2004 Chevrolet Impala Engine
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 55 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND WAS CRASHED INTO BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED WHIPLASH INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULD FAIL TO START AND THERE WERE OTHER ELECTRICAL FAILURES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED IN REGARDS TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE WHEN THE SECURITY WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE ENGINE WOULD NOT OPERATE WHILE THE SECURITY WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED; HOWEVER, THE ENGINE STARTED AFTER APPROXIMATELY TEN MINUTES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE APPEARED TO BE MORE PRONOUNCED WHEN THE TEMPERATURE WAS 50 DEGREES. THE IDENTICAL FAILURE OCCURRED TWENTY TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE VCM UNIT AND CONNECTORS, WHICH HAD BEEN REPLACED. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000.
FAILURE OF LOWER INTAKE GASKETS ON 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. *TR
WAS IN MY CAR DRIVING SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. RAISED THE HOOD AND IT WAS ON FIRE. *TR
FAILURE: LOWER INTAKE GASKET FAILED DUE TO DEXCOOL ANTIFREEZE. DEXCOOL INSTALLED AT FACTORY. VEHICLE HAD SUDDEN SERIOUS COOLANT LEAK . VEHICLE OVERHEATED ON HIGHWAY AND STRANDED OWNER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR SERVICE. DEALER TOLD OWNER TO REPLACE GASKET AND COOLANT. SERVICE TECHNICIAN REPLACED DEXCOOL WITH ANOTHER LONG LIFE BRAND OF ANTIFREEZE. THE ORIGINAL DEXCOOL ALSO CLOGGED THE RADIATOR WHICH REQUIRED EXTRA FLUSHING WITH ADDITIONAL CHEMICALS. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE OR ACCELERATING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND THAT THE MOTOR MOUNT BOLT LOCKS WERE OPENED, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE DEALER TIGHTENED THE BOLTS. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 77,000.
TL* - THE CONTACT TOOK THE 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA IN TO HAVE A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. THE VEHICLE HAD 37, 792 MILES. THE CONTACT WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE COOLANT & OIL WAS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND SHE HAS THE REPAIR ORDER. THIS IS THE FIRST INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE DID NOT GIVE ANY WARNINGS. HOWEVER, THE CONTACT'S COOLANT LIGHT TURNED ON 9/06 AND SHE HAD COOLANT ADDED.
THIS VEHICLE HAD A HEAD GASKET REPAIRED UNDER STANDARD 3 YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY. WE ARE NOW TOLD WE HAVE ANOTHER HEAD GASKET OR HEAD PROBLEM AT 49,000 MILES. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ENGINE MANUFACTURER PROBLEM OR I GOT A LEMON ENGINE FROM CHEVROLET? *JB
DEX-COOL ANTIFREEZE TURNED BROWN AND SLUDGED UP. LESS THAN ONE YEAR AND 16,200 MILES ON VEHICLE. TOOK TO DEALER AND HAD SYSTEM FLUSHED, RESERVOIR REPLACED AND NEW COOLANT ADDED. I WILL TAKE IT BACK FOR THE SAME THING EVERY YEAR. MANY PEOPLE I'VE SPOKEN TO WITH GM VEHICLES HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING WITH THIS COOLANT.
ENGINE IS CONSUMING OVER A QUART OF OIL APPROX. EVERY 1800-2000 MILES. I WAS SHOWN A BULLETIN THAT SAID THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH OIL CONSUMPTION AT THE DEALERSHIP. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TWICE TO THEM EACH TIME THE LOW OIL LIGHT CAME ON AND EACH TIME THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE BUT TO CHECK IT EVERY DAY OR TWO AND KEEP TRACK THEN COME IN WITH MY NOTES TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO MY REGULAR GARAGE THE NEXT TIME THE OIL WAS LOW AND 4 MECHANICS INFORMED ME THAT THE RATE OF OIL CONSUMPTION WAS NOT REGULAR AND THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM IF IT IS NOT MAKING IT PASSED 2000 MILES BEFORE IT LOSES OVER A QUART OF OIL.
VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY AT ANY SPEED. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO DEALER ON FOUR SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK THE VEHICLE HAS STALL A TOTAL OF EIGHT TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER ON FOUR OCCASIONS BUT NO CODES WERE FOUND DURING TESTING. *NM
ALL PROBS WITH 2004 IMPALA SS STARTED AFTER 3 MONTHS OF PUCHASE DATE. THERE WERE LESS THAN 3,000 MILES ON CAR. 1ST INCIDENT - WHILE MAKING RIGHT TURN AT 20 MPH, CAR DIED 1/2 WAY THROUGH TURN. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND ENDED UP GOING INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. LUCKILY MADE IT TO OPPOSITE SIDE OF ROAD W/ HARM. CAR WOULDNT START AT ALL. DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT. REPLACE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. 2ND INCIDENT - APPROX 3 WEEKS AFTER 1ST, I WAS STOPPED TO DROP PASSENGER OFF, CAR STARTED TO SHAKE AND IDLE WAS HIGH, 2 SECONDS LATER CAR DIED. CAR RESTARTED THIS TIME, DRIVING HOME ABOUT 35MPH CAR DIED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, STEERING LOCKED AND HAD TO STRUGGLE TO GET CAR OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART THIS TIME. DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT AGAIN REPLACED THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR. 3RD INCIDENT - GOT THE CAR BACK ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON, THE CAR DIED AGAIN WHILE DRIVING BY SATURDAY NITE. DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT LOOKED A LITTLE FURTHER THAN CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR THIS TIME AND REPAIRED LOOSE PIN CONNECTIONS IN IGNITION COIL MODULE CONNECTOR. 4TH INCIDENT - 2 MONTHS AFTER ALL THIS, CIGARETTE LIGHTER DOESNT WORK, LIGHTS DIM WHEN POWER WINDOWS PUT UP, DASH BOARD SENSOR THAT GETS OFF WHEN LOW FUEL LIGHT/ LOW TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT COMES ONDOES NOT RESET. CAR STILL FEELS SLUGGISH. LOUD SCRATCHING NOISEOCCURS WHEN WHEELS TURNED ALL THE WAY IN ONE DIRECTION. EVERYTHING FIXED B/C OF BLOWN FUSE. SCRAPING NOISE COMING FROM LOOSE CLIP IN TIRE WHEEL WELL. DEEALERSHIP STATED CAR WAS RUNNING FINE AND THERE WAS NO PERFORAMANCE PROBLEMS. THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER THE LAST 6 MONTHS. CAR PRESENTLY HAS 4500 MILES ON IT. OH AND CHEVROLET ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. AND THEN TO TOP EVERYTHING OFF THE DEALERSHIP MAKES IT SEEM LIKE ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS ARE CAUSED BY THE DRIVER, BY ASKING WELL WHAT GAS DO YOU USE AND HOW FAST DO YOU DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS CAR IS AN IMPALA SS. THE CAR IS SUPPOSED TO BE BUILT FOR PERFORMANCE. *AK
MY "LOW OIL LEVEL" LIGHT CAME ON AFTER 2000 MILES. I HAD THE OIL CHANGED, IT WAS A QUART LOW. I WAS TOLD THAT NEW VEHICLES SOMETIMES "ABSORB" OIL THE FIRST TIME. THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AT 5000 MILES, THE OIL WAS OVER A QUART LOW. IT WAS IMPLIED THAT I WAS NOT RESETTING THE CHANGE OIL LIGHT PROPERLY. THE ENGINE OIL LIGHT CAME ON AT 9000 MILES. AT THIS POINT I PAID FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND AN OIL CONSUMPTION TEST WAS DONE. THE LOW OIL LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AT 10,000 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP MADE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT, TOPPING OFF THE OIL SINCE IT WAS A QUART LOW AND I SHOULDN'T GO FOUR DAYS WITH THE OIL A QUART LOW. WHEN I RETURNED FOR THE SERVICE APPOINTMENT MY OIL LEVEL WAS ONLY 1/2 QUART LOW. THEY HAD FORGOTTEN THAT THEY TOPPED IT OFF. I HAD TO PAY FOR ANOTHER OIL CHANGE AND ANOTHER OIL CONSUMPTION (DYE TEST) WAS STARTED. I WAS SHOWN A NOTICE THAT WAS SENT TO THE DEALERSHIP REGARDING DEFECTIVE GASKETS OR SEALS ON 2004 IMPALAS. TO DATE I HAVE HAD FOUR OIL CHANGES, ALL OF WHICH THE OIL LEVEL WAS OVER A QUART LOW. I WOULD THINK THAT THERE WAS ENOGH EVIDENCE TO WARRANT THE REPAIR TO MY VEHICLE WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY FOR ANOTHER OIL CHANGE AND WAIT 2000 MILES. I AM CONCERNED THAT IF OIL IS BEING CONSUMED IT HAS TO EFFECT OTHER PARTS OF THE ENGINE. THE OIL HAS TO GO SOMEWHERE. AGAIN, I WAS TOLD THAT IT WOULD NOT CAUSE ANY EFFECT TO ANY OTHER PART OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
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Quick Summary
The 2004 Chevrolet Impala has 63 Engine complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.