2001 Chevrolet Impala Electrical System

CAR SECURITY LIGHT HAS COME ON AND THEN WOULD OCCASIONALLY BE UNABLE TO START THE CAR. TURNS OUT THE PASSLOCK ANTI THEFT SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY AND WOULD COST $450 TO REPAIR. THERE SHOULD BE A WAY TO DISABLE OR BYPASS THE SYSTEM SINCE I COULD REALLY CARE LESS TO HAVE AN ANTI THEFT DEVICE FOR MY IGNITION. NOW I EITHER HAVE TO DISH OUT THE MONEY TO THE DEALERSHIP (OTHER MECHANICS SEEM UNABLE TO REPAIR THIS OF COURSE), OR TAKE THE RISK THAT THE CAR WILL NOT FAIL TO START SOMEWHERE WITH MY TWO LITTLE KIDS IN THE CAR.

DT: THE BATTERIES POSITIVE TERMINAL CAME OUT AND THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL POWER IN THE VEHICLE WHEN IT HAPPENED. NOTICED THIS ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2005 BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER FOR A NEW BATTERY, BUT THEY HAVE NOT LOOKED AT IT. *AK *JB

BATTERY DEAD AFTER 7 DAYS LEFT AT AIRPORT. REPLACED BATTERY, BUT SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN AFTER SITTING IN DRIVEWAY 6 DAYS. NOTICED A .4AMP DRAIN ON BATTERY WITH EVERTHING OFF. WILL TAKE TO DEALER BUT I DON'T EXPECT MUCH FROM THEM.*AK

CONSUMER WASS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION WHILE VEHICLE WASS IN GEAR. *AK THIS OCCURRED WITH THE GEAR SHIFT IN REVERSE AND THE IGNITION SWITCH IN ACCELERATION. THE KEY WAS EASILY REMOVED. *SC *JB

I HAVE A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS AND I NOTICED A PROBLEM WITH IT RIGHT AFTER I BOUGHT IT. THE SECURITY PASSLOCK SYSTEM IS EITHER NOT FUNCTIONING WELL OR IT'S DEFECTED, I RESEARCHED THE PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET FORUMS AND I FOUND OUT THAT ALMOST 70% OF PEOPLE THAT OWN IMPALAS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY GAVE ME AN ENORMOUS SUM FOR THE REPLACEMENT. WHY SHOULD THE BUYER PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT IS OBVIOUSLY DEFECTED WHEN THE MAJORITY OF THE OWNERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. GM IS AT FAULT HERE AND THE OWNERS HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. I, AND MANY OTHERS, BELIEVE THAT IT IS NOT US AT FAULT, BUT GM SINCE THEY ARE AWARE OF THE HIGH FAILURE RATE OF THEIR PASSLOCK SYSTEM. MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS: WHY DIDN'T GM ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART? WHAT CAN THE OWNERS DO SO WE CAN INITIATE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM? *AK

IT STARTED WHEN I BOUGHT THE CAR IN 2003. A WEEK AFTER I HAD IT. IT WOULD NOT START AND THE BATTERY WAS NOT DEAD I THEN CALL THE DEALER AND AFTER ABOUT A HOUR I GOT IT STARTED AND TOOK IT STRAIGHT TO THEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY HAD TO CLEAN THE CABLES AND THATS WHAT IT WAS. BUT AFTER A WEEK IT DID IT AGAIN EVERY TIME I GOT IN IT. IT WOULD NOT START BUT AFTER A WHILE IT WOULD START. SO I TOOK IT BACK AND THEY THEN SAID IT WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH SO THEY REPLACED IT THEY SAID. SO ABOUT A MONTH WENT BY AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE THEN IT STARTED AGAIN. SO I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER DEALER FOR A RADIATOR FLUSH BECAUSE IT KEEPED ON GETTING HOT WHICH IT STILL DOES AND I DID NOT TELL THEM ABOUT IT NOT STARTING BECAUSE IT ONLY DOES IT EVERY NOW AND AGAIN, BUT WHEN THEY WENT TO START IT, IT WOULD NOT START SO THEY PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER THING AND THEY SAID IT WAS IN THE IGNITION AGAIN SO WE TOLD THEM ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE AND THEY SAID THEY HAVE ALOT OF TROUBLE WITH THESE CARS ALL THE TIME. SO WE PAID $320.00 TO GET IT FIXED BUT IT ACTS LIKE IT IS GOING TO DO IT AGAIN. I JUST HAVE THIS FEELING THE WAY ITS ACTING. IT TAKES TO LONG TO TURN OVER AND WHEN IT DOES IT GRINDS LIKE I AM OVER STARTING IT. THE THING IS I LOVE MY CAR BUT I HAVE NOT EVEN HAD IT A YEAR YET. I JUST THINK THAT IF I HAVE TO PAY ALOT OF MONEY FOR A VEHICLE IT NEEDS TO BE RIGHT. *AK

CAR WOULD START BUT NONE OF THE GAGES NOR THE RADION OR ANY OF THE ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS WOULD COME ON. SHUT IT OFF WAIT A FEW MINUTES AND IT WOULD WORK AGAIN. HAPPENED MANY TIMES, GOT IT "FIXED" STARTED HAPPENING AGAIN A MONTH LATER AND WAS AGAIN "FIXED" BUT WITH A DIFFERENT REMEDY SO FAR SHELLED OUT 700 DOLLARS FOR A CAR WITH SIXTY THOUSAND MILES ON IT*AK

I GET A SHOCK WHENEVER I USE MY POWER LOCKS UPON LEAVING MY CAR- NOT FROM INSIDE THE CAR BUT FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. JB

VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY NOT START. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN THE SECURITY LIGHT COMES ON THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. THE VEHICLE HAS TO SIT FOR 15 MINUTES BEFORE IT WILL START. *TC

THIS AGENCY OWNS TWO (2) 2001 CHEVY IMPALA (POLICE PACKAGES) VEHICLES HAVE AHD EXTENSIVE TROUBLE WITH ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS. VEHICLES WILL NOT START, VEHICLE WILL SHUT DOWN AFTER BEING STARTED AND THEN WONT START. AMOUNTS TO A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE WHILE IN TRAFFIC OR BEING USED FOR EMERGENCY OPERATION, PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN ONGOING SINCE PURCHASE OF AUTOS IN 2002

IGNITION TUMBLER FAILED AT 40000 MILES. *AK

CUSTOMER STATES DASH LIGHTS AND HEADLIGHTS ARE DIM, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. DEALER TEST DROVE AND FOUND THAT THE LIGHTS FLICKER, HOWEVER DEALER STATED THIS WAS NORMAL DUE TO THE DROP IN THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR, AND SHOULD NOT CAUSE LIGHTS OR ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO FAIL. *TT *NLM

REAR OF CAR CAUGHT FIRE. OCCURRED IN MY EMPLOYER'S PARKING LOT AT 2121 HUDSON AVENUE, KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN. THE THIRD BRAKE LIGHT AREA. VEHICLE PARKED & UNOCCUPIED. *NLM

THE VEHICLE HEAD LIGHTS FLICKER INTERMITTENTLY WHICH CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. *NLM *MR

BATTERY HAS BEEN REPLACED. AFTER A YEAR BATTERY WAS LEAKING. ALSO VEHICLE HAD TROUBLE STARTING UP. CONTACTED DEALER ,AND THE DEALER REPLACED BATTERY.*AK

CONSUMER STATES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED IN PARK, ALL OF THE DOORS UNLOCK, CONSUMER STATES THIS IS UNSAFE BECAUSE IF SHE HAS TO SIT IN THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE EXITING, ANYONE CAN OPEN THE DOORS.*JB

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT A POWER SURGE OCCURS WHICH CAUSES HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY TO MALFUNCTION. LOW BEAM FLASHES TO HIGH BEAM. DEALER CANNOT CORRECT PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM, BUT DOES NOT HAVE A REMEDY. *AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DASH LIGHTS ARE ALSO AFFECTED BY THE POWER SURGES. *JB

A POLICE OFFICER PARKED TVEHICLE AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AFTER RUNNING THE VEHICLE FOR AN UNKNOWN TIME. SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE HOOD AND FRONT END OF VEHICLE. LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. NO DETERMINATION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO THE CAUSE OF FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

CONSUMER HAS HAD PROBLEM STARTING VEHICLE. IT STATRTED AFTER 45 MINUTES. THEN, VEHICLE JUST STOPPED IN TRAFFIIC WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP REPLACED COMPUTER. *AK WAITED 8 DAYS FOR PART. *YH