2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

matteo2 · January 2001

I have a base impala 2001, 1700 miles, I hope i do not run into any of these problems
you people have been having, so far so good .

loganpd · January 2001

I can't say the Impala is a better police car than a Crown Vic, just different. The Impala works better for my town because it is a old town with short narrow streets. The Impala maneuvers better through crowded streets and sharp turns. The biggest downfall has been if you are bigger than 602 250 you can have a hard time getting in and out of the car. All of our cars have cages and I am sure it is not that bad without the cages. The 99 Crown Vic are slightly quicker straight ahead, but throw in some cornering and the Impala will be the winner. As a far as maintenance of the two vehicles only time will tell. The Ford had intake manifolds crack on 2 out of 4 and ball joints and tie rod ends replace between 60k and 70k.

2k_impala_ls · January 2001

WE HAVE ONLY DRIVEN THE LS 4 OR 5 TIMES SINCE OLD MAN WINTER CAME TO VISIT THE NORTHEAST. ON NICE DAYS WHEN THE ROADS ARE COMPLETLY DRY I TRY TO TAKE IT FOR A 20 MILE RIDE UP RT. 87 (THE NORTHWAY) WE HAVE 3600 MILES ON HER NOW AND HER FIRST BIRTHDAY IS COMING UP. TODAY I HAD TO REPLACE THE STARTER IN MY S-10 BLAZER, 160K MILES AND RUNS STRONG, SO I TOOK THE LS TO THE PARTS STORE. IT IS LIKE RIDING ON A CLOUD COMPARED TO MY BLAZER. WISH WE HAD BETTER WEATHER AROUND HERE BUT IT HAS BEEN PRETTY MILD LATELY, 38 DEGREES AND SUNNY TODAY. I EVEN FIXED MY BLAZER OUTSIDE.
P.S. STILL GET ALOT OF LOOKS IN THE SILVER LS

shamino · January 2001

I was wondering whether any 2000 impala owners have had their rear wheelhouse liners replaced?
I printed a TSB indicating that debris might collect in front lower portion of the rear wheelhouse opening.

Another problem that I have is during cold mornings. The car starts good, and once it warms up I hear this "pop" or "creaking" sound from the drivers door panel. My impression is that once the interior of the car warms up, the trim pieces or door panels expand? Causing the pop sounds?
Has anyone else experienced this problem?

crosley4 · January 2001

The wife and I were chatting on the drive home (yep we car pool)....... she is starting to wonder about resale value of the Impalas if these cradle related problems get bigger instead of resolved.

All cars have some problems here and there.

The more middle aged group here will have certain things pop into their minds when a car model is mentioned.

Corvair= unstable, air cooled, oil leaking engine.

Vega= major engine problems, rust in the main body like crazy in the snow belt.

Pinto= fire when rear ended.

Gm 5.7 diesel engines in the 1980's= lots of diesel motors dead or dieing.

You get my drift here I am sure.

Will it be : 2000/2001 Impala= frame / cradle , steering trouble?

I am just thinking out loud I guess. Our 2k LS has the minimum cradle trouble so far.

30 k miles on it now.

Tony

mcdill · January 2001

Thanks for the kind words , I do have the 2001 police impala / camaro brochure , it is a normal size brochure , it has a picture of the police impala , in several veiws , but it is mainly information ,, and a pretty good bit of info , is there anything imparticular any of you wanted to know ? , and as a counter point , the old caprice , before the LT1 , 92 + had the TBI 350 , it would do 0 to 60 in about 8.8 seconds , and 100 in 25 seconds , top speed 133 now if you compare these times with any crown vic since 1992 to present , the crown vic was slower than the older technoligy caprice most of those years . In the MSP police vehicle test,the 2001 vic ran to 60 mph in 8.7 , 1 second off from the 92 350 powered caprice , not to mention the LT1 , and 100 for the vic was 24.6 , 92 caprice 25 seconds to 100 mph , so ford really hasnt come a long way with performance , considering a 205 hp 1992 caprice , can give a 2001 crown vic with 235 hp a run for its money.thanks--------------mattmcdill

chevyrog1 · January 2001

this was taken straight out of Lawandordermag.com

Impala Durability Testing

Chevrolet selected the Chicagoland Emergency Vehicle
Show to demonstrate the power and agility of their
police package Impala. They also selected this show to
announce a first in law enforcement; a long-term, real-
time durability testing with fully instrumented Impalas
in actual police service.
Police car enthusiasts across the Midwest gather for a
weekend of shows and cruises at an annual event
organized by Chicago police officer Greg Reynolds. The
show attracts restored, daily driver, DARE and in-
service police cars of all makes, models and years. For
example, this year’s “best restored” police car was a
1971 Plymouth Fury with Streamwood, IL, police
markings. The “best-of-show” was a 1956 Ford from the
Harwood Heights, IL, police.
In addition to the static car show, past events have
included a real EVOC course open to vintage police cars
and in-service cars, alike. This year, Bruce Wiley,
Manager of Chevrolet Special Vehicles, provided a half
dozen police package Impalas for all to drive on the
half-mile, 15-turn EVOC course.
Some of the Impalas were unmarked, 9C1 package cars
while others were fully-equipped, complete with radios,
MDTs and prisoner partitions. Not only did drivers
compete against one another in their own police cars,
the new Impala was pitted against the best police cars
ever made.
Was Chevrolet really ready for their V-6 FWD Impalas to
run against the 440 cubic inch, big block V-8 Dodge
Monacos and the LT-1 powered Caprices? In heads-up, no
holds barred competition? Wiley said, “Yes.”
Cars running the EVOC course were divided into classes
based on their decade. The times got quicker with each
era. Nostalgia aside, the big block V-8 powered
monsters were beat by the small block V-8 Sedans of the
1980s. That was a surprise. However, it was no surprise
that the LT-1 Caprices from the 1990s were faster than
all the other generations of police Sedan.
The shock came from the new Impala times. Against a
field of V-8 powered, rear drive cruisers pushed hard
enough to frequently smoke their tires, the Impala set
the fastest time of the day! In fact, the average time
for the drivers who ran the Impala was equal to the
fastest time from the LT-1 Caprice.
The consensus was clear, the Impala 9C1 is the fastest
and best handling front drive American police car ever
built.
Performance is one thing. Durability on the street is
another. In a year’s time, the Impala has also started
to build a reputation as the most reliable and durable
FWD police car ever made.
Dodge and Plymouth introduced FWD police cars in 1982.
Chevrolet and Ford joined the effort in 1984 and 1990,
respectively. Each FWD attempt has been better than the
previous car to the point where the 2000 Impala took
five of the six test phases over the V-8 powered, rear
drive Crown Victoria including acceleration, handling
and ergonomics in the Michigan State Police evaluation.
The Impala is gaining increasing acceptance among
police officers and fleet managers alike. The usual
reaction is concern over how small the car appears from
the outside, followed by surprise at how roomy the car
is from the inside.
By far the largest user of the Impala for uniformed
patrol is the New York City Police. They purchased 600
in 2000 and have rolled over the contract to buy
between 700 and 1000 of the 2001 Impala. Not only are
these Impalas used as precinct cars, they are also used
by the NYPD Highway Patrol, complete with the unique
McDermott multi-level light rack. The Highway Patrol
Bureau had long been the stronghold of powerful, rear
wheel drive, interceptor-class, traffic enforcement
cruisers.
But the legacy of poor durability from earlier FWD
police cars of all makes haunts the Impala. So
Chevrolet took the opportunity of the Emergency Vehicle
Show to discuss the first, real-time durability testing
of its kind involving four fully-instrumented 9C1
Impalas. These police package cars have been fitted
with sensors, instruments and on-board computers to
read and record what it is like to be on duty with both
an urban police department and a state police
department.
The on-board computers record engine oil temperature,
transaxle oil temperature, power steering oil
temperature, alternator loads and battery loads. Other
sensors detect g’s of acceleration, g’s of deceleration
(braking) and g’s of lateral acceleration (cornering).
Perhaps the most important sensors on the FWD car are
the ones linked to the front suspension. Literally all
the forces and loads acting upon the front suspension
and steering components are measured and recorded.
Every jounce. Every pothole. Every railroad track.
Every curb. The sensors pick up the low level vibration
from smooth roads and the harsh vibration from rough
roads.
While the drive train and suspension monitoring are
going on, another set of sensors will record the forces
exerted on the driver’s seat. For the first time,
Chevrolet will be able to measure what happens to a
seat other than fabric wear. Seat comfort, and the
resulting back support and health, is a major issue
among many police officers.
This is the first time this kind of information, and
this detail of information, have been collected from a
police vehicle. “We have never known how a car actually
performed in the field, other than by word of mouth,”
said James Boerkoel, Chevrolet Manager of Specialty
Vehicle Activity. “At the end of the study, we will
have real-time data.”
Chevrolet has four of these fully-instrumented Impalas
in police service. Two are with a northern state police
force; one is at its Academy’s EVOC track where
instructors and recruits alike are trying to kill the
car. So far, they haven’t. The other Impala is in a
major metro area doing median-jumping traffic
enforcement. Later, this traffic unit will move to the
far north part of the state to allow recording of
vehicle performance under frigid conditions.
The other two test cars are in-service with the Mesa,
AZ, Police and the Detroit Police. The Mesa car is at a
satellite post near GM’s Desert Proving Grounds, to
experience extremely hot conditions.
For Chevrolet to get a true understanding of the worst-
case urban police environment, they had to have an acid
test. That is where the Detroit Police and its 9th
Precinct come in! This precinct has the most calls, the
heaviest traffic volume and almost non-stop action. The
Impala assigned to the 9th PCT is a true “squad” car,
it literally gets run 24-hours a day. One shift brings
it in, removes their gear out and without shutting the
car off, tu

chevyrog1 · January 2001

mcdill · January 2001

HEY man, thanks for posting that , that was the article I was talking about in lawandordermag.com, thanks again, I wouldnt have know how to do that.thanks---------mattmcdill

teo · January 2001

Read some of my recent posts describing the saga with the Intermediate Steering Shaft. Suffice to say, it looks like some civilian Impalas built between 9/99 and 4/00 (So far)have pontentially defective intermediate steering shafts. The problem occurs slowly and progressively over time as the car racks up mileage. The symptoms of this problem are severe clunks felt at the steering column and steering wheel assembly during low speed turns, specially towards the right. Also the clunks are felt coming down to the break pedal if you are applying the brakes while turning the steering wheel. The steering feels loose, imprecise and not tight and crisp as it should be. The problem poses a safety risk as the integrity and performance of the steering system is compromised by the intermediate steering shaft failure. GM doesn't currently have neither a TSB or Recall in place, so dealers are still clueless unless you tell them what to look for. The intermediate steering shaft was developed by GM to enhance steering feel and improve on center feel. Early production '98 and '99 Oldsmobile Intrigues are also notorious for the premature failure of the steering shaft part.

My steering shaft was replaced last week after the car was 16 days out of service. the new shaft completely cured the clunks and returned the tight and crisp feel that the Impala steering normally exhibits. Other here in the forum have also expressed the same problems. Cabello is having his Impala LS at the dealer as we speak to have his mysterious clunks resolved as well.

So far, 2001 Impalas seem to be free from this malady, but only time will tell.

BTW, my new steering shaft will be in probation period for the next 6 months, if I decide to keep the car.

mcdill · January 2001

As you know , where I work we have truck rental place , ( ryder ) to be exact , and Ive noticed on some of the 99 and up ford econoline vans e250 , 350 , superduty , that they have a steering clunk like you describe , I can feel it at low speeds , and it feels like every quarter turn that it is " bumping" or something like that , you can feel it thru the steering and brake, even though its not an impala , I thought you would like to know since most of theses trucks only have like 20 + thousand miles. thanks-----------mattmcdill

nosirrahg · January 2001

I'm not really sure how to relate the following information in this forum, except to say that one of the reasons I've been stalling to take my Impala in for "teo syndrome" diagnosis is that I've been searching for a 3rd vehicle to add to the family that can provide some hauling capacity (i.e. an old truck or SUV).

I finally found it last week; not 100% what I was looking for, but it will serve the purpose. I'm now the proud owner of a 1982 Ford (I know, I know!) F-350 XLT Lariat long wheelbase; dark brown over tan with 158,000 miles on a 400-V8. No, I didn't exactly need a one-ton truck, but I ran across this one FSBO just up the street. VERY straight truck (w/automatic and working air, all the chrome, etc.) that spent most of its life in southern California before a brief stay in southern TX (all by the original owner) then on to Arkansas sometime in 1997 when my neighbor bought it. Weighing in at 4,700 lbs (the truck, that is!), I'll be happy if I can get my gas mileage to average above single digits! Needless to say, this will NOT be my daily driver to work; just a knock-around weekend vehicle.

nosirrahg · January 2001

As I was cleaning some trash out of the bed of the pickup mentioned above Sunday afternoon, a couple of 9-year-old boys from the neighborhood rode up on their scooters, and asked if it was my truck, how old it was, etc. One of the kids asked if I drove a Corvette, and I said "No, why?". He pointed up to the open garage, and said "Then what kind of car is that?"; referring to my Impala. I told him it wasn't a Corvette, but that the Impala was designed by the same guy that designed the current Corvette. That seemed to impress them - if only I'd had time to pull out the brochure and pin set; I'd be the celebrity of the cul de sac!

jijco · January 2001

mcdill-Thanks for the info on the web site/article. It can be useful to me in addition to just the Impala article. Also, thanks for the info on the brochure. Probably nothing new, I'm just a technoid/info freak that like to collect articles/data on the Impala, and other subjects of interest.

Chevyrog1-Thanks for printing the article, at least most of it. It saves time explaining about it. It ends with Chevy saying that 8 police Impalas or in the field with onboard computers monitoring every conceivable parameter of the car in extreme weather and police duty conditions that would not be replicated in mere factory testing, in addition to the officers' input and realtime modification to correct and improve the car, and also for development of the next police vehicle. It seems to be holding up, including the police engine cradle. The tests end this August, with approximately 35K miles on the vehicles. At that time, I might email either Chevy, the mag or the Michigan State Police(if I can find the web address) for input. I also got the web site for my local PD, so I may contact them regarding performance/durability of the Impala for police patrol here. I don't think they are using it yet for marked car, but there are several motorized officers driving subsidized private vehicles that have Impalas. Not all have police packages, in fact, maybe only a very small number out of the few ones here. They must be special ordered, especially in LS trim. It helps getting cooperation from them since I am a former officer, and just found out my big boss is one of the Police Commissioners. Are Security Department at Ala Moana Center has a very good repoire with HPD

I'll keep you all informed. Jacob

duraflex · January 2001

There are about 60 or more known people who post on this forum.

There are probably 300 more that lurk or just read.
(in talk radio, the ratio is 20 to 1)

How many have had the cradle worked on - 4?

Steering shaft -3?

I wouldn't call that a major problem or something to effect car value -
especially when there's a fix that resolves the issue.

You write that you have 30,000 miles. Have you actually had a major problem?
If so, was it resolved to your satisfaction?

duraflex · January 2001

I don't really know the Bonneville but some cars have a diversity antenna
system that employs 2 antennas - one in the windshield and one in the rear
glass. Some of these systems work almost as well as a stick antenna.

Did you check your antenna plug(s)?

Lots of today's auto glass has some distortion. My rear window has some
in about the same place as yours. Look at almost ANY make windshield
in almost ANY make car from an oblique angle and you will see ripples or distortion.

charts2 · January 2001

The information that you gave is very interesting. I am sure on any road course a smaller car has a big advantage for manouverability. The big lumbering Fords would definetly be at a disadvantage. You mention that the consensus Impala is the fastest and best handling FRONT DRIVE american police car ever. I hope so!! every other front drive police attempt has been dismal Chevy Citation in the early 80's, Ford Taurus etc... I am not sure what you mean when you said the testing indicated that the Impala beat all the big V8s including the ones from the past. I am sure on a road course the lightweight Impala with modern suspension and better tires would outperform the big block cars from 30 years ago. I just sold a magazine on Ebay ( I wish I had kept it) that showed times for the Police 440 Plymouths from the late 1960's. The magazine articles were from that time. Testing was done on Police 375hp cars would run 0-60 5.6 seconds, 1/4 mile 14 seconds, and top out at near 150mph. 1962 & 63 the Police Highway Pontiac Catalinas with 421 CI would run 0-60 under 6.5 seconds, on skinny nylon tires. Police Chevys from the early 60's offered 283's with a powerpak, 327's and 409's with the 340hp engines. Most of the 409's were used as Highway Patrol vehicles. Early to mid 70 Chevy Police Belairs were the 350 and 400 CI blocks. Its important to have these tests but in reality Police vehicles aren't chasing police vehicles. A fully equipped 9C-1 Impala would not catch a civilian Impala LS 3800 in the same test, both 200 horsepower the police version 500 pounds heavier.

Testing of the civilian 3800 I have seen road tests of 0-60 7.6 seconds.(I believe Car & Driver magazine) California Highway Patrol (CHP) tested the Police Impala last year their best time for the Police Impala 0-60, 8.62 seconds. Top speed as mentioned governed at 124. As most cruisers have roof lights 117mph. I know most Police Departments are scaling back on Police Pursuits because of Public concern (liability) but I still believe the Impala needs more power as a Highway Police vehicle, where they need quick acceleration and top speed because they would never catch a fleeing supect driving a Civilian Impala 3800, Honda Accord, Camry,Maxima,v6 Taurus and dozens of other cars that can top out at over 130. Most people would say that you can't out run a police radio, but if you have no help ahead you might as well shut off your roof-lights. Most of these little rice burners today would outrun most any Police
Vehicle. Ford Chevy or Volvo, with the exception of the Police Camaro that they only sell about 200 a year, and will be phased out next year. I am a Chevy fan, and the civilian 3800 seems adequate for power, but lets see the 4000 pound Police Impala with more than 200 horsepower, to give the police at least an equal opportunity to keep up to cars just off the showroom floors. Hopefully this current Police Impala will after time show that it is durable, but come on Chevy lets offer a 4.8 or 5.3 V8 for our departments that need an advantage on the open road to catch these fleeing suspects, and tip the playing field back to our Police.

cabello · January 2001

LG Motorsports has the dual muffler borla cat back exhaust for around 725.00 total including shipping. He could not tell me how it would sound though.

tpken · January 2001

Thanks for the info. Sounds like that diversity antenna is the system I have (if there was an owners manual with this preowned car it would certainly make things easier - gotta pick one up). When I can get at it in the daylight - read that this weekend - I'll crawl around and ck it out.

Thanks again

Ken

teo · January 2001

I am afraid I have to disagree with you on this one. The problems reported with the engine cradle and intermediate steering shaft are real and possibly more widespread of what you and I would tend to believe. I wish some of us that have had problems in this area are part of a 'minority' of whining and complaining owners, but responses from local area dealers seem to indicate quite the contrary. While it is statistical impossible at this time (and unfair if you will)to say that the engine cradle and steering clunk problems are just affecting a handful of Impala/Monetcarlo owners it is indeed a good place to start to gather vital reliability information.

I am, personally, not complaining about the fact that GM/Chevy did not fix my car or that they breached the terms of the limited warranty, etc. My valid complaint is that why I had these problems in the first place? My car has been obessively pampered (No a scratch, ding or dent on the exterior)with oil changes every 3K miles, tire rotations every 5K miles, premium gas, driven carefully, strictly dealership serviced, etc, yet I have had TWO MAJOR repairs within 11 months and 13K miles of ownership?? Yes GM fixed both problems...that's not my argument. My problem is why the A/C Compressor and steering shaft failed prematurely in the first place???
We have to stop making excuses for so-so quality control. The Japanese keep gaining on market share because their products don't have major items repaired withinh the first 2 or 3 years of ownership. This is the BIG PROBLEM with domestic automakers...they do a great car and yet they fail in the execution of critical quality control elements. GM asked me $23K for my car. I expect in return flawless quality, nothing less. Again I am anal about quality because that's one critical aspect of my profession. Subpar quality no longer has a place on any industry specially the automotive. Some people have different approaches to quality. For some it is OK if an engine has to be replaced within the first year, for others it is OK if the tranny fails and for others it is OK if the radio burns out. For me any car should go up to 80K or 100K with minimum or no problems other than regular wear and tear and maintenance.

Before the Radio 'Bypass' solution was discovered, you were at almost at the end of the rope with your Impala. You were ready to trade it in because the premium stereo failed to meet your expectations. Remember when I kept tell you.."Hey Dura, aside from the radio the car is great otherwise?" Then you had your temporary engine cradle noises and you also complained openly about them.

So my A/C compressor problem and intermediate steering shaft problem while now fixed, did enough to sour me on the car and lose confidence in its long term reliability. Yes GM fixed them fine, but it should have never happened in the first place... or Am I expecting tooo much from a GM product????

The engine cradle is also in the back of my minf and rightly so. GM can't fix it it is gives up the ghost any time in the future. GM has quitely repurchased a number of these cars deemed to be unfixable. Toon1's story is one of the many out there that confirm that the front end problems in these cars are no piece of cake. very unfortunate indeed. Crosley's concerns are valid regarding resale value. If GM admits openly (Which they haven't done yet)that the engine cradle and intermediate steering shaft are maladies affecting thousands of cars, then expect resale value tobe eroded. Just ask any Oldsmobile Intrigue owner about resale value on their cars prior to GM closing down the division.

I am not picking on you Dura, you are a good friend...but we can't cover the sun with one finger, that's for sure.

mebock · January 2001

Toe: I have been following the problems you have been having with your Impala. I am sorry to hear about them. I had some major transaxle work performed on my Impala AS at about 3000 miles. I explained in an earlier post. It doesn't make me want to get rid of the vehicle. Given the number of components that go into an automobile, even if the production of each component has a very low defect rate, the combination of so may parts is bound to produce a defect or two. Once I have those fixed, I sure don't want to get another vehicle and have to work thou any possible defects it may have. No vehicle is defect free. However, if a problem keeps repeating, many others have it or it is a safety issue I would be concerned. If you go the the NHTSA site (www.nhtsa.dot.gov) and look at the consumer complaint section, there are no postings on the steering problem and only 2 on the cradles (one for Impala and one for Mote Carol). You should probably file a complaint with them on the steering problem. It is pressure from the NHTSA that causes service bulletins and recalls. As much as I am a stickler for quality, I have come to accept that there will always be some defects.

dewdrops38 · January 2001

"there's a fix that resolves the issue."

There is? I was wondering what it might be. Comprehensive fix? or cover up?

teo · January 2001

Point taken. If replacing the tranny on a virtually brand new vehicle with 3K miles is acceptable to you, then I can't argue the point with you. True, cars are very complicated pieces of machinery and things are bound to happen....but....what about quality? If we go by the reasoning that is OK for all new cars to brake because they are machines, well the discussion about quality and reliability becomes a moot point. Just keep replacing failing parts until the warranty runs out. To me Major repairs on a new car are unacceptable, period. Again, I am not discussing about whether the warranty covers the cost of repairs or not. The manufacturer has to repair a new vehicle covered under their limited warranty. They are bound by the law to do this, otherwise they are breaching the warranty clauses.

To me it is just ironic to pay 20K 25K or 30K for a new car and 6 or 12 months down the road at least 1 or 3 major repairs have been performed. If that's the case, I'll buy an used car...why spend more money if the new car will brake anyway?.

To me having to bring a new car back to the dealer for warranty repairs and major repairs is just a hassle and a waste of my time. I should not be worrying about these kind of repairs until after the warranty has expired.

Again, I like my car, really do. When you pair up the Impala against similar cars in its segment, the amount of equipment, power, room and safety is hard to match for the price. In despite of my perceptions about the quality control shown by my own car, I still believe the Impala is a quality automobile and well engineered, yet GM needs to tighten their quality control at the assembly line to minimize these annoyances.

The engine cradle problem, remains largely unsolved by GM tech support. There is no need for this nonsense. The latest fix attempt (and this is as per my service manager)...the infamous high temperature 'Lube' for the cradle...since when suspension or engine cradles need to be constantly lubed to silence creaks and popping sounds? Sounds like a band aid to me.

Aside from the cradle and intermediate steering shaft, this car would be perfect only if GM paid more attention to the details before asking $25K per copy for their products.

My car is driving great, can't complain on that one...but for how much longer?... that is the question.

vocus · January 2001

I have a 1993 Bonneville SSE now and I am thinking about replacing it. I just saw a black Impala LS in the parking lot of my office today, and I really like it alot. I am between that and the Bonneville SE or SLE. I know the Impala will be cheaper, but how about power and average fuel economy? How reliable have they been thus far? And lastly, value for the money/features? I am curious and would appreciate any responses. Thanks!

mebock · January 2001

I agree regarding the cradle. It appears to be a design flaw. Everyone who has a problem with it should file a complaint with NHTSA. Same with steering problems. I still am at low mileage (4,700) and haven't experienced these yet. I mainly use my Impala for out of town trips. Around town we use a 96 Subaru Legacy wagon or a 91 Chev Pickup 4x4; especially in the winter. The transaxle problem on my LS was a piece of crud (dirt, machining particle, who knows?) getting into a valve and causing it to stick. To make sure, they replaced the entire control valve body and all of the solenoids.

I bought the Subaru when it was 1 year old and had 17,000 miles on it. All of the bugs already worked out. No problems until 60,000 when the front oil seal leaked. Extended warranty covered it and they replaced timing belt at the same time and I only had to pay the cost of the belt. Worked out OK since it was due for a belt anyway. Does the 3800 engine require a timing belt replacement or is it a timing chain?

vocus · January 2001

Most GM engines have timing chains in them, so I don't know for sure but pretty certain it's a chain. I have a 1993 Bonneville SSE with a version of the 3800 with 76K and it never had to have its timing chain changed out. Nothing in the owner's manual about it either. Of course, that was back in 1993 too. But I am almost certain it's a belt.

teo · January 2001

The 3800 uses a timing chain which is much more durable and reliable than the timing belts found on most cammed engines. May be I am too hard headed ;-) about these 2 problem in my car, let's see if my perception about the whole thing changes quickly overtime. Regarding the Impala's engine and tranny...I have no complaints and these are probably the most reliable components in the entire car.

vocus · January 2001

I just came over and started in this board. What happend to your Impala, besides the steering shaft thing I read above, that has you kinda "against" the Impala? I hear a little regret in your "voice" when posting about your car, so what caused it if I may ask?

teo · January 2001

Ok, the GM Zone rep got back to me. GM is prepared to offer me an extended warranty on the car for up to 100,000 miles. Not yet sure about the terms of this warranty (If it only will cover defects bumper to bumper or if it will also include normal wear items). Not bad at all considering that I never bought an extended warranty for the car and this will save me $1500 off the purchase of a new GM contract.

I haven't accept the deal yet but I am still pushing for a trade buyback on the car, but since it is repaired it might become an uphill battle for nothing.

Appreciate suggestions and points of view on these extended warranties and this offer in particular. Should I shut up and take it? Should I pursue GM to trade buyback the car? Has anyone been in a similar situation?

Not terribly excited, but this could be as good as it gets..

teo · January 2001

The reason for my 'rant' if you will is the fact that my Impala has had the need for 2 major repairs in the first 11 months of ownership all covered by warranty. Am I beign unreasonable to expect a GM car to be flawless the first 2 or 3 years of ownership?

The repairs have dealt with a failed A/C Compressor and a faulty intermediate steering shaft. Car has been fixed and drives great but I am bitter at the fact that it needed major components replaced so soon. I come from driving Japanese cars, so perhaps I am spoiled by those experiences.

If you like the Impala, by all means go and check it out. It has the same powertrain as the current Bonneville (3800 Series II V6) and all the bells and whistles for much less than a comparably equipped Bonneville. I am sure you'll like what you see.

Keep in mind that the most notable 'bug' in these cars right now is the aluminum engine cradle noises that GM can't or is not willing to fix on a great number of affected 2000 Impala and Montes. Haven't heard complains from 2001 owners, but again the few posters here with 2001 models have very low miles to be able to experience any significant problems.

Personally, if I were you I would lean towards the Bonneville. The Impala is a great sedan and content wise and pricewise it will not disappoint, but keep in mind the engine cradle issue at the time of purchase.

Good luck!

teo · January 2001

You are the long time advocate of the Mazda Protege.....what made you pick some interest on GM?

yurakm · January 2001

Chain.

jeffbog · January 2001

I thought you weren't pushing people away from the Impala... at least that's what you said in response to one of my previous messages.

Just get over the fact that your car had two problems. I have appreciated your insight regarding the Impala, but frankly your continued complaining about the problems is getting old. Do you have your concerns in a .txt file that you just paste here every few days?

I'd take the warranty they are offering, or just trade for an Accord.... or maybe hell will freeze over and they will replace your car.

duraflex · January 2001

As far as the radio issue - it's solved. If I could have gone out and
simply replaced it or its amp with an off the shelf unit - I would
have done it. That was not possible. Fortunately the amp bypass
solution was a satisfactory workaround. Should GM still replace the
worthless trunk amp or at least supply a standard bypass plug ? YES.

My ticking noise only occured at low speed in the first 3 months -
so for me - it's no longer an issue. Some cradles were badly welded
and repaired or replaced. No - it should not have happened. However,
most of us do NOT have the problem. Should GM replace ALL the cradles?
MAYBE- if it proves to be a problem that effects 10% of the cars, I'd say YES.
But that's not the case.

HOWEVER TEO, IF I had the 2 major problems you did - AC compressor and
intermediate steering shaft, I would not be a happy Impala owner.
Totally understandable. These things should NOT fail in a car - not at 100,000
miles and especially NOT at your low mileage.

BUT - as you conceded, your problems were properly fixed.
And now they are offering you an extended warranty up to 100,000 miles.
If you have a 3rd major problem - that will mean replacement - won't it?

My contention is that most of us have NOT had those problems and most
of our cars are sound. There are over 389,000 owners of 2000 and 2001
Impalas and Monte Carlos. Most of us are happy or at least content.

Given your personal experience, I can understand why you now have some
misgivings about these cars but I don't think it's fair to condemn the whole lot
because of your two problems.

Teo - you cruise the forums here and you can go to any make or model
and find some percentage of owners with problems. I've owned a few cars
and never had a perfect one. Buy a $200,000 house and you'll have problems -
guaranteed. Buy a new car and you'll have new problems. These are life
lessons.

If I were you - I'd opt out of the Impala by selling it, trading it or whatever.
Maybe a nice Volvo S80 would fill the bill???

Good Luck - whatever you decide.

Dura

teo · January 2001

You are absolutely right about that! I apologize to everyone if I have become nothing sort of a broken record....Anyway from now on I will lurk more than typing, so that way you and other will not get bored with my never ending rants.....my fingers need some rest!

Anyway, the car continues to perform really nice after the shaft replacement...starting to regain my love affair with this car.

Accord? No way! I'll get a Dodge Intrepid before you see me going back that way...been there and done that!

Ok friends, the forum is all yours....see ya around!

sweetpolly · January 2001

I think you should go for the extended warranty and make sure it's from end to end, because even if you were to take another car (say another Impala or other GM car), you'd still only get 3 years warranty and who knows, maybe additional problems. That's my thinking. Also with extended warranty, if something else major goes wrong, won't they still "buy-back" if problems arise?

teo · January 2001

Thanks for the opinion. The extended warranty is not a bad deal considering that a new GM contract is worth over $1500 for 100K mile coverage. As far as Lemon Law relief I have about 6 months left, after that I can't seek resolution under the lemon law if a bad problem develops after 6 months. It will be pretty much between GM and myself.

Duraflex::: Thanks for your insight. Volvo is a nice car but their forums are full of disgruntled owners...not a good place for me to be in ;-)

mcdill · January 2001

When we bought our car the salesman sortof threw in the 70 some odd thousand mile warranty at a good price , just the other day he was in the news paper as the 2000 salesman of the year over our metro area of about 530,000 people , and thats not just chevy dealerships either .thanks--------------mattmcdill

hunter39 · January 2001

As a delivery driver who has a route that is 125 miles long and covers a wide commercial area I find that I see alot of Impala owners coming and going from stores and such. I often ask them about their car and if they are having any problems. I have asked probably in the area of 25 owners over the past three weeks(one I asked twice didn't recognize her) if they had any complaints about their car. Not one mentioned any major problem. The one with the most mileage was a 22k the least about 3500. Now granted this is not a scientific poll but it is significant I think. I am approching 10k miles myself and listen for anything out of the ordinary, other than the growl from my flowmaster, there is nothing to report and I hope it remains that way...Teo I'd take the 100k warranty, I agree you're not going to find perfection at 23-25k$ and if they'll cover it, go for it,no loss to you other than the inconvienence you've already had to deal with (ie Metro and typing too much) So my vote is take it.

platour · January 2001

Someone suggested a lurker audience of about 300. The PhotoPoint album seen below which I put together as a general info point for those interested in a Base Impala with buckets has had 1252 hits as of today. There must be more lurkers out there than we think!

OK, on the cradle matter. If I went down to the local GM dealer and asked for a price on the police unit, what dollar amount are we speaking of? Or the Pontiac steel? Then get the unit and quit fooling about and have the job done at home or the local garage and be done with it. Yes, compromising warranty principles but who has the time to fight with these GM people? And therein lies their wear-you-down edge. Not a good attitude, I know, but an alternative....BTW, I do not have the problem.

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=223638&a=10790790

matteo2 · January 2001

TEO , take the extended warranty, it soundslike you had your problems and you should be OK
now, plus if it even is not bumper to bumper if it covers major parts you be OK. It is a more economical approach than a buyback , since you would loose some money, so far it did ot cost you any out of pocket just inconvenient. Duraflex put it good in post 1035, I agree with his reasoning.
Yes their are more people that read this than they post, I have been reading for two months before I posted a message.

heavenbound · January 2001

Has anyone read about the 2002 Olds Bravada SUV. It's going to have a 4.2L V6 that produces 270 horsepower. I wonder how that would work in an Impala?

heavenbound · January 2001

If they are offering a bumper to bumper 100,000 mile warranty I think that would be good. I think they want to keep you a satisfied customer.

I haven't seen or read where the 2001 Impala has anything different concerning the cradle so going to the 2001 model may not give you any advantage.

Personally I don't like the additional black plastic around the rear license plate area and I'm not interested in the Onstar system. Take Care and Good Luck!

crosley4 · January 2001

Using your numbers 7 ppl out of 60 known to post at this bbs is a bit over 10%..... thats 100 out of every 1,000 cars produced. I would not venture a guess on lurkers and how many may own a 2k/2001 Impala.

I know of 4 ppl now that have not bought an Impala because of the postings on this board.

A fix for our problem? You must not read my posts. The dealer told me that GM knows of the problem but, there is *no* fix for our Impala's popping cradle mounts. There is only a bandaid of applying grease between the mounts, frame cradle and the body where it all bolts down. Believe me when this popping is at full speed it is quite annoying! Every stop, start, slow down it pops!

The cracks in the aluminum that some folks have seen is serious. If alumnium is not properly prepped and re-welded, then stress relieved it will crack again right through the new weld or next to the weld.

Our car is out of the main warranty in less than 6k miles and should start popping again around 4k miles after that. I doubt that the dealer or GM will take care of the greasing for free.

News of Terminal problems with vehicles build slowly. Around the 3rd year the word has spread will enough to hurt sales and value.

The Vega did this. We owned a 1972 Vega Wagon that we bought used (2 years old). After the second (we paid for it) 4 cyl engine puked , I installed a 327 V8 and automatic and never looked back. The car was so fast you had to always look forward...LOL

Anyhow, I was thinking/wondering out loud about the future of the Imapla. We love our Impala but, the wife brought up the subject of Hondas on the way home yesterday. I don't know where/when that may go but,,,,,, I do know it's gonna cost us money...((-;

tpken · January 2001

You've got the fix on the two problems and as you've pointed out, there is no evidence that 2001 cars have a different cradle or for that matter the steering shaft. In all probability, you've now gone through the worst of it and the wty would probably not be offered free on a replacement 2001 - so enjoy your car, the bugs worked out, and have the peace of mind of the 100K insurance. If you start over with a new car you'll be wondering every day what might surface with the new one.

If cradle problems surface eventually who's to say they wouldn't on a 2001?

Go for the wty buddy.

Ken

mcdill · January 2001

Not to make you look stupid (~: ,,but the new 4.2 is an Inline 6 not a V-6 , I figured you knew , but are so use to putting V-6 you forgot .thanks------------mattmcdill

tpken · January 2001

I've just gotta weigh in on this one - sorry everyone - he asked in post 1025 - ck for yourselves!! lol

I've posted several (some would say far too many) messages lately to the effect of how I'm enjoying my 'new' 2000 Bonneville SE that I bought last week. I, like you, am very impressed with Impala LS (still a fan, folks) and I agree the black is gorgeous!!

I drove several and was determined to find one (wanted preowned '00 to pare back the price) but ended up with the Bonnie for a great price after taking a test drive and realizing it offered just about everything Impala offered (missing the side by side climate controls on 1SB pkg) and some better features (ability to adjust delay lights for example)

The Impala offers 60/40 fold down back seat - Bonnie has only a trunk pass thru in the rear armrest.

Bonneville has steel engine cradle, Impala has aluminum (major topic here).

Both are great looking, have the same drivetrain, provide buckets and floor shifter, RDS radio (some Impala owners have complaints - no issues with Bonnie so far)

Impala is a couple grand less to buy than Bonneville unless you buy preowned as I did.

Both are super cars, a joy to drive, pleasure to show off to friends and family.

Take your pick - Ain't it great to have the luxury of this choice??

Best wishes

Ken

jijco · January 2001

Borla lists the system at $944.99! I like your price better! Go to www.borla.com and select the Description for the Impala and you can here the shockwave player sample of the idle and full throttle pass by of the car with the exhaust. Sounds really good!

Jacob o~O---------

jijco · January 2001

I just checked the LG Motorsports site. The Exhaust system is listed for $795.00, not $725.oo, and it is for the 94-96 Impala(SS), not for the 2000 Impala 3.8L, unless I missed it somewhere on the site. At Borla, the system for our car is $945.99(I think it was 99 for the cents part) JAcob

Oh well...not to find the money for the exhaust...

duraflex · January 2001

You've had 1252 hits to your Impala pictures over what period of time?

As you know, each visit raises the tally even if it's the same person
coming back again and again.

One thing we can all be sure of - of all the people and all the car sites
on the web, less than 1 percent of the 389,000 Impala and MonteCarlo
owners have ever seen or posted on this particular board.

2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

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