2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

nosirrahg · May 2006

If you're looking at used Impalas, there's something to be said for buying a one-owner used car versus a rental/fleet car. I've had NO interior problems at all (other than the light bulb that illuminates the passenger side temp control, and the "TRAF" button on the radio). And exterior-wise the only problems I've had have been self-inflicted (backing into my own truck one day didn't help!!

). If the interior/exterior looks abused, you can bet the oil hasn't been changed religiously with Mobil-1!!

If you're worried about driving in snow, find a 3.8 Impala and give it a try; we don't get much snow here, but with the traction control that comes with the 3.8, I've passed Merecedes going uphill in the snow who were struggling to make it, and I effortlessly cruised around them.

Biggest noise problem with these Impalas seems to be tire related, so if one you drive sounds particularly loud check the tires to see if they're a very agressive (or very worn) tire. Admittedly my dad bought a new GMC Sierra crew cab which I drove last weekend, and it seemed much quieter than either my Chevy or my Honda. Whether that's a factor of it being brand new, or whether all GM vehicles in general have improved since the 2000 model I don't know...I know given a choice for road trips, my family far prefers my Impala over our '03 Accord - it's quieter and far more comfortable. The only reason I ever drive the Accord is every weekend or so to go top it off with gas for my wife, fortunately the nearest gas station is only a mile away!!

sc00bs · May 2006

I will have to hunt down a 3.8L (they are extremely rare beasts around here it seems, lol). I was just very sad when I drove them because I had loved driving that rental car back a few years ago. Thanks for the tips I will keep those in mind.

I have found a few Grand Prix's with the 3.8L engine and may have to test out one of those (I did notice that the GP has more options than the Impala, but im one who tends to say the more options the more problems, lol).

My other option was actually going to be a Honda, lol. Do you find that your Honda is more, the same, or less reliable than your Chevy?? I like the GM's because they seem more spacious than the Honda's but... its worth asking about.

nosirrahg · May 2006

The Honda only has 35k miles versus the Impala's 93k, so not an apples to apples comparison in terms of reliability. The Accord (an '03) has had some brake pad problems, and we also had a problem with one of the windows squealing...both problems have been dealt with by the dealer under warranty, but I wouldn't say either was resolved to my satisfaction. I suspect the Honda will prove to be more reliable than the Chevy in the long run, but on the other hand I paid about $2k less for the Chevy and got many more features (V6, traction control, dual zone AC, etc.) than on the Honda.

I personally can't get comfortable in the Honda. Leg room is fine, but it's hip & shoulder room where the Impala really trumps the Accord. I've got the bench seat/column shifter in my Impala, which really opens up the car in terms of leg room and such; I feel very confined in the Honda.

Other quibbles about the Honda...the steering wheel mounted radio/cruise buttons don't light up as they do in the Impala, which makes it VERY difficult to use these at night (especially if you're accustomed to driving the Impala, and you THINK you're adjusting the volume when you're ACTUALLY increasing the speed on the cruise control of the Honda!!). As much as I thought the Impala sunroof looked odd the way it pops out of the car, I think this may actually be a better design because when the sunroof is closed, it sort of works like a cork to keep water out. The Honda sunroof drops inside the roof, and we think it may have leaked in a recent deluge (didn't see any water, but the car smelt very funky for a few days afterwards). Seats are much more comfortable in my Impala too; part of that may be due to the power seat adjusters on my Impala that allow me to raise/lower the front and back of the seat separately, whereas the Honda adjuster just moves the whole seat up and down. My Impala interior (gray cloth) has held up better IMHO than the Honda (tan cloth). The Honda seems to show dirt/stains more, and I think it will probably look pretty ratty by the time it reaches the mileage I'm at in the Impala.

Finally, we haven't been impressed with the gas mileage of the Accord 4-cylinder. Overall it only averages about 2-3 mpg better than my 3.8 Impala in basically the same types of driving conditions, which for the added power/size/comfort/safety of the Impala seems worth it.

I've had my Impala for 6 years now, and even though I'm officially at the point that I could justify trading it for something else, I can't bring myself to get rid of it. My plan now is to drive it at least two more years, partially in hopes of there being some better drivetrain alternatives from GM (hybrids).

sjf17x · May 2006

I have a 2002 Impala LS. Recently I've been noticing a constant humming noise only when the car is accelerating and or at a constant speed. The RPMs fluctuate from what I can tell as normal, but the more acceleration there is the louder the noise and it only lowers as the car is coming to a stop. The tires are less than a year old and are kept at right pressure. Possibly need to be rotated but I'm convinced it isnt the tires themselves. Havent taken it in to a dealership yet. Just had the catalytic converter replaced about 6 months ago. Havent noticed any problems with the drive of the car.. just the noise. Any thoughts?

nosirrahg · May 2006

Check your power steering fluid level...I had a similar problem, which I thought was a transmission noise, but I found if the car was moving and put into neutral, the pitch of the sound changed with revs of the engine, not the speed of the car. Fortunately my only problem was low power steering fluid; once that was topped off the problem was solved.

jhavign · June 2006

I have a 2000 Impala LS and the gas guage is going crazy. When I called the dealer for a gas tank sending unit, I was told that it was a complete unit with the fuel pump and everything for over $400. Anyone else have to change this?

shaysimpala · June 2006

I have the same problem with my 01 LS. I have not had the repair done. I just zero out the trip odometer and keep track by mileage.

shaysimpala · June 2006

Have your converter checked. GM should pay for it, they are aware that there are problems with it.

rallywoody · July 2006

Same issue here on a 2002 Impala with 58K miles. Any feedback on the fix?

wheelgunner · July 2006

Hello!

Could anyone advise me as to the best and coolest running thermostat to use in my 2004 impala 3.4???

THANKS! Wheelgunner!

sgavette · July 2006

I have 2001 that had the same problem Ordered the sending unit from GMPartsDirect.com. Cost $88.00, shipped, and took about an hour to change it. Part number from them is 89060197.

dcngo · July 2006

I have a 2000 Impala. The thermometer in my trip computer is not show the correct outdoor temperature. Outside temp. is high 80F, and the thermometer reads mid 60F. Other functions, such as compass, are ok. Does anyone know how to fix this problem? Thanks for your help.

-dn

hoyukan · July 2006

I have about 44k miles on this car .and now it will not start
if I dont put my foot on the gas and I was geting about 30mpg
and it has drop to about 20mpg. someone told me it was the idel sensor .anybody know whats wrong with my car
(no check light on dash)
thank :confuse:

lightknight3 · August 2006

I just purchased an 03 Impala with the police package and though the vehicle runs great it averages only 17 mpg. It has 75k on it and I do not even no where to begin to solve this problem. Any help would be great!
Thanks :confuse:

charts2 · August 2006

The Police Impalas are a little different then the civilian cars. There are a couple hundred pounds heavier to start with. They have heavy steel wheels, full sized spare tire in the trunk and are equipped with heavy duty alternator, rad, additional coolers for oil, transmission etc. I am not certain but I believe the roof of the car has two support sheet metal pieces under the headliner that civilian cars do not. They also have a higher ratio rear end that saps mpg but increases acceleration. I believe its 3.29 to 1, where the civilian cars are 2.92 to 1. That alone makes a difference in city driving mpg.

For a car that been through a lot of idling and high pursuit runs in its life, I would suggest you change the spark plugs, check and change the air filter. That might help a little.

jhavign · August 2006

Where is it located? Is it part of the fuel pump? Thanks, sorry for the slow reply, haven't been online for a while.

lightknight3 · August 2006

Thanks for the info that helped. I changed the plugs, checked the air filter and though the vehicle show no codes when you rev it up(which I did not do until after I changed things) in park at around 4500 RPM it is cutting out real bad, almost like a fuel restriction. It also seems that its pickup is average at best(my wifes base 04 Malibu does just as well) but when you punch it while in gear it runs ok(does not seem to cut out like it does in park. Thanks again for any help. :confuse:

charts2 · August 2006

Another issue many 2000-2004 Impalas had were clogged catalytic converters. The police Impalas were more prone to this then civilian cars because of the amount of idling these cars were subject to. This caused per performance and lowered MPG. GM has extended the warranty on the catalytic converters to 7 years for 3800 V6 Impalas. Might be something to check out.

trainiac1 · August 2006

Just bought a 2003 Impala LS with the 3.5 engine with standard features, and paid $8000.00 for it. Private one owner, excellent condition. Everything looks good and it drives well. No accidents. What should I be aware of as far as future trouble? I hope to have none, but that is too wishful. Thanks.

dgonzalez13 · August 2006

Not much to worry about. Just from experience (2000 Base and 2003LS) I have found a short list of common problems that dont affect everyone, but are still common to this model....
1. Brake Rotors sometimes Warp (on every car, but often with Impala)Make sure when a wheel is removed from car, it is put back on with nuts torqued at correct lbs. force.
2. ISS Click when turning Steering Wheel. Not a killer, but annoying.
3. LS Model has a 3800 Series II engine in model year 2003, so Manifold Gasket leaks happen, Antifreeze leaks can happen within engine if your gasket gets old and cracks.
4. turn signal Flasher relay is actually enclosed within the Hazard Switch on your dash. When it dies, replacing the Hazard button assembly is quick work.

Anyone else add anything?

nosirrahg · August 2006

Those are the major things I can think of; I've got a 2000 model and have experienced problems 1-3 listed above in my 98k miles of ownership, and despite these things I still love the car, and a smile still comes to my face when driving it on the open road!

trainiac1 - Congrats on your purchase, and good luck; and if you have problems let somebody here know and you can generally get an answer pretty quickly!

blackngoldfan · August 2006

We have a 2001 Impala. Right now we're having trouble with the turn signals working only occasionally. We've been quoted a repair price of $400+ for the part and another $100 or more for labor. Does this sound reasonable?

We recently had to replace the catalytic converter. I see there has been a recall for this issue on the 2001 Malibus. Is there any recourse for us Impala owners?

lightknight3 · August 2006

I know that the dealership told me that the converter on my 03 has an 8 year warranty and they are about to replace it.

smackowv · August 2006

Did you ever get any help on this one? I am looking into a solution for my 2005 Impala SS
Smackowv

smackowv · August 2006

New member here...
Trying to find out if anyone has heard of any problems with front end vibration? Most severe 60-65. Dealer has replaced front bearings and adjusted the rack and engine mounts. New tires and wheels on front. Front end alignment and rebalanced all tires. Still the vibration persists. Any ideas or same experiences would be appreciated!
Smackowv

nosirrahg · August 2006

Did you buy the car new or used? Just wondering if you bought it used if there might be a chance of collision damage that could make the front end difficult to align/balance. That's about the only thing I can think of at the moment.

dgonzalez13 · August 2006

Replace it yourself!!!! $20 for the part at the dealers "Parts Department", and about half hour to remove the dash trim panel and swap Hazard Switch button. The Hazard Switch button does double duty as the "relay" for turn signals.

Even if the dealer fixed this for you, it's no more than 30-45 minutes of billable work, and mark up the parts price to maybe $25. total, at most, $125.

Good luck, and let us know if it works for you...

Where do they get $400 from?

(by the way, I did this for my 2000 Impala as well as Wife's '00 Malibu. Similar part, and it is the flasher relay.

blackngoldfan · August 2006

Well, we made a mistake in going to our private mechanic then. I don't suppose there's any chance of even a partial reimbursement? Does anybody know for sure? The repair was NOT cheap!

blackngoldfan · August 2006

Hey, thanks so much for the advice! Is there a good book or website that might walk us through the steps? I'm brave enough to give it a try but stupid enough in regards to cars that I wouldn't know where to begin.

I think the $400 assumed replacement of the whole turn signal switch.

Thanks soooo much for your reply. You may have saved us $375-480!!

dgonzalez13 · August 2006

There are two places that i use to get good info on easy to do repairs for this car.. a place called impalahq dot com, and alldatadiy dot com. I subscribe to the second website. The first site is free and has lotsa good color pictures of repairs. It just hasnt been updated in over year. Good luck!

2k_impala_ls · August 2006

I have been on here on and off since 2000 when we bought our 2000 LS. The car just turned 27,000 miles. No issues to report that are out of the ordinary. It has a very slight pulse from the rotors but not real bad. I will replace the rotors when the pads need to be changed. I do have the ISS clunking. I know they had a TSB about greasing it. Does anyone know if it hard to do? I have the factory repair manual set, the size of 2 big phone books. I am getting ready to flush the original anti-freeze. She still gets over 30 mpg on the hwy. My 2002 Trailblazer has 25,000 miles and been very dependable. thanks

2k_impala_ls · August 2006

My friend has a 2000 LS and the lights on the heater - a/c controls have gone out. Can these be replaced?

jons01 · August 2006

I have a 2001 Impala LS with 41,000 miles and it has been a great car so far. Lately I have been feeling and hearing a "tapping' or clicking sound in the steering. It can happen almost anytime the car is moving, but seems more associated with braking or releasing the brakes. Can my local repair shop diagnose the problem correctly or do I have to take it to a Chevy dealer? Also, what is a fair charge to service the ISS?

Thanks

nosirrahg · August 2006

Good to hear from you again! I'm pushing 98k on my 2000 Impala, and still enjoying the ride!

I had my ISS serviced pretty early on; I don't know how complicated the process was though. My understanding is they simply drill a hole in the steering shaft and tap in a grease fitting, but I've never taken the time to dig around and see where that fitting is (could be under the dash or the hood I suppose).

As for the heat/ac lights, I've had one of mine go out (passenger side), as well as one or two on the radio. I asked the same questions about the temp controls, and as I recall someone here posted that the controller is one complete unit, so not something you can easily take out and replace the bulb. When my driver's side window switch went out 2-3 years ago I kept the old switch just in case I was able to use the bulb from that to fix the one in the temp slider, but I've never tried to tackle it.

nosirrahg · August 2006

Could be the ISS, especially if you notice it while braking and turning (especially to the right, as I recall). Mine started out more as a "feeling" in the brake pedal and steering wheel, and eventually it got strong enough that passengers could hear/feel it as well. Mine was repaired under warranty several years ago, so I have no idea as to the cost. But if that's your problem I'd probably take it to a dealer, since they'll be familiar with the problem and should be able to rectify it pretty quickly.

lightknight3 · August 2006

:confuse: My 2003 seems to get about 17 mpg in the city and I took it to the dealership because when I rev up the engine in park it cuts out at around 4k rpm so I thought I had a plugged catalytic converter. They told me the computer had no codes what so ever and that the car had something called a rev limiter. So I am just trying to make sure I am not getting a line fed to me. I would also think that it should have significant power but my 04 base malibu can stay right with it.I have changed plugs, wires, cap, and rotor and still get the 17mpg(note that it has the police package)as well as still cutting out when I rev it up. Thanks again folks!
:confuse:

charts2 · August 2006

Its about an hours labor and the charge is $9-= $100 to service the ISS at the dealers.

charts2 · August 2006

Whoops!.....should read $90- $100 to service.

nosirrahg · August 2006

If you've got the police package that city MPG figure is probably accurate, since the police package is A) geared lower (quicker acceleration/worse MPG) and

heavier (my understanding is that several parts which are aluminum or similar light metal on the civilian Impala are made of heavier steel/iron on the police package, like the wheel spindles and maybe the engine cradle).

As the for rev limited, the only time I've encountered it in my 2000 Impala was in testing the upper limits of speed (on a closed course with a professional driver, of course!

). There is a fuel cutoff on the civilian Impala at @ 108 MPH; I think the police package was supposed to be limited to something like 120 MPH. I've never tried revving it up to see if it cuts off or not (no tach on my base 3.8l), but if that's the case then I suppose you could simply drive the car off in 1st gear and see if the fuel cuts off at the same RPM (I don't guess that'd do any more damage than what you might do revving it in park).

jons01 · August 2006

Thanks for the info. I called the Chevy dealer where I bought my Impala and he said if that's the problem, it will cost $110 for the service. It is just about what you said it should be, so I guess it is reasonable. I am retired and will only put about 2000 mile a year on the car, so I may not have to have it done again.

nosirrahg · August 2006

I've only had mine done once when my 2000 was still under warranty, and I'm approaching 98k miles now, so hopefully doing it once will cure the problem.

indycar · August 2006

I just had my turn signal module replaced today on my 2000 Impala with 70k miles. Symptoms were 1. Working ok, 2. Not working at all, and 3. Turn singal would work, stop working, and then start working while waiting to take a turn. $140 Ttotal, $70 for the part, $70 to install.

While there they told me about leaking Intake Manifold. After reading a lot of these messages, seems to be common. I need help getting GM to pay for this or partially paying for it. It's an $830 job. Does anyone have any ideas?

indycar · August 2006

Hi,

I just had my turn signal module repalced today ($140) and I was told I had a Leaking Manifold Gasket on my 2000 Impala, 3.8L, with 70K miles. It's an $830 job!

Does anyone know how I can get GM to reimburse me for this design defect?

Thanks in advance....

Bob

indycar · September 2006

Hi Everyone,

I just finished speaking with GM about reimbursing the cost to reait the leaking intake manifold on my Imapla 3.8L v6 with 70k miles.

After waiting for them to call the dealer, they promplty said "Your car is 6 years old and out of warranty, we can not do anything for you".

I guess customer loyatly counts for nothing.

Does anyone have an idea how to pursue this in/out of court?

Regards, Bob

nosirrahg · September 2006

As I recall there was a recall for certain VIN numbers (may not have been "technically" termed a recall, but I got a letter about it from GM). I too had already paid the $800 for the repair, but when I received my letter from GM I had to send in some paperwork to prove I'd had the repair done, and they reimbursed me for (I think for the entire $800, but I can't swear to that).

It does seem like there were only certain VIN numbers involved, so it's possible if yours is an early 2000 model it might not have applied. You might do some searching around in the Impala forums and find where someone posted the text/details of the letter; it was probably sometime in 2003-2004 if I had to guess.

nosirrahg · September 2006

Found it; take a look at post #12059 in this forum: Manifold Coolant Leak issue - finally a GM recall !! by torque3k Jul 19, 2003 (10:14 am).

The text of the letter is there; only problem is it says you had to reply by a certain date (which is long past), so it's possible the window of opportunity is closed (if your car was included initially).

indycar · September 2006

Yes, I actually had this done in 2003. The problem is that this is only for the Upper Manifold. My problem is the Lower Manifold Gasket. After a long search on this board, I found the group handling the Class Action Proceedings in Canada at http://www.classproceedings.ca./present%20cases%20gm.htm

They emailed the contacts for the US, I'm still trying to locate their web pages. I'll keep everyone posted.

Thanks again for your help, it's greatly appreciated...

Regards, Bob

indycar · September 2006

Hi Everyone,

Here is one of the US Legal Firms looking into the Intake Manifold Gasket issue.

http://www.lieffcabraser.com/gaskets.htm

I don't know the status, but it can't hurt to let them know of your case. The more, the merrier...

Regards, Bob

unctuous · September 2006

I purchased a 2003 Impala LS with about 200K KM on it. I have noticed a squealing sound when making a wide turn at slow speeds. Is this something I should be worried about? Also I notice a sound that sounds like a spring box coming from the passenger side of the car when cruising around at city speeds. Any suggestions on what this could be.

Other than these issues the car is running great and I hope to get another 100K out of it.

nosirrahg · September 2006

The squealing sound is probably low power steering fluid; I topped mine off when I finally figured out what it was and the noise went away.

No idea on the other sound though (but I haven't reached 200k KM yet!).

2005 and Earlier Chevrolet Impala

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