Problems with 2001 Chevrolet Impala ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

While driving through winding road, front left tire went into pothole causing ignition switch to turn engine off and lost power steering, causing loss of control and crash. *tr

2001 chevrolet impala parked the vehicle with the engine running, put foot on the brakes, and accelerated slightly to start down the driveway after coasting down the incline, he tried to brake, but the pedal went to the floor and there was no power steering. resulting in hitting a tree. *cw the vehicle was totaled. as a result of the accident, the consumer sustained injury to his head and chest. the consumer believe the accident, was due to the ignition. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled several times. as an interim repair, the contact had to ignite two electrical wires under the hood to get the vehicle to start. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was unknown.

My daughter and her boyfriend were killed in a car accident driving home on highway 20 on may 4 of this year near newport oregon. we just received a recall notice for the ignition and feel this may have been a contributing factor to the accident. *tr

The vehicle will not start if the security light is flashing... i have to wait atleast 15-20 minutes with the key positioned in the on position until the security light stops flashing.. then it starts. another problem is the brake light and the battery light comes on at the same time and the car feels like it wants to stall. finally, if the car is running in park.....all of the exterior and interior lights starts to flash. *tr

The car will not start. due to security system. then i found out that i had to wait 10 minutes for the car to start. *tr

I began experiencing problems with my turning signals. approximately in april they began to not work automatically when instructed to use. in recent months they make noise as they are instructed to be used and well not function properly. also, the emergency lights are inoperable at this time. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the horn failed to operate. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the horn was replaced three times but the failure recurred. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact also received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling) and the dealer was unable to determine when the parts would become available. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000. vin tool confirms parts not available. updated 03/09/16*lj the consumer stated the horn was replaced on 12/7/15 and still functioning. *tr

The cooling overheat light went on and the car turned off on me and my child on the exit of the 170 fwy, it now makes a screeching sound like metal, the radiator leaks and something smells burned, the mechanic i went to that was close by said i have to now replace the engine and other expensive items that seem to fall under the 2001 impala recalls, my fuel pump has an issue as well and the electrical problem even worse it turns of and on as it pleases. *tr

2001 chevrolet impala. consumer writes in regards to ignition switch failure, causing a loss of electrical power. *smd the dealer informed the consumer, the ignition switch needed to be replaced. *jb

Somebody broke into my car stole my radio and every since then the car wont start sometimes. it was doing it before they stole the radio but now its worser. *tr

2001 chevrolet impala. consumer writes in regards to ignition switch recall. *smd the ignition switch was replaced on february 22, 2014. *jb

This car has had major problems with the cooling system and when the car heats up my brakes don't work rite it is very scary at times when i don't know if my brakes are going to stop me from going into traffic or not. i have replaced many parts and it has not been fixed. my car is on the recall for the ignition switch but i'm not sure is this is a safe vehicle to drive around anymore. and my question to u guys is y do these manufacturing company keep on getting to make unsafe cars and continue to be able to make money off the consumer. to me that is not fair. i have spent a lot of money to get my car repaired with no out come its still a p.o.s. *tr

At times car not starting with key, have to use keyless auto start in those cases. replaced battery and realized later that the battery wasn't the cause. started doing it after had keyless entry installed in december, has happened multiple times. didn't happen for several months but just happened yesterday. *tr

I purchased this vehicle as is, it was in good condition regularly maintenance, and i went to work over 2 months of having it when i pulled in to my jobs parking lot the whole car shut of was very close to causing a crash and scary it happen a few times and i was to fed up with it not knowing what was wrong with it and no body could figure the problem out it eventually, lost my job because i was late to many times due to the car cutting off and making me late, i finally decided it was unsafe and junked it for $300 and now i hear about the actual problem that was wrong with it, i think i should be entitled to something without getting a laywer knowing the problem wasn't my fault, and the problems it caused. thank you [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Car will not start and battery will not take a charge. the battery is good, however. this seems to be an electrical problem probably involving the bcm. chevy should own up to this and repair for free. once the battery is partially charged, lights flash, speakers hum, and things click. its definitely a problem with several models. *tr

Security system is always locking up i have to wait 10 minutes before i can start car... i also know several other impala owners and this is a problem for them too.. it's a very big inconvenience especially when you show up to work late because of it... it is so much of a problem i will never buy another impala and probably never purchase a chevy ever again! *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the engine stalled without warning. the vehicle was restarted and functioned normally but the failure recurred several times later. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 130,000.

I have a 2001 impala dies going down the road. the electrical gas gauge security light oil light temperature gauge do not work now. you can go to the store. come out car won't start and some times it won't start for days or weeks. sometimes i smell oil burning. if the buzzer goes off in the car the car won't start you can go down the road if you hear the sick sounding door buzzer go off be prepared to stop. took it to the shop they can't figure out what it is. most the time its running fine when they get it. *tr

I have a 2001 chevy impala and the gas gauge has a problem i would fill it up and the gauge would go right to e and the car would say check engine oil i just got a oilchange and low engine coolant. *tr

When braking my car assumes i'm sliding (like on ice) and i'm not--car uses abs unnecessarily. when driving off my car assumes my wheels are spinning and unable to grip--they aren't and car uses traction control unnecessarily. similar to a breaking throttle cable, when trying to make a left turn on a busy street, traction control being activated could be very hazardous. *tr

2001 chevrolet impala. ignition recall. *ta the consumer was informed the parts needed to be ordered. the consumer stated in november 2012, she had difficulty turning the key in the ignition. *jb

There is a problem with the pass lock system which makes the car no start up. *tr

Bought the car in august 2010 noproblem for ayear went to star thecar would not start security light was on had problems with it ever sense security light on car wont start unplug battery cable for 10 seconds it would start happens every few days went out tostart my car on saturday 8/17 /13 car wouldn't start no crank no electrical systems not working. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet impala. while pulling into a gas station at 10 mph, the vehicle stalled and the security indicator illuminated. the vehicle failed to restart. the failure occurred several times. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system); however, the part needed to repair the vehicle was unavailable. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

My car has a starting problem my security light use to stay on for a while and then one day (june 20 2012) my car wouldn't start at all it use to take up to 10 minutes and then it would start but now its completely nothing my security light use to also blink and then and for the first time its not started for 4 whole months i try everyday seeing will it start but it hasn't can u all please make this problem noticeable and do a recall. *tr

Fathers day i was driving my impala about 9 miles to my house everything was fine the engine wasn't hot no warning that somthing was wrong. i have always maintained my vechicle kept up with work on it anyways i drove it home parked it went inside and not even 5 min later there was smoke and a fire had started underneath my hood. looked like it was somthing electrical and all i have on the vechicle for insurance is liability. *tt

The ignition switch began having a "passlock" problem. essentially, on a more regular frequency, the car would not start because it thought it was being stolen. a reset procedure took 15 minutes plus. fixing the problem required that i replace the ignition switch. i argued that gm should fix this problem at their expense since it was prevalent on many gm models and model years (i also had to have this same issue fixed on a 2004 saturn ion). in addition, i listed several situations where this could be a safety issue (car stopped on railroad tracks and could not get it started, could not start car in parking lot when faced with a burglary, having to get help from strangers, etc.) gm would not help with the issue and the total cost was born by me. the above shows that gm ignition switches have not only had the issue related to too many keys on a key chain / bumps that moved it out of the run position. customers paid many millions of dollars to fix this passlock / ignition switch problem in order to be able to continue to safely operate their vehicles. i feel that this "passlock" related ignition switch issue should be looked into along with the current ignition switch recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the vehicle stalled and the anti-theft security battery warning lamp illuminated. the contact mentioned that the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the resistor and anti theft module was defective and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 14,428.

We have a 2001 chevrolet impala ls, and have had a couple incidents involving the vehicle anti theft system. the vehicle wouldn't start, and would display a security warning on the dash. typically we had to wait about 10 - 15 minutes to try again, and the vehicle would start. i have looked online and have found many complaints about the anti theft failing on these vehicles not allowing them to start. gm has not issued a voluntary recall, and even after the alleged issue has been fixed by a dealership, many owners have complained the issue still exists. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the anti-theft system engaged and as a result, prevented him from starting the vehicle. the security warning lamp was illuminated when the failure occurred. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the body control module needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 110,000.

Car won't start then 10 20 or even 30 minutes later it starts. *tr

When car sits for a day, battery is dead, and car will not start. requires a jump, then car cuts out intermittently while driving. dies when at slow speed or idle. *tr

Was driving on interstate doing about 70/72 miles an hour when car shut off . lost power steering, power brakes & lights. managed to get it to the shoulder of the road & stopped. car did restart. car shut off several time after that when slowing down for a stop light or stop sign. spent over $600.00 trying to get it fixed. feel gm should have advised their dealerships about the problem when it was discovered in 2004. if dealership had been aware of problem they would have been able to fix it instead of trying several other costly things. i would still be drive the impala & not making a car payment. *tr

My car will not start due to an issue with the passkey/passlock system. it is a anti theft function installed on several of the gm models that when it fails to work it actually keeps the owner from using the vehicle. after going on line to research this issue i noticed that this was a very common and expensive problem to have. in addition to getting the system fixed many owners say that after about 3 or 4 months the problem comes back and have even died on them as they were driving. some try to bypass this system and others attempt to have it fixed, but regardless of how they deal with it, i believe that it is the manufactures responsibility to address common problems with the vehicles they sell; not to mention that honda was having the same issue with their vehicles and issued a recall. *kb

When key is turned, dash lights come on but engine will not turn over. radio will work, chimes will work, all interior and exterior lights work but engine will not crank. after some time, anywhere from 5 minutes to 1.5 hours, engine will turn over and car will start and run fine. *tr

All at once the car would not start depending on how key was in ignition. could wiggle then start, sometimes had to wait a period of time before you could wiggle it and it started. unreliable. at the exact same time the front end electrical seemed to all go haywire. headlights not working properly. high beams with no low. wipers went into upright position when car started and won't go down. all routine maintenance and tuneups were on schedule. *tr

Security light comes on and car will not start for extended periods of time. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who replaced the sensor and the fuel filter, but the failure recurred. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system). the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 186,000.

My turn signals worked intermittently. pressing the hazard switch a couple times fixed problem. online forum said replace the hazard switch. fixed the problem for about a month. now, my car needs to be running and warmed up before the turn signals work correctly. problem seems to be worsening has the temperature drops. *tr

The security system prevented the car from starting. *tr

Trouble starting my 2001 chevrolet impala., i try to start my car and it wont start, security light pops on and wont let me start my car. car has left me stranded and late many times. if i wait 15min-1hr i can then get the car to start. i have done some research on this problem and many gm vehicles have it. they need to put out a recall. *tr

As i've found from many other folks through the internet and in person, the passlock system in my 2001 impala is faulty and dangerous! the best case scenario the engine won't start and when you come back 15 minutes later it starts just fine assuming you are in the comforts of your own living space. when on the road this is a severe problem!! also, my wife recently was driving through and intersection and the vehicle just quit! same issue. wait and it starts!!! now in this case there wasn't and accident, but very easily could have been!! cars dying when making a left turn is not my idea of a safe vehicle!!! since that episode, we've had the vehicle looked at, but no one seems to be able to find the problem. after some research, i'm now 100% sure it's the passlock anti-theft system. once again, this very morning we went to drop kids at daycare and the car would not start............wait 15 minutes and it starts just fine. there is and obvious problem with the anti-theft system on these vehicles and they need to be addressed!!! *tr

Blinkers & hazards do not always work.

For the third time a power window "regulator cable" has broken in my car, twice in the driver door (9/29/04 and 5/15/11) and once in the passenger door (09/15/09), each time while driving the vehicle on a street or highway. nothing noticeable before windows dropped. had to drive it to a dealer (once for several hundred miles). cost of repairs were as high as $433. i have owned this car since 11/2001. *tr

The passlock security system locks the car down, you have to wait around 10 minutes for the system to reset so the car can be started. *tr

Vehicle will not start at times. security system thinks you're stealing the car. you have to wait ten or so minutes till the bypass security system resets itself leaving you stranded till you get a restart. worn contacts on the ignition switch are not recognizing your key. had ignition switch replaced about a year and a half ago and problem has returned. seems to be extremely common on gm cars '99 to '05. *tr

Bought this car used and it was running fine for about a year till it got to the point that the car would not crank and security lock would pop up frequently now it almost takes an hour to crank it even if u hit the starter the stater moves but want crank the car i have spent over 4 grand on it trying to fix it but nothing works even checked fuses wires and computer box nothing looks bad cruise control stopped working awhile back too. *tr

Cars battery dies when parked for a full day. interior lights do not work, cannot turn on fog lights, driving lights don't come on, lights staying flashing. battery lights on and so is the security light. im not even comfortable turning it off when i get off at stores cause the car doesn't restart i have to wait an hour before restarting. factory radio is locked when i took it in they charged me to unlock it but said that it'll come back on that they pretty much don't know why it happens all they can tell me was that it is a security problem. *tr

I purchased a used 2001 impala with a little over 145k miles on it in november 2010. it drove fine for about a month until the check engine light came on. no problem. eventually it had cooling issues and we had to replace the water pump. it is understandable to replace such parts on a used vehicle. the real issues began in the spring whenever my car started to display security warnings, battery warnings, and service vehicle warnings for no reason. i could find no mechanic or electrician who could diagnose the problem. eventually, the problems became worse: the blinkers would not work, my odometer, temperature, and fuel gauge all quit working. my air-conditioner would no longer cool. the radio "locked". and whenever i applied the brakes, an electronic "pop" was audible. chevy dealerships are left with the exhaustible task of dealing with these issues--when they are not their fault, but the manufacturers. a quick search online will reveal that impalas are plagued with electrical problems from the body control module to faulty amps in the trunk. if these problems are so widespread, why hasn't there been an effort by the manufacturer to help find a solution? it's questions like these that make me wonder why our government bailed out a company that can't stand behind their product--or even correct a very serious and potentially dangerous problem in their vehicles. *tr