leak in any part of they system at any engine temperature. There are no leaks. That didn't mean that the mechanic had absolutely no concern though, he couldn't reproduce the "overheating" anti-freeze smell....but also didn't have an opportunity to really drive it in heavy traffic.
    It was in teh 20's this morning when the mechanic started the car with the remote starter and it did heat up and defrost the windows. He ran it about 5 minutes took the temp, drove it then took the temp and even he said it was somehow hotter today.
    Will watch to be sure that the sloshing sound does not return. It was nice to have heat today!
    I don't know....is it possible that when they pressure tested it (the other dealership didn't) that maybe it got a bubble out or seated the new thermostat or some kind of gasket in there better?
    They were quite worried yesterday that it may be a head gasket and took the extra time to keep checking on it and testing it. I'm satisfied with "today it has heat." and the explanation of the remote start process.
  • klrssklrss Member Posts: 28
    Glad you are getting some heat! I had my car back in the shop yesterday. Not for the heat or alternator or smell, but for a check engine light that Onstar said was a fuel delivery issue. I bring it in, and they checked it out and called and asked me if I was running E-85 in it, because the fuel trim was WAY off! I told them " no, I have not run that since I brought it in for the sulphur smell, because you told me not to run that". They looked into it more, and decided that it must have been a glitch in the ECM, and reprogrammed my computer and charged me my 100 dollar deductible. I asked them earlier in the day to look at my car again for the sloshing noise, since it seems to have come back. He told me that they looked at that issue and my antifreeze was just a little low, so they topped me off and I should be good to go. I went in last night and picked up the car and what do I hear on start up? the sloshing in the dash! Yup, guess they got me all fixed up. not! So, I guess I will have bring it back in again at some other time if the sloshing gets worse or I lose heat at idle again like last time. Weeeee! :sick:
  • treeloungertreelounger Member Posts: 1
    Been reading these posts for the last half hour. Of course my 06 Impala has the same problem of no heat at idle. I burped the system yesterday and it took a half a gallon of coolant. While I was waiting for the air to dissipate I was looking through my owners manual. Noticed 2 pictures of the cap in there and each one said 18 psi. My cap is a 15 psi. Maybe they had 10,000 leftovers from a different engine they thought they'd get rid of and put them on our engines. Just a thought. Going to the parts store tomorrow for an 18 psi cap. How bout you?
  • hammurrzzhammurrzz Member Posts: 1
    same problem with my wifes 2010 Impala. windshiled freezes up in snowstorm'
    REALLY STINKS also JUST out iof warraty. getting nowhere with chevy support
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Good morning hammurrzz,

    It looks as though you're already in contact with us. Do you have a Service Request number (71-**********)?

    Sarah, GM Customer Service
  • brad38brad38 Member Posts: 4
  • frustrated73frustrated73 Member Posts: 3
    Is it freezing up when she is using the remote start or when she is driving?

    Apparently there was a TSB about the remote start on these cars - since they automatically turn on the heat when it's cold and a/c when it's hot - I guess that some of the programming for this was backwards. That is one of the first things they checked when I took my car to the good dealership.
  • kjcapellkjcapell Member Posts: 2
  • twiztidimpalatwiztidimpala Member Posts: 2
  • twiztidimpalatwiztidimpala Member Posts: 2
    Started clunking bad when hitting bumps and turning sharp. Noticed

    the rim has damage. Just had hubs breaks and tie rods done. Possibly a

    ball joint?
  • robs6wagonrobs6wagon Member Posts: 68
    Hi everyone. Is there any chance that some old friends of mine that I chatted with back
    in early 2007 are still on this forum? Quietpro, colchester47, and the many others that greatly helped me out in deciding to purchase my 2006 black SS......If any of you are still here, I just wanted to drop a line and say hello and to let you know that I recently purchased a 2012 LTZ, with none of the problems that plagued my SS...so far! I hope you folks are doing a-ok and thanks again for all your help back then. -Rob
  • coldnangrycoldnangry Member Posts: 1
    my 2009 Impala also won't warm up with remote start and also cools of when idling! My wife and I also hear "the water sloshing noise coming from the dash-board upon start-up and initial acceleration! We had this checked into at our local GM dealership and they could find nothing wrong! We just recently had oil changed at said dealer and they did 27 point inspection and found all fluid levels to be satisfactory so how could we be low on antifreeze/coolant?
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