Problems with 2000 Chevrolet Impala ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Car went out of control after driver put the car into gear to move it from a parked, idling position, after noticing a burning like odor. it was noted by the driver at that time that the temperature gauge was in the red zone. when the driver attempted to move the car to a safer parking area only a few feet in distance, she heard a sharp snapping sound and also felt a vibration in the steering wheel/column area. the car suddenly lurched forward, the head lights and dash lighting went completely out as the car began accelerating out of control. in addition, there was no steering or brake control. no work has been done yet to correct these problems because an insurance company is involved. *tr

My problem started back in november of 2006. i had to leave work to go pick up a sick child. when i got in my car it would not crank. i tried jumping it off but it still wouldn't start. i borrowed a car from a coworker and when i came back later it started without a problem. i took it to the dealership and they told me it was a fuel issue. but after reading all the complaints i realized it was indeed a passlock problem. it will happen about every 7 to 10 days, in fact today with the day. when out to my car at lunch and nothing happened. i do not want to spent $500 to get the problem fixed if it's not going to fix the problem. from everything i've read they are willing to take you money but not fix the problem. *tr

Car quits running for no reason. number of occurrences = 4. usually happens between 35 to 45 miles per hour. noting done yet to repair. onboard computer does not show any problems. our concern is that if car quits running it could put us in a dangerous position. *tr

My 2000 impala will not start from time-to-time. i have had it in for service on numerous occasions and they cannot find the problem. there is another 2000 impala at the service center right now with the same problem. my impala has 75,000 miles on it. if i let it sit for about 30 minutes and try to start it again - it will then start. this has happened about 10 times in the last year. *tr

2000 chevrolet impala passlock problem, i dropped my wife off we strapped in 3 kids and i head home. she sets there july 110 degrees and car will not start for 20 min. i know of three that's had the same problem there needs to be a recall. *jb

No crash, but the speedometer, tachometer,gas gauge goes wacky most of the time the gas gauge does not work at all, the speedometer works about 25 percent of the time, i have read complaints from other impala owners on line and they all have the same problem, what i would like to see is a recall from g.m. it is a safety concern because you don't know how fast you are going. also most of them said the temp. gauge goes also and that concerns me if you car would overheat you wouldn't even know that it happened, until it was to late, now you would have to invest in a new motor and that is way to costly. please see if there is anything you can do to help the problem to be fixed, were all in this together. they also said that the repair was to cost $500.00. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated the check engine light illuminated intermittently. while accelerating from a stop, the transmission dropped to the lowest gear without warning, and hesitated before engaging to the next gear. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the problem. also, the fuel gauge displayed an incorrect reading. finally, while driving 30 mph, there was a rattling noise in rear wheels. the last two problems were inspected by a dealer.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet impala. while the vehicle was in the shop for repairs (unrelated to the engine) the engine failed. the errors did not appear when the diagnostics were performed. the contact was initially called to come and retrieve the vehicle, but in the same conversation, she was informed that something failed in the engine. the contact was also informed that she should probably get rid of the vehicle. the engine was replaced. nhtsa campaign id number 04v090000 (fuel system, gasoline:delivery) was referenced. the contact spent $1,000 to have the engine replaced. the current and failure mileages were 78,000. updated 08/27/08. *lj the consumer stated the crankshaft position sensor, ignition switch and fuel regulator was replaced. updated 08/27/08

Dt*: the contact stated without warning the vehicle stalled intermittently at various speeds. the consumer attempted to restart the vehicle. at time it would start right up. other times the vehicle had to cool down before it would restart. the dealership reprogrammed the computer but the problem persisted. *ak updated 9/22/2006 - the vehicle stalled a couple times a week. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet impala. while driving 40 mph, the turn signals would not work. the contact stated that he had to activate the emergency lights to get the turn signal to work. when he accelerated, the fuel gauge moved to full and the air bag light illuminated. the contact stated that when he drove over a speed bump, the vehicle shut off. he was able to restart the vehicle after waiting approximately thirty seconds. the dealer has not inspected the vehicle. the powertrain was unknown. the failure mileage was 170,000 and current mileage was 182,215.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start and the security warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. the manufacturer referred him to a dealer. the vehicle has not been diagnosed due to the $400 diagnostic fee. the failure mileage was 86,000 and current mileage was 91,000. updated 8/7/09 *cn the consumer stated the vehicle would not start on several occasions. updated 08/11/09.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet impala. when the contact attempted to start the vehicle, the security light illuminated and prevented the vehicle from starting. prior to the failure, the failure occurred randomly, but now it occurs very frequently. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the current mileage was 93,000 and failure mileage was 86,000.

Dt: the contact stated, while driving in clear, dry weather, the vehicle lunged forward and all power in the vehicle failed on four separate occassions. once stopped, the vehicle restarted. the service dealer inspected the vehicle by computer dianostic, on two separate occassions, which did not reveal the problem. the vehicle''s electrical power failed for the fourth time.

i have a 2000 impala ls with 97000 miles. the car will stall at highway speed. this has happened to both my wife and myself several times this summer. the car has been in the dealership for 3 of the last 4 weeks and i am tolled they can't find the problem. i have done a internet check and have founded several other owners with the same issue. this needs to be addressed before someone is killed. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the anti theft system was faulty. when he inserted the key into the ignition, it did not recognize the key and the vehicle would not start. the dealer advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was 93,000 and the failure mileage was 81,000.

Dt*: the contact stated the engine would not start after the vehicle was parked overnight. initially, it was suspected the battery was discharged and the battery was charged for twenty minutes. afterwards, the contact attempted to start the vehicle, with the key in the ignition, and the intake manifold exploded. a large fireball along with pieces of the intake manifold and the engine cover shot out of the underhood area. the vehicle was towed to a dealer for inspection. the dealer determined the backfiring occurred due to the contact starting the engine while applying the accelerator pedal. the manufacturer was alerted.

Car running well -no problems at all. parked car a local shopping area. apparently engine caught fire while i was in store. it was noticed by employee of store who called fire department. although they came quickly the car had to be totaled as the fire consumed and melted the entire engine. *jb

Electrical signals quit working intermittently,will start if hazards are pushed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 chevrolet impala. while driving 65 mph the vehicle shut off without warning. the vehicle will not restart if the park gear wasn't engaged. 12 - 15 times on a hill the vehicle rolled backwards. the contact was aware of the safety risk involved ,including the heavy traffic flow in his area. the failure mileage was 35,000 , and the current mileage was 49,000. ak

Dt*: the contact stated while driving at various speeds, the headlights go on and off intermittently at night. this last from 30 seconds to 1 minute. the vehicle was taken to the local dealership for inspection. the dealer could not duplicate the problem and no repairs were made.

2000 chevrolet impala locked me in car and couldn't get out. finally got door open. *jb

Engine shuts down for no apparent reason. almost like someone turned the ignition switch off. i purchased this 2000 chev. impala ls in may 2005. on may 30, the engine coughed once but continued running smoothly, so i didn't consider it a problem. then june 29 it coughed again but continued running smoothly. that evening on the way home from work with no warning, the engine just quit running. after it sat on the side of the road for a few minutes, i was able to start it and continue on my drive home. since then, between july 5 and august 10, the engine shut down 7 times. 3 of those were on august 10. each time, after a few minutes, i was able to restart it. i took it to a dealer for repair(power chevrolet, irvine, ca),on august 12, after a short diagnosis, the complaint was signed off as" road test 5 miles unable to duplicate customer concern. throttle body dirty, cleaned throttle body" since there had been a recall on a fuel pressure regulator the service rep. had it replaced. i didn't receive the old regulator, but it didn't cure the problem of the engine shutting down for no apparent reason, because on august 22 it did it again (twice). someone at gm needs to determine the cause of this problem and inform the service personnel of the fix. an inexperienced driver could be in real trouble if this happened.

Upon attempting to start the car, nothing happens when turning the key. eventually the car will start after a long delay. this occurred intermittently over time, always requiring a long wait (and nothing else) before the car would start - resulting me being late for work or missing important meetings. on reading extensive reports of the very problem on the internet (on many gm years/models), i learned that it is a "safety" feature to prevent the car from being stolen a necessary computer reading of a chip in the key! further reading indicated that (1) this is a very common problem (2) gm charges over $1000 to "fix" the problem (verified by my gm dealer), and (3) the "fix" doesn't work (the problem continues)! eventually the problem disappeared, but has just recently reappeared with a vengeance! i have just learned that a company makes a wiring harness passcode bypass (at $250) that will stop this situation of the car not starting when the key is properly engaged. i can think of few design flaws that are potentially more dangerous (not to mention inconvenient) than having your car randomly refusing to start - for instance late at night in a parking lot or garage when stores are closing or closed - or when attempting to escape from a dangerous situation. this potentially dangerous circumstance far exceeds any benefit from protecting your car from being stolen by using a faulty passcode system. the remedy would be simple and inexpensive for gm to fix by either supplying new firmware to bypass the computer passcode system or even cheaper - the wiring harness passcode bypass currently for sale by an independent vendor. *tr

Dt: contact states both back door locks on his vehicle are malfunctioning. when the right door lock malfunctioned the contact thought the door unlocked, while lifting the door handle to open the door, the door handle broke off. the consumer contacted the manufacturer they stated it could be an electrical problem within the door. they did give him an option to purchase a vehicle without the power door locks. *the dealership where the vehicle was purchased is no longer in business, so there is no address available*. *nm

For the last year my security light will randomly come on. soon after..sometimes hours, sometimes days...the car will not start. i contacted my dealer and they said it is a passlock security code problem. the car thinks it is getting stolen and you have to wait 15-20 minutes and try again. the code is easy to fix but it is also $395. the only place that can fix it is the dealership. i have done some investigating and many impalas have this problem. my dealer suggested i write a complaint because they see it a lot and hopefully a recall could occur. i don't know when it is going to happen again and being a young female it is scary when i walk out to my car late at night or alone. i have found car website forums and many have listed this same problem. i appreciate your time and hope that something can be done. this can be a safety issue for many people.

The rack and pinion steering assembly failure. rack and pinion leaked and has been serviced and still has problems. *bf the low tire pressure light had come on and there was a rattling noise coming from the right front wheel while the vehicle was in motion. *sc *jb

The air bag light came on intermittently. the manufacturer stated they would cover the defect, however they have not responded. *jb the problem was due to the factory wiring which caused the problem with the air bags. *sc

My 2000 impala has a problem with the passlock system which causes the vehicle to stop working or surge while driving and causes intermittent difficulties with starting. this is a widespread problem among gm owners and we have made nearly 13 visits to the dealer to address this safety issue. we have had the ignition replaced, but on most visits gm staff are unable to diagnose, and hence, unable to treat the problem. another safety issue is related to starting. since my wife drives the car, she is often left unsafe in areas during the 20+ times that she has not been able to start her car. while no injuries have yet been linked to this problem with our vehicle, is such a widespread problem with gm vehicles that it needs to be addressed. thank you for your attention to this matter. *jb

The horn was inoperative. the consumer tried numerous times to activate the horn. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the consumer that the computer sensor needed to be replaced. please provide further details. *jb the air bag sensor failed which caused the horn to be inoperative. the lock cylinder had to be replaced because the consumer was unable to start the vehicle.

Vehicle stalls, moving anywere from 30-70-mph. has nearly caused 4 accidents. twice we were nearly rearended; once this happended when we were passing a vehicle and we lost control; and once this occurred as i was driving around a corner towards a group of children. has been to dealer for repair 6 times for same cause. still not correctly diagnosed or repaired. is unsafe to drive. dealer has replaced "wires", plugs, fuel pump, and computer "parts" to no avail.*ak

Periodic transmission slip from initial date of purchase - dealer could not duplicate when taken in for service, until out of warranty. reflash e-prom/update done at 75k miles to correct problem. now at 110k dealer says new transmission is needed as car is exhibiting same problems. car headlights go out when using high beams. car has lost all power twice when driving and completely shut off, thus causing a significant steering problem until the car could be stopped. grounding wires added to see if correction could be made. lights & car have not quit yet, but transmission continues to exhibit shifting problems with check engine light coming on. when car is shut off the engine light will go out and not come back on and the car will reset it self and run okay for awhile. the car also exhibits a loud whining noise when the slippage / jerking is about to occur. gm will not allow conversation with anyone but a customer service person. all file numbers given to me by gm personnel when car was under warranty are not loaded into their data base, thus nothing can be done, mileage is too high and these things are expected to happen. *nm

The service vehicle soon and low coolant level lights keep coming on. i had the radiator checked and there is nothing wrong with it. the light still comes on and so did the service vehicle soon light. took the car back in again today to get it hopefully fixed. a sensor was shorting out for the driver display and replaced. i also had trouble last year with the directional signals going nuts. it was finally diagnosed as a faulty hazard switch that needed to be replaced. *la

Dashboard lighting failed to light up when car is started. specially dangerous at night time, because this is also accompanied by failure of the tail lights to turn on. head lights are not affected. there is no override to manually turn on the tail lights nor dashboard lights. apparently there is a sensor that turns these lights on when car is started. this is a recurring problem. again, specially dangerrous situation when driving at night because of no tail lights, and no way for driver to tell what is the dirving speed. accident waiting to happen.*ak

Low/high beam switch (multi-function switch) while driving down the road and switching from low to high or vise / versa headlight will go out completely. just told my wife leave the low beams on and never switch to the high beams.. *ln

Electrical failure - signal lighjts work periodically and air bag light goes on and off.*ak

2000 impala does not always start. security issues not allowing start until at least 15 mins of trying. *tr

When you put the key in the igintion the key will not turn. tried spare key and turning the steering wheel back and forth and the key still will not turn.*ak in the past we have had the "fiddle" with the key in the igintion to get it to turn. now it does not turn at all even when you "fiddle" with the key.

Musty smell coming from air conditioning. also, the steering wheel makes a weird noise when turning. the turn signals will go ballistic at times, flickering faster and faster. the inside lights also flicker at different intensities. *ak

Electrical system - dashboard lights and other instrument lights do not turn on or will turn on only after several minutes of driving. very inconsistent. pose danger especially when driving at night. the problem appeared to have been fixed about a year ago, but the problem started to surface again recently (fall 2003). *la

Lights in dashboard cluster don't illuminate.*ak

Car completely turned off while the secruity warning showed in the message center when driving at 65mph on the freeway and had to force the car off the road with no brakes and no power steering. *la

Consumer states that the electrical system has failed. dealer notified.*ak

2000 impala intermittently will not start. suggestion by dealership to wait with key one 5 -20 minutes for the security module to clear then try to start again. also happening with 2004 impala. *tr

Nar 04/10/2003 since the consumer purchased the vehicle nothing but problems has occurred the check engine light flashes on with out any notice of problems , the vehicle would frequently cut off while driving because of a bare wire detachment. the alarm system installed by chevrolet had to be removed because it was defective and sometimes it would shut down the vehicle. the consumer feels that the car has met all the standards to be determined a lemon. and requesting that her car be replaced at no cost. * cb

Passlock system failure 3 times in 100,000 miles $300 repair each time. stranded in parking lots till the car resets then will start. my wife is scared to death when she is in the parking lot just sitting there waiting for the car to reset. intake gasket failure 2 times in 100,000 miles $600 each time. sub frame failure intermediate shaft failure 3 times. *jb

Consumer states while driving on highway at approximately 70mph, the car's speed suddenly decreased and the electrical system failed resulting in loss of power functions. problem occurs intermittenly. car checked by dealer who is not able to determine cause.

Problems with the braking system at 18k miles. *ph the brakes began to vibrate and hum, the dash board lights came on which stated there was an abs and traction problem. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they found a there was a senor problem. the rear wheel senor was showing a problem which resulted from the left front strut, where connector c101 and connector c045 wires passed into the trunk under the carpet. the consumer experienced problems with the brakes on several other occasions. the consumer also experienced electrical problems with the vehicle. *jb

Vehicle would have hard start problems, and would stall out at any time with no warning. this has happened on numerous occasions took in & was told that they would reprogram computer, other problems w car, brakes would wear out every month, odometer reading incorrectly. dealer no willing to work on vehicle unless a cash deposit was made. finally took vehicle to another dealer and was told that problems were taken care of. car in shop for 1 week, and after return of car the same problems began occurring, with the stalling, finally occoasionallywas when son driving on freeway car died while going 65mph. son had to put in neutral and restart vehicle . then finally after 1 week transmission dropped and had to be replaced. this vehicle has had various problems since date of purchase and dealers are unable to resolve problems.*ak

As i put the key into the ignition - turn the key - a loud bang came from the car - when i looked out of the window smoke was coming from under the hood - so, i pop the hood, exit the car, lifted the hood and the engine was in flames - called the fire department to put the fire out - firemen stated that the engine was on fire.

Consumer put keys in ignition, turned the keys, and heard a loud noise, and saw smoking coming from out the hood, engine had caught on fire. contacted dealer.*ak *yh