2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

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Comments

  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Morphius: Of all your listed items, the gas tank sloshing is not fixable at all, just in case you didn't know.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    It seems that the chronic engine problems are concentrated on very early production cars. It is not a mechanical problem (The 3800 V6 is used in at least 7 to 10 GM car variants for years) as the 3800 is a rock solid engine. This is strictly an electronics/engine management system computer software/hardware problem.

    Thankfully, my 2000 LS (Build date 1/00) never gave me any engine related griefs. My '01 LS (Build date 4/01) continues to run flawlessly and nearing the 6,500 mile mark.

    People with unsolvable engine problems should seek GM to buyback their cars or seek legal recourse under local state Lemon laws. Engine hesitations, chuggings, shutdowns, etc, etc are serious safety related defects and NO ONE SHOULD PUT THEIR SAFETY ON THE LINE OF FIRE!
  • Maybe there's an inherent problem with the original ECM. I remember a couple people saying they had the ECM replaced. I wonder if that solved their powertrain performance problems? If so, it may be a common fault, similar to the ISS, cradle, or amplifier.
    A lot of people seem to have complained about these hesitation problems.
  • spider717spider717 Member Posts: 106
    Just got back from Tennessee. With the heater on (hey it was 35 degrees), a fully loaded trunk, a back seat full of driving snacks, and 2 people, I averaged 31.0 MPG for the 1600 mile trip. I did a manual calculation and got 30.24. I drop 79 MPH and my girlfriend did 74 MPH. The DIC said average speed was 69 (we had to stop a few times). My girlfriends stepdad was amazed when I told him this. He said "You got 31 MPG in the big car?!" heh
  • spider717spider717 Member Posts: 106
    It amuses me that whenever Teo comes back around the "Chevy Impala" topic board gets back on the main town hall page under the top 10 boards. Just thought that was kinda funny.
  • jeffreyw1jeffreyw1 Member Posts: 145
    Don, where did you find those 5 spoke wheels for $79.50 a piece? I would like to know in case I ever need to replace or buy some more. Thanks!
  • jeffreyw1jeffreyw1 Member Posts: 145
    Have you been to any car shows lately? I know that you told me one time ago that you judge cars at some car shows. Thanks!
  • Besides the recent lawsuit settlement regarding improper placement of ignitin coils, Ford just announced a recall of a million cars due to windshield wiper switches catching fire.
    Man. It never ends with those guys. It's a constant stream of safety related recalls and lawsuits. In each and every case, they deny, deny, deny, until the evidence is simply overwhelming. I guess denial is "Job One".
    Morphius is lucky compared to all those Taurus/Echo/Explorer/Windstar owners.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Echo? you meant Focus right?

    Ditto here. Ford is the lawsuits, lies, recalls and safety problems car company. NO FORDS IN MY DRIVEWAY!!
  • You are correct sir! I lump the Echo and Focus into the same ugly little car category. My mistake. At least Ford used a little less ugly in the design of the Focus, not much though. I'm sure they used a lot less quality, however.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Yeah tell that to our Ford loving friend Focusmatt over at the News & Views forum. His Focus was giving him grief for a long time (Until one day he confessed to the problems), but man he defended that car (And still does) like if it was some by product of marvelous engineering.

    If the shoe fits...
  • hunter39hunter39 Member Posts: 375
    I had a total of seven things taken care of on my last visit...In order:

    Battery may be leaking from Pos. post, check battery, found leaking acid, replaced battery and washed.

    Customer says seam on driver side seat airbag coming apart( the infamous pleather around the airbag module fixed on another visit) See History SOP needs to be ordered 12454537, material

    Customer says drivers front seat moves on acceleration and braking SOP needs to be ordered
    16607860, 16807200 Adjuster nuts.

    Brake service and inspection. Front brakes like new, rear less than half remove all four wheels, clean and deglaze pads , Inspect brake rotors. Adjust brakes test hydraulic system.

    Customer states low coolant lightcame on, no coolant in overflow. Topped off coolant bottle
    (there is another fix for this that was suggested from Car and driver or Road and track, I think Don mentioned this to me. Involved sanding around the overflow cap with high grit sandpaper to help the seal better) I beleive this had a TSB but I don't recall what the number was.

    Customer says turn signals work intermittenly. Inoperative hazard switch, turn signal. Replaced hazard swith flasher assembly.

    Radiator cap found leaking (I didn't report this, they found when doing a pressure test) Performed campaignJ3020 replace cap as per J3020.

    So that's a laundry list nothing major but I wanted to get it all done rather than take it in for each thing. Right now I'm getting a very high pitched whine coming from what I think is the A/C unit( I think because I don't hear it when the A/C is off) So I will wait a bit to see if anything else comes up before taking it in...

    I don't think the car is falling apart and I'm thankful no ISS or cradle issues or hesitation
    2K LS with 26100 miles
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Thanks hunter for the list. Doesn't seem to be major problems but they are annoying nonetheless.

    How's the wife doing with her new Altima?
  • He's entitled to love his Ford. You love your new Impala, despite a number of problems with your previous Impala, plus a number of apparent inherent problems mentioned by quite a few people here.
    I think the difference between GM and Ford is the number of serious safety-related problems that Ford has had over the years, and their consistent history of denial. Even more disturbing is that they recently made the decision to keep using the flawed ignition coil installation, despite clear evidence of life-threatenning safety issues, because they felt it would cost too much to correct. Can you say "exploding Pinto gas tanks"? I knew that you could.
  • 00impala00impala Member Posts: 474
    here is the link


    http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/accessories/custom_wheels/results.cfm?type=c3


    I think I tried 30+ different GM Sites looking for Splash Sheilds and I checked the Rim prices along the way and this place has the best price going! Don

  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    It has been my experience that GM takes care of their customers a little better than Ford does.
    For the most part GM had been able to satisfy me when serious issues come up. Whether it is getting rid of the intrigue or having my camaro sanded down to the metal and repainted they have
    been able to keep me as a customer.
    I don't think Ford would have done some of the things GM has done to make me happy.
  • It would be nice if all car companies would realize that it is cheaper and more efficient to simply design and build the cars right in the first place, even if it costs a little bit more, than to have to correct the problems later through recalls, TSB's, repeated warranty repairs, and buy-backs.
    GM/Chevy actually does have a safety issue denial situation of their own: Malibu brakes. Why do they continue to use the same design, when there is an obvious problem? Further, why do they recommend resurfacing the rotors, when replacement is the only proper fix? To a much lesser extent, there seems to be similar problems with some Impala brakes, from what I've read here.
    But, overall, Ford is far worse when it comes to manufacturing defects, safety problems, and the rectification of them. I'd never buy one. I would buy a Jaguar or Volvo, though.
  • gweilogweilo Member Posts: 118
    Althouhg I can't seem to find any, I have been searching for a black 2002. Have there been problems associated with black Impalas? My second choice would be silver.
  • yurakmyurakm Member Posts: 1,345
    I have a 98 Malibu and had to replace the warped brake rotors. Paid myself, not under warranty.

    However,

    First of all, this is not a safety item. With the warped rotors my brakes were very efficient - only pads wore out fast.

    Second, my Chevrolet dealer immediately suggested replacing the rotors, because turning them is a temporary solution, and short-term one.

    Third, GM changed something later, either supplier or manufacturing process, and currently there are few problems with Malibu rotors.

    And the last, GM currently replaces the rotors under warranty, provided that tire rotation etc. was performed at GM dealers only. They consider overtightened wheel lugs to be the only reason for rotor warping.
  • Great. It sounds like you're happy. I don't think you should have paid, though. No wonder the dealer recommended replacement. GM should have covered it.
    However, I still read about Malibu brake problems constantly on the Edmunds boards.
    A Malibu owner should be able to buy, balance, and rotate his tires anywhere. There are hundreds of millions of brake rotors that do not warp after having lug nuts tightened by these shops.
    Personally, I think any problem with a car's brakes are a safety issue. The brakes are a car's primary safety system. Without them, all other safety systems are superfluous.
  • yurakmyurakm Member Posts: 1,345
    1. Well, of course I was not happy to pay for the below-grade brakes. I also believe it would be better if GM paid for them. However, this is not a question of life or death.

    2. Obviously, brakes are safety item. It would be absolutely untolerable if brakes fail. Or if car brakes slow.

    On the other hand, as I told, the brakes did not fail, and the braking distance was short to the end. So, this was not a safety problem.

    The only symptoms was slightly pulsating brake pedal, till the brake pads worn out early, and started scratch the rotors. It happened at about 22k miles.

    We bought the car used with 15k miles. However, we bought it from a Chevrolet dealer and the car passed full inspection.

    3. To the best of my understanding, all brake rotors would warp if tightened wrong way. It does not depend on brand.

    However, some rotors can warp due to bad manufacturing process, even if tightened right.

    4. And yes, I am generally happy with my Malibu. With right tires, the car is fun to drive. Very nimble in city traffic. Interior is roomy enough for commuting and shorter trips. Not expensive.

    Way too much quality problems, however. Mostly small ones, but it adds up. My Chevrolet dealer have an excellent service department, but I would prefer to visit them less often.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    The N-body cars were seriously under braked. The discs were smaller thus making effective heat disipation a daunting task.

    The Impala does not suffer from the chronic brake problems of the N-body cars. The Impala discs are huge and they just beg to be used. I am still surprised to hear other owners complaining about warped rotors on the Impala. These brakes are serious business in comparison to your everyday GM brakes.

    Most N body car owners solved their problems by purchasing cross drilled brake rotors at a premium.

    yes improper wheel nut hand torqueing can cause disc warping, but the N body brakes had problems that went beyond that fact.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    Don't think that the small size of the rotors is the main problem. It is the quality of the metal used, the tempering process, etc. GM and other manufacturers are using cheap rotors now.
  • 00impala00impala Member Posts: 474
    It used to be that the Pads were softer and the Rotors "Harder",(Meaning you would have to replace the pads far more frequently than the rotors) Now the Pads are harder and the Rotors are softer, I was told there are 2 types of Rotors made with a couple different metals, It is predictible to have to replace the Rotors before the Pads! I geuss since they did away with Asbestos the materials used in Pads are better for Longevity at the cost of the Rotors. Don
  • duraflexduraflex Member Posts: 358
    The last major car shows I attended were a while back. I did visit the new car show in Philadelphia 10 months ago.
    Then in May, my wife and I hit the Spring boardwalk show in Wildwood, NJ. Nice setting, right off the Atlantic Ocean. There they had stocks, customs and hot rods mostly from the 1950s, 60s and early 70s. Some very nice 1958 - 63 Impalas were also shown. I missed the Summer and Fall shows altogether. Hard to believe that 2 years ago in a much better economy that I was actually considering buying a '57Thunderbird just for the fun of it.

    Actually, it was "Colchester" who said he judged car shows and claimed he could tell if a vacuum tube was replaced in a dashboard radio with a non-stock original just by listening !!!

    There's usually a very nice show of classics and antiques in Hyde Park NY in June and another good one in New Hope PA in August. These cars are amost entirely factory stock.

    In Philadelphia, the big new car show is held each January at the PA Convention Center in center city. It's huge and very well attended. Besides showing concept cars or cars about to be released (as it did with the Lincoln LS and the reborn T-Bird), it has offered some nice touches from time to time like putting a beautiful 1940 Lincoln on the show floor next to its modern day counterpart.

    They also bring in classic cars to be featured in upcoming local "Tours de Elegance"and the newest and most unaffordable Rolls Royces, Lamborghinis and the like. At $200,000 plus, each of those cars is roped off and can only be seen, not touched.
  • aquaknotaquaknot Member Posts: 6
    If anyone would like to look at all RECALLS & TSB's for any car go to --
    www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/
    Hope this helps!!!!
  • norbnancynorbnancy Member Posts: 118
    The Impala rotors and pads appear to be extra duty. If I recall correctly, the Police brakes are the same as non police Impala. They feel very strong and do not exhibit fading when used hard. I strongly believe that pulsating brakes from warped rotators are caused mostly by improper torquing wheel lugs. There is a proper tire rotation sequence with torque specs in the owners manual ( 100 ft lbs). I have always torqued the wheel lugs in a criss cross pattern to 60 ft. lbs., then re torque to 100 ft. lbs. At 26000 miles My 2000 LS has perfect brakes and the wear is minimal. Many tire jockeys are minimum wage youngsters that did not receive proper training. Unfortunately, the car owner pays the tab or, the manufacturer does just to satisfy the owner. You rarely hear of brake pulsation in the first 5000 miles. Enjoy the ride
  • crosley4crosley4 Member Posts: 295
    These items do make you wonder about quality from the auto manufacturers.

    While looking at the GMC Envoy I mentioned my concerns to the salesman over the "new" inline 6 cylinder engine that was just released in these vehicles.

    He started yaping about testing & durability. So I told him about the Impala and engine cradle. Not to forget about the intermediate steering shaft of the Impala and the GM clones.

    There are TSB's on my 2k Chevrolet Silverado. A co worker has a 99 GMC truck with TSB's on it that are different than my Silverado. They range from oiling and piston troubles in the engine, to seat belts.

    Another co-worker over heard my comments about looking for a new vehicle, trade in values etc. He offered to buy our Impala for low book which is near $13,400 acording to various web sites. I decided to pass on that.

    Buy what you want and drive it. Also hope for the best service from the vehicle.

    Tony
  • nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    I just had my front rotors turned at @ 28,000 miles, due to warping. I bought the 2000 Impala new (ordered it, actually); took posession back in March 2000. I did absolutely nothing to the car (other than change the oil and filter, natch) until @ 19,000, when I personally rotated the tires, using a torque wrench to tighten them to the 100 ft lb recommended. The rotors were already showing signs of warping before I rotated the tires, so I can say without a doubt the warping on my Impala was not due to overtightened lug nuts (unless they were overtightened at the factory).

    BTW - I know I should have rotated the tires before 19k, but subsconsciously I'm wanting the GAs to wear prematurely, so I'll have an excuse to upgrade to better rubber!!
  • gweilogweilo Member Posts: 118
  • Probably, the reason you're not seing any black Impalas is due to popularity. Either they're very popular and sold out, or they're not as popular and Chevy has chosen to crank out more popular colors. Of course, that's just a guess.
    BTW, I haven't seen many Impalas in any color at my local dealer. I've been seeing quite a few on the roads, though.
  • spence30spence30 Member Posts: 52
    I have 49000 miles on my 2000 impala. (may 2000 purchase). I am on my 3rd set of rotors, GM replaced them both times. the last time was at 33,000. Not problems w/ them right now. The dealer told me that the materials used are a big part of what causes the warping, when they go again, I'll get premium rotors that can dispense heat better.
  • b4zb4z Member Posts: 3,372
    I have noticed on a lot of the new cars i see that the rotors are actually pitted all over the surface. This is clearly a sign of poor quality materials.
    My Camaro got 200,000 miles out of its original rotors. And those are only 10.5" in diameter.
  • silvsilv Member Posts: 41
    I just bought a base Impala for our family car. We were looking for something sporty but still had space. This car fit the bill perfectly and you can't beat that price.

    On the Ford issue, I vowed never to buy another Ford because the Explorer/Firestone issue. Its easy to overlook these things until it hits close to home. I lost a good friend in an Explorer roll over accident this past summer. He was driving down the interstate at the posted speed but his back left tire blew and he lost complete control and it rolled. Killed his wife instantly.
  • roderacerroderacer Member Posts: 311
    I have a black LS and don't notice too many other black ones on the road. Every time I think I see a black one - turns out to be Navy.

    Black is the best color on a car IMHO.

    No paint probs. to speak of, unless keeping it clean is considered a problem. :)

    RR
  • silvsilv Member Posts: 41
    White's my fav just because it doesn't show dirt as bad as other colors.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Black LS' are neat looking cars. The front end looks mean with the smoked headlights. Not too many around. Navy Blue & Galaxy Silver are the most popular colors followed by Green, sandrift and Red Carmine.
  • Black is definitely the meanest, and possibly the coolest color. It's especially good looking with dark, tinted windows. It's just too much work keeping it clean, for me.
    White is better, as far as showing dirt. But is still worse than most others.
    I've owned a few white cars, a couple of black, a couple of blue, a red, and two silver.
    I have to say that , without a doubt, silver is the easiest to keep a clean appearance and looking good. It shows dirt, scratches and swirl marks far less than any other color.
  • impalals2002impalals2002 Member Posts: 8
    I ordered a billet grill for my 2002 LS. I received and all the holes and tabs line up....but they are all offset to one side about an inch. They're telling me this grill should fit, I sent it back and they're still telling me it should fit my 2002 and there's nothing wrong with it. I should have took pics but I didnt think this would happen. So can anyone with 2000 or 2001 take a look and see if your center fastner on the top of the grill is in the center or if it is off to one side and if the to end ones are the same length from the edge. Maybe the 2002 are different and they don't know it. Thanks so much in advance.
  • silvsilv Member Posts: 41
    I guess it depends on what kind of "dirt".

    Yea, plain ol' mud and gunk show's up on any color especially white.

    But I find that rain marks (Dallas rain) shows up much less on white than any other color. I've had silver before as well and while it was good, it wasn't as clean looking as the white.

    My pewter Silverado is the worst at showing those water spots. If I don't dry it immediatly after washing, it shows up bad.

    Silv
  • Right about white. Plain rain doesn't show up very much, usually. It does depend on where you live.
    However, here in San Jose, a lot of dust settles on cars overnight, so the rain spots are very dirty and do show up, especially on the tail and bumper, as the water rolls back that way when driving.
    Previously, in NY, the rain was just plain dirty, so it also showed up on my white cars.
    Two of my current cars are silver. I can honestly say that it has been the cleanest looking color I've ever owned. In my area, silver is a hugely popular color, for all makes, for precisely that reason.
  • impalals2002impalals2002 Member Posts: 8
    hey guys. I put together a little impala site. Its has a different type of forum on it. Give it a try tell me what you think. Thanks
    Click here
  • hvan3hvan3 Member Posts: 630
    I had my billet grille installed at one time. I didn't like the look of it too much. In fact, I didn't think it was worth $160ish (including freight). I ended up returning it.


    Anyway, when I installed it, everything fits nicely except for the little gap in the bottom left grilled (facing the grille).


    http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1757607&a=13549298&p=52184122&f=0

  • bowtiefan01bowtiefan01 Member Posts: 20
    Hi,

    I'm new to this site and have found some of the previous postings I have read to be very informative.

    I just got my brand new '01 Impala two weeks ago. So far, the car is great and a lot of fun to drive. This was one of the last '01 Impalas around in my area (with the 0% financing, they were going fast!), so I was happy to have found it. By the way, I found it on the Edmunds site, using GM's Buy Power search.

    Except for not having a CD player, the car is exactly what I was looking for--a nicely equipped base model with the 3.8L LS engine. I'm sure I can put a CD player in someday!

    Today, I saw an LS with molded splash guards--they looked very nice. Several previous postings indicated that they are hard to find. Does anyone know where the splash guards can be purchased? Were they only available for the 2000 model year and did GM stop making them?

    Also, I am considering upgrading my high and low beam headlamps with Brite White HID type headlights (similar to the bluish/white Xenon headlamps used on higher end cars like Lexus and Mercedes. Ebay sellers have a number of different ones for sale. Has anyone had any experience using them? They appear to be of a higher wattage (55W vs. 80W) than the stock bulbs, so I would be concerned if the stock wiring harness could handle the extra wattage.

    Thanks!
  • Xenon HID lamps put out more heat in addition to the extra wattage. I don't know for sure if the Impala wiring or headlight assembly would handle the increase.
    However, I got the same effect on my LS by using Philips Cool Blue lamps in place of the stock Impala lamps. They cost about $15 each, and are exact replacements for the 9005 and 9006 lamps that come with the car. (Or is it 9004 and 9005? It's one of those combos.)
    You can find them at any auto parts store or online at most parts web sites, as well.
  • bh0001bh0001 Member Posts: 340
    I did the same thing as garypen but I bought Lumiko/Heliolight bulbs. The bulbs look like they're tinted slightly lavender, but the light is very white. They're filled with a mixture of "inert" gasses including Xenon, but are still filament-based bulbs. I'm really happy with them.

    It's important to remember that you can't get true HID lights without spending hundreds (maybe thousands) of dollars. True HID lights don't even have filaments. The light is produced by "exciting" a gas mixture.

    There is a discussion group here on Edmunds for aftermarket headlights that has some useful information. Unfortunately I can't remember what it's called. Try looking through the Maintenance board, or search for "headlights".
    Brad
  • mediumfrymediumfry Member Posts: 239
    I believe torquing has a lot to do with brake rotor warping, but I also believe properly torqued rotors will warp because of the material quality issues. I, however, have bought $14.99 rotors and had great luck (not on my Impala...originals are fine at 23,000 miles) just by CAREFULLY torquing them and watching the tire center jockeys like a hawk.

    As for color, I know most of you think I'm weird for getting Torch Red, but I gotta say it cleans up really nice and has to get REALLY dirty before it looks dirty. Very surprisingly, it hides dirt as well as my white minivan, and white is a very versatile, practical color.
  • impalaboy2001impalaboy2001 Member Posts: 117
    I just happened to buy the Xenon White headlight bulbs today, they're 80 watts, but when I installed them they didn't seem that much brighter, but the blue tint they got looks pretty cool. If you decide to get them you'll need the 9006's.

    Chris

    http://members.home.net/chrbut
  • nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    Was updating my fuel consumption information last night, and thought I'd pass along these stats on my 3.8l 2000 base Impala:

    Lowest average tank: 19.52 MPG; average speed of 26.7 MPH.

    Highest average tank: 32.91 MPG; average speed of 55.4 MPH.

    Lifetime average (28,800 miles): 23.10 MPG

    Last night I bought regular unleaded for $1.129 at a Fina station I frequent; this was the lowest cost I've ever paid to fuel the Impala.
  • teoteo Member Posts: 2,508
    Just checked the latest edition of Consumer Reports. The Impala has been rated as follows:

    Model Year 2000 = Average Reliability

    Model Year 2001 = Above average reliability

    Model Year 2002 = Predicted Above average reliability

    The Impala also has earned the "Recommended" seal of approval from Consumer reports. It did very well in almost all measures earning some solid red dots and half red dots. Only area to receive a half black dot was fuel consumption, go figure that one.

    On the other hand the 2002 Intrigue is not recommended, has a Half black dot for predicted reliability and a solid black dot for resale value. The Intrigue is not recommended by CR and they only listed the only reason to buy a new Intrigue is the 5/60 basic warranty. Per Consumer Reports, reliability of the 2002 Intrigue has fallen "Below Average"...ouch!

    Most Olds models did pretty badly. For 2002, Olds has dropped the 3.5L Aurora just leaving the 4.0L V8 model. Still the car earned also half and full black dots in the aforementioned areas.

    This reaffirms my belief that aside from the 3.5L engine the Intrigue otherwise is a mediocre product that tried but missed its target by a long shot in terms of quality and relibility.
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