Problems with 2000 Chevrolet Impala STEERING

I started hearing a "clunking" in the front end. i can also feel "jerking" in steering. it is especially dominant when i am going slower and using brakes, i seem to be able to feel and hear it better when slightly turning to the right. i can also be stopped and just taking off to make a turn and can hear the clunking. i am scared that something is going to fall off someday and i will have no steering. had it look at and mechanic thought it was a broken tie rod end he found on right side, that was repaired 2/7/05.. but clunking and jerkiness is still there. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated when turning the steering wheel there was a clanking noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealership in march 2004, where the rear stabilizer link and front lower control arm bushings were replaced and lubricant was applied to the steering shaft. after the repairs the noise did not completely cease, and the vehicle is currently at the dealership. the dealership has determined the steering shaft needs to be replaced. *ak updated 2/13/2006 - *nm

Transmission failure and power steering pump failure.*ak

While driving power steering pump failed, causing steering fluid to leak. consumer had no power assist. *ak dealer replaced power steering pump. *la

There is a clunking and clicking sound when steering. this is a known problem where a lot of consumers have complained about and chevrolet will not fix the problem at no cost. chevrolet said that they can either change the intermediate steering shaft or use the lubrication kit to fix it. they will not even use the lubricaton kit to fix it at least. this is not right that the consumer should pay for a mistake that the manufacturer created due to a lack of lubrication . *ak

There is a clunking sound in the steering system when turning. i can feel some vibration in the steering wheel.*ak

There are 2 problems with the car i bought: 1. we have experienced a problem with the paint on the bumpers--it peels off. 2. the steering shaft on this car was popping and the steering wheel had play at about 30,000 miles and they replaced the shaft and told me there shouldn't be another problem. now the car has about 90,000 miles and when it had 70,000 it started the same steering problems it had before. does it take injuries or failed steering to get someone to look at this as a problem with this make and model???? i gave up arguing about #1 even though the paint isn't the way it should be. number 2 is a problem that should be addressed before someone gets hurt, when the dealer had to pay before i should not have to pay now!!! *cb

2000 chevrolet impala has a leaking or seeping power steering rack at under 48,000 miles. failure is very premature and costly, and has been documented on other chevrolet impalas. chevy refuses to cover any portion of the costly (over $1,000) repair. *ak

My 2000 impala has a clunking noise when making left hand turns. dealer put in a new steering shaft but the problem returned after another 12,000 miles on the car. it is an intermittent clunking and seems to be a permanent unrepairable defect in the car. *la

In march 2001 the dealer replaced on rack and pinion. in december 2001 the dealer replaced the steering gear shaft. in july 2002 the dealer lubricated the steering shaft but the noise is still present. *nlm

While driving on the highway, there was a loud knocking noise, which was coming from underneath the steering column due to lack of lubrication of the steering bushing shaft. the dealer was aware of the problem. *ak the first time this occurred the vehicle was under warranty at 31k miles. the consumer was told that it was due to an undersized shaft. (the clunking noise had gone away) the problem returned when the vehicle was out of warranty so the consumer had to pay out of pocket. the problem returned 28k miles later. *scc *jb*jb

Clunk noise from front of vehicle during driving, also can feel it in steering wheel. dealer fixed it in sept 2003, said there was a service bulletin,but would just grease the steering wheel first to see if it will fix it. it did but now it is back, and of course not in warranty. *nm

Chevy impala ls - 2000 year model, 38k miles. steering wheel locked up while driving straight on a surface street - approx 30 mph. battery light came on, but car did not idle or interrupt power. i had maybe 1/4 inch room to move wheel and was able to get car to side of road. power cycled car (off/on) and that cleared the steering lock up. dealership repair (allen gwynn chevy in glendale, ca) has not been able to replicate problem. i am terrified it will happen again -- could be fatal if steering locks and i lose control on a turn or on a freeway.

Chevrolet impala 2000. problem with steering in 2001, steering rack was replaced. now the car is back in shop, very hard to steer to the left and making noise while turning steering wheel to the left; they are putting in new steering rack for the second time. cradle was also replaced in 2001. after reading about this problem in other 2000 impalas, i am now very worried about it happening again and that i will have an accident.*ak

01-10-02, complained of pulsation felt in steering. mechanic resurfaced rotors. 01-11-02, same complaint, replaced intermediate steering column. 11-07-02, reported a squeal in steering when turning left, mechanic could not duplicate, greased steering column. 09-09-03 complained again of squeal in steering, replaced rack and pinion.

I have a 2000 impala vin# [xxx]. i have been hearing a noise from the steering column and everytime i push the gas the steering wheel turns to the left. it is not my alignment because i had gotten it realigned and i can feel it when i brake as well. it is hard to turn the steering wheel because of this problem. also my low tire pressure light will not go off even when it is programmed to go off manually it still stays on. i was told i need a new ebcsm. i just bought this car and am still paying on it. i heard others with the same model and yr have the same troubles with the steering. *jb information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

While driving at highway speeds, get a jerking vibration in streering wheel. ginn motors im covington ga. states that it is not the rack-n-pinion, but that it is the steering collum and that it would need to be broken down and grease added (cost 170.00. this is after they charged me 200.00 just to give estimate. when car had 26000 miles john miles chevy replaced the rack-n-pionion when it was doing the same thing and that cleared it up until now at 60000 miles. now the traction off and the brake worning lights are coming on with this vibration. blinkers will be working fine, then they will just quit. when this happens both dirrections will not work. 30 minutes latter they work fine. problem will not stay long enough to find source. air bag light comes on and off just like the turn sigals. since when do dealerships charge a minimum of 200 dollars for an estimate. they also did not repair recall of coolant leak. they said they do not have the part. gave no idea when they could get part.

Dt: the contact heard a cracking sound coming from steering column. he has not taken the vehicle to a service dealer to be checked. the sound would be more evident if the wheel was turning. he has not contacted the manufacturer. the noise has been heard for the past couple of years.*ak

After several months of operation a clunking or rattle sound began to be heard in the front end of the car. you could feel it as a vibration in the steering wheel. i took the car to munday chevrolet 17800 i-45 north houston, texas, 77090. they said there was a chevrolet/impala bulletin for this problem and it would be fixed. several months later on 04/14/03 i returned to the same location to complain that the problem had not been resolved. they packed it with 8.8 pounds of lubricant and said that would fix the problem for a couple years. three months later the problem is again happening. i can't conceive that an obvious defect in which the "intermediate shaft" rattles and is felt in the steering wheel is acceptible. there is an obvious unresollved problem that i feel could be dangerous in possibly lock up the steering. *ak

My 2000 impala has a severe clunking when i make both left and right hand turns. took it to dee's chevrolet in biloxi, ms and had no success in getting my problems corrected. they said they had to duplicate the problem so they didn't fix it. complaint number two, is the heater and air conditioning controls get very, very hot when taking short to long road trips. it has gotten so bad the ac will not work properly all the time. it will have to cool down, then it will work. and they still wouldn't fix it. again,they wanted to duplicate the problem to fix it. you just can't drive it around town to make it happen. *jb

Clunking & popping sound in steering (intermediate steering shaft) and rack and pinion. took car to chevrolet dealership and they said nothing was wrong. problem still exists so i'm taking this vehicle back. spoke to service dept. and stated another mechanic suggested it was the steering shaft. they are supposed to check the car again monday. my concern is that others may have the same problem because i see numerous entries on the website (www.impalahq.com). should this be an item of concern to gm since it causes you to loose steering control. at high speeds car wanders. at low speeds, feel every bump through steering wheel. i have two children and i am afraid that i am going to lose steering like others including police cars have. chevrolet says they want to lube the intermediate steering shaft first, but complaints indicate this has not worked for their same exact car with the same exact problem. i want the intermediate steering shaft replaced because i feel this is a real safety hazard. some state they are on the third shaft and still no help with the steering. impala 2000. *ph

2000 impala ls had alignment done @35,000 miles. noticed uneven wear on left front tire ~43,000 miles. took back to dealer, they said to replace tires and they would realign it. replaced tires ~ 47,000 miles, took back in and turned out the left front tie rod was bad they can't align it. tires has about 1/2 of play in it, recommended not to be driven until fixed.*ak

2000 chev impala police int 9c1officer swerved in intersection to avoid vehicle. officer struck utility pole center of front bumper. 40-50 mph. vehicle totaled. air bag did not deploy.*ak

Youmans chevrolet installed intermediate steering shaft at cost of $277 and now there are more noises in front end when car is stopped or started. dealer says he has done all he can do, but problem worse than before. *jb

Clunking sound in steering and rack and pinion. took car to century chevrolet in watsonville ca and they said nothing was wrong with it. took to anderson chevrolet in cupertino in ca and they replaced rack and pinion. this did not correct the problem of clunking sounds over bumps and while turning at low speeds. at high speeds car wanders. i have two children and i am afraid that i am going to lose steering like others including police cars have. now century chevrolet says they want to lube the intermediate steering shaft, but nhtsa complaints indicate this has not worked for their same exact car with the same exact problem. i have an extended warranty and i want my car fixed before it runs out and i am tired of getting the run around in the mean time. i want the intermediate steering shaft replaced because i feel this is a real safety hazard. *jb

Power steering rack, pump, gear and shaft replaced at 72,000 miles. there are no power steering and no leaks just too new of a car to have to replace all that. *la

When the vehicle made a left or right turn the rack and pinion made a rattling noise. the dealer was notified and stated that nothing could be done. *nlm

Stress crack in the sub-frame from the power steering pump. *nlm

The force required to turn the steering wheel was excessive. *mr *ts *nlm while driving, as result of high effort steering it caused the driver to exert more force in steering the vehicle, than the body was capable of withstanding. chevrolet has not fixed problem as of yet. further investigations are occurring. *cb *jb

Inadequate lubrication of lower steering shaft of 2000 chevrolet impala, a steering joint can only be lubricated by a gm kit - parts and labor 125.00. this has to be an engineering flaw since the usual lube job at the usual lube shop would never know this joint would need lubrication, nor have a kit on hand. *jb

A/c emits foul odors (mold/mildew). brakes pulsate, warning & abs lights come on. check engine lights come on, stalled once, uncontrolled acceleration from start up twice. steering: intermediate shaft replaced at 42,618 miles; rack & pinion leaking at 65,307 popping & muffled explosion sound in cold weather start ups, paint peeled off front & bumper of car. weather stripping adhesive liquifies on door posts in hot weather. airbag warning light comes on

Intermediate steering shaft has been a problem with the vehicle since reaching 17,669 miles. i had it replaced under warranty the first time and have paid for it to be replaced after the 3 year warranty ran out. the shaft continues to make cracking noises when turning the vehicle. this seems to be a part defect since a lot of people online have written about the same issue. i have had the shaft replaced three times and it last about a year before it starts to make a cracking noise. the power window regulator is a defect in this vehicle but it has not been recalled. i have had the regulator replaced for all four windows and now i am starting to have to replace the regulators again for all four windows. the regulator replacement is expensive ($400+ for each window). *tr

Power steering rack - the power steering failed while driving. dealer found out that the power steering rack need to be replaced. the car was just out of warranty. it is too immature for this component to fail at this age of the car.

Consumer states each time she drives her auto she hears a knocking noise. consumer took auto to the dealer three times, twice she was told that they could not duplicate the noise, and could find nothing wrong with the auto. the third time they heard the knocking and was told that it was her steering shaft. she states that this noise starts while she is turning her auto right or left, or even parking.*jb

Ltr re defective steering system in numerous automobiles especially the 2000 chevy impala which caused hand and finger deformalties to the consumer. *ts *jb the consumer purchased a 2000 vehicle and stated that he watched his fingers become bent and twisted as a result of steering. the consumer stated that side view mirror height obstructs the view of the on-coming traffic. *tc *sc

The car was not welded correctly. a piece that connects the rack and pinion to the frame became disconnected and the car will not turn it will only drive straight. i almost got hit by a semi truck trying to get on the highway. gm corporation refuses to fix the car because it is out of warranty despite the fact that this is something that should have never happened for the life of the car. mr

Clunks, thunks and pops felt through steering column while accelerating or decelerating. most noticeable at low speeds. i'm in germany (army) with the car. we use aafes. they could not diagnose problem, though they did confirm its existence in mar '03. german mechanic diagnosed lower ball joint on right side. aafes replace lower ball joints on both sides. that fixed the ball joints which had gone bad at 37,000 miles (out of warranty). still feel clunks, thunks, and pops through steering column. suspect intermediate steering shaft lubrication problem. will take to opel for inspection. *la

Steering wheel and front wheel drive effort. the consumer has had and on going problem with the steering of the vehicle. meetings with the representatives of gm has already taken place, but the steering system has not been repaired. the consumer was discouraged and wants further investigations. *cb the consumer had severe pains in his and fingers and hands from trying to steer the vehicle. *jb

Rolling backwards at a stop.shaking/shimmying of steering wheel--had to replace rotors/brakes at my own expense because warranty expires at 36,000.i also had to replace the module because it was malfunctioning,the pistons/rings and the abs system was also malfunctioning--still at my own expense.now,i'm having problems with my steering and front end making clunking noises.i bought the car with 17,500 or so on it,and now 24,000 miles or so later i'm spending a fortune on the upkeep of an apparent lemon.sure wish chevy would do somethin about it instead of giving us the run-around. nlm

There is a clicking sound coming from steering wheel when consumer is turning left or right. contacted dealer, and after three tries dealer could not find the cause. *ak dealer has replaced the steering shaft assembly and the steering gear. steering wheel shakes when brakes are applied. cruise control was inoperable.

Intermediate shaft is popping at all speeds. i don't want them to just grease it, i want them to replace it. i also want it to be under warranty. they won't cover it because it is just a lube job. it is not just a normal lube. it has to be remove then disassembled then greased and reassembled.*ak

When making turns in either direction, there was a loud popping sound. dealer modified steering gear shaft pinion by installing a larger pin. then, replaced gear steering shaft pinion, problem still exists. *ak *yh

Clunk noise from front of vehicle during turning maneuvers-can now feel a vibration in steering while driving-the dealer has not been able to correct this problem satisfactorily. *nlm

2000 chevrolet impala intermediate steering shaft failure. defective steering part that chevrolet refuses to acknowledge and fix. replaced part in 2001, replaced part in 2002, filled part with grease in 2003. this part is defective and should be redesigned and provided to all customers that purchased these vehicles at no cost to the consumer. *la

At approximately 1815 23 august 2001, her grandson entered the left passenger seat, climbed into the front seat over the console slipped against the shifting lever (on the steering column) with his right elbow. the car started moving. he tried to stop the car by pushing on the "middle" pedal. he stated he couldn't stop the car and that it hit a tree on the right fender, bounced over and into the ditch, and kept going into another ditch. the second ditch (the adjacent yards of the three properties involved were downhill slopes.), the left wheels hit a slight embankment, turning the car to the left, slowing the vehicle some. a neighbor moving his lawn was persuing the car, and stated he instructed the boy to unlock the doors, while still in motion and when the boy complied, opened the door and applied the brakes. the car hit a cedar post and bird feeder before being stopped.there were no keys in the car. the nieghbor stated he tried to turn the steering wheel to lock the wheels but it didn't lock. the boy later complained of a headache and was taken to the emergency room and treated for a mild closed head injury. the police were notified, and were advised to notify/dealer/manufacturer. no police report was made out as it all was on private property. we tested the shifting column, and without depressing the brakes, or putting the key in the ignition, i could very easily move the shift level to all gears. after reporting the incident to svc manager mont.chev. eddie mills 1130 24 august 01, he advised me to call 1-800-222-1020.

Vehicle experiencing noise in steering wheel. dealer replaced rack and pinion,/cam and toe, and front suspension. but problem still occurring. dealer notified. feel free to provide any further details on this matter.*ak

Consumer states there is high effort to turn the steering wheel and hold the vehicle on the road causing pain in the joints of the hands, wists, elbows and shoulders socket resulting crippling of fingers and arms. he further states in addition to the heavy steering effort is the lack of indentations on the backside of the steering wheels. gm not willing to do anything. *tt the consumer stated he has lost the ability to carry things in his hands. *jb

The steering wheel design puts off center pressure on the joints of the fingers, causing seriously twisted/distored joints and bones in fingers, which aren't apparent on extended fingers. please call, this is a sleeper. *ak

Front of vehicle was rattling when making turns at slow speed. dealer replaced engine cradle. in august of 2001 rattling returned. dealer replaced steering upper shaft.*ak

We contacted the dealer about these problems,just got ignored. no safety defect listed in summary.*ak