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Comments
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!
A lot of people seem to have complained about these hesitation problems.
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.
Ditto here. Ford is the lawsuits, lies, recalls and safety problems car company. NO FORDS IN MY DRIVEWAY!!
If the shoe fits...
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
How's the wife doing with her new Altima?
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/
Hope this helps!!!!
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
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!!
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.
My Camaro got 200,000 miles out of its original rotors. And those are only 10.5" in diameter.
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.
Black is the best color on a car IMHO.
No paint probs. to speak of, unless keeping it clean is considered a problem.
RR
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.
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
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.
Click here
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
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!
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.
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
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.
Chris
http://members.home.net/chrbut
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.
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.