Problems with 2002 Chevrolet Impala ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I was driving home from work around 7:30 pm on tuesday on january 24, 2006, dark outside. i had my lights on bright and all of a sudden there were no lights. i did have fog lights on and i could still see them, but there weren't any headlights. i quick flicked the dimmer switch and they came back on. i've never experienced that before. however, when i talked to my mechanic the next day he said someone the week before experienced the same thing twice in one drive. the piece to replace this is quite expensive. i have not had it fixed yet, but i felt it should be reported. this happened once. another item of concern is that my security light inside my car has been on for about 2 months. every once in a while my car won't start on the first turn. only once did i have to have it jumped. there is plenty of power as the lights and radio still work. my mechanic has tried replacing an ignition switch (i think), but the first time i started it didn't turn over and then it did, but the security light was still on. it's back in the shop today. the other person mentioned above has experienced this same defect. they also own an impala. this has happened several times on my car. my mechanic cannot figure out what is wrong.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevy impala. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start when the security light illuminated. in addition, the failure occurred intermittently the last three years. the dealer replaced the ignition and pass sensor; however, the failure continued to occur. the current mileage was 96,000 and failure mileage was 60,000.

Body control module (bcm) failed after 57,000 miles. the other computer that resides in the same housing is covered by a 80,000 mile warranty, where as the bcm is not. there are numerous tsb's that are posted concerning failure of the bcm. there are many people who have similar problems and many sources are available by researching the internet. the technician at the dealership even said that "impalas are notorious" for problem with the bcm. general motors says that it is not covered and therefore will not cover the replacement costs of the bcm. if so many people are having problems with this year model (2002 impala ls) then why hasn't anything been done by them. i am thankful that my car did not shut off on the highway and did so in my parking lot. *nm

Approximately 60k miles, pass lock light came on. dealer said it was common in impalas, would cost $1500, needed to replace computer module which runs the entire vehicle. started having starting issues, air bag malfunctions, power door locks not working, wiper & window malfunctions, trunk opening on its own, etc. took to mechanic, said same as dealer, has seen a number of impalas with similar problem. car randomly does not start, airbag malfunction, and doors not working. *tr

The ac delco battery post came off of the battery. the clamp and cable were tight, the post was eaten in two from the inside. *nm

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled and there was an abnormal noise without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing, who stated that the entire electrical wiring needed to be tested. the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 14v400000 (electrical system) however the failure persisted. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 6,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the ignition switch, alarm, and security lights have stopped working. the vehicle is disabled and fails to start. the dealer stated that she needed an ignition switch and the module replaced. the manufacturer notified the dealer where the vehicle was purchased. the dealer offered 10% off of the repair cost. the current mileage was 90,000 and failure mileage was 55,000.

Dt: the rear of the vehicle caught on fire. the engine was not destroyed, but the seats were down to the wires. the vehicle had just been parked when he noticed a spark come from the rear driver side. the vehicle has not been inspected, but the insurance company states they are going to inspect it. the back windshield shattered before this, approximately three months prior. the vehicle was idling erratically before the vehicle caught on fire. the manufacturer has not been contacteed but according to the dealership they have to determine if the vehicle is still under warranty. the fire department did respond. they thought it might be because of electrical wiring. the police did respond, but did not file a report. this happened july 3, 2005. *nm

Headlites go dim and then get brighter, this happens off and on, by themselves.

I purchased my '02 impala through the corporate leasing company of my father's employer. he had no problems with the car other than the transmission fluid turning black by 85,000 miles. when i got the car in june of '05, it was at 121,000 miles, i drove the car around all day, parked the car for 5 minutes, and when i went to start it, nothing happened. the dash lit up, the radio came on, but the car didn't turn over, not even a clicking sound, indicative of a dead battery. i waited 10 minutes, tried again and it started right up. i went for another month without any problems, however in late july, the car failed to start. again i waited 10-15 minutes, and it started right up. this continued sporadically until october 20, when it took 30 minutes of waiting to get it to crank. i took the car to a local gm dealer, who put it on the machine and advised me that the bcm (body control module) had failed and was sending a signal to the passlock system telling it that my keys were incorrect. the service writer informed me that a new bcm installed would run about $500.00, and the service tech advised that this has become a common failure in both the impala and the malibu, which gm has yet to recall. the technician did suggest that a more cost effective option existed with several of the after-market shops, in which a bypass-relay was installed under the dash, to block the erroneous signals from the bcm, which will allow the vehicle to operate normally. the cost for this bypass is about $55.00 and takes approximately an hour to install. the only problem with this solution, is it blocks the key recognition feature of the passlock system, which will make it easier to steal, if someone can start it without damaging the key ignition. i think it is necessary for gm to understand that a vehicle's failure to start due to faulty component in the anti-theft system is a very serious concern which needs to addressed. *nm

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that she was unable to start the vehicle and the trunk and door locks failed to work. the dealer was unable to diagnose the cause of failure. the contact believed that the failure was caused by the anti-theft system. she has reprogrammed the anti-theft system. the failure has occurred approximately six times. the windshield on a clear day caused blurred vision. the dealer replaced the windshield, the failure did not continue. while driving 70 mph the headlights began to blink. the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. the current mileage was 60,000 and failure mileage was 40,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. while driving 35 mph, the key dislodged from the ignition without cause and the vehicle continued to operate. the failure recurred three times. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but there was no known diagnosis. the contact received a notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system) and the keys were replaced. the contact stated that the replacement keys were difficult to operate. the vehicle was returned to the dealer, but the contact was not able to provide the details of the diagnosis. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 20,000. the vin was not available.

I own a 2002 chevy impala. on 5/20/05 the security light started coming on and would remain on. the security light continued to come on and now the car would not start. it would take 10-30minutes before i could start the car. i took the car to a dealership and they replaced the ignition cylinder. on 6/15/05 the same exact problem started up again. this time the dealership installed a new starter. on 7/16/05 same problem arose again with security light. a diagnostic was done and codes came up from a notice from gm (8/04). the code #'s were b2958 and b2960. the code said to repair poor terminal connections at body control module. the security light continues to come on and car does not start. this continues on/off from 9/11/05-11/28/05. on 11/28/05 the ignition lock/sensor is replaced and the pcm is reprogrammed. and i am given a new key. looks like at the moment the problem is solved. well today 7/17/08 i notice that the security light is back on and i begin to cringe because of what i went through in 05'. i get online to see if anyone else is experiencing the same problem and i was shocked to see the # of complaints from disgruntled customers about this security light. this is an outrage! gm by now is well aware of the problem with this security light going on. it would seem to me that there would have been a recall notice going out to chevy impala owners. i have contacted gm. my complaint is on file. i have 2 file #'s. one for in 2005--# [xxx] and a new one just started today (7/17/08)--#-[xxx]. please google chevy impala and security light problem and see the list of complaints that come up. this is an absolute disgrace! i feel that this is something that needs to be looked into asap. thank you, [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Parked and turned off car, gauges, locks and lights went crazy. car would not restart and electrical system continued to go crazy eventually the battery exploded and everything turned off. dealership determined it was the bcm. 6 years later bcm is bad again. *tr

Bought chev impala 2002 brand new, no miles. 2005 began experiencing cooling system problems-running hot etc. replaced radiator, flushed system, replaced thermostat, etc. etc. several times, body control units- lights and locks going crazy, hub assembly/tracking system problems- sounds and pulsating when try to brake or turn, high beam light won't stay on to this date. experiencing smoke from hood-may be a leak which seems to be acommon complaint but dealer put dye in and said they don't detect a leak. no air-freon replaced several times. *cn

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. while driving between 65-70 mph with the radio and air conditioning activated, the front passenger floor panel area ignited into flames without warning. there were no injuries. the passenger extinguished the flames and the fire department was not called to the scene. the dashboard and carpet sustained minor fire damage. the vehicle was able to be driven. the following day, the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle is currently inoperable and has not been repaired. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 09v116000 (engine and engine cooling). the failure and current mileages were unavailable.

The security light goes and car will not start been having this problem for the past 5 years. have replaced the ignition switch, computer module everything! and still not working properly. the radio is locked. the wipers work when they want to. i have put so much money into this car and it still only runs when it wants. *tr

When getting into my car i go to start my car and nothing happens. i have to wait for 10 minutes before it will start. the security lights comes on when driving down the road. it could cause a serious accident if someone did not know what to do. no one can figure out what the problem is when the car will not start and the security light is on. it is a manufacturing defect in the security system. there are several people that have the same issues with this. some people have to wait 30 minutes before their car will start. this could put a woman in a serious situation. we need to find out what is the problem and i hope someone can help. *jb

2002 chevy impala the security light goes on when driving. after a short period of time when driving this way the car will not start after being turned off. a friend who has a newer impala has had secuirty light go on while driving and the engine totally shut down . very serious implications could arrive if on highway or bridge and car dies.

Ignition switch - malfunctioned. y have something to do with security light. had to be replaced by dealer service. *ak

I recently(3-7-05) purchased a used 2002 chevy impala from my uncle. he told me that based on info received from a former gm mech.; there was a starter problem that he had yet to experience. i have had the car a little over 3 weeks now and have experienced the problem 4 times in the last 5 days. i replaced the starter yesterday(3-23-05) based on what my uncle had told me. 20 minutes after installing the new 1 the car did not start. called a local dealership this morning(3-24-05) and was told that the problem was with the body control module and the ignition cylinder. this dealer told me that he has 1 monte carlo/impala come in every month with this problem. i asked him if it was recall on the part(s). he told me "no" and the the replacement cost was between $450-600. now i'm out $250 for a starter i didn't need and being told i'm looking @ another bill around $500. in my opinion 1 car a month is too many and that was at just 1 dealer. i have 14 chevrolet dealers within 15 miles of my house. that is 168 cars just near me in 1 year. i think this needs to be looked into.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. whenever the contact attempts to start the vehicle, the key will turn inside of the ignition, but the vehicle will not start. the contact noticed the same failure three years ago at 40,000 miles. in addition, the security light feature began to flash before the failure occurred. the vehicle has been diagnosed by the dealer and they stated that the body control module needed to be replaced. the current mileage was 101,000 and failure mileage was 40,000. updated 7/23/109 *cn the consumer stated there is a severe problem with the passlock security system and gm does not have a proper fix. updated 07/30/09.*jb

The passlock system has been failing me since 2005. the car starts when it feels like it. i have been stranded for 6 months, late to work, and mentally stressed thanks to this problem. everyday for the last 7 years i have experienced this problem. in 2005 i had the bcm replaced, and gm blamed the problem on the viper alarm system. as of last week general motors cut a new key, because the old key was stated as the problem. now that the problem still exist gm informs me that i need to replace the ignition. this has to be a form of rape. i am a veteran, university student, and a part-time worker, so my vehicle is very much needed. my family and friends have to continuously watch me struggle due to this vehicle issue. i guess this is the thanks you get for being a hard working american. *tr

Starting 2/05 i have had the "security" warning light and my engine fail to start on 3 separate occasions. i had to replace the bcm the first time but have now been told that there is a tsb on this issue and that, per gm, i need to replace the ignition switch and associated parts to prevent my vehicle from shutting down on the road. if that is not a safety hazard i don't know what is. gm knows about this but will not stand behind it's defect until a major accident happens. they should do a recall and have these all repaired before a major accident does take place. they should be held accountable before a life is lost because of a well known documented flaw. *nm

my car was running one day when i was in a store and i came out and got in and it was dinging and lights were flashing radio didn't work fan was not as strong as usual. and once in awhile i won't even have lights unless i hold in the brights switch. but that was just the start it got more frequent that this would happen then, it wouln't start i would try for hours to get it to start i would have to disconnect the battery and wait and then even after doing this it might not start. and then just driving down the road it will ding and flash raid shuts off says "locked" what what is this now. so i will stop shut off wont start, finally starts then none of the gauges work or radio or even the a/c. i have lost two jobs because of my car not starting and being late for work or not being able to make it cause it wont start. now i have taken it to about ten dealer ships , well every place tells me same thing there is nothing wrong with your car. may 30,2007 was the worst time with my car, it was raining really hard, my car started to act up like usual my a/c wouldn't work it was really humid and about 85 degrees and i got to a town and shut off the car and disconnected the battery as usual also and nothing happen and this went on for 2 hours and still nothing happened the worst part about this is i had my 6 month old daughter with me, my fiance is out of town we are an hour from home and my friend has a flat tire and my parents on vacation i had no ride or any body to call and i couldn't call a tow service because i only had $10.00 to my name i had to bundle my daughter up in her blanket and start walking home, i walked for about 20mins before any one stopped to pick us up. i am so sick and tired of this happening and would like this problem to be resolved but i don't think it should have to be at my expense when it obviously is not just happening to me! please please help ...

Both left and right hub bearing assembly have been diagnosed as loose. an independent repair shop advised that both need to be replaced before an alignment could be performed. john wigant of walker chevrolet told me, prior to a written statement, that both sides exhibit a worn out diagnosis, but that only one side should be replaced now and that the other might never need to be replaced or it could get worse. in a written statement from john wigant of walker chevrolet, i was informed that only the passenger side bearing should be replaced. i have had other problems with rotors that literally shook my front end and steering column during the warranty period of 36,000 miles. and the intermediate shaft has been repaired and replaced 3 times. the last time it was reported on november 18, '04 and not repaired until december 30, '04 at 53,267 miles. i have been advised that replacing these hub bearings will cost me about $1,000.00 to repair. i have read another complaint in nhtsa files that a same year impala front wheel or axle fell off and caused a driver to veer off the road. i feel that the past rotor and intermediate shaft problems have exasperated this wear and caused it to be a bigger problem. i have had problems with the electrical system, speedometer cable, radio, and rear window. all have been serviced, but continue to exhibit the same problems that existed before repair or replacement. *jb

When the consumer accelerated from a stop he heard a clicking noise. *nm the transmission had gone out. the battery had gone dead and had a crack in it. also, while the vehicle was in motion, going 65 mph in cruise, the motor suddenly sped up then slowed down and a grinding noise was heard. *sc *jb

Dt: the consumer states that the 2002 chevrolet impala is having a problem on the security feature on the bcm. the instrument panel lights up and the car will start, and sometimes it will not. the car has been taken to the dealership for diagnostic testing. the dealer found that the body control module was faulty. the consumer did not have the car repaired because she did not have the money to pay for it. the car is still starting intermittently. the consumer called gm, and they referred her to nhtsa. gm made a file of her complaint. the consumer stated specifically that she had been stranded several times because of this and she considered that a safety issue because she has five kids. the consumer said that she had a problem with the security feature for the past year.*ak

Vehicle fails to start - motor does not crank, starter does not engage. tests show battery, starter, alternator circuits are good - no error codes given. vehicle engine runs rough and the gas mileage has decreased considerably. local mechanic states that general motors is having a problem with the computers overwriting its own code and therefore causes problems, such as this, with the vehicle. vehicle starts occasionaly at best. vehicle is unreliablbe - cannot trust it to start when needed. going to call dealer to check if there is a "silent recall" to correct the problem. otherwise, will attempt to use nhtsa service bulletin #00214a to try to get program reloaded into vehicle's computer without charge though i expect very little help, if any, from a dealer.*ak

2002 chevy impala ls car stalls at highway speeds, often after hitting large bump, resulting loss of power brakes and power steering is dangerous. full text of correspondence with gm, postings on line and search of tsb is available. *nm

Car would not start. security light came on and it would not start. this has happened at least 10 times a year since 2004. the wiring to the light system melted at the ignition switch in one incident. i continually have to reset the security system to override the pass lock system errors. the car continues to fail with pas lock security issues. i have researched this on chevrolet impalas, pontiac and other gm models. the solutions are vague and inconsistent. i took my car to the chevrolet dealer in san diego and they could not figure out what was wrong and their suggestion was to replace a bunch of expensive parts with no guarantee that this would fix the security lock start issue. they said this was a very common problem and they had no solution for the cause. they told me the best thing to do was to trade it in on a new car or sell it to some unsuspecting person to deal with. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the lights failed to illuminate on the gear box preventing the contact from seeing which gear the vehicle was in. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who was not able to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 4,000.

While traveling on a residential street the car cut off without warning. the next week while on the highway traveling at 70 mph the car cut off again which was very dangerous. once i got it started it cut off about 4 more times before i could get home. the dealer replace the fuse box. now about 7 months later the problem is happening again. i informed gmac and they told me to go back to the dealer. i guess so they can have another chance to hurt someone this time.*ak

i wanted him to check my driver side back door because it wouldn't open very easily at times, and the window to that same door would not open at times. also, my trunk wouldn't open when one would use the trunk release button at times. i also had him check my dimming headlights, my steering which had a jerk in it when i went around curves, clicking sound in engine and an over all check since my warranty is about to run out in 1,000 miles. turn out-after leaving the dealer my air conditioner was humming like a helicopter, my brakes were horrible and grinding and the car feels like it has no get up and go power. i took my car to brake check after leaving because when the dealer did the overall check of my car they said i needed a front brake job. and they wanted to charge me over 200.00 dollars. the dealer told me it was not covered under my warranty. well brake check took off all four tires and found that my problem was due to left and right caliper problems on the inboard side and left rear hard wear problems and wear on the outboard side. the caliper is engaging but not disengaging and caused my pads to wear out and my rotors are ate up. the pads are not worn evenly which is definitely a sign of caliper problems. also, the dealer upon the overall inspection of my car said that my intake gaskets were ruined and leaking coolant. they said they replaced them, however i am afraid that there is further damage to my vehicle that they are not telling me, just like my brakes. due to the fact that steve at lone star told me that it was caused due to lack of oils changes and gil said it was a problem with the gaskets being improperly seated from the factory or just a defect in the gasket. well is this why my car has no get up anymore? my car also made a grinding sound when hitting bumps under the right front fender area that nothing was done about and my headlight problem they said was due to a faulty battery cable. *nlm

The car stalls on the freeways or side streets without any warnings, and i lose control the power of the car and the brakes. it happened several times and the dealers are not able to repair it. *nlm

Problems began almost immediately with digital gear indicator, dash, and other lights going out and coming back on. got no satisfactory response from manufacturer and now cluster has gone out, switch out, low coolant light stays on. at times acrid smell in vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start. the dealer changed the bcm module; however, the failure continued to occur. the dealer then replaced the bcm module again. approximately six months later the failure occurred again. as a result, the power windows were inoperable. the mechanic stated that an electrical short caused the failure. they replaced the wires however approximately one month later the failure occurred again. as of april 14, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the failure mileage was 10,000 and current mileage was 121,000.

Problem with message center, security lite comes on then battery lite, then service vehicle soon, then air conditioning would not turn on, started funny, did not start turning over when i first turned the key it started to turn over about 1 sec after turning the key and started ok then. all of this happened a the same time for the first time. prior to this i reported a popping/snapping noise when you turned the key. the chev dealer said this was normal (3 weeks prior to the problem).

Shortly after purchasing this vehicle, i parked and when i tried to start it would not start. after waiting about 20 minutes it did start. i took it to the dealer and was told it was a sensor which they replaced. did not stop the problem, continues to do it today. now at about 8500 miles a message comes up to service tract system. am told it is a sensor in the hub and the entire hub will have to be replaced at a cost of about $750 per hub for the front and slightly more if it is the rear hub. after reading on the internet of this same problem people are having, i realize i am not the only one having this problem and it seems all these fixes do not stop the problem. i purchase the car new and love the ride and performance i get from this car but am not able at the time to pay for expenses of this magnitude. have considered trading but do not want to saddle someone else with this problem. would not mind the repairs if it was going to fix the problem, but seems as if this is a problem that cannot be fixed. help *tr

At 45mph the vehicle shuts off with no warning and will not start back up. cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak

My 2002 chevy impala ls has had a problem, since buying it in may 2002, with the headlights dimming to the point of cutoff then coming back to full intensity in a rapid fashion. i have had the alternator, battery, belts, cables/wires checked but to no avail. i do notice that if i accelerate sharply, over 3000 rpm, the problem goes away for a while, suggesting there is a charging problem. this problem is intermittent, but is increasing in frenquency as my odo reaches 23,000 miles.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that she was able to remove the key from the ignition and the vehicle would remain on. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 103,413. updated 7/7/14*cn updated 07/11/2014 *js

When attempting to start vehicle, consumer states' sometimes vehicle won't start. consumer has to try about three times before vehicle will start. cause is unknown. dealer has been contacted. please provide any further information. ts

Pressing horn button takes a lot of effort. dealer said it was designed that way, and there was nothing that could be done. *ak

Consumer returned to her car which was parked in a parking lot to find it on fire, consumer states the problem occurred due to faulty wiring. *slc

Horn is very hard to locate and activate when needed. dealer has been notified. *ak the sevrice manager says that air bags makes it difficult to blow the horn during an emergency condition. all impalas and malibus have the same problem. *yh