2001 Chevrolet Impala Engine

SUDDEN MALFUNCTION OF TEMPERATURE GAUGE (NOT WORKING), COOLING FANS RUNNING, AFTER CAR IS TURNED OFF, NO A/C. MANY OTHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVING SAME PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. *TR

MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE MARKET FOR A USED CAR. SHE FOUND A CAR ON THE WEBSITE FO CITY AUTO AUCTION OF CHICAGO, PRICED AT 1500.00. WE ARRIVED AT THE AUCTION AND INQUIRED ABOUT THEIR BIDDING PROCESS. I WAS TOLD TO READ AND SING THE BIDDERS PADDLE. WE INQUIRED ABOUT THE CAR LISTED ON THE WEBSITE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE, BUT WE COULD BID ON ANOTHER LIKE CAR. WE BIDDED 2800.00 FOR A 2001 CHEVY IMPALA. I ASKED THE SALESMAN IF WE CAN SEE THE CAR FOR INSPECTION. HIS INSISTED I PUT A 600.00 DOWN PAYMENT TO HOLD THE CAR. I DID. WE WAITED 3 HOURS BEFORE THEY CALLED US INTO THE OFFICE. THEY PRESENTED US WITH A BILL OF SALE TOTALING 3858.00. I ASKED FOR AN EXPLANATION OF THE CHARGES, AND TO SEE THE CAR TO DETERMINE WHETHER THERE WERE ANY DEFECTS. THE OWNER BECAME IRATE AND TOLD ME, THEY DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO EXPLAIN TO ME THE CHARGES, HE CALLED SECURITY AND I WAS ASKED TO LEAVE. THE FOLLOWING MONDAY, MY DAUGHTER WENT BACK, I WAS TO MEET HER AT THE DEALERSHIP. SHE ASKED IF SHE COULD INSPECTED THE CAR. SHE WAS TOLD SHE HAD TO PAY THE REMAINING BALANCE FIRST. SHE DID. THE SERVICEMEN BROUGHT THE CAR OUT, LOCKED THE DOOR AND REFUSED TO ANSWER ANY OF HER QUESTIONS. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE CAR HAD NO RADIO, NO REAR VIEW MIRROR AND WAS KNOCKING. I HAD HER BRING THE CAR TO ME. THE CAR BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PASS 50 MPH. SHE CONTINUED TO DRIVE, THE CAR THEN SLOWED TO 10 MPH. SHE EVENTUALLY GOT THE CAR TO MY OFFICE, WHERE IT DIED, AND WOULD NOT START. I CALLED CITY AUTO, TALKED TO MR. AL, WHO TOLD ME THE CAR WAS SOLD "AS IS" AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. *JB

NO ACCIDENTS YET, BUT VERY EASILY COULD'VE BEEN. CAR STALLS WITH NO WARNING AND SOMETIMES DOESN'T WANT TO START. CAR HAS STALLED 3 TIMES - IT HAPPENED TWICE SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING A STOPLIGHT, SO 20-35MPH AND THE THIRD TIME WAS GOING 55MPH DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THE TWO TIMES IT STALLED AT 20-35MPH IT STARTED UP RIGHT AWAY. AFTER IT STALLED AT 55MPH, IT TOOK 3-5 TRIES TO GET IT STARTED AGAIN. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN TWO OTHER SEPARATE TIMES THAT THE CAR DID NOT WANT TO START. THIS HAPPENED AFTER DRIVING THE CAR A SHORT DISTANCE, ABOUT 5 MILES, TURNING IT OFF FOR 10-20 MINUTES AND THEN IT TOOK 3-5 TRIES TO GET IT STARTED AGAIN. THE SECURITY LIGHT DID NOT COME ON WHEN THESE INCIDENTS HAPPENED. CAR DOES HAVE 126,000 MILES ON IT. CAR IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THERE IS NO CODE INDICATING WHAT THIS STALLING/NO START PROBLEM IS. THIS IS THE THIRD DAY THE CAR HAS BEEN AT THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY STILL DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS. THE CAR HAS DIED ONCE WHILE AT THE DEALERSHIP, BUT IT STARTED UP RIGHT AWAY SO THEY COULDN'T DO THE TEST THEY WANTED TO DO. THIS IS RIDICULOUS TO HAVE SUCH A HUGE SAFETY-RELATED ISSUE WITH NO KNOWN CAUSE/CODE AND IT APPEARS FROM OTHER COMPLAINTS AND AUTOMOTIVE "CHAT ROOMS" I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE AND NO RESOLUTION. *TR

THERE IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF OIL IN THE COOLANT IN MY 2001 CHEVY IMPALA. KNOWING JUST A LITTLE ABOUT INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES PROBABLY AN INTAKE GASKET LEAKING. FOR A CAR WHICH HAS BEEN VERY WELL MAINTAINED WITH UNDER 80,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER THIS WAS ALARMING. HIGH ENGINE TEMP AND A SLUDGE IN MY MOTOR ARE THE OBVIOUS CONSEQUENCES. WHO KNOWS WHAT THE LONG TERM AFFECTS WILL BE. THE CAR IS NOW AT THE MECHANICS AND ALREADY I AM LOOKING AT 700 TO 1,000 DOLLARS WHICH I DO NOT HAVE TO REPAIR. *NM

I HAVE A 2001 CHEVY IMPALA AND IT HAS BEEN LEAKING ENGINE COOLANT FOR SOMETIME NOW. WE PUT THE REQUIRED DEXCOOL COOLANT TO REPLACE THE LOST, BUT IT JUST KEPT ON LEAKING. WE TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC TO REPAIR IT AND HE INFORMED US THAT IT WAS LEAKING FROM THE INTAKE GASKET DOWN ONTO THE SPARK PLUGS AND IT WAS DAMAGING THE SPARK PLUGS. HE SAID DON'T PUT DEXCOOL COOLANT INTO THE CAR AGAIN BECAUSE IT JUST DAMAGES THE GASKETS. HE SAID I CANT TELL U HOW MANY TIMES I HAVE HAD TO REPAIR THIS SAME THING ON CHEVROLET VEHICLES. TOTAL REPAIRS $749.43 . THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL ON THIS. NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE DEXCOOL COOLANT BUT BECAUSE OF THE GASKETS. *NM

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A 2001 CHEVY IMPALA. SHORTLY AFTER I NOTICE WHEN I FIRST STARTED THE CAR,THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWED THE CAR OVERHEATING, TOOK TO THE DEALER. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE. A FEW WEEK AFTER THAT IT QUIT WORKING ALL TOGETHER. SO I LOOK ON THE CAR STATS. COM AND FOUND COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. SOLUTION I TOOK THE CAR TO REPEATABLE CAR MECHANIC .THE FIRST THING HE DID WAS TO TAKE THE RADIATOR CAP OFF, IT WAS FULL OF BROWN SLUDGE, HE SAID THAT GM TRIED TO SAVE MONEY BY PUTTING IN A $2.00 MANIFOLD GASKET IN ALL 3.4 ENGINES, THEY ALL FAIL BETWEEN 35,000 AND 40,000. IT COST $580. YOU CAN NOT REPLACE ONE GASKET YOU BUY ALL THREE IN A REPLACE KIT AND CHANGE THE OIL AND ANTIFREEZE. I FOUND OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM IS ROUTINELY MISSED. THEY JUST RESET THE COMPUTER AND THE GAUGE WORKS FOR A SHORT TIME THEN WITHOUT WARNING IT QUITS. MY MECHANIC SAID THIS IS SO COMMON HE HAS PAID FOR HIS CHILDRENS COLLEGE EDUCATION. GM DOES NOT COVER THIS COMMON FAILURE UNDER ANY WARRANTY. I WILL THINK TWICE BEFORE I BUY ANY GM PRODUCT. *NM

THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AND WAS COVERED BY A GM SPECIAL POLICY. DUE TO THE FAILED CATALYTIC CONVERTER THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD ALSO FAILED RESULTING IN AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR BILL. GM WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF THE UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD EVEN THOUGH IT FAILED FROM A KNOWN ISSUE. THE REPAIR BILL STATES, "UPPER INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILURE DUE TO CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE." *NM

ON 6/29/05 I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND LOSS POWER. THE CAR WOULD ONLY GO A FEW MILES PER HOUR. IT WAS HESITATING UPON TAKE OFF. I DROVE IT HOME AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. IT WAS PICKED UP AND TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I PAID TO HAVE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND ALL PARTS REPLACED. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT RECEIVED A LETTER, BUT THIS WAS NOT A RECALL LETTER. THE LETTER STATED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS BEING REPLACED DUE TO THE END CONE INSULATION BREAKING AWAY AND BLOCKING THE FRONT OF THE FIRST CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND PREVENTING THE FREE FLOW OF THE GAS. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED BECAUSE IT WAS OVER THE MILEAGE LIMIT. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO 2 SEPARATE TRANSMISSION MECHANICS AND THEY TOLD HIM IT WAS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND NOT TRANSMISSION.*AK

1. INITIAL MINOR THEN SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF ENGINE COOLANT, LEADING TO BREAKDOWN ON HIGHWAY OF 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA WITH 3.4 LITER V-6. SECOND PART: LOSS OF REAR PASSENGER TURN SIGNAL.*AK 2. LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET DEFECTIVE, ALLOWING COOLANT TO LEAK AND BROWN SLUDGE OBSERVED ON RADIATOR CAP. HAD TO ADD COOLANT AND LOST USE OF VEHICLE. SECOND PART: LOSS OF REAR PASSENGER TURN SIGNAL, BRAKE LIGHT AND HAZARD FLASHER AS A RESULT OF DEFECTIVE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH (GM PART 88964580) - LED TO RECIEVING WRITTEN CITATION OF DEFECTIVE EQUIPMENT FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT. 3. REPLACED UPPER AND LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD, DEX-COOL COOLANT, O-RING (PART 10477565), THERMOSTAT, OIL (TO REMOVE ANY POSSIBLE COOLANT THAT LEAKED INTO OIL PASSED FAILED GASKET). CONTACT FOR OLD PART AVAILABILITY. REPLACED MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH (GM PART 88964580)

THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE IS NOT WORKING CONSISTENTLY. IT WILL GO BELOW COLD SPORADICALLY. THIS WILL CAUSE THE FANS TO RUN CONTINUOUSLY AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. THE CODES DO NOT MATCH THE PROBLEM AND THE HAYNES BOOK DOES NOT MATCH THE CAR EITHER. COOLANT LEAKS FROM INTAKE MANIFOLD, PROBABLY BAD GASKETS. *NM

I HAVE A 2001 CHEVY IMPALA IT HAS A COMPLETELY CLOGGED CATALYTIC CONVERTER ACCORDING TO MY MECHANIC. I CONTACTED COUNTRY CHEVY IN WARWICK NY THEY CANT HELP ME W/O CHARGING ME BECAUSE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED 1800 MILES AGO. I UNDERSTAND FROM THERE SERV DEPT AS WELL AS NUMEROUS MECHANICS THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE HAS NO WARNING LIGHT FOR THIS OR I MAY HAVE KNOW PRIOR TO WARRANTY EXPIRING. NOW I HAVE A CAR I PAID CASH FOR THAT I CANT DRIVE. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY PRIOR COMPLAINTS. I AM CONTACTING GM TO SEE IF THEY CAN ASSIST ME FURTHER. *JB

I HAVE JUST PURCHASED A 2001 IMPALA FROM DEALER LESS THAN A WEEK AGO (4/29/2005) AND I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TODAY FOR SOME MAINTENANCE. THE DEALER TOLD ME THE INTAKE MANIFOLD IS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE INTO THE ENGINE AND IT IS QUITE SERIOUS. I HAVE CHECKED SOME ONLINE DISCUSSION GROUPS AND THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE. IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE IMPALAS. I THINK GM SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE AND REIMBURSE MY COST OF REPAIR.

THE LOW COOLANT LIGHT STAYS ON INDICATING THAT THE ENGINE COULD OVER HEAT. CONSUMER CHECKED THE ENGINE AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS A FLUID LEAK OUT THE ENGINE. AS A RESULT THE CONSUMER HAS TO PUT IN COOLANT ABOUT ONCE A MONTH TO AVOID OVERHEATING.*AK DEALER PUT NEW GASKET IN AT INTAKE MANIFOLD AND REPAIRED RADIATOR. *BF *NM

COOLANT SYSYEM:TEMPERATURE GAUGE MOVES TO HOT FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES THEN BACK TO NORMAL. CLICKING SOUND IN STEERING WHEEL WHEN YOU YOU MAKE A TURN. LOUD POPPING OR CRACKING SOUND IN THE DASH AREA WITH VARIOUS TEMPERATURE CHANGES.*AK

CONSUMER SMELLED ANTIFREEZE FOR SOME TIME. THEN, WHILE HAVING AN OIL CHANGE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THERE WAS A LEAK IN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD SEAL.*AK

I HAD A INTAKE GASKET LEAK ON MY 2001 CHEVY IMPALA W/3.4 ENGINE,I HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED AND THE CAR ONLY HAS MID 50'S MILEAGE,,ACCORDING TO SOME SHOPS THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE ON THIS CAR. *AK

OUR LOW COOLANT LIGHT CAME ON, THEN MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WE TOOK IT TO GET IT SERVICE AT FIRST THE DEALERSHIP DID A LEAK INFECTION AND FOUND NOTHING TO BE WRONG WITH THE CAR THEY RESET THE ENGINE LIGHT BUT MY LOW COOLANT LIGHT KEPT COMING BACK ON THE NEEDLE ON THE DASH BOARD HARDLY MOVES,THEN WE BROUGHT IT BACK AND THEY SAID THEY FOUND COOLANT LEAK AT INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET THEY ALSO REPLACE A TAPPING NOISE (WHICH OCCURED ON OUR WAY TO THE DEALERSHIP) WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE LIFTERS ALONG WITH A BRAKE CHECK/PAD REPLACEMENT OUR BILL TOTAL WAS $1504 OUT OF POCKET BECAUSE OUR WARRANTY EXPIRED ALREADY. I HAVE BEEN READING THE INTERNET AND FOUND AN INFO REGARDING THIS LEAKEAGE ON MANIFOLD IS CAUSED BY DEXCOOL WHICH WHAT THEY USE IN MY CAR,I FOUND OUT THAT THE CHEMICAL DOESN'T CONTAIN AN AGENT TO FIGHT RUST BUT CONTAINS SOME ACID CHEMICAL INSTEAD, DO NOT QUOTE ME BUT GO TO WEBSITE TYPE DEXCOOL AND YOU'LL SEE IT. *AK

THE ENGINE COOLANT LOW LEVEL LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. CONSUMER FILLED THE COOLANT, AND THE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED RESULTING IN A LEAK. *AK *NM

THE INTAKE MANIFOLD/GASKET ON THIS VEHICLE HAS TO BE REPLACED. CAR WAS OVERHEATING WHEN IDLE. NO HEAT WAS BEING GENERATED. COST TO REPAIR HAS BEEN QUOTED AS $580. THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM ON THESE VEHICLES, GM NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL AS ANY KNOWLEDGEABLE MECHANIC IS AWARE OF THIS VERY COMMON PROBLEM, DUE TO POOR-QUALITY INTAKE MANIFOLD/GASKETS BEING USED ON THESE VEHICLES. *NM

I HAVE TWO GM CARS BOTH 2001 MY GRAND AM I JUST CHANGED THE MANIFOLD GASKETS AND THE HEAD GASKETS, NOW MY IMPALA ALSO NEEDS THE SAME GASKETS CHANGED MAYBE THERE IS A REASON FOR THIS DEFECT. I DO NOT THINK THAT IT POSSIBLE TO CHANGE THESE GASKETS AFTER FOUR YEARS. MY GRAND AM WAS COVERED MY IMPALA IS NOT. WHAT HAPPENS IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS? PLEASE RESPOND. *NM

DT CONSUMER STATED THE THERMOSTAT WENT OUT ON THE VEHICLE. AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD NOISE, AND THE FAN WOULD RUN FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES. THE MECHANIC HAD FOUND OIL IN THE COOLANT. THE LOWER INTAKE GASKET, WATER PUMP, AND THE THERMOSTAT WERE REMOVED AND REPLACED. THE MECHANIC STATED WHEN GOING FROM WARM TEMPERATURES TO COLD TEMPERATURES THE ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED. *AK UPDATED 11/16/2005. *NM

CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE KEPT SEEING PUDDLES OF ANTI-FREEZE UNDER HER VEHICLE. SHE SAID SHE TOOK HER VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC AND AFTER AN EXAMINATION OF THE AUTOMOBILE, SHE WAS TOLD THAT HER VEHICLE WAS LEAKING COOLANT AROUND THE MANIFOLD. SHE STATES THIS VEHICLE IS MUCH TOO NEW FOR THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. *JB

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL."I WOULD LIKE TO REPORT WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A DEFECTIVE AND POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD ON MY TRUCK. THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AND THE EGR VALVE RETURNED HOT GASES INTO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE HOT GASES BURNED A HOLE IN THE PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD AND MELTED THE WIRING HARNESS. THIS COULD OF CAUSED A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE ENGINE STOPPED WORKING PROPERLY AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE GARAGE. MY LOCAL GARAGE REPLACED THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE ENGINE WAS STILL NOT RUNNING PROPERLY. I HAD MY LOCAL GARAGE TAKE THE CAR TO OUR CHEVROLET GARAGE. THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM WITH THE CONVERTER AND REPLACED IT UNDER FEDERAL WARRANTY. I REPORTED THIS TO GM. BOTH GARAGE AGREED THAT THIS WAS CAUSED DUE TO THE FAILURE OF THE MANIFOLD. I BELIEVE THE PLASTIC MANIFOLD SHOULD BE RECALLED AS A SAFETY FACTOR." *JB *SC

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, HEAVY SMOKE CAME UNDER THE HOOD. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO INDEPENDENT SHOP, TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT INTAKE MANIFOLD CAUGHT ON FIRE. *AK