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GM has been experiencing ISS problems in numerous models for the past several years. From cars to trucks. They should have found a permanent fix for it years ago, but in typical GM fashion they would rather band-aid the problem in the field as opposed to solving the problem during production and simply eliminating the problem altogether.
I just took it in because the oil consumption is very high. After about 1,200 miles I can hardly see any oil on the dipstick! Of course the dealer can't find anything obvious (no leaks, no oily residue in the engine compartment). At the same time they found that the radiator cap is faulty (from what I have read this could be attributed to Dex-Cool) which will cost me $71 in diagnosis and parts. Radiator has to be flushed - $84. Both front wheel bearings are apparently bad - $500/side. Since they have not diagnosed the disappearing oil yet there is most likely more to follow.
I found some past threads about the disappearing oil but have not seen anything recently. Does anyone have an update on this? I currently have 51,000+ miles (covered by 5year/100,000 extended warranty). Since the warranty does not cover a lot of things (like radiator caps and resulting radiator flush due to part failure..) I was wondering if anybody knew more so I could potentially avoid the 'disappearing oil' repair cost.
The front hub/bearing assembly retails for $296 each. It can be purchased for about $160 online. Even if you were paying full retail, parts would be $600. The old assembly is unbolted, and the new one is bolted on. It shouldn't take more than one hour labor to do the whole job ($100-$125).
An aftermarket assembly can be purchased at auto parts stores for about $200 per side. Again, $400 in parts for both sides.
My '06 Impala has a V6, but it "loses" oil. It requires 4 quarts when doing an oil and filter change, but I have NEVER pulled 4 quarts back out of it when draining the old oil. It has no obvious leaks that can be found. I would guesstimate that I lose at least 1qt every 3,000 miles. I always check the level, and keep it in the safe zone on the dipstick, but even doing that I never get 4 full quarts out.
Just another Impala quirk. All I can do is laugh about it. With everything that has gone wrong with my car since purchased new, my Impala is a great source of material for family and friend's jokes. In fact, one of the first things I get asked is "How's the Impala...running okay?"
My current concern is the "blow-by" I am getting with the automatic transmission lines. Once in a while there is a damp spot of transmission fluid under the car. But it is very sporadic. No problem for weeks, then there is a spot. I believe it is more of an issue in very cold weather. It was 8 degrees here yesterday, and my transmission was hesitating severely when trying to accelerate from a stop.
I have about 1,200 miles left on the warranty...then it will be time to seriously consider trading.
As for the 'disappearing oil' they are performing a oil consumption test and I have to take it in after another 1,000 miles. After about 1,500 miles the oil level was bearly visible on the dipstick. The dealer did not find any visible leaks or residue. They said the next step would most likely be an engine tear-down...
I have not had any transmission problems...yet (knock on wood). A couple of nights ago it dropped down to 27 below and nothing felt 'stiff' on the car. The problem I have with the SS is grip. It's so icy here that the tires aren't sticking and teh Traction Control light flashes like a christmas tree...
Trading in?? I like the car overall. I like the power and I like the roomy interior. GM just has to take care of these issues and fess up when they mess up! When I was looking for a new car it was between the SS and a Hyundai V6. I chose the SS hoping the re-sale would be higher around here... My Mom boutght the Hyundai V6 and has not had any problems at all (and didn't have to pay close to $5,000 for her 10/100,000 warranty)
The resale value on Impalas is atrocious. My '06 LT has depreciated almost 67% in the 29 months/35,000miles I have driven it. The '06 SS isn't much better at about a 63% depreciation with mileage similar to mine. Believe it or not, a Hyundai Sonata V6 Limited will hold value slightly better than an Impala. Based on residual estimates, a $30,000 Impala SS will have a value of $8300 after 5 years. A $26,000 Sonata V6 Limited will have a value of $7300 after 5 years. The Hyundai was $4,000 less to start, but only $1,000 less in value after 5 years. The Hyundai Azera, on the other hand, does not hold value as well as the Sonata or the Impala. Interesting.
I have had (and still have) too many annoying problems to be able to say that I like the Impala enough to keep it for a couple more years. It is "okay", I suppose. It gets me where I need to go and is relatively fuel efficient. I didn't buy an extended warranty simply because the price was ridiculously expensive ($2600 for GMPP Major Guard with no deductible).
front end of the car. Going over bumps in the road, the sensation is more of
a rattle than a single "bump" feel. While I realize that this is ambiguous, I had the
same experience with a 2000 Impala ... and it took the dealer a long time
to figure out what was broken. I cannot remember what the issue was.
Has anyone else had a similar experience? I have switched dealers
(for several reasons) and I would hate to go back to the one who found
the problem with the 2000.
In the '07 model year the fold down rear seat was only standard on 3.9L V6 and 5.3L V8 Impalas. It was an option on 3.5L LT Impalas, and simply not available on LS Impalas. If your seat has no split, it sounds as though your car was not equipped with the fold down seat.
My '06 Impala LT does not have the fold down seat, and if you pull on the seatback it does feel as though it moves a little.
Another way to tell is to look at the seatback from the trunk. If it is unfinished, and merely has what looks like standard "multi-colored" carpet padding on it, it is not a fold down seat. If it has a defined split, with finished block cloth on it, it is possibly a fold down seat.
I would post a link here, but I believe it would violate the Terms of Service.
Conversely, I have found the Impala to not be the best companion in the cold winter months. When it gets below 25 degrees, it just doesn't like the cold. Transmission shifts slow, windshield wiper blades become frozen/brittle, and the car rattles up a storm. Snow performance is mediocre at best, but a lot of that has to do with the tires I have on the car. The OEM Goodyear Integrity tires lasted 25,000 miles. I replaced them with General Altimax RT all-season touring tires, but they turned out to be terrible in snow. They out perform the Goodyears in dry and rain, however. As long as I drive in 2nd gear in the snow it gets me where I need to go.
BTW, tie rods are a known issue on some Impalas (I think I have a problem with at least one of mine but haven't actually tested it). I didn't notice if you're still under warranty but even if you aren't, do some research and you may be able to convince the dealership or GM to cover the cost either fully or partially...depending on how much you care to fight about it.
There is a temporary remedy of lubricating the joint of the shaft but if you're under warranty, ask about it at the dealership. My 06 was fully covered under warranty and you won't believe how much you've likely gotten used to it (once it's fixed, you'll swear it's a new car again).
Tie rods are another possibility and as stated in the earlier post, they are a fairly common problem as well. It should also be covered under the manufacturer's warranty although if they deny either problem exists, you're left to convince them it's there.
thx
peiporter
2007 Impala LS
No issues with the ebony cloth seats other than they pick up every little piece of lint or fuzz that they possibly can. Every few weeks it takes several swipes with a good lint brush to pick up everything. No pilling or anything yet, maybe some ever-so-slight fading on the driver's seat but hardly noticeable.
If you are still under warranty, you could point it out to the dealer and see what their thoughts are on the issue. Not sure what the warranty would cover...simply re-covering the existing seats or perhaps brand new seats? It's hard to say.
I maintain proper tire pressure the old fashioned way--I check it myself frequently and these messages are annoying, particularly for a piece of technology I don't need.
Good luck.....
At my yacht club I spotted another Impala (also high mileaged) purchased from a lease company and sure enough...the same problem...The back of the seat looked like a cat clawed it to threads.
I went back to the dealership with that information and somewhat proved my point...Informing them that the threads were breaking at 4,000 and shouldn't be... they agreed to replace the drivers' seat...
At 8,000 miles on the odometer(4,000 more) I saw the threads coming apart again...and this time also on the passenger's seat as well...They were replaced.
At 12,000 or thereabouts again I had my seat replaced.
THREE SEAT COVERS...Car now has 27,000 give or take and no problems other than normal wearing.
I've found cloth breakdowns in 2006, 2007, and 2008 models
GM's supplier got a batch of old dried up threads...don't let anybody kid you...This IS UNDER WARRANTY but you'll need to fight for it
GM DOES know all about it...Start screaming at your dealership and demand to speak with the regional manager if you don't get anywhere...
Don't let them Bull Sh.. you
My '06 with fabric seats, also purchased in July '06, now has 42,000 miles on it and has no issues. The lumbar in mine is set very mild.
If this pilling is happening to '06's, '07's, and '08's it must be something more than a bad batch of cloth. GM would have discovered and eliminated the issue well before three model years had passed.
I can't help but think that this was the original problem and they misdiagnosed. Too coincidental for them to fail at the same time.My fear is I'm going to replace the battery and then discover there is something else amiss.
Hopefully, this post isn't so old that no one responds!
Thank you!
thank you so much for your response. yes, you are right about the name i left the car at the dealership over the weekend and plan to talk to the head boss man tomorrow. i will definitely let you know how it goes. you are right about the techs being idiots. the guy i talked to yesterday, said it could probably be jumped but he wasn't sure it would keep running! i don't know if he was trying to scare me, but the car *will* keep running after it's been jumped unless the issue is *not* the battery. comments like those are what frighten me the most! i can't tell if they are dumb or are counting on me to be dumb will keep you posted!!
The DIC says to push the button with the check mark to update tire positions. I do this, the horn toots, and I get a message to the effect that it's updating. But it doesn't work. Am I supposed to do something else, or should it update automatically once you push the button? The manual sheds little light on this. Thanks.
I have a 2007 SS with 28,000 miles and now Four Bad tires and a car out of
alignment. Does the warranty cover any part of this problem thanks.
PAT