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Comments
I am happy as a clam.
Perhaps I am not picky enough?
Thanks
Ken
Any case, better to check in manual.
According to California law, a product must conform to the warranty. The dealer, as agent of the manufacturer, has four opportunities to affect repair, and return the car to conformity. If they do not, the manufacturer is required to reclaim the vehicle, and refund the purchase price or lease payments.
I do not wish to drive 100 miles, or should I have to. My selling dealer is the closest to my home, and should be able to repair the car. I don't share the same emotional attachment to my Impala that you do to yours, and would rather give it up than be inconvienced. It's only a car.
As for your explanaitions of my problems:
Seat - Is not easily repaired. Hunter had his repaired, and the problem returned. It is an obvious design flaw of the mechanism. Why else would they change it midstream? I find this to be a major problem for me. As proof, I have located an NHTSA report of an individual that lost control of his Impala due to a loose driver's seat.
Radio - My radio reception was fine when I first got the car. There is no need for an additional mast antenna. A few others here have had this problem, and had it remedied by having the rear glass replaced. My rear defroster doesn't work very well either.
Rotors - No where have I seen in the user's manual mentioning using a torque wrench to change a tire. If this is required, they should include one with the jack. While it may be good practice, not using one shouldn't cause the rotors to warp after only 5000 miles, the last time the wheels were off.
Rough idle - According to the manual, 87 octane is fine. As such, I should not need to use a higher octane. I've also had a recent PCM update.
It's great that you're happy with your Impala, and that you haven't had any problems. However, some people have had problems, and are unhappy. Some have also had problems, but remain happy. It's all good. :-)
You are used to 90+ temperatures all summer long. Here in CA, the really, really hot days only happen occassionally. When they do, our bodies are not as accustomed as yours.
Additionally, much of the Florida heat is due to humidity. I know. My family lives there. The Impala AC might work very well at removing the humidity quickly. The immediate perception will be one of comfort.
I know that R134 systems do not work as well as R12 systems. I've owned plenty of cars with both. It's odd how the AC on our CL, which is also a Honda, works amazingly well. It's obviously a different system than your Accord had.
I have no need to defend this model or the automaker. Tomorrow or the next day I might decide to move on to something else...same I did when I left the Honda/Acura fold for 12 years to go over GM. My days of blind car loyalties are long past before me. Today, same as you and everyone else, wish for the best product, at the best possible price and best quality. If my replacement car had turned out to be worst or equally annoying as the first one, by now that car would have been long gone, trust me.
I am sorry that you got a bad car. It did happen to me so I understand where are you coming from. Probably mine is (and I hope it will be for as long as I keep it) a much better car reliability wise. So far it has demonstrated that this copy is tighter than the first one.
Life is to short to put up with defective goods. If you are unhappy with your car you can attempt to get it fixed, sell it, trade it or have it re-purchased or replaced and move on.
With the first Impala I learned that it is psychologically draining and a total and complete waste of time to try to fix or live with a car that you don't feel 100% right about.
One thing that I don't understand is that you need to gather a pool of responses to convince your dealer that your problems are real??? What kind of service is that? See that's where my beef is and believe me is not your fault as I can see they are given you a hard time.
I am on your side of the issue, keep that in mind.
If you truly like the car in despite of the problems, maybe the less painful route would be to persuade GM to replace your car with a new 2002 Impala. If you have lost confidence in the product, then you have many methods at your disposition to get rid of it and then move on.
I just want to be happy with whatevr car I choose. I shouldn't have to sit there and curse every time I drive it, which is at least twice a day. It should be a joy for me to drive, as it is for you and many others here.
Unfortunately, I have indeed lost confidence in the product, and possibly all GM products. I will have to think long and hard about possibly replacing the Impala with a Regal GS or Grand Prix GTP. Maybe a used one, so it won't be so difficult or expensive if I'm unhappy with it.
Even if your body is used to the hunidity and heat year round, you'll know immediately when the A/C of your car is not cooling down properly. I wasn't born in Florida (I was born in the South American Andes mountains) I can tell you that after 20 years of sea level/heat living I am not yet totally used to high temperatures and hunidity index of South Florida. Heat truly bothers me and wherever I am I have to have the A/C in blizzard mode. Ditto when I go to sleep (My wife can't stand low the temp setting of our home A/C at night).
My car's A/C efficiently removes humidity and heat from the car in about 5 to 8 minutes tops. My sister's '99 Accord LX A/C takes an eternity to cool down, if it ever does. She acknolwedges that the A/C in her new Impala is much better to the one in her Accord. At least those are comparison points.
I don't know what else to tell you. I still think your car needs to be checked for freon leaks. R134a slow leaks are often a pain in the butt, since they are invisible and sometimes the leak detectors don't always see them.
I have done that 1 time before with a Ford product traded onto a new Honda product and trust me even after losing $4K on the deal, it really did feel good. That Honda served me faithfully for 5 years, so in the end I felt that I recovered the $4K that I lost on that transaction when I got rid of the buggy Tempo.
Remember, it is up to you.
The monthly fee for XM satellite radio is about $9 to $10 per month.
I think the radio reception in the Impala tends to worsen on mountainous areas. I have never liked those engraved in the back glass or windshield radio antennas. Nothing beats the good old metal mast.
My 97 Acura TL also had the infamous radio antenna embedded to the back glass, Reception was OK but sound typically was on the muffled side.
My Tempo also had pushbutton HVAC controls, a 4 speaker AM/FM stereo radio only, power door locks and trunk release but not power windows. Rear view mirrors were also electric. The 2.3L OHV 4 banger was noisy and gas thirsty (And slow). The 3-speed automatic didn't help much either.
To make a long story short, the car was a freakin' lemon since day one. Everyhting that could fail did and the car always stalled at traffic lights. Ford could never find the cause of the engine stalls that towards the end got mighty dangerous. The A/C crapped out, engine hoses went south, ugh horrible. Just thinking of that car make the Impala problems look like wimps.
This car had also the famous Ford flamming ignition switches...thank God we never had a problem with the switch, but Ford kew about the defect and kept churning 20 Million some cars with the defective part.
I got rid of it after 2 years and 18K miles in 1990. I lost $4K when I traded it for a new Accord DX, but boy was I relieved!
When you have a bad product, your best bet is to get rid of it. It will only cost you more money down the road.
What annoys me is GM's failure to correct the dealer's poor service. They actually stand behind it! You should have heard the GM rep at my arbitration today! He says that all of these problems do not affect the car's value. They just don't meet my expectations! I guess he has a point. My expectations are that the seat doesn't wobble, the engine idles smoothly, the doors lock automatically, the radio recieves nearby stations without interference, etc.
I hope things go my way. If they don't, I will have to go to a different dealer to have everything repaired. I still won't keep it. But, I can't in good consience sell it or transfer the lease until evrything is working OK.
Or, "I almost got in accident with another car last night ,and it was an intrigue! My worst nightmare.
The weather was bad yesterday in Charleston and at about 3 pm I decided to drive over the Cooper River Bridges to check out the CTs at my Caddy/Olds dealer.
The CTS wasn't there so i turned around and headed back over the other bridge into town.
I am coming up to the top of the first span when all these brakelights start coming on.
I get to the very top of the span aand come to a complete stop.
Up ahead is Reliant K that is just finishing a spin. This is on a one way bridge and it is headlights to headlights with a minivan.
Major damage, but nobody is hurt.
We get past in the left lane and i proceed at 30 mph to the top of the second span, when the traction contol kicks in big time. There is ice here too.
I immediately downshift into third then second and coast down to the bottom of the bridge. Whew.
I shouldn't have been out there looking for that CTS.
Negatives, had radio yanked 3 times for power problems, and it still loses one minute a day on the clock, but I've come to accept resetting clock via RDS every morn.
Positives - a ton! I'm 6'3", 290 lbs, and the car fits me fine. Great power, handling, braking, "driveability", looks decent, and I keep the cheesy plastic/wood dash insert Armor-Alled before it fades. Now, when does the SS arrive?
My dealer's service has been great in 2 years that I have been taking my cars to them. It really pays to have a good business relationship with the Service Manager as well.
Gary's situation is unfortunate but it is not limited to GM. Almost every other automaker on this earth will put up a fight to have a car repurchased or replaced. I have never seen or heard of an automaker that will replace or reimburse you for a bad car just for the asking.
BBB arbitration to me is a waste of time. Unfortunately in most states it is required before you can take the case to the next level higher up which is state lemon law arbitration. BBB is primarily designed to drain down the consumer and allow the manufacturer to buy extra needed time so by the time the consumer decides to take legal action or appeal to the BBB arbitrators, the time/mileage statue of limitations has already long passed.
Some manufacturers such as Mercedes Benz do not participate in BBB arbitration. The stories I have read about the way MB treats unhappy customers aren't pretty either. Consider that MB owners pay 3 or 5 times the price of our Impalas.
garypen: Before you do anything with the car you need to wait for the BBB's final decision on your case. However, I would not hold my breath to it. If BBB fails against you (Hope not) then you need to take it to the next level and get yourself a good Lemon law attorney.
Don't feel bad if you want to get rid of the car as-is. You did not build it, period. Let another individual deal with it. Unload it, cut your losses, move on and enjoy life.
I think your dealer is the main culprit behind your problems, no doubt about that.
Nor GM, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Acura, etc have direct control over the ethics and business practices of their franchised dealerships. Dealers are managed and operated by independent owners in most cases. Yes they do represent the manufacturer, but manufacturers are not obligated under the law to supervise every aspect of their operation. Manufacturers simply refuse to devote manpower and resources to monito dealers from sales to service. A bad dealer is a bad dealer, simple as that.
Negatives, had radio yanked 3 times for power problems, and it still loses one minute a day on the clock, but I've come to accept resetting clock via RDS every morn.
Positives - a ton! I'm 6'3", 290 lbs, and the car fits me fine. Great power, handling, braking, "driveability", looks decent, and I keep the cheesy plastic/wood dash insert Armor-Alled before it fades. Now, when does the SS arrive?
We'll see. But, if I have to sell/transfer it myself, I will do my best to have the major (to me) items repaired before doing so. I'm that kind of guy. What can I say? I'll drive to San Francisco or Monterey, to have it repaired properly, if necessary, in order to relieve myself of it in good conscience.
Let's suppose that for the first time after these repairs have been completed the car truly feels different and none of them re-occur in a long time or ever.
Would that change your view on the car? I know you like the car, but are annoyed at the problems, lack of dealer response and today's apparent indiference by the GM representative (Which is another paid clown in the scene).
Since you lease your Impala, do you have any advantage to facilitate unloading it if you have to?
Are you upside down in the car?
Can you brake even if you trade it?
A bad product has to be unloaded. Let others figure out what to do with it.
I can be plenty selfish, but I try not to be when it negatively affects others.
I'm not sure how upside down is applied to a lease. It would cost beacoup bucks to simply buy it out. I can transfer it to someone willing to assume the lease for a $545 fee. I can buy it for a reasonable amount, and resell it. But, I'd also spend thousands on sales tax, unless the interested party was able to buy it directly. I'd have to ask GMAC about that.
Even if they repair those 3 or 4 majors, the taste left in my mouth is too unpleasant to continue drinking from the same glass.
Again, call your lease company and get the most current payoff figure. Also figure out the actual retail/trade/wholesale value of your car. In case the BBB thing doesn't work out, then at least you could jump to plan "B" and see if you can either sell or trade the car. I am assuming you made a 36 month lease contract.
The irony of it all is that the car is not really legally yours..it belongs to the bank and it is registered in the bank's name. However, you are bound by the contract to make the lease payments on it.
This is one reason I stopped leasing cars. leasing doesn't give you any protection or advantages if the car turns out to be a lemon. Same as a cash/financed car, you are pretty much stuck with it on a lease scenario as well. Sometimes unloading a leased car is more diffucult than doing so with a bought car.
It is an unfortunate situation and it will too leave a bitter taste in my mouth. Hope the whole thing goes in your favor very, very soon.
Well, going to another Impala subject I read a couple of months ago about GM considering putting the V8 with 300 HP into Impala, making it SS. Did you hear anything about that? Is it just a rumour?
Pretty darn good considering the rate that the other w bodies are selling at.
I imagine you could take the sales of the intrigue, regal and GP and they probably wouldn't equal the impala's sales.
The century is selling pretty good as is the gP, but sales are off.
Maybe the next generation Impala. BUT WHO KNOWS......
Your insurance company will ask you if the crack is in the driver's sight line. If it is, they will have you replace the windshield, because in most states it is illegal to have the windshield repaired on the driver's sight view area.
If the crack is no longer than 6" (About the size of $1 bill) and it is outside of the driver's sight line view area,then it is possible that it can be repaired instead of replaced, thus saving the original factory seal without braking it. The repair procedure consists of re-filling the damage area with special resins components under a plastic bubble shield toprevent further contamination of the crack. Once the repair is completed (About 30 minutes done at home or work)the crack will be almost invisible, but not completely gone. The repaired area will have the appearence of a *scar*. Windshield repair is preferred by Insurance companies because it is cheaper and saves the original glass factory seal, but it can't always be done. You need to call Safelite and the field person will evaluate the damage before deciding to either attempt repair or replace.
If you need to get the windshield replaced, insist on the original OEM glass. The Impala's windshield is manufactured by PPG and it is the only glass you should be replacing with. Windshield replacement is a serious matter because the windshield is a key component of the structural integrity of the car and it also acts as a safety restraint for proper Airbag operation. If the windshield is replaced with a cheap alternate aftermarket glass, done by a non-reputable shop or done incorrectly could put your life in danger!!! So be warned.
Often insrance companies insist to have windshields replaced at their own sponsored shops...SAY NO TO THIS!!!!
Insist in having the windshield replaced with Safelite or any other reputable auto glass company. The insurance company has to cover the cost and labor ofyour new windshield with the company of your choice NOT THEIRS!!!!
If the windshield is replaced, you must follow the adhesive cure instructions to the last letter, otherwise you run the risk of the windshield becoming loose or not properly seated. Depending on the adhesive used, the cure times vary from 6 hours to 24 or even 48 hours. Insist on rapid cure adhesive so you can safely drive the car the next day. Also you need to be careful when you shut the doors of the car while the adhesive is curing, because closing the doors hard create an air vacuum inside the cabin pushing the windshield out and not allowing the adhesive toseat and cure properly.
Last, safelite always carry on hand a good assortment of OEM auto glass so you don't have to wait for days to get the new glass. Smaller auto glass shops often need to order the OEM glass from the car manufacturer increasing the risk of further damage with the old windshield.
Hope that they can repair your windshield, but if they have to replace it, this will not affect the look or resale value of the car, so get it done TODAY!!!.
www.safelite.com
Hope this helps.
2. Remove what ever keeps the car from going faster than 105 MPH. I10 in the Navada desert, not a car on the road, you can see 10 miles ahead, and the LS tops out at 105. (Is this a common feature now a days?)
3. Color matching side moldings.
4. My wife wants adjustable pedals like the Taurus has.