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2006 Chevrolet Impala

1535456585968

Comments

  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    I don't think convertibles are any more likely to roll over (probably even less likely) but the results are much worse if/when they do since there is no protection from a roof and since they are less likely to continue rolling and more likely to remain flat on their top (with the occupants pinned underneath/inside). As for sunroofs, I doubt there is a significant difference in the crush resistance between the roofs but there would be an added ejection possibility by having that hole there. Even if you were belted in, the force of the roll could cause an arm to fall through the opening. Probably insignificant but still a possibility.

    As for added weight adding safety, you have to keep in mind that extra weight adds inertia that has to be stopped in one way or another. If it's being stopped by crush panels in a vehicle smashing against an object, that's less of a cushion for the passengers. More weight is also harder to maneuver so the goal should be a happy medium. That's where I believe the medium-large sedan comes in. The tiny vehicles can only offer limited protection and the ginormous vehicles are so big they become the hazard. :shades:
  • hess4hess4 Member Posts: 7
    Ref message 2916. Most of the time I shut off the engine I hear the boiling noise from the engine compartment. When I open the hood the noise seems to be coming from the recovery tank. There is no water under the vehicle, it seems like the tank is sucking water from the rad.. Is this common??Harry
  • 303ss303ss Member Posts: 5
    I never did care for a car that has a picture of your vehicle lying on it's side when you look up at the sun visor.They give you air bags, seat belts, Onstar etc. Then they put you in an SUV that flips over! Crazy!!
  • nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    Harry - can you see a "full cold" and "full hot" mark on the recovery tank? I'm thinking if you're hearing the noise when the engine is off it's simply a matter of the coolant heating up once the fan shuts off and the pressure is released by moving coolant into the recovery tank. If you were having the boiling sound happen while the engine was running, I think that's a sign of internal (head gasket) problems. Is your coolant level dropping at all over time? A head gasket would probably lead to a loss of coolant (probably burned off versus leaking out somewhere), so if your coolant level isn't dropping I think it's probably not a problem.
  • topcop1topcop1 Member Posts: 28
    I found a Super Sport stripe kit online for WAY less than GM wants. This stripe kit is on the SS Monte Carlo and cost $395. I got mine from a graphic shop for way less than $395. Plus, I got a dark grey color. Should really off-set the silver paint. After this Nor'easter blows out of town, i'm laying down some stripes. 16 year old with a learner's permit, ran into a curb, alas...curb rash. Gonna cost about $300 for a new factory mag wheel.
  • mrdisco33mrdisco33 Member Posts: 58
    What are owner's opinion on the LTZ? (cdn spec to be specific). I'm considering the LTZ and the Accord SE 4cylinder (odd comparison you may say, but when i look at pricing they both come out equal by the time you get it on the road here in Toronto).
    I've owned nothing but American in the past, but have been burned by the huge repair bills as the cars got older. I'm hesitating so any pro (or cons) for either vehicle would be appreciated.
  • bh0001bh0001 Member Posts: 340
    I have an '06 LTZ and I absolutely love it! Check out my post #2105 on page 107 of this forum for my favourite things and least-favourite things.

    The fob range problem I mention is all fixed.

    The one thing I hated the most about the car was the original rubber. I've fixed this by getting Michelin X-Ice and rims for winter and Goodrich G-Force Sport for summer. The G-Force Sports give INCREDIBLE cornering ability!

    Personally, I wouldn't ever buy a 4-cylinder engine. I like my power too much, and with 242 in my Impala I'm more than happy!

    Good luck!
    Brad
  • firstforkjimfirstforkjim Member Posts: 4
    Fine daily driver. That said after 14,000 miles and 9 mos. of ownership. Best features: seat height in relation to road, volume (interior, trunk), redesign of interior to eliminate mouse fur fabrics. RKE and TPMS are trouble spots; but fixed on first trip to dealership. Avoided GM for 19 years after dreadful experience with 1987 Olds 98. But newer GM products are competitive for first time in long time.
  • carl10219carl10219 Member Posts: 18
    Does anybody out there with Leather Interior treat it with anything and if so what do you use and how often do you use it?
    Thanks
    Carl
  • rysterryster Member Posts: 571
    While I do not live in Canada, all Impalas are made in the same Canadian facility and should be virtually identical for both the Canadian and US market.

    I purchased my '06 Impala 2LT 11,000 miles and 9 months ago. My experience has been fair. Overall, however, I am not satisfied with the car and have been actively shopping for a replacement for the past couple of months.

    Negatives:
    -Numerous dash rattles (that is after inserting felt shims in the dash to quiet down some really obnoxious noises)
    -Intermittent rattle in the rear interior somewhere
    -Driver's seat creaks
    -Driver's door clunks over bumps (unless I soak the weather stripping around the door frame with Armor All...then the clunk goes away for a couple of weeks until the Armor All wears off)
    -Suspension has become increasingly noisy as it "breaks in"
    -Overall fit and finish of some interior trim is poor

    Positives
    -Decent gas mileage
    -Relatively comfortable ride
    -Dealer service has been good
    -Remote Start is handy in the winter
    -Bose stereo sounds good (although it doesn't drown out some of the interior rattles)
    -OnStar is convenient

    When I bought the Impala, I traded in a 2003 Dodge Durango that was killing me at the gas pump. While the Durango was reaching the point where it was starting to "nickel and dime" me to death with nuisance repairs (it had 42,000 miles on it when I traded it), it had better build quality than my Impala.

    If I could go back in time to July 2006, I would have walked away from the Impala and either kept my Durango or gone for either a V6 Accord, V6 Hyundai Sonata, V6 Mitsubishi Galant, or Toyota Camry SE.

    Just like you, I have always purchased American vehicles. It could be my particular Impala wasn't built as well as it should have been. If it didn't have all of the rattles and creaks, I would be a much happier owner and probably wouldn't be looking to trade at this point.

    Best of luck with whatever you decide to buy.
  • garsarnogarsarno Member Posts: 72
    After 5500 miles / three months of ownership '07 Impala SS, the only disappointment is that the car feels / sounds looser than at 8 miles. My expectation is that it is a Chevy and is mass produced. But I thought my '98 Lumina LTZ felt / sounded this loose deep into 80,000 miles. I love everything else about the car, room, power, style, sound system etc. But - our other car, a new Lexus ES350, with 4,500 miles on it, has had a new transmission already, engine knocks when cold for about 15 minutes. All in all, the Impala is a good car.
  • wbowl99wbowl99 Member Posts: 133
    My heater/ac went out again. This will be the 3rd time it has been worked on. Also had the window control for a back window get stuck and was making a tick-tock sound every few minutes. Finally discovered what it was and got it stopped.

    I have 16K on it now and the brakes are starting to make grinding noise. Steering is making noises now too.

    Just another day in my life as a Impala owner. . .
  • tree17tree17 Member Posts: 3
    Hi first time posting here.

    I have had my SS for about a year now and have 65,000km on it. I have had no real issues with it. No hiss from the bose system. Remote start does not have the best range but it works from inside my house and my office so I have no complaint. I live in Ontario so we just got finished with winter and it held up pretty good in the snow and ice.
    Gas mileage is nothing to be proud of but if I was worried about that I would not have bought it in the first place.

    Overall I don't have any complaints about this car. It still makes me smile when I here the rumble when I let her go.
  • garsarnogarsarno Member Posts: 72
    Ditto on the rumble smile! Rarely listen to the Bose when driving in the city.
  • hess4hess4 Member Posts: 7
    I finally found it. Its the recovery tank. When I shut off the engine I have heard the boiling noise. Well yesterday when I shut it off and opened the hood, the mix in the recovery tank was boiling. Is this normal?? Harry
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    I had motors in the past where shutting them down right after they ahd been working hard would have the coolant in the motor heating up above the working temp when new coolant was flowing through the motor. The expansion caused coolant to leave the radiator and burble into the coolant tank. If it's not burping into the tank while you're sitting idling which could indicate a head gasket leak, e.g., especially if the radiator fans are running, you should be okay.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • nomoreford2nomoreford2 Member Posts: 50
    I took my car in for Snapping/popping coming form dashboard plastics, Ticking sound coming form the engine/transmission area , and TPM and remote start issues, which they took care of, but some main issue they they didnt fix and considered normal or could replicte.

    Couldnt replicate:
    Intermitt. problems with power steering being very heavy at times when parking

    A random chime will go off when the radio is on sometimes, can be heard if audio is muted and will only go away if turn signal is activated or if the radio is turned off for 10+ mins.

    Car rolls back with parking brake on but will not roll foward: they consider this normal

    &

    Transmission has a slightly rough 1-2 & 2-3rd upshift and some time rough 3-2 downshift and can feel a slight hesitation when accelerating hard sometimes: was told this is considered normal for impalas

    Rough Idle: Will idle up and down when stopped in drive or neutral. and when easing off of brake in drive or reverse, the car will jerk back and fourth.: was told that if the car is on incline this is also considered normal

    Has anyone else been through this with other chevy dealers or is the transmissions with the 3.9L rough and clunkly and you just have to live with it. If driving aggresive it shifts smooth, but under normal driving 1-2 shift has a slight clunky feel to it. Ive never heard of a car shaking when on a slight incline to be consider normal, but this could just be GM still not able to build quality cars. Otherwise everything else on the car works great.
  • geffengeffen Member Posts: 278
    I've been shopping around recently and i've test drove a used 2006 Impala LT with the 3.9 engine i was impressed with the power and the remote starter is a big plus since I live in Michigan, and the smooth and comfortable ride, now this Impala was priced at $15,900 which seems to be a decent price in my area, also I noticed they had an Impala LS which has the 3.5 engine, I did not test drive it however is there much difference in the LS and LT besides not having a remote and the larger engine? Ive read some postings where there have been issues on the 2006 models is this model worth buying used or should I look into the 2007's? I've owned a 2002 Buick Century which had nothing but little glitches such as dash board rattles and creaks that the dealers never could duplicate and they just sent you on your way, I just dont want to go back to those days with GM.
  • wbowl99wbowl99 Member Posts: 133
    Thank you, thank you. There is another out there like me. I was told the vibration, shake, bounce sensation I feel when driving normal and on inclines was normal as well, but it doesn't seem right to me. I also have the stiff steering especially when parallel parking. Haven't yet had the chime or rolling back, but haven't check the rolling. I'll have to do that. I've had hard shifts and it has gotten worse. I've had various rattles and bad paint along with some other things you don't mention. 3rd time for heater/ac problem.

    Had to meet with the GM regional manager about the paint and told him about all the other stuff as well. My car has been in the shop for 10 days now with them trying to work on all these problems. We'll see if they can recreate them now.
  • kmausskmauss Member Posts: 72
    Hello there - I rented a new version of the Impala fairly recently and was quite impressed with it. Thought it rode well, handled well, and loved the overall feel of it. My car is a Dodge Intrepid, so about the same size vehicle. I'm just starting to look at cars, no rush (I hope!), and the Impala is definitely on my consideration list, even though I swore I wouldn't get another big car....

    So I would be interested in hearing from owners who have had the car a year or two - what your experiences have been, would you buy the same car given the chance, etc, etc. Also, is there a big difference in engines? I believe the one I rented had just the base engine in but it had plenty of power and was very smooth.

    Thank you very much!
    Karen
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    Wanda,
    What kind of rental did they put you in during all this time? Hopefully they didn't stick you in some inferior model while you wait for your car. I was put in a Pontiac G6 that was filthy but luckily it was only for a day.
    As for your ongoing issues, I think we discussed your transmission issues previously and while they aren't normal, I would say they are common. Luckily for me, I haven't had the problem with my car so far but mine is a different trim level. As for your steering stiffness, would you describe it as maybe stiff at first, maybe immediately after shifting from forward to reverse or vice versa, and then getting better? If so, I'm going to guess it's a combination of the engine idle evening out between the load of being in gear, through neutral, back into gear and then the load of you turning the wheel. You aren't doing anything wrong, it's just taking the mechanicals a while to catch up. It may be "normal" but not ideal if this is the case.

    As for the parking brake, if a car rolls back continually with the parking brake set, the brake is in need of adjustment. That is NOT normal. :) I'm pretty sure brakes are less effective in reverse but they should hold the car even on a hill.

    Since you're still having your transmission issues, depending on how your dispute turns out, if you keep your car I would still consider the Dr. Tranny I suggested earlier. I think you will see improvement. The occasional hard shifts are just a nature of this particular beast, though. It's an older, "clumsy" transmission compared to some of the newer ones out in some of the other cars. But, it's probably more durable and less expensive as well.

    OK...I'm done now. I do hope all turns out well for you. Keep us posted. ;):D
  • dispencer2dispencer2 Member Posts: 299
    Depends how long you plan to keep it. Impalas have a lousy resale value and if this is a three year purchase then buy a program one with less than 20k miles for about $15k instead of paying $22k+ for a new one and have it worth $13k as a trade in with 10k miles (for instance) in 9 months or so. I have an '06 LT with 13,000 miles and have not experienced the problems others have written about, but if you buy one and it turns out to be a lemon then you are better off having bought a used one. Besides after 15,000 miles or so you can see if the supension is bad, it has rattles, etc. Apparently many writers on this forum have had great new cars that have developed problems as they broke them in. I'll never buy another brand new GM car (or Ford or Chrysler). The resale value is terrible compared to Toyota, Honda, etc. Frankly instead of buying a new Impala I'd look at a year or two year old Avalon. Next to the Avalon interior the Impala looks like an economy subcompact or base truck and the Avalon drives and feels like a luxury car. It gets great gas mileage too. As good if not better than my Impala. I averaged 32 on the Interstate with a rental one in Florida last year.
  • nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    Though I own a 2000 Impala, I've also rented a 2006 Impala a time or two, and two of my relatives have 2006 Impalas as well. I've been very pleased with my 2000, and I've heard no complaints from either of my relatives about theirs. As for engines, my 2000 has the 3.8l w/200HP, which at that time was the stronger of two engines offered. On the current Impala the base 3.5l engine puts out more HP than mine, and also gets better gas mileage. Like you, the 2006 I rented had the base engine, but I found it more than adequate power-wise. I haven't driven one with the 3.9l engine, but I know the gas mileage rating drops a fair amount. There is certainly an appeal to a more powerful engine, but the base car doesn't seem underpowered to me, especially driving around town.

    I kept track of my gas mileage on my rental, and on one tank driving across Illinois at the posted speed limit (65 MPH) and with the AC running I actually got 36 MPG (and that's based on refilling in Indiana and figuring manually, not from the gas mileage computer on the car, so it's a legit figure).

    I'm hoping to keep my 2000 for another year or two, as I'd like to see the new RWD Impala that's (maybe) coming before I lock in on another car. I tend to keep my cars for a long time so I don't worry so much about resale value as I do comfort, safety, fuel economy, etc. If the RWD Impala isn't to my liking (looks, cost, fuel economy) I figure I can either get a good deal on an outgoing FWD Impala, or a redesigned Malibu (which should be out this fall). Actually if you can wait for the Malibu to come out you can probably get a better deal on an Impala, since they'll be very similar in size, price, etc. Supposedly they're growing the Malibu to become primary FWD sedan option, with the Impala going RWD (the 2010 model) - so for a year or two the Impala sedan will still be around, but somewhat of a lame duck.

    There are rumors of the RWD car being put on hold due to new government fuel economy standards, so there's no guarantee things will play out this way. But the new Malibu is definitely coming out soon, so you might want to at least want to wait until it arrives before you make a decision - it might actually be more appealing to you since it will be a little smaller than the current Impala.
  • cnwcnw Member Posts: 105
    My Impala is a 2LT, 3.5L, that I bought in Dec 2005. It currently has just over 13,000 miles. The only problems I've had we,re the intermediate steering sector shaft needing lubrication and the right front passenger window squealing (seal replaced and no further problem). I average 25-26 miles per gallon during daily commute--14 miles one way at 30 to 60 mph. In open road driving conditions at 70 mph (it's only been on an interstate once, and it was barely broken in), with frequent slowing to go thru small towns, it averages 31-32 mpg-actual, not DIC computer. I have seen average on the DIC computer above 40 over a 15 mile run with numerous uphill/downhill sections. My daughters love the MP3 connection and the base stereo has ample power and volume to suit me; I've never had it above 50 percent. We all enjoy the comfort of the seating; buckets and the split/folding rear seat. Power of the 3.5 is more than adequate for me; 3.9 or 5.3 would be fun, but I wouldn't want my own teenagers to mimic the things I would be tempted to do with all that horsepower. Bottom line--I have no regrets about the purchase, not even considering the depreciation that occurs when purchasing new versus a program car. Clark
  • prigglypriggly Member Posts: 642
    My car is a 2006 Impala SS which I have had now for 11 months. In that space of time I have had exactly zero problems with the car. There was a power steering hose assembly recall that was covered under warranty without incident.

    The car is quiet, powerful, smooth riding, has a beautifully tasteful minimalist interior with an acoustically excellent BOSE sound system with XM radio and superior ergonomics and functionality and high quality Nuance heated leather seating. The perfectly tuned exhaust note is exhilarating. The car handles well on all road surfaces and the acceleration never ceases to put a smile on my face. The trunk size is cavernous and the mileage utilizing the Displacement on Demand engine technology makes for decent if not stupendous numbers on the highway. I get 28-29 mpg at a steady 70 mph. This is truly excellent considering the power of the engine.

    I have had a lot of cars in my day including multiple Asian and German marques and the Impala SS easily competes with them in every way. The insurance costs are lower, too, not to mention the fact there is a Chevy dealer on virtually every corner so that one is not likely to be located at a distance from dealer service if such is ever needed on an urgent basis when travelling.

    As far as reliability is concerned, the car suffers from no transmission hesitation such as is found in the grossly overrated Toyota Camry and Lexus ES nor is it plagued by a cacophony of rattles with poor leather seating and harmonic vibration which are the bane of the Acura TL which I also considered buying but was scared off by its many foibles, as mentioned. In fact, the transmission in the Impala SS is as smooth as polished glass with all but imperceptible shifts.

    There was a time not so long ago when the domestic makes such as Chevrolet displayed a wide gap in craftsmanship and quality between them and the foreign makes but those days are over. I consider the Impala SS one of the very best buys in a sports sedan with a very high owner satisfaction quotient. It has excellent fit and finish and build quality. IMO you could not go wrong with such a purchase.
  • 303ss303ss Member Posts: 5
    I echo everything said in this last post...have owned my SS for several months and have no complaints about it....
  • bh0001bh0001 Member Posts: 340
    "...The only problems I've had we,re the intermediate steering sector shaft needing lubrication... "

    Oh no....not the dreaded ISS lubrication rearing its ugly head again. Almost anyone out there who had the previous iteration of the Impala (including me with an '01 LS) got to hate those words.

    The symptoms were a clunk feeling in the steering, particularly when going around a corner (right corners for mine). The "fix" was to squirt more grease into the ISS - it worked for about 20,000 km then it needed it again...and again...and again. GM paid for it the first few times, then said that it wasn't a safety issue so they weren't going to cover it anymore.

    I've wondered a couple of times if my '06LTZ was starting to exhibit the same symptoms at 42,000km, but since I put Goodrich GForce Sport's on I've been blaming the stiffer sidewall. Now I'm going to start paying closer attention.

    Anyone else out there with the ISS lubrication issue?
  • rysterryster Member Posts: 571
    I have started to notice a slight clunk in the steering of my '06 2LT when making left turns (12,000 miles on the odometer). I guess I will have to pay closer attention to it.

    My car also has developed what feels like warped front rotors. Noticeable vibration in the steering wheel when slowing down from highway speeds. Not so much around town. I have heard that is a problem as well on the Impalas as mentioned by posters at naioa. At least they went 12,000 miles. The front rotors on my '99 Camaro were shot at 8,000 miles.
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    Uggghhhh....the dreaded ISS...I had the clunk on my '02 Monte Carlo SS but it was simply an annoyance. There is a fix in one of these threads with a product called PB Blaster. It's a lubricant that seems to have some staying power and keeps the problem solved for an extended period. I'll likely try it if the ISS problem shows up on my '06 Impala.

    As for brake rotors, they're hit and miss. I think it's a combination of defective parts and driving styles. My particular style is kind to brake pads but seems to cause rotors to warp (or they're just defective). But, too bad you didn't catch yours BEFORE 12,000 miles because they would've covered it under your warranty. Chevy resurfaced all four of my rotors (may haunt me later) under warranty but my brakes have been super smooth since. I have over 19K miles on my Impala SS now.

    Word to the "wise" out there, even if you notice a problem that is hard to detect and you're within that first 12,000 miles, it's good to take it in and report it to establish a history. That way, if/when it gets worse later, you can come back and prove to them that the problem was there and they just couldn't "feel" it like you could under the original warranty.
  • geffengeffen Member Posts: 278
    Aren't the Basic bumper to bumper warrenties 3yrs or 36,000 miles on the Impala? I've been looking at some used 06 and 07 Impala's and a few 06's that i've test driven have 16,000 miles on them or greater, is there some special warrenty before 12,000 miles? The warped rotors concern me in my future purchase im sure it can happen on any car/truck however the GM product seem to have warped rotors more often?
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    Certain items are considered wear items. You've probably heard that term before. Brakes and tires are the ones that immediately come to mind although I'm pretty sure there are a couple other smaller items that can sneek into that definition. With brake rotors, since they are considered a wear item, they are not covered after the intial 12 mo/12,000 mi warranty. I don't believe that is a GM thing but mostly industry wide. I also don't believe it's necessarily a GM or other manufacturer specific defect as far as rotors are concerned. I've ridden in many cars with pulsating brakes of varying brands.

    The "funny" thing about the 3/36, now 5/100 warranty with GM, was when I had brake problems with my '02 Monte Carlo SS (simple mild rotor warping), I thought it would be covered under warranty and found out about the wear item clause. But, they are so concerned about not establishing a precedent but still wanting to satisfy the customer, that they gave me service credit for more than the amount than it would cost to repair the brakes. They just couldn't agree to fix the brakes under warranty. So, although I still don't like the way "bumper to bumper" misleads you, I was more than satisfied with the way GM took care of my situation. GM still has work to do but they have come a long way and are headed in the right direction. I'm happy to be an owner and am confident that any problems will get worked out with a little patience. :)
  • nosirrahgnosirrahg Member Posts: 872
    If it gives anyone any peace of mind I had a similar problem with my 2000 Impala with slightly warped rotors; had the rotors turned by the dealer very early on, and have had no problems with them since. I'm at 106k miles now and will probably replace the rotors the next time I replace pads just because, though I might check into having them turned again if they're think enough.

    I will say this though; one of the standard responses you'll hear is that the rotors can warp from lug nuts being overtightened. As I recall mine warped before I'd even rotated the tires once, so if that was the case they were overtorqued at the factory. I bought a torque wrench and have always rotated my tires myself, and tightened the nuts to the specs in the manual, and had no further problems.
  • wbowl99wbowl99 Member Posts: 133
    Hey, Ron. They used Enterprise rental and put me in another Impala, but with some different features and didn't give me a key fob, so I had to use the key for everything. Had Sirrus radio but no Onstar. It was in sad shape for a 30K car. Had dents and scratches all over. Bench seat, but the pull-down arm rest lid was broken so you couldn't flip it up or the lid would fall down in the back. Had a lot of the same problems I notice with mine, but they didn't get it fixed. Maybe no one told the agency they were happening.

    Yes we talked about the tranny, but I keep listing it so they have the complaint. It is starting to shift hard more often, but we'll see. They don't seem to be able to recreate any of it . . . tranny, engine ticks, hard steering, etc. So nothing gets done. Also, nothing was done about the weatherstripping that is cracking.

    As far as the paint, they did a horrible job. I was told they were painting the hood, but actually it was only a portion of it where it was bubbling from underneath. They "touched up" the other chips but it's pitiful. I could have cried. There is "trash" caught in the paint causing little bumps and pits. Clearcoat overspray was on the fender, door and other parts of the hood giving it a very dull look. They apparently sanded some of the chips on the back quarter panel and trunk lid, but didn't paint it. I have new scratches where there were none before, I think where they tried to detail it. Don't know what they used to rub it down, but it scratched. My son is my salesman and I'd been leaving him out of it, but he came through and when he saw what it looked like, he got mad and called the body shop manager. He told them to do what it took to make it right. They are taking it back today, but I think the manager is talking about just the hood again. I told them I wasn't sure I wanted them to touch it again. It is ridiculous. I'm seeing a BBB report coming.

    Sorry for the book. Wanda
  • rysterryster Member Posts: 571
    Hi!

    I am a relatively easy going driver. My 30 mile (in each direction) commute, however, requires me to traverse some rather hilly terrain and at times has some pretty extensive stop-and-go traffic. I attribute the warpage to that.

    When I had the warped rotors on my '99 Camaro taken care of at 8,000 miles, Chevy put new pads and rotors on at no charge :)
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    Wanda,
    No apologies needed, I appreciated the thorough response and I'm sure others will as well. It's a terrible shame that "they" would try to give you back your car after all that time in such terrible shape. The bad part is that with all the time and expense (rental car, detailing, labor, etc), they probably could've paid for a high quality paint job that would've taken less time. Add to that the inconvenience of putting you into a beaten up rental (which you are being overly patient in keeping and not demanding a cleaner replacement) and the sales and service managers really need to rethink their policies here. Once they agreed to take action on this, they should have gone all the way. This half-@ssed attempt at a resolution has done nothing but cause everyone more stress and THEM more money. I just don't get people sometimes.

    Good luck in your next go-round. I really would stick to your guns. You are well within your rights to have the car you paid for. :mad:

    Ron
  • dispencer2dispencer2 Member Posts: 299
    I agree with you on reliabilty. My 2LT has had no warranty problems except for the screeching windows which stop screeching immediately with an application of Armorall. The "beautifully tasteful minimalist" interior though in my opinion looks like crap compared to even a Camry. It may be modern (I don't have a problem with the instrument panel) but the door panels are very plain and the whole thing looks like a base S-10. The car, however, is a comfortable, reliable vehicle that gets great gas mileage. I have the base engine but usually get 20 in town and 32-34 on the road. It would be nice, however, if they upgraded the interior, especially for the folks like yourself who spent more than $25k on a new car. A base Avalon runs about the same price and look at the interior. It really looks like a luxury car.
  • nomoreford2nomoreford2 Member Posts: 50
    If the car is driven normally you can notice the clunk in the 1-2 shift, so driving in stop and go traffic is really annoying. If driven aggressively it will shift fine, which im pretty sure thats all the dealrship did. I even printed out the tsb from alldata.com and showed it to the dealer ship what causes transmission to do that and that the clutch piston has to be replaced and claim this is normal behavior.
    TSB
    06-07-30-018 AUG 06 A/T - 4T65-E Launch Shudder/Low Power After 1-2 Shift

    The power steering problem can be replicated if you try to parrallel park or have to adjust into a tight space.

    The car still vibrates back and forth when i start it and ease of the gas and this is on level gorund.

    Im pretty sure whats going to happen is when the car gets out of 36k warranty all this stuff will fail. The trans will make it to 100k, but will probably shift rougher and rough. Probably will see many more posts on transmission issues from other owners as time goes on.

    Ill just trade for a 08 Malibu 3.6L V6 or 08 Pontaic G8 with 3.6L V6 next year.
  • prigglypriggly Member Posts: 642
    I think the Avalon's interior looks gaudy and I wouldn't give you a dime for the cheap little plastic doors that are prone to becoming stuck and requiring replacement. I love the Impala's interior.
  • wbowl99wbowl99 Member Posts: 133
    It's back in the shop today. Was supposed to go yesterday for the paint fix, but they had a hard time finding a rental for me. I was supposed to swap vehicles with a friend who has a truck so I could bring my son back from college tonight, including a bike. When it turned out I had to take it back to the shop, I told them I needed something big enough to make the college run and they couldn't find anything yesterday. They said they could get an SUV but it was $10 than they allow for a vehicle. I said I'd pay the extra $10. They failed to tell me there was a 150/day mile limit. Had to renegotiate that since college is over 200 mi away. They said they'd pay for it. They came up with a van instead and I put the extra $10 on my cc. Now I discovered that the extra was really only $5 difference in a van. I'll cross that bridge when I go back. I've now spent over 3 hrs off work to take care of this and I'll have to do more when it is ready again.

    It's getting a little much.
  • dispencer2dispencer2 Member Posts: 299
    I forgot about the plastic doors. They do get stuck and are totally nonessential. I'm not going to get an Avalon anyway. I'll keep the Impala until I can get a program '08 Sebring Convertible.
  • batistabatista Member Posts: 159
    Im pretty sure whats going to happen is when the car gets out of 36k warranty all this stuff will fail. The trans will make it to 100k, but will probably shift rougher and rough. Probably will see many more posts on transmission issues from other owners as time goes on.

    For my 01 Impala the transmission didn't make it past 40K miles.
    It had issues before the warranty ran out but my dealer told me unless they can duplicate the problem they will charge me the minimum $105 for looking at it.
    I should have paid them the $105 and would have had a claim when the warranty ended. You need to get problems documented before the warranty expires.
    I won't buy another GM car because they have had many decades to perfect their 4 speed transmission but still problems prevail. When will they learn??
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    Have you offered to take one of the techs along for a ride so that you can recreate the condition for them? While it is often very frustrating to think that these professionals can't percieve the obvious, I think it often is because of the communication breakdown between the customer, the service writer, and the tech or however many other people may be involved in the process. By the time the tech looks at the car, they may have a totally different perception of what's wrong with it. Check to see if they'll allow you to take them for a short test drive. Sounds like you might not even have to leave the parking lot to duplicate the problem. ;)
  • dispencer2dispencer2 Member Posts: 299
    I have an '06 2LT and this is the first GM car I've ever had with a transmission that clunks after you slow down -like at a red light that changes to green before you get to the intersection and then speed up. The transmission wallops you in the seat of your pants. My '86 Silverado 4x4 shifts smoother than that after 140,000 miles. This car will be history in a year anyway and I'll still be under warranty but I pity the next guy. Luckily I haven't had any other problems. Lucky, I guess.
  • bh0001bh0001 Member Posts: 340
    Does anyone else chuckle when reading the problem posts on this forum...only to look to the advertising on the left that says "Impala. Chevy. The BEST coverage in America."? LOL!

    That stupid transmission clunk. My '01 did the same thing to me. I guess I just unconsciously adjusted my driving to not create those conditions, because it seemed to just go away. Same with my '06 - it did it a couple of times, then it was gone. Except when I forget and punch the gas after the conditions dispencer2 described. Then it feels like the tranny is going to fall out on the road.

    But of course it can't be duplicated by the techs....

    Sigh.
  • wbowl99wbowl99 Member Posts: 133
    I have not taken the actual techs but the service advisor has ridden with me. He has told me he then rides with the techs to detect the problems. I should ask to talk with them myself and then ask them to ride with me. If I keep it after all this paint stuff, I'll try that.
  • wbowl99wbowl99 Member Posts: 133
    Mine happens without punching it, so maybe I should try getting on it a little harder. LOL
  • quietproquietpro Member Posts: 702
    OK, ok...y'all are knockin' our Impalas pretty hard. Do you have a particular other brand in mind that is supposedly superior in this regard? I have a feeling that left to mess with just about any car long enough, I could duplicate the condition to a certain degree. I think the Impala's transmission is heavy and clunky to a degree which makes it more noticeable when it mis-steps but most transmissions have trouble anticipating the conditions that cause that hard clunk we get under the right circumstances. I'm tempted to go test drive a "superior" brand to see if I can duplicate the condition now that you guys are being so hard on our babies. :)
  • geffengeffen Member Posts: 278
    After reading some of the issues with the new Impala's I have my doubts now if I should even consider one, The warranty is very impressive however I do not want to spend all my time dropping the Impala off and picking it up from a dealers service dept. doesn't seem that the quality is there any more for Chevrolet.
  • pgh111pgh111 Member Posts: 11
    I have a 2007 Impala with the 3.9 liter. Can anyone tell me where the oil filter is located? I have looked all over the place and barring climbing underneath, I can't seem to find it.

    Thank you....
  • dispencer2dispencer2 Member Posts: 299
    I have had no problems with my '06 2LT Impala (13,000 miles so far) other than the screeching window that I fixed after the dealer installed two new rubber strips and it still screeched after a while. I frankly got tired of messing with it so I sprayed it with Armorall. No problem. The screech is gone. The transmission shifts OK most of the time. You can eliminate the "kick" by driving easier. The car gets great gas mileage - as much as 32-34 on the road. Around 20 in town. It is not a luxury car or something to be babied. It is just a good typical rental car.It is comfortable and has a large trunk. You can drive it all day without your back hurting. Drive it - don't sweat the small stuff -and enjoy it. Don't spend a lot on it and buy a lot of options unless you plan to drive it to the junkyard because resale value is terrible. Don't buy into the SS BS and waste your money on what is NOT a NASCAR contender. If you want a drag racer get an old '73 souped up Mustang or something that will leave an Impala far behind. Old '70's unrestored Muscle cars usually cost less than a new Impala. Buy an LT program car for $15k with 15,000 miles. If you have paint and all sorts of other problems like some people on the forum have had , dump it under the Lemon Law and get another one. You can always get a lemon no matter what brand of car you buy from Chevy to Lexus. You can always buy into the Japanese market. Camrys have great reliability records but I remember the famous oil sludge problems and Toyota is not very kind when it comes to warranty repairs. Check out the Camry forum. I'm going to get an '08 Sebring convertible just because I want a convertible. Chryslers have a worse reliability record than Impalas but I don't care. I'll get an extended warranty. I wouldn't rule out Impalas just because some folks on this forum have had problems. Millions are on the road and you can drive any American car 100,000 miles with minimal problems as long as you change the oil every 3,000 miles and watch for leaks. The Impala is a good car -much better than the trouble prone German cars and if you do have a problem there are hundreds of dealers to fix it. I think that the best deal on any car is to check out your local dealer and references. If they are good guys and have a good service department and stand behind their products, buy their car. If not, stay away regardless of the "reliability" rating of the vehicle in Consumers Reports. The quality of your local dealership is much more important than the quality of the car. Check out Rip Off Report.com for dealerships that are less than exemplary.
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