2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

nosirrahg

"It's not the years, it's the mileage."

this_is_nascar

I noticed you stating you had something replaced to correct your keyless entry problem. Can you provide more details about that. Was the issue with the FOB's only working part of the time? Was the fixe to replace something in the dashboard? Did they have to tear down the entire dash? My biggest fear is that the mechanic will not put it back together properly.

this_is_nascar

Someone mentioned this. Where did you see this TSB. Alldata does not have it, nor does Edmunds.

bdime

anyone else get an e-mail about the big 3 all sending donations to the victims fund (WTC) but none of the imports- Toyota, Nisson, VW kicking in any of the American profits they rake in.. Just thought it was worth asking about.

teo

However, I just wanted to add in my earlier example that while the VW Passat has better resale value overtime the relibility seems to be a big issue with their product line. They have outstanding build quality but reliability resembles that of a Dodge Neon. I don't think thats a worthy tradeoff. the Impala has had its quirks but it pales in comparison by the plethora of problems that plague new VW products.

[Deleted User]

The numbers I quoted in Post#5246 back in August, were the ALG numbers.
Like I said, you didn't believe me. :-(

crosley4

Resale discussion lately is quite enlightening. A good thing. I enjoy reading your folks research numbers. I do not have the "net time" to do alot of this research, so I "thank you" !

The Impala is a darn good dollar value even with the drop off of resale value. I would think buying a 1 year old 2001 or 2002 model Impala would be a wise thing depending on the mileage of the vehicle. Let the original purchaser/ owner take the hit on depreciation in the first 12 months. ((-;

I checked on trade in and resale value of our Impala LS, 2K model. With the amount we owe on the Impala , we are upside down in it about 2500 to 3500 us dollars if you believe the kelley blue book ppl. Remember we have near 46k miles on the car in two years of ownership.

We only put 5k cash down on the car when we purchased it. The sales price did include the extended warranty. The loan is at 8 3/4 %. A new vehicle at 2.9% for 48 months looks good. I think. LOL

Maybe I will lease something........ ?

Fords? I would say from a mechanics view that the quality has come up a bit since the 1990's. I have found little additional faults with Ford when compared to GM. They each have areas of trouble.

I will also say there is a good chance that by monday we will own a GMC Envoy or a Ford Super Crew truck. For those keeping tabs we own a 2k Silverado, 1971 Chevy truck and a 1/4 ton Crosley truck too. The Crosley does not run and the 1971 is up for sale to help pay for my separate garage in the back yard of the house. ((-;

Tony

b4z

I see almost no used LS's for sale here in charleston.
I do see some base cars and intrigues. Probably program cars.
I find the ALG numbers hard to believe. Maybe for an intrigue but not for an impala.
maybe the actual resale will beat the predictions.

baveux

Dont remember(Warren Buffet?) said lease what's depreciate,buy whats increase in value overtime. Maybe thats the solution with the Impala??
I would be curious to see how much you spend when you lease 3 cars for 9 years (3 years per car) with no cash ? Comparing buying a new car (with financing) and keeping it for 9 years Now take the cash saved and not put on downpayment,and look at the return after 9 years.

It will probably cost a bit more to lease,but in return you drive a new car every 3 years,fully warranty,with the roadside assistance.

I believe that the very right move to do is a 2 years old car with low milleage,but who want that ;-)

roderacer

anybody notice if the rear window button lights come on when the lights are on? Mine do not. Just curious.

Thanks!
RR

teo

No they don't. Only in the front door window and door lock switches.

[Deleted User]

If you like to own your cars, buying a late model, low mileage car makes a lot of financial sense, especially on a rapidly depreciating vehicle like the Impala.

For people that like that new car feeling evry couple of years, leasing could make better sense, if they don't plan on keeping it more than 3 years, and if they get a subvented GMAC lease wherein they inflate the residual value. (Teo enlightened me to the term "subventing", which is the artificial inflating of residual values to make cars like the Impala more desirable.)

At the end of a 3 year lease, you will have spent less than you would if you financed the car and sold or traded it in at the end of 3 years. That's based on having normal financing with interest. These temporary 0% APR incentives render that formula somewhat moot.

For those that keep a car for 4, 5, 7 years and more, purchasing makes more financial sense than leasing. It's only a question of new or used. Personally, I think used makes more financial sense in most siituations.

Those are all only opinions, but valid ones, I think! ;-)

tpken

You Impala posters are getting close to another milestone. Interestingly, Intrigue is close to 5000. Both are great discussion boards.

Best wishes to all

Ken

licavy1

I couldn't agree with your more on what you said in that message. I payed 21.5 for my 01 Impala LS with leather/CD and I got a lot of car for my money. I also have a 2000 Honda Accord. My Impala gets the same gas mileage and I get the room and feel of a real car. I'm so impressed with the quality/reliability of the car. It's 8 months old with 7k miles and really no problems. I can't wait for the V8 Impala. Frank

night_owl1

Does that count the old archived forums? Shall we start posting junk just to increase the count? Go for 10K? =P

night_owl1

So what Ford product would be comparable to the Impala? Taurus (you gotta be kidding)? Crown Vic (equally unbelievable).

The Ford factory warranty does not cover loaner cars if they have to hold your car overnight for a repair. GM does.

jeffreyw1

Did you say your 1971 Chevrolet pickup is up for sale? What size of engine does your truck have and what model is it? Also, what are you asking for it and what type of shape is it in mechanical and body wise? Thanks! Enjoy that Impala.

kimpala1962

I have a 2001 LS Impala Oxny Black i noticed that the inside of the gas filler door that the primer isn't fully covered, also the inside of the trunk lidand the right inside pillar. When i first bought the car the right door lack paint they fixed that had it painted for me. i just came from the dealer with my car is 6 months old with 3026 miles on it. i told the service manage about the lack of paint in the areas above, along with the roof strips moulding that are rising up.
he told me that the service manager stated that is how the cars are coming in from the factory, blaming the paint spraying on the robots. then he took me and showed a new 2002 oxny black LS
that the paint was lack of with primer showing, if this is the case won't you want to tell the factory so it can be fixed and no complains. The dealer wouldn't like it if i shorten them a couple of thosuand dollars when i bought the car.
has anyone else noticed their cars having lack of paint and the primer showing... thanks walter

teo

I have not detected any paint quality problems on my Sandrift Metallic '01 LS. Paint job is top notch, no chips, flaking, swirls, nothing. I have not seen any premier showing on the inside fuel filler door, trunklid, door jambs or under the hood. Paint has been evenly applied as it should.

Before my '01 LS I had a '00 LS Light Driftwood Metallic and no problems that I can recall there either.

My sister just bought a new '01 Base sedan in Navy Blue and her car exhibits a very good paint job all round. Her roof strips are perfectly fit and no signs of them lifting up, yet.

My '01 LS had the left side roof strip lifting up from the rear and the only satisfactory remedy was to take it to an auto glass shop and have them put a bead of windshield adhesive. It hasn't lift up ever since. Don't waste your time having the dealer replace the roof strips, it is a waste of time.

The roof strips on my '00 LS were perfect and never lifted up. I guess that this is a problem only on certain 2001 Impalas.

Could it be that Black cars are having some sort of paint quality issue? Possible, however, I haven't inspected a black Impala myself to arrive at that conclusion.

You wanna see a thin paint job? Go and take a look under the trunk lid and door jambs of a brand new Honda Accord. Add to that thin can sheet metal too. Licavy, do you agree with this comparison?

[Deleted User]

I've heard some complaints about the paint on the plastic wheel covers. Never any about the body.
My '01 LS has an excellent paint job. Nice clearcoat. Very shiny. I used inexpensive (2 bottles for $20) Zymol on it, and it looks great. (Blasphemy to Zaino users, I know, but worked great nevertheless.)

teo

Gary, what color is it?

Also what was your build date?

[Deleted User]

It's silver. The build date is sometime before 4/7/01, because that's when I got it. I've never actually checked before! I probably should.

I find the body and paint job to be of pretty high quality, actually. The steel is much heavier than my CL. It's also obviously larger. The engine is also bigger, even though it's not as powerful. The odd thing is it weighs about the same! Must be the thicker materials in the interior! ;-)

teo

Hmm it sounds like yours has a 3/2001 build date. Mine was built the second week of April and I took delivery the last week in the same month. So far so good.

Any luck with the seat track?

What was exactly the software update the made to the engine PCM?

teo

The Impala LS weighs 3,300 or 3,400 pounds. It is a heavy sedan. I think the CL is lighter (3000 pounds perhaps) and remember that the engine uses alluminum parts, if not everything. The sheet metal is not as heavy I guess.

The Impala doors are pretty heavy. Some times that annoys me a bit but I am reminded that they provide better impact safety.

[Deleted User]

According to Edmunds, the CL weighs 4 more pounds than the Impala. 3470 compared to 3466
Honda must tape bricks to the underside. It ain't in the body, that's for sure. Maybe that VTEC engine weighs more due to it's relative complexity compared to the Impala's straightforward engine design.

b4z

last summer several people were complaining about the paint. My dark blue '01 has many places where the grey primer is showing through.
Especially on the rear door jambs and under the hood. I have never seen this before. Hope itis not a trend.

teo

It could be a problem on dark colored cars?

How about owners of Red, green or white cars?

Tan metallic colors and silver seem to be fine.

This reminds me of the Toyota Avalon forum where some owners had paint chipping problems with the Desert Lunar Mist paint, but others were doing OK.

[Deleted User]

After reading this stuff, I'm gonna have to check under the trunk and hood. I'm pretty sure the jambs are OK, as I wipe them down whenever I wash the car.
The paint is one of the things that has always impressed me about the car.

teo

While you are at it, check and make sure the car is not falling apart from under, ya know, just in case

[Deleted User]

Under what?

teo

Carriage

[Deleted User]

I'm sure everything is fine under there.
I'll bet the paint is OK under the hood and trunk lid too.
All this talk about paint - I think I'll wax it this weekend!
Hey teo, I'll be in So. Fl. for Thanksgiving weekend with the family. What kind of car should I rent?

teo

an Impala? :-)

Well it depends of how many people are you bringing over and what places or activities are your planning to do. Going to Disney or Universal?

If so, I highly recommend the following rides:

Epcot: Test Track (Fun, fun and fast)
Universal Islands of Adventure: Spiderman..the best interactive 3D simulation ride in the world! Got to see it.

Here in Miami we have South Beach, Coconut Grove, the beaches in Key Biscayne and the relative close proximity to the FL keys...lots of things to do...

roderacer

My black '01 LS has slight paint undercoverage on the back of the gas cap lid. Under the hood, trunk and everywhere else is smooth and nicely clearcoated.

Without a doubt, the dark colors will be less forgiving in terms of finish. But everytime I wash and Zaino (blasphemy, garypen! ;?) I am happier and happier I got black.

[Deleted User]

One of these days, I'll break down and order some Zaino. I already bought the Zymol before I heard about Zaino.
The pictures sure look great, especially on the deeper colors.

teo

Ok I checked my car again and have no paint problems to report. All the hidden areas have paint evenly applied and no signs of premier showing anywhere.

Sorry folks, I guess some got cars not properly finished, which is unacceptable.

Definetely a warranty service item.

b4z

I don't do repainted new cars. If anything, that will kill resale due to the fact that a potential buyer will think it has been hit.
You might remember my problem with the paint overspray when i bought mine in June. They wanted to paint over it. I had them buff it out.
I am going to let my un painted areas stay unpainted.

morphius909

The remote entry was finicky at best when we purchased our 2000 Impala LS. Usually,the first unlock would work okay (driver), but the second unlock for the entire car would not work at all, or eratically at best. THe Lock function, well that just sucked...rarely working if at all.

I took it into the dealer a few times, once they reprogrammed the remotes, then another time they replaced a remote, then again they reprogrammed. FINALLY, a TSB was found stating to replace the instrument cluster (since I assume the electronics for the remote entry is integrated into the cluster assembly).

Since then, I have had absolutly no problems with the remote entry (been almost a year now).

The only complaint I have with the service was that there is a slight rattle from behind the dashboard ( I think), which I assume is a loose cable wire or something. I am taking it in soon to have looked at.

WHat are your symptoms???

Paul

dieselone

Every remote I've ever had regardless of mfg. has been inconsistent in operation. Sometimes they'll work from a 100 ft. then other times they hardly work 5 ft. from the car. Environmental conditions must affect their operation. I can only compare Ford, VW, and Nissan. Ford's seemed the worst, VW and Nissan about the same. My wifes Impala doesn't have a remote, it's something you don't realize how much you'll miss until you don't have it. My brother replaced his factory remote with an aftermarket w/ remote start. Seems the aftermarket systems are much better. He can remote start his truck from inside work when his truck is probably a 100ft away in the parking lot.

dieselone

I used to have a 98 Ford SVT Contour that unfortunately had a confrontation with a glass pane that fell of a truck in front of me while I was going about 80mph. The glass slivers basically sand blasted the whole front facia and hood. The car was silver and it had to be repainted. It looked absolutely flawless when the shop I got it back and it held up well. I couldn't tell a difference between the old paint and new. I wouldn't hesitate to have your car repainted if you have flaws from the factory. I'd think not having it repaired would hurt your resale more than not. Well, maybe if you keep the Impala for 30 years it might be considered a novelty if you leave the imperfections. Just kidding.

The roof strips lifting must be a fairly common problem. My wifes 01 is doing the same thing.

hvan3

Winter is slowly creeping up. Does anyone on this board have a remote starter on their Impala? It would be nice to warm the car up in the morning with a remote starter.

Oh, today while driving to Valencia (home of Magic Mountain), I saw at least 8 Impalas! The most I ever saw in a single day. All of them were base models.

crosley4

It's powered by a 350 cid ZZ4 chevy crate motor with a fresh T-350 transmission. The truck has factory a/c, tilt wheel, pdb, p/s, p/windows were added by me. This engine must have premium fuel. The price is $5600.00 us dollars

Here is small pic at:

http://www.highperformancecars.com/crosley/1971chevy.jpg

It was painted in 1990, paint is thin in spots. Small dents here and there.

Maybe I need to check into leasing a vehicle? The General Manager where I work is a serious by the numbers guy and he has two lease vehicles(Denali & Infinity) at this time. I have chatted with him on leases and I am still not convinced on them.

Tony

ghostwolf

I have the Dark Jade Green Metallic and haven't noticed any type of paint issues in the door jamb or anywhere else yet (crossing fingers).

I have a problem, I Zaino'd the car and it looks awesome but I got some wax on the trim and now its all white. I should have taped it off first but now that I am in this situation, what can I do to get all the wax off of the plastic?

Thanks
ghostwolf

P.S. I got my pictures back of my exhaust modifications and will be posting soon.

teo

Absolutely. A repaint job, no matter how good it is, can be spotted by a well trained used car appraiser. Even if the original intent was to cover up or repair a cosmetic blemish, the first taught that comes to mind is that the car has had accident repair. However, there are other obvious signs that will tell the appraiser if the car has had frame work done, sheetmetal panels replaced, body sealers re-applied, etc.

That can potentially affect the resale value of the car indeed.

I remember you telling us about the paint blemish that you found in your car. If is something "minimal" perhaps it can be repaired without having to get the whole car repainted.

BTW, how long you plan to keep your Impala?

cabello

Yeah, we have sucky engine cradles, steering shafts, rack & pinion, & amps, but our roof mouldings sure are holding up better than the 2001 & 2002's.

bh0001

This came up on the Zaino board a little while ago. Several people swear by peanut butter. Yes, peanut butter. I've never tried it myself, but others swear it works wonders.
Brad

crosley4

I have a new engine cradle in my 2k LS, the steering shaft was replaced under extended warranty even after I told them that was not the trouble. After all what would a mechanic with decades of experience under his belt know? (-;

We still have the low quality amp that was common in the 2k Impala "upgraded" stereo.

I must admit ever time I read an invoice sticker on a vehicle lately I chuckle at "premium sound or upgraded stereo" listings.

Boze (sp?) is availible on the 2002 Envoy and TrailBlazer's .

b4z

If real estate keeps going the way it is i may just have to sell it now.LOL.
I have been driving the camaro the last 6 days.
That car is completely trashed but still runs, so I keep driving it.
I think the impala will be around for at least two years and probably three. I t has been a great car. The first new car that i have not had to take back to the shop for one thing or the other.
If i got something else and it needed repairs i would kick myself for not keeping it.
i really enjoy driving it.
I opened up the door yesterday to get someting and that wonderful leather smell came wafting out of it. it was great. Still has the new car smell too.

hunter39

I have a 2000 with medium Regal Blue, I have noticed what looks like imperfections in the paint but only on the hood of my car, right at the center of the front above the latch. It is most notable in bright light after a wash. I don't know if it is a paint problem. Perhaps it's why they discontinued the color for 2001? I'm curious now...

teo

The new car smell really lasts for sure. I don't get that "Rich Corinthian" leather smell when I open up the door, but I still get that new scent every time I go aboard.

As of now I can't complaint, the car has performed great. It has been exactly six months today since I took delivery of the car.

As a car lover there are many nice sedans out there that I look at and even find myself day dreaming about but most of them are way more $$$ and not as well equipped in many cases.

I enjoy driving it as well and smokin' other more $$$ in stoplights...

I am heading to opening night, tonight, of the South Florida International Autoshow...fun, fun...