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Chevy Impala "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" message

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Comments

  • j_malabananj_malabanan Member Posts: 5
    MsGaither1,

    Please encourage your attorney to pursue CLASS ACTION options, you have plenty of fellow plaintiffs.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    praise2him,

    If you send me the last 8 digits of your VIN I can check if there are any recalls listed for your vehicle.

    Regards

    Amber N.
    GM Customer Care
  • smokkinjoe55smokkinjoe55 Member Posts: 1
    I would agree with you. My research was not as in depth as it should have been. I would have gone another rout if I had known the safety problems and concerns my 2009 Impala would be bringing to my life. I am having the same safety issues and problems with my car. I hope your safety complaint doesn't go unnoticed and something good arises!
  • praise2himpraise2him Member Posts: 9
    Thank you so much. I took my car to AutoZone yesterday and they did a diagnosis on it for free. The throttle position sensor needs to be replaced. My engine light has gone out for the time being; found a mechanic that will do the work for me but he is not sure of what the actual cost would be until he finds out the position it is in while doing the work. I was told I can still drive the car without any problems for this particular issue. Right now I don't have the money. Of course the part is not covered by my warranty. I hope to have the money soon to get it fixed. I pray your problem will be resolved as well.
  • j_malabananj_malabanan Member Posts: 5
    The best thing we can do is raise awareness of the lack of accountability GM/Chevrolet has for these malfunctioning vehicles. OUR TAX MONEY WAS USED TO KEEP THEM IN BUSINESS. NEVER FORGET THAT. We deserve more.
    Use social media to inform the people you can influence that an injustice is occurring. Do I want to drive a foreign car? NO. Will I in the future? Probably, almost certainly. And whenever the prospect of purchasing a new car comes up, my entire family/friends AND THEIR friends and family will have my story in their heads when they PASS a GM/Chevy lot.
  • tammy46tammy46 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2009 Impala, purchased used with only 25,000 miles on it, at present time it has 77,000.
    I bought this car at the time when GM was struggling and I wanted to buy American, end results have been way too money spent out of my pocket to keep this car in working condition...

    Uneven front tire wear, replacement of actuators (loud clicking sound in dash), rear window motor going out as well as the opposite door lock sticking and needing to be replaced, radio has short in system. Paint on hood chipping beyond belief, And of course the Service Traction Control issue. I feel like I got a LEMON, so many issues and of course my extended warranty is gone (not that it covered any of the issues) and I cant afford taking it to the dealership where they charge me $50 for each diagnosis plus at minimum a fix it cost of $300 each time.

    Will never buy Chevy again...
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hi praise2him,

    I am sorry to hear about the issues with your Impala. I would like to research this for you. In order to do this, Can you private message me your full name, address, phone number, Vehicle Identification number, and approximate mileage on your vehicle please? My email address is socialmedia@gm.com "attn Crystal" in the header. Look forward to hearing from you:-)!

    Crystal L-GM Customer Care
  • impalaissuesimpalaissues Member Posts: 1
    2009 Chevy Impala..64,000 miles.......Yesterday i had the same issue with the traction coming on and REDUCE SPEED took it to the dealer immediately.... of course ended up being the accelerator pedal position sensor which is not under normal warranties... so this is really a manufacturer problem final bill $400 however i took the time to call GM and speak to customer service where i was advised you need to file a full complaint with GM and then after enough complaints are filed then there is a recall.... PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO FILE A COMPLAINT SO THIS CAN BE RECALLED...... someone could really get hurt!!
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hi impalaissues,

    I am sorry to of the issues you are having with your Impala. I would like to research your issue as well. Can you private message me your full name, address, phone number, Vehicle Identification number, and approximate mileage on your vehicle please? My email address is socialmedia@gm.com "attn Crystal" in the subject line. Look forward to hearing from you.

    Crystal L-GM Customer Care
  • stephens6stephens6 Member Posts: 1
    I bought my Impala this year in Feb. at the end of march that throttle position sensor came on with lost of traction control. I'm a little disturbed by reading these post. when I bought my car it only had 4800 miles on it an now it has 5200 an its a 2009 so what is being done to solve this problem because when I went to purchase this part a lot of places don't have it and the one place that does have it they are charging me to replace the whole thing not the sensor an that is 173.00 an then the core is a extra 45.00 so who is going to repay me my money for replacing this part that I see everyone on here is saying that part ain't no good either now I cant speak Ill of Chevy but this just amazes me that no one is trying to take care of this from the company and the dealerships cant do very much really so what is going to happen to get it fix someone has to be killed for this to be taken care of. :confuse:
  • lucky1332_2000lucky1332_2000 Member Posts: 3
    Hi I have previously sent an email regarding my info and I have not heard back from anyone. I was told that this could possibly be a PCM issue. The dealers cannot officially diagnose it properly because there are no codes coming up, but there are at times (daily now) where the car gets very sluggish, sometimes jerks, I noticed the radio sometimes gets quieter when this happens. All of the sudden, the car would kick in and run normal. If this is the case and it is a PCM (computer) issue, GM needs to recall ASAP!!! I have filed complaints regarding the vehicle and nothing is being done. I am writing in regards to requesting an update as to if GM is possibly looking at doing a recall. I am seriously considering trading the vehicle and never buying GM vehicles again. Please let me know what is going on. Thank you.
  • mrdennisatmrdennisat Member Posts: 4
    I bought my 2011 Chevy Impala over a year ago with about 35,000 miles on it. After driving for about 2 months I had an issue with the "REDUCED POWER, Traction " display coming on. The car would bog down no matter how fast I tried to go. I ended up going to the dealer where I bought it. $100 later it was fixed ( knock on wood) and have'nt had a problem since. It's a DEFECTIVE SENSOR in the gas pedal. I thought my foot told me how fast the car goes but apparently not. The sensor tells the car's fuel system how fast to go so to speak. GM should have covered with a warranty but they did'nt. Hope this helps.
  • mrdennisatmrdennisat Member Posts: 4
    I had the same thing. It's a computer chip in the gas pedal that is the problem. I new pedal cost me $100 bucks. GM's warranty does'nt cover it ( it did'nt for me cause I bought the car used) That was a year ago. So far there has been no issues since.
  • mrdennisatmrdennisat Member Posts: 4
    Hi ! I bought a 2011 Impala about a year and a half ago. About two months after I owned it I was driving along and that faithful GM Traction control reduced power came on and the car bogged down about 20 mph slower. I took it to the dealer ( I live in MA) and they told me it was a defective chip in th e gas pedal. The replaced the pedal to the tune of $100. Since then ( knock on wood ) I have'nt had any issues. I have about 56,000 on the car now. Though I have to say it would have been nice if GM had picked up the tab. Good Luck !
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    I apologize that you have not received a response yet. I will personally look into your issue. My name is Jackie. Please resend the email with ATTN: Jackie and I will exhaust my resources when looking into your situation.

    Jackie
    GM Customer Care
  • praise2himpraise2him Member Posts: 9
    Thank you very much. I was thinking it may cost a whole lot more. I'm glad to know the problem was resolved.
  • slimcuteslimcute Member Posts: 1
    I had this same problem a few weeks ago. Though I know I purchased a used car, I checked out the carfax report and everything. Oh, I purchased it 2 months ago. Since getting the problem fixed, I am leery about it. I find myself driving in the far right lane and much slower than I normally do because of the issue.

    I agree, this is a major problem and someone can get hurt. When my lights came on, I was in 5:30 pm rush hour traffic on the freeway. Something really needs to be done about this issue.
  • corey8766corey8766 Member Posts: 1
    2008 Impala 125K, just purchased. Had two new tires put on and within a few hours 'Traction Control' light and 'Reduced Engine Power' warning. Judging from the thread could be the gas pedal/sensor or maybe faulty wiring. Anyway the changing of two tires could have somehow triggered this? Worth taking back to NTB to see if the can fix or is it just a waste of time and should get pedal/sensor looked at?
  • deannapdeannap Member Posts: 2
    My 2010 Impala is back in the shop. Now they are replacing the battery. I have had messages, reduced engine power, get service, stablelizer, get serviced, and Traction Control get service. I have had this car towed 2 times. I have had Onstar diagnose problems and each time they reported do not drive car, and they called my service station. So far, I have had this problem 5 times. Once In Jan. 2013, twice in April 2013 and not twice in May 2013. I have had the throttle body replaced, a wire replaced and battery cables cleaned, an engine control module replaced, then another dealer had to program the system Now less than two weeks later, it is back in shop and this time, they are replacing my battery. This should do it, so they say. I am fortunate that I opted for the extended warranty. If I had not, this would have cost me a fortune. This is my 3rd Impala and by the looks of things it will be my last. I am shocked at all the Impala that are having the same problem and nothing is being done about it.
  • shishi079shishi079 Member Posts: 1
    My issue was that I was four months into driving my new 2009 chevy impala and while driving on the highway driving 65mph my car showed flashing signal reading "engine reduced speed" "check stabilitrack" and my check engine was on. This all happened yesterday. After researching and hearing complaints about GM and how they are charging people anywhere from $250 - $600. We decided to take matters into our own hands. Once this happens you must fix it right away or it could lead to transmission issues. We took my car to autozone had them run a FREE test on my car order the accelerator pedal sensor which is $72.99 at autozone. And my dad replaced it today within 5 minutes. My check engine light no longer on. My car is no longer jerking and they're are no scary flashing signals! I can't believe GM did not send out a recall on that faulty part with all of these reviews. Crazy. Hope this saves someone some money!! For more info visit my YouTube video. Step by step instructions on how to DIY!

    Check out this video on YouTube:

    http://youtube/_hP4nGkG2bs
    :blush:
  • praise2himpraise2him Member Posts: 9
    Thank you so much for that information. I will not drag my feet any longer and get it done this week. You have been very helpful!
  • deannapdeannap Member Posts: 2
    Ok, can't believe it, but I had my car in last Wed. May 22, got it back Thurs. May 23. Was told they believed the battery was causing the problem! I have had the car in for the same problem and had various things done. Well, lo and behold, went out today and the same exact thing happened for the 6th time!!! Thank God for OnStar. Called them and they got me assistance. Guess paying that $170 for a battery wasn't the problem!! I have a 2010 Impala LT and have been dealing with this problem since January 2013. What we have noticed from the last time it happened, it seems as if every time it has rained the night before or is raining at the time, this problem has occurred. I am tired of seeing Engine Power reduced, service Traction Control and service Stabiltrak!! I am losing my patience with this matter!!
  • imp3imp3 Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problems with my impala 2009. Has anyone complained to Chevy about this? I have send them an email about the problem and I think we all should do this. If they get enough complains, maybe they will get this problem fixed.
    Here is the website to send the complain:
    http://www.chevrolet.com/help/contact-us.html

    I don't see why we have to pay for repair cost if they put in a faulty part.
    Thanks
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,145
    Be sure to report it to the NHTSA as well - the link is at the top of this forum page.

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

  • joy_rangejoy_range Member Posts: 3
    I went round and round with Chevy customer service, they refused to pay for anything...I had to pay for the repair 160 was the total...I just hope it doesn't happen again...they told me that didn't have enough complaints to do a recall
  • jeremytalks2ujeremytalks2u Member Posts: 1
    We would receive traction control alarm then shortly after we would engine power reduced. Chevy looked at the car and quoted $850 for the repair. We had a friend run it on a scanner which showed throttle position sensor. We purchased the part from Rockauto.com for around $60, received the part in 3 days and fixed the entire problem. While ordering this part we also had to purchase mode door actuator because the wonderfully engineered gears in it are plastic. The Impala has around 70000 miles on it and all of these problems already! I've been a firm believer in American made my entire life, but this along with our 09 Traverse and all of it's problems have really made me rethink it.
  • dgmorrowdgmorrow Member Posts: 2
    I have this problem with engine power reduced as well, on my way home last night from work my car just shut off on me. So i've only had the car 1 year so I called the dealer i purchased the vehicle from Royal Chevrolet in Coldwater, Michigan and since the car has no extended warranty it will cost me around 400 dollars to fix. Well this tees me off I can't believe GM don't recall these things to correct the problem. I guess i will have to quit buying Gm altogether my fiance has a 1998 Ford Explorer and it has 250,000 miles on it and she don't have these problems and she won't get rid of it for anything. there i go problem solved buy a FORD.
  • desoto3desoto3 Member Posts: 1
    For my 2008 impala, I saw traction control light reduced engine power lights on when I had uneven air pressure in my tires, or the air pressure in one or more of the tires exceeded the low or high tire pressure. To fix this on the road, I turned of the traction control switch. I adjusted the air pressure in the tires later. The sensors are in the air valve, and they varry wildly in driving and garrage parking.
  • praise2himpraise2him Member Posts: 9
    Thank you so much for the info. I recently got an estimate of $458. I haven't seen the light on in about a month so hopefully it has adjusted somehow. I don't have that kind of money to put in a new car.
  • kls0618kls0618 Member Posts: 4
    About 2 months ago I was on the interstate & I received the message 'service stabilitrak , engine power reduced '. I was using cruise control at about 75 which immediately cut off but the cars speed never dropped below 60. I stopped for gas about 50 miles later . Turned the car back on about 20 minutes later & the message was gone. Car drove fine. Took into the dealership & they said there were no codes coming back. Just 2 days ago I'm driving & the message reappaears but this time my car seems jumpy , hesitant at acceleration & when it does it seems to jolt . I have a 36000 mi warranty but I don't find it's even worth the money anymore because nothing is ever covered . I took it took a local shop & he says its the 'throttle body actuator ' . I read over everyone's posts & hadn't seen in mentioned , is anyone familiar ?
  • praise2himpraise2him Member Posts: 9
    The last mechanic told me that was what I needed although diagnosis at AutoZone said something about a sensor in the gas pedal. Anyways I was given an estimate of $458 to replace the throttle. I haven't received any error messages for about a month. I emailed GM and they called me; I asked about a recall and was told the don't have anything in effect for that issue. I've only had my car 1 year and to be experiencing this is not right.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,145
    If you haven't already, you should report the issue(s) to the NHTSA at www.safercar.gov.

    They're the only agency authorized to gather consumer complaints and investigate them - that's how many recalls come about.

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

  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hi kls0618,

    If you are still within your 3 year/36k mile warranty, most repairs should be covered by the dealership. If you would like for us to look more into this please let us know. Feel free to email us at socialmedia@gm.com [attn Amber]. Please include your full name, VIN, exact mileage, dealership, and contact info. Please also reference this post.

    Thank you

    Amber N.
    GM Customer Care
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hi kls0618,

    If you are still within your 3 year/36k mile warranty, most repairs should be covered by the dealership. If you would like for us to look more into this please let us know. Feel free to email us at socialmedia@gm.com [attn Amber]. Please include your full name, VIN, exact mileage, dealership, and contact info. Please also reference this post.

    Thank you

    Amber N.
    GM Customer Care
  • j_malabananj_malabanan Member Posts: 5
    This is how it starts. It is the throttle body actuator and it needs to be replaced. Chevy had to replace my whole accelerator pedal assembly (after I raised holy hell), because they are faulty and will probably need to be replaced again.
    Chevy's are crap. We, unfortunately, had to learn that the hard way. Detroit is a ghost town for a reason. Foreign cars are cheap, run forever, and are easy to work on. Sorry.
  • kls0618kls0618 Member Posts: 4
    My thoughts Exactly, I've had mine a little over a year & prior to this had a chevy lumina with 126000 mi that never gave me an issue! Chevy is disgusting to me at this point, the fact that your car can lose power at ANY time is a scary thought !
  • kls0618kls0618 Member Posts: 4
    & they did all of this under your warranty ? They want me to bring the car in first for inspection & I hate to take it to them ,pay my deductible only for them to tell me its not covered. My Mechanic will only charge me $60 for labor, the part is $175 , that only $100 more than I would pay just for them to inspect the car! Its mind boggling to me that they have no regard for this safety issue , I can see warranties are all about money now, They don't care if youre in the middle of highway traffc & this goes out
  • praise2himpraise2him Member Posts: 9
    I am livid! I had a frightening experience this morning while driving to work on the interstate. I was driving about 60 mph when all of a sudden my car starts dying down to 40mph. I pressed on gas to increase power but it kept getting slower and slower. Traffic was at a high volume and cars started going all around me.I didn't know what to do; I was finally able to get over to the right lane and pulled over to the emergency lane. I cut car off and sat there for about 5 minutes or so. I started the car again and it was back to normal. I received no warning at all. Normally, an error message would come on - today nothing. I have called GM for resolution. Something has to be done; this is not safe at all.
  • upnygal25upnygal25 Member Posts: 2
    That seems to be a common occurrence for GM. I had the same issue on my Cadillac, and have friends that have dealt with it on their Trailblazers. W/ all the issues I've experienced on my Impala, I'm right there with you, I'll never buy another vehicle from them again.
  • kls0618kls0618 Member Posts: 4
    My goodness that's scary . I travel about 200 miles on some weekends going home from school & it's a really frightening thought. I was considering making my normal trip this weekend without the repairs being made first but this made me second guess it . I filed my complaint
  • rpeckiorpeckio Member Posts: 3
    I have read the comments here and this problem has occurred with my 2010 Impala multiple times as well. Four times I have had it at the mechanic within one month. First I had the wheel bearing fixed. Then I had the gas pedal cleaned where the throttle position sensor is. Then I replaced the throttle body. GM dealer says none of this is covered under powertrain. I am having this brought back to a GM mechanic for the fourth time. The problem continues. If this is not a small fix at this point, I am through. I would rather pay the loan off than continue to dump money in to an unreliable vehicle. I am through buying American cars. Chevy should be ashamed of themselves.
  • bowanabowana Member Posts: 9
    I hear what you are saying and also feel your pain as I also had the gas pedal issue on my 08 with 120,000k on it. Had it repaired and have not had any issues since except the broken wire on the consol shifter that I repaired myself.

    Just keep in mind that virtually all new vehicles use a drive by wire throttle and if you run a Google search you will see lots of these same issues with the Honda's and Toyota's as well. For 5 to 10,000 less money you can buy a spare Impala and be money ahead in the long run. I have 180k on my 08 now and it runs just fine and with that many K's they won't give me anything for it on trade so I am going to drive it. I do most of my own work and that saves the bulk of the repair bill but if you have to see a dealer each and every time I certainly can see where you are coming from.

    I live in Canada and our parts are almost double what you pay in the US so I shop around for the big stuff and order some parts on line when needed.

    Good luck and don't give up, I say!
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    rpeckio,

    I am sorry you are having this concern. I would like to look further into your concerns with your 2010 Impala. Please email us at socialmedia@gm.com ATTN Erica. Be sure to include your name, VIN, address, mileage, phone number, and the name of your GM dealership. I look forward to hearing from you.

    Erica Tiffany
    GM Customer Care
  • koorskoors Member Posts: 1
    If GM had any sense, they'd immediately recall all the 08-10 3.5L engines... Like clockwork, between 80-120k miles (mine is at 90k) they breakdown. A NEAR gaurantee, our mechanic informed us that the 3.5L engine is the engine he sees the most.

    The issue seems to be at the injector valve stems. Because of GM's stupidity in attempting to get higher miles per gallon, they run the engine extremely lean. This causes a build-up of Carbon in the top of the engine which restricts power and ultimately eats away at the valves, and causes the vehicle to breakdown.

    Another potential side-effect, the more serious one that occured with my car, is the crankcase locks up completely. This actually happened while i was driving on the interstate, nearly causing a wreck, thankfully I was able to get over without being hit or hitting somone. I have to go back to school within the week, and I don't have a car to drive, and sadly, my warranty is out.

    Oh, and to give a little bit more info, I was cruising at 75 mph, barely keeping up with traffic. I feel a rumble go across the entire car, and notice my speed start to drop. I give the car a bit more acceleration, but when i press the gas pedal, nothing. I look down at my Tachometer and see 0. So, in ~75 mph traffic i navigate to the side of the road, nearly getting hit by several cars.

    This would have never happened if GM would have properly designed their 3.5L flexfuel engine.
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hi koors,

    We understand your frustration and value your feedback. We're sorry if you are having issues with your engine at this time. If you would like for us to address any of your concerns, or try to answer any of your questions please let us know.

    Sincerely

    Amber N.
    GM Customer Care
  • lamiaconfitorlamiaconfitor Member Posts: 1
    Service Stabilitrac, Service Traction Control and Engine Power loss shows up on me too. This has really diminished my opinion of Chevy Vehicles. I cannot Imagine the timing of these parts dying off immediately after manufacturer warranty has ended is a coincidence. This has ruined my family vacation and made my life immensely more difficult. Its a sunday and now its not safe for me to drive my own vehicle with my family in it! :surprise: :mad: :cry:

    This is disgusting!
  • dcblackdiamonddcblackdiamond Member Posts: 2
    Received "Reduction in power" message on the highway while on vacation with family in MI. I was able to pull off of roadway without any incident with other traffic. Message cleared after shutting off vehicle but engine light remained on. This happened twice. I just had the APPS replaced for $358.00. This car has 40,000 miles on it. It would appear GM has a safety issue here and needs to address it. GM reps "concern" on this forum appears to be typical corporate nonsense.
  • praise2himpraise2him Member Posts: 9
    OMG! I'm so glad you and your family are okay. Something definitely needs to be done about this issue. I'm glad you were able to get a new APPS. When I took my car to the dealership for them to look at it; no error message appeared; no code came up for them to officially diagnose the problem. It's been a month or so and so far it hasn't happened again. Still scarey because you never know when it may show up.
  • dcblackdiamonddcblackdiamond Member Posts: 2
    My first indication was a very slight hesitation which I could not determine if it was the car or maybe a headwind. It appeared to be fine in city driving and engine light shut off until on the way home when it lost power again. I filed a complaint with the NTSB as well as GM. Although the part has been replaced I wonder what the lifespan will be and now I will worry EVERY time driving at highway speeds. ,
  • gmcustsvcgmcustsvc Member Posts: 4,252
    Hello,

    We're pleased to hear that you were able to get this problem corrected. Generally, the parts warranty covers 12 months/ 12,000 miles. If you have any concerns related to warranty, or need assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to contact us.

    Amber N.
    GM Customer Care
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