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Comments
St. Louis MO
Two items they found wanting were the thin sound coming from the stereo (really????) and the lack of an electronic lumbar support adjustment for the driver's seat. The last sentence of the review sums it up in total by stating that Inarguably this is the best Impala ever built.
The article should appear on their web site in about two weeks at www.autoworldweekly.com. Currently on their site, for those interested, is a review of the 2001 Mote Carol.
St. Louts MO
A new replacement 'VALVE' (Could not specify exactly as to which valve he was talking about)was ordered for my Impala, and he was confident that this new part would fix the problem with the clunking steering column and brake pedal faint noises (OIL_MUTT READ MY PREVIOUS POSTS WERE I DESCRIBE THE NATURE OF YOUR PROBLEM IN DETAIL).
He said that on further test drives he did yesterday, the car exhibited the clunking not only when turning right but also going straight ahead and going over bumps. He also said that the clunking was almost non-existant when making steering turn to the left..DUH! I know that!.
Last, he said the part was ordered on overnight delivery (See what I told ya about the dealer trying to hurry up to avoid accumulating those out of service days so important to invoke lemon law)so it should be arriving later today and the car should be ready some time tomorrow.
I am confused as heck. In my limited car mechanic knowledge how a Valve can cause the entire front end to clunk the way it does???
Platour and other more technically knowledgable heads......does this 'Valve' thing make anysense to you???...can you relate any valve (Steering pump, etc) that if going bad can cause this kind of problem??? HELP!!!!!
I am very skiptical about this repair and I am almost certain that this is not a fix, rather a quick band-aid for a bigger problem.
Opinions??? Comments?? Ideas???? Does this sound right????
very skiptical until I get to drive the car again.
1) With the dealer ripping apart your car, they are bound to screw up some factory installed option (e.g. electronics, the integrity of the body, etc)
2) If you ever try to sell this car later on, the repair records will show up. This might lessen the value of the car
3)All these so called fixes for the cradle are a interm solution. Until GM does a full recall of the cradle problem, then the fixes are useless!
Who knows..maybe in the 2002 model year the impala will end up getting a steel cradle? And all of us with the 2000 & 2001 owners will get compensated somehow?
Give your dealer the opportunity to fix the problem before trashing the Impala/Monte. Sure, there appears to be problems with a few cars concerning various front end components, but I doubt it is as widespread as this forum suggests. People with car problems tend to want to share but I'm sure there a number of people lurking here that don't have problems and probably don't have much to say.
While looking in other forums to get info on a car for my wife, I noticed you are inquiring on a Bonneville... glad to see you haven't completely given up on GM.
I take good care of my car, but by no means do I baby it. Plus I've hit my share of potholes on expressways in the Chicago metro area at 70 + MPH. Maybe I'm lucky, but I have 16,000 + miles in 10 months and have no squeaks, rattles (interior or exterior), grinding, thumping or popping noises. I've been listening for any strange noises since I read the first post, but still nothing and I hope it stays that way.
Good luck with your situation!
Heres my page. I love my car and dont want a new one. So I hope theres a fix for these problems soon.
Also, you told that dealer provided the loaner car without you asking this. The same with me. But did the dealer offer to take the car, or ordered you to take it, without asking whether you want it, and without explaining the rental process and conditions?
I am interested because had a very himiliating experience recently with a loaner car from Buick. Cannot remember to be so strongly offended for years.
Still, not a good sign on the durability of some key mechanical components outside of the engine, tranny and brakes. Once I get the repair ticket, I'll post the description of the repair and any part numbers.
The engine cradle continues to be a concern. The car hasn't yet developed the nasty clicks but it can happen at any time, sooner or later. My Lemon law statue of limitations will run out in about 6 months or when the car hits the 18K mile mark, after that point I will be at the Mercy of the Dealer and GM should this gremlin surfaces. (No Lemon law recourse)
Let me clarify this...I like the car and I bought it with the 'mindset' of keeping for a very long time and be there when we decide to have kids. However, based on my own reliability experience with the car, this is not extremely comforting....two 'major' repairs in less than a year....A/C Compressor and know this Power steering control 'Valve'...and the jury is still out on the latter if this turns out to be the actual source of the front end clunks.
While I believe the engine, tranny, brakes, body and interior will survive the test of time in the Impala, I still hold major doubts with the durability of the front end. The cradle is a very sore spot in these cars and emotions and attachements towards the car aside, we all know that GM's inability to cure this malady in almost 2 production years only tells me that this is a safety defect BY DESIGN with the only possible cure of applying grease to the cradle mounts many times during the life of the car. If most of you can leave with that, fine by all means, but remember that owners have come forward to tell the same story...GM still can't fix it!.
Even if the repair fails, I have to give the car and the dealer one more chance before I decide to take the next level. If this repair is the final chapter in the saga, then I'll decide to keep the car and restore my confidence in it when the car and the repair has proven itself over time (And the cradle problems have been publicy addressed by GM).
You all know about my rentless enthusiasm about the Impala even before I bought it. If GM fixes or recalls these seriously defective cradles then I'll keep on recommending the car. As it stands now, I can't and I am still very iffy about the long term reliability of the front end.
In the mean time, I'll wait for the repair to complete and drive the car normally to see if the problem goes away or persists...one more thing going wrong and the car is going back to its maker.
Thanks again for eveyone's toughts and support.
MONTREAL, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Norwegian auto parts
supplier Raufoss A/S said on Thursday it will build a
C$60 million ($40 million) plant in Quebec in order to
fulfill a contract from General Motors of Canada
Ltd. for aluminum suspension parts. The value of the
contract was not disclosed. A Quebec government
agency will own a 20 percent equity stake in the plant,
to be located in the Montreal region. The plant will
employ 60 workers and will have the capacity to
produce up to C$50 million in parts each year, Raufoss
executive vice-president Leif Bronken said in a press
conference.
Construction is scheduled to begin this spring and
production should start in early 2003. The components
will be used in a number of future vehicles, GM Canada
president and general manager, Maureen Kempston
Darkes said.
It will be the first North American plant for the
state-controlled Norwegian group, which intends to add
other North American carmakers to its client list.
Raufoss already has a similar plant in Norway where it
produces aluminum parts for GM Europe.
The Norwegian firm has 2,300 employees and an annual
turnover of about C$345 million.
Kempston Darkes said the contract awarded to
Raufoss was not linked to the fate of GM's Camaro
and Firebird assembly plant in Ste-Therese, Quebec,
near Montreal. GM will stop producing the sporty
Camaro and Firebird with the 2002 model year and has
yet to announce plans for the Ste-Therese plant.
($1=$1.51 Canadian)
My dealer unfortunately, doesn't yet provide their own loaner car fleet, but I was told that they will do so in the coming months (Still a very small dealer).
Since my wife drives her own car to work, she told me not to include her in the rental agreement as I need the car mainly to go to the office. The Service Manager doesn't know that my wife also legally owns the Impala, hence he didn't ask but I am sure he would have no problem having my wife included in the rental benefit.
The dealer courtesy transportation took me to the rental office a couple of blocks down in US1 to pick up the car.
The Metro sucks, but at least GM is paying for it, so I can't complaint. A more ideal car for that chore would be a Cavalier or a Malibu, both of which are much substantial cars than the Metro.
Jbog: My comparison between the Metro and Impala was mainly sarcastic, but there are a couple of interior finishing touches in the Metro that in my eyes are better executed than the $15K more expensive Impala, again is mostly subjective and might not be entirely relevant..apologies if I managed to get a 'raise' from you. Don't forget the Metro is a Japanese car (Suzuki), hence you can expect a bit more attention to detail even if the car costs $10K. The Asians still have an edge to domestics in interior assembly quality and it is evident even in crude cars such as the Metro.
Sweetpolly::: Back in the Montecarlo discussion archives, there you'll find plenty of discussion in regards to the gas tank 'Sloshing sound' problem reported by early Monte owners. I have only heard this 'sloshing' from the tank one time and probably the car was about a month old then. Another issue discussed there was the annoying 'thumping' noises coming from the back of the car under braking and acceleration...both of these issues are no longer discussed with intensity.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=543408366&r=0&t=0
and does anyone know about these xenon headlight bulbs, they are supposed to be brighter and whiter than stock, bidding at 13
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=544049560&r=0&t=0
Build Date: 01/00
Mileage: 13100
Clicking noises from engine cradle? Not yet
If yes, at mileage the noises were first noted?
Other problems: A/C compressor replaced, Steering/front end clunking noises/rattling glove box latch assembly, Radio AMP, small interior fit/finish details.
Next...?
Do not think, though, that switching to the bulbs is a really good idea. Do not like when a vehicle with bright headlights is driving behind me - and would prefer not blinding other drivers.
Additionally, the bright lights must attract the police attention. Better to avoid when speeding, even marginally.
http://www.angelfire.com/nc2/mycoffeecan/page1.html
Our local police have just started using the Impalas. They are "standard" Impalas on the exterior. (No LS side badge, wheels or spoiler) and only small center caps in the black rims.
Tonight I drove it to the store and forgot to turn "on" the headlights. When I realized the switch was off, I assumed I must have had only the daytime running lights on with no taillights. When I left the car running and got out, the taillights were on anyway. Switching the headlight switch on or off seemed to have no effect. Is this a safety feature?
I also have a 1963 Impala SS with a 327. I love the retro touch of the dashboard ignition!
I am willing to set up a "Impala Problems" page to document and list all the problems that owners have had. What kind of info would you all like to see on it? Owners name (real or nickname), Model year and build date, problem, date and mileage problem detected, Dealer's diagnosis and fix, and if fix was successful.
Give me some time and I'll whip up an example page.
On the lights (from the Driver's Manual):
"A light sensor on top of the instrument panel makes the DRL work, so make sure it isn't covered......When the DRL are on, only your high-beam headlamps, at a reduced level of brightness, will be on. The headlamps, taillamps, sidemarker and othe lamps won't be on. Your instrument panel and cluster won't be lit up either.
When it's dark outside, your high-beam headlamps will turn off and the headlamps and parking lamps will turn on. The other lamps that come on with your headlamps will also turn on.
When it's bright enough outside, your headlamps will go off and your DRL will come on."
I guess you could call this a safety feature. To test in daylight, cover the sensor with a cloth and the headlights will come on. Take the cloth away and the headlights turn off.....
The heaters in these car are NOT electric elements. AFAIK they use
heating coils - miniature radiators - and are dependent on the temperature
of the ENGINE to produce heat for the interior of the car.
RECIRCULATE is warmer, faster but if your car has been sitting out
overnight and IF you turn the heater on BEFORE the engine can build
up heat, it won't be warm.
Turning the heater on too soon just blows cold air and dissipates the heat
instead of allowing it to build up - kind of like opening a window when you
turn the house heater on first thing in the morning.
Times like that make the electric heated seats a nice treat!
1. left rear splash guard has a small crack extending from the outside vertical edge extending about an inch towards the inside. i have a feeling this happened in NC. i was driving on I95 in a rainstorm approx 2am. i was in the process of passing a tractor trailer when i ran over a bit of debris. it looked like nothing more than a dead tree brach, but none the less it was either run over the limb or swerve into the side of the truck...i think i made the right choice.
2. small rusty 10p nail imbedded into the right/front tire. had it pulled and the tire plugged...no further problems
3. dent on my hood caused by some punk kid throwing a metal trashcan against my car...guess i can consider myself lucky as it could have broken the windsheild or the grill or headlight assemblies, all i got out of the deal is a dime sized bare metal "pock" mark in the hood surrounded by nasty looking scratches. insurence qill cover the repair less $100 (estimate was $419.17) so im just waiting for some good weather to take it into the body shop as i will have to drive my 86 ss monte while the impala is in for service.
so after putting 10k on my car in 4 months i have no major problems (no ticking at low speed turns, no popping, no clunking, absolutly no front end problems -knock on wood- ) yes there is scattered problems with the front end design of this car. my theory is that there are an unknown number of improperly manufactured alum. cradles out there that can not easily be traced to certain production runs of the impalas/montes. the problem is not widespread. if it was we would all be hearing about it on the news right between firestone/ford and ashcraft. yes this is still a problem, and yes chevy/gm needs to put forth a permantant fix towards the people it effects, but it by no means should persuade anyone from buying an impala...no one should expect everycar to roll off the assembly line to run for 350,000 miles with not even a rattle. i feel for those of you who do have major problems with your car, it should be fixed asap, but overall the impala is still a great car that shouldnt be ruled out.
My local used car superstore called to say they had a new shipment of GM preowned (generally rentals) in and there were 5 Impalas to look at (turned out to be all base models and no bucket seats).
I stopped by during this afternoon and saw this gorgeous 2000 Bonneville SE (spruce green with charcoal cloth bucket seat interior) in front - just had to take it out for a ride. The wife was more sold on it than I since she loves the color and I'm just OK with it but the combination of that wide track ride, the 3800 series 2 performance and the price of $15,995 with only 18K on the car sold me and we signed for it.
The car has the 1SB package and CD player - not exactly loaded but hey for 16K I can live very nicely with this for a few years - sure beats the old 90 Grand Marquis I've been driving!
I've got to check on warranty info and get the credit unioin lined up - but expect to pick it up mid next week.
I'll still be monitoring and participating in the Impala forum - it's the greatest and you folks are the BEST and BRIGHTEST around!
Time to whoop it up now for Prez W!!! Hurray!!
Best to all
Ken
It does NOT lift the hatch.
Ken, so you bailed on the Impala huh? Sorry to hear that buddy, Did Teo's problems scare you off?
I still LOVE the Impala and if it gets a nice refreshening look (6 tail lights PLEEEEAZE) and a cradle fix in a couple years - who knows? Maybe I'll enjoy this one for a while and then trade for the Impala.
The price was hard to resist on this car and my wife loved it - so there you go - it's a deal.
I'm trying to decide whether to buy a warranty extension - any suggestions?
Ken
Yes, when I turn the heater on in the morning, my fresh air button is the default. I sort of figured that maybe that's why it was taking so long to heat up. Normally, we have 70-80 degree temperature here most of the time. This has been an unusually cold winter and I find myself using my seat heater more than the car heater. I'm only ten minutes away from work, so, the seat heater is fine!
Check out the page and let me know what you think.
http://home.hawaii.rr.com/impala/
# of kilometers: approx. 21000 km
I was wondering whether the side mirror assemblies are made of metal or plastic? I've noticed recently that there is a paint chip on the right side mirror.
I haven't had the time to bring the car in the dealer to fix numerous problems in the car.
Here is a list:
1)The most serious problem: The steering seems to be really loose!! It was not as tight or crisp in feeling and response
2) Loose trim in various parts of the car! I wish that GM used better glue to make these parts stick!!
3) Recently, the radio reception seems to suck!! All of my favorite stations come in with a lot of interference now. Would cold weather affect the reception? The problem only seems to act up when the car is moving..any suggestions?
4) the panel trim for the sunroof area seems to droop down and never stick in place
Other then these 4 problems, the car runs great!! In my area, I am no longer the exclusive driver of a galaxy silver Impala LS!
I'd be curious to hear what others have to say about the tail lights...they are not ugly, they just don't seem to go with the rest of the car. Just my opinion...
Thanks!
Is there a grid that shows problems reported to date?
If the Intermediate Steering Shaft turns out to be the final solution to the problem (Still UNACCEPTABLE on a car with just 13K miles)it will be very helpful to gather the last six digits of the VIN number, build dates and mileages of those of you that are experiencing this problem. The failure of this part could be limited to a certain VIN number sequences and/or Build date ranges; however, this is still a safety problem and if you car has these symptoms, AGAIN I STRESS THE POINT...don't wait or hesitate to take the car in for reapirs. The nature of this particular repair requires an overnight stay of 1 or more days while the dealer gets the part and performs the repair, so the owners of Impalas with defective intermediate shafts are fully entitled to be offered either a dealer loaner vehicle or a rental vehicle fully paid by GM (See warranty booklet for details). If the dealer denies either loaner car benefit, LEAVE THEM BEHIND!!! They are full of BS!! and they are breaching the car's warranty in the process!!! GO Soomewhere else to get serviced.
Again, failure of the Intermediate Steering shaft is a SAFETY CONCERN. Just ask any '98 and '99 Intrigue owner on how serious this problem can be.
Also, many Intrigue owners have had the part fail not only once, but twice and three times. Finally Oldsmobile issued a new revised part that stopped the problem on that model line; however, if the Impala steering shaft is defective and no revisions have been made to this part by GM, may be the new shaft will fail again in 6 to 12 months and again the car goes back to the dealer for a week stay. I hope the problem just affects a specific build date range, but until more owners complain, it is will be difficult to establish that by ourselves.
The two major concerns right now with the Impala are the unsolved popping noises of the Engine Cradle and now what appears to be a batch of defective Intermediate Steering Shafts.
Once I drive the car, I will post back with the results...something tells me that this is not the end of the road yet with the car.