Problems with 2002 Chevrolet Impala ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, it would failed to start and there was oil leaking from the engine. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling) the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 72,000. updated 02/10/16*lj *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the map sensor failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 350,000. the vin was not available. updated 08/02/16*lj the consumer stated the turn signal, ac, daytime running lights, interior lights and security system worked intermittently. updated 08/08/16.*jb

2002 chevrolet impala. consumer writes in regards to ignition key recall notice. *smd the consumer also stated the intake gaskets leaked anti-freeze. *jb

2002 chevrolet impala. the key switch broke along with the icm module and the crank and cam shaft censors and the computer. *ta

2002 chevrolet impala. consumer states vehicle caught fire when started *tgw the consumer stated he managed to put the fire out, but it ruined the motor. the consumer stated a recall was issued. however, gm denied the claim, stating due to statute of limitations being five years, they could not honor the recall.

Car cranks when it wants too it cranks up and sometime is does not. *tr

My well-maintained 2002 chevy impala, 3.4l v6, base model shut off a couple days ago while driving on the highway. i was accelerating, as the traffic was finally picking up. that's when i felt the car jerk and suddenly shut off. it was horrifying - the brake pedal & steering wheel locked, so i forcibly turned the wheel with all my strength, coasted to the shoulder, with two near-collisions, pressed the emergency brake, then shifted to park. the red battery symbol was illuminated on the dashboard as if the key was set to "on", but no check engine light. i noticed the headlights and the dash lights were off, but i believe that's because the car shut off (which is what would normally happen after shutting off a car with auto-off lights). several attempts to start only resulted in sounds of a car struggling to turn over, but never actually turning. eventually the car stuttered, but started. i was back in highway traffic, and after a few minutes of driving, it shut off again. same drill - coasted off the road, and several failed attempts to start before finally starting. back on the road, a few minutes later, it happened again. after 2 more episodes of this, instead of struggling to start, the wasn't even coming close. the car radio and hazard lights were still working. which led me to believe that constant starting attempts may have exhausted the battery. after a successful start, i was able to drive it home, using local roads for fear of a highway crash. 25 minutes later, the car was still running just fine. it didn't shut off again until i was parked at home and idling for a few minutes. everytime it shut off, i'd see *no* check engine light, *no* warnings from the mil, though it's fully functional. the next day i moved the car for alternate side parking and it started up just fine, no hesitation. several more starts since monday - no hesitation or problem. i'm afraid to drive it long for now, for fear of an imminent crash. this could be fatal. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the low coolant indicator illuminated. the contact refilled the coolant, but it had leaked out by the following day. the failure occurred on numerous occasions. an independent mechanic stated that the intake manifold gasket needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

After starting the car blower motor wont work cruise light stays on mirror cluster don't work until 15 min then everything will work but when using the cruise it will stop working but light stays on after time gauges cut out and then come back on and all problems slowly become worse with time. have reason to believe its the ignition switch. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. the contact stated when trying to accelerate the vehicle it would hesitate. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who advised her that the egr valve was causing the engine to misfire and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

At times the cab of the 2002 chevy impala seems to overheat and when you try to start it all of the warning lights flash, including headlights, then it won't start. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. the contact approached the parked vehicle and smelled a strong burning odor coming from underneath the hood. the hood was released and the engine compartment was completely melted. there were no flames. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where they advised that there was a recall associated with the nhtsa campaign id number 09v116000 (engine and engine cooling). the vehicle was beyond repair due to the fire. the contact did not receive a recall notification. the manufacturer was notified and they were unable to provide further assistance. the failure mileage was 139,000.

My impala stops running while im driving on or off the freeway but especially when im driving at a speed of 55 to 65mph when on freeway without warning, the engine light comes and power steering is lost. *tr

2002 impala in the check engine light box the low coolant light and the security lights also shows and the battery light then the engine dies in the middle of traffic i have seen so many and more people with impalas in dangerous moments talking of it online could you please have chevy correct this deadly mess got the problem fixed then it started back i do have kids active in school sports needing transportation i can not describe how being stranded in traffic makes me feel. *tr

2002 chevy impala ls v6 engine, required to have intake manifold gasket replaced. the gasket had dissolved and was allowing oil and coolant to leak onto the engine block, and mix within the engine. mechanic advised that this is a known issue with the dex coolant that gm uses, and deteriorates the gasket. *tr

Head gasket failure. head gaskets are defective on the 3400 series engines. the coolant used in these vehicles causes premature erosion in the head gasket. *tr

I purchased the vehicle used from another dealer in 2003. i started experiencing problems with the security system in november 2005, it would not start sometimes light would flash and after 20 minutes it starts. the problem went away until last november, and then it would do it about 2-3x a week. in february 2009 i had to replace my lower intake manifold gasket, water pump and battery. the summer 09 i had to replace the radiator due to a hairline crack in it. the security system starts to intermittently not start the vehicle again in late sep. 09 about 2-3x per week. in jan.2010 the vehicle doesn't start for me one day after coming out of the grocery store for 25 minutes. since then it does it every morning when i go to take my child to school and i have to wait 10-20 minutes. i took the vehicle to the gm dealer and was told they weren't familiar with this problem and i needed $950 for parts and labor to replace the ignition switch and the bcm. i had the ignition switch replaced by another mechanic and that was not the problem and the vehicle is still doing the same thing. it's frustrating for me and my child. it's scary and dangerous. i'm so afraid that one day or night it may not start and i'm stranded in the streets and may be subjected to a crime or death. i don't drive it at night unless it's an extreme emergency now and this is such an inconvenience. i have to pay for rides at times to get my child to and from school when this car decides not to start so my child won't be late for school or getting picked up from school. i've also had to replace my windshield wiper motor and my driver's side door window regulator. *tr

My 2002 chevy impala does not start on many occasions. the engine does not even crank. after taking my car to 2 repair shops the problem has not been found and both places have no ideas. i have done my own research and found many people are having the same problem. i am a 23 year old female and found myself stuck over an hour from home earlier this week when my car would not start. how can i fix it or is there a recall that i and all the others do not know about? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the vehicle would continuously overheat and the coolant warning light would illuminate on the instrument panel. in very high temperatures, the vehicle would hesitate to start and would often stall. the contact believed that there was an issue with the intake manifold. the manufacturer stated that the exhaust manifold could possibly be leaking water. there were no recalls for the failure. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were less than 126,000.

Safety recall # 09047: oil drip from 2002 impala 3.8l engine may cause fire when deposited on exhaust manifold and may spread to spark plug wire channel and beyond. date of defect recall is conspicuously missing but i received this notice the week of june 8, 2009, i called dealer on june 10, 2009. dealer is stating that they are backed up in doing the repair due to lack of parts to fix the problem. we are driving cars that are just waiting to go on fire and this is not the only time this type of potential fire problem has been addressed on these specific engines.*tr

Leaking upper and lower intake manifold gaskets,car overheating and running poorly.occured at 55,000 miles and again at 110,000 mi.. gaskets replaced for 900.00 each time,old gaskets aere available. *tr

2002 chevy impala low coolant light coming on as many others have complained of and there's no change or very little change in level of the anti-freeze. as many others have complained of the intake gaskets are plastic and end up leaking. the 3.4 is a common problem in gm products and i should have known better not to buy 1. please make this a recall. i don't have $1000 to fix this car i already paid $4400 for it. *tr

The car intermittently shuts off while driving. it occurs frequently. dealership could not diagnose. *tr

As i was attempting to start my vehicle that morning i heard a loud boom and saw smoke coming from under the hood. when the hood was raised, the engine was in flames. we had to call the fire department to extinguish the fire. *tr

2002 chevy impala 3.8l purchased used in dec. 2004 w/ 65,000 miles. where to begin... flooding in floorboards due to clog underneath windshield, three sets of rotors/brakes, clunky noise in steering shaft (replaced twice by dealership) still having same problem, catalytic converter replaced after dealership tried to charge me nearly $1000 to replace; covered by gm as harry green chevrolet was 'unaware' of replacement policy?!? new struts, numerous alignments/balances b/c vehicle still shakes and shimmys at 60-65 mph; must drive about 75-80 mph just to keep this to a minimum! bcm replaced twice by dealer, security issues won't allow car to start for 15 mins. each time, which is very inconvenient. sooo many problems and complaints with these 'quality' gm vehicles, and yet they do nothing to resolve them, except hold out their hands wanting more $$$ from american taxpayers to keep on making junk! and now the newest of a long line of recalls/problems is that there is a fire hazard for leaking oil on the manifold! all of these vehicles need to be recalled due to the numerous safety concerns and consumers are sick and tired of general motors obvious disregard for safety and reliability! *tr

I was driving my car and all of a sudden i lost acceleration. my car felt like it didn't have any power. so when i press on the gas, i have to have the pedal almost to the floor to get my car to go. my husband is a mechanic and he checked out the fuel pump and fuel filter and hooked the car to the computer at work to find out what the problem could be and nothing came back. so we got online and started looking up defects in impala's and for the 2002 impala, they have had to replace the catalytic converters because of them being defective. my car has 96,000 miles on it so according to the internet information i have gathered, my car should be fixed for free at a chevy dealership. *tr

Tl*the contact owned a 2002 chevrolet impala. on march 10, 2009, the vehicle caught fire and was destroyed. a police report was filed. gm advised the contact to call his insurance company because the manufacturer would not be responsible for the damages. recently, the contact received a recall notice for gm recall number 90047, which stated that the vehicle could catch fire. the manufacturer stated that they could not assist. there were no injuries. the failure mileage was 140,000.

2002 chevy impala - did fine the first year or so. engine light started coming on. long story short - been having to make sure there's always antifreeze for years now and hoping and praying i don't end up on the side of the road. now i'm noticing having to add 1/2 to 3/4 gallon of antifreeze everyday. temp light goes off and on. engine light went off which worries me more than when it's on. now noticing antifreeze burning after i have drove it a little while. leaves me a little puddle now each night. seems to lose antifreeze more in the winter while running the heater than it does in the summer. tired of stressing about the pos!!!!!!!!! *tr

I own a 2002 chevrolet impala. about 2 weeks ago, my son informed me that the engine is leaking engine coolant, about a 1/2 gallon a week. i found out about the dex coolant lawsuit after the filing date. i contacted the chevrolet dealership where i purchased the car. the salesman referred me to the service department. i contacted the service department and they referred me to the lawsuit website. (this is where i found out that october 27, 2008 was the cutoff date for being included in the lawsuit.) chevrolet so for is not standing behind their product. *tr

2002 chevy impala intake gasket on motor lets water into motor cost $740 dollars to repair. had same trouble on a 95 buick which ruined the engine. my son had same trouble on a 97 buick. i think there should be a recall on this engine gm has had this trouble for years i know of a few other who have had same trouble. *tr

Valve broke off in engine causing catastrophic engine failure. 60,400 miles on engine at time. oil reservoir was full, oil pump was operational and filter had not collapsed. engine coolant was full. *tr

I have a 2002 chevy impala with 80,000 that i bought brand new in 2001. approximately 3 months ago i had to have my vehicle towed to a repair shop as the antifreeze leaked out into my driveway. i was told that the manifold gaskets had failed and needed to be replaced. also they found that the front brakes were bad and the rotors needed to be replaced. with regard to the leak i was told i was lucky because most times the failed gaskets causes the antifreeze to leak into the motor and seize it. i had the repairs done at a cost of approximately $1,500.00. this past weekend while on the beltway my car started making a loud knocking noise and before i could pull over the motor died. i had the vehicle towed and was told the engine was blown, that they know of at least one piston was in my oil pan. now i need to have the motor replaced. which i have gotten prices from $4,500 - $6,500.00. also, they told me my brakes are bad again, only after 4 months. *tr

Car would not start changed passlock and still will not start. security light is on, radio is locked and the chevy dealership does not know what is wrong with it, they are guessing that is the bcm and the sdm but they cannot promise that it will work. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start. after several attempts, the vehicle would sometimes restart and sometimes not. the failure occurs intermittently. during the most recent failure, the instrument panel lights illuminated, but the starter did not make a noise. no repairs have been made. the failure mileage was 95,000 and current mileage was 110,000.

2002 chevrolet impala with bad intake manifold gasket and brakes. consumer was informed that the intake manifold gasket leak is a common problem in these vehicles. brakes have been replaced three times. he states that this is also a common problem. *kb the consumer stated the rotors were warped. the engine and radiator were replaced due to a leak. *jb

Brown milky film in the radiator was diagnosed as being caused by a leaking intake manifold gasket. replacement of the gasket did fix the problem. based on internet searches and dealer information, this is a very common problem. *tr

2002 impala - sometimes fails to start, security light comes on. intermittent as to how often..sometimes once every couple of days sometimes 1 every week. multiple dealers want to charge $300-$1000 to replace bcm which after researching does not guarantee to fix problem. *tr

My 2002 chevorlet impala has a problem with the intake gaskets leaking. i took it in to the dealer and they told me that this is a common problem with this engine. they also told me it would over $750.00 to repair this. the same thing happen with my wife's 2001 malibu. the dealer said that gm knows that this is a problem but will not do anything about it. *tr

Engine fire when car was started, a pop or back fire sound was heard then flames were seen, fire department extinguished fire. car is sitting waiting gm to respond on investigated event. this is a police car and we have a total of 59 impalas were concerned about. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. three days after the vehicle was purchased, the contact felt a hard vibration in the axle and also heard a cracking noise on the driver side of the vehicle. the failure occurred while driving 40 mph. the oil light illuminated and the oil was changed at 104,000 miles. before the oil change, the mechanic stated that the oil had never been changed and that a new rack and pinion and serpentine belt were needed. the contact also experienced electrical failure that caused the vehicle to shut off completely. the dealer would not give her a carfax report after one was requested. the powertrain was unknown. the failure mileage was 100,979 and current mileage was 105,840.

I too am having problems with the coolant system and the leaking antifreeze. the manifold gasket issue has turned into a class action lawsuit against gm. recently a decision was made in favor of car owners with this problem. details should be released in feb 08 about this but i've heard that gm will have to pay car owners who have had this problem fixed a portion or all of the repair cost. for more info google class action lawsuit, gm, and gibbs(this is the attorney). *tr

We are the owners of a 2002 chevrolet impala ls. we purchased the car new in october of 2001. it has been lightly driven and well maintained. it has had two major repairs; the first being a recall of the steering system, the second, a failure of the catalytic converter which was covered under federal law and replaced. today, i found out that there is a safety recall for possible fire from dripping oil. that is the basic history. for about a year and a half, we have had a frightening issue with the car. you turn the key and nothing. a light that says "security" flashes three times over and over and you cannot start the car for ten minutes. gm's passlock system, which i believe malfunctions, thinks the car is being stolen. ten minutes later, you can start the car. the problem is even in the manual for the car. gm admits that, but they say it shouldn't happen as much as i have it happen, like one time is ok, but the 5-6 times out of 10 that my car won't start is exceptional. ten minutes is a long time with a sick child, alone in a dark place at night, in an emergency of any kind. it is a terrifying safety issue and i have read thousands of complaints all over the internet. gm offered me a coupon towards a new car. i know this is a known problem because it is in the manual and people are frightened and scared about it. this should have been a recall a long time ago since people are being stranded with a car with no fuel supply. due to the car's computer somehow malfunctioning and thinking the car is being stolen, the passlock system reacts by cutting off fuel supply for a designated period of time, in this case, 10 minutes exactly. gm should be ashamed of themselves for having this issue and doing nothing. *tr

Owner of 2002 chevy impala that has an intake manifold leak. family member also had an impala, 2003, and had the same issue. why is this such a problem? when i searched the issue online i found many owners that had the same issue. gm needs to issue a recall on this problem and have proper gaskets installed in their cars. this car is not a cheap car, and to have these problems is a sign of a poor quality. *tr

It started back in 2002 a few months i purchased my 2002 impala. it was a used car with 15,000 miles. the check engine and low coolant light came on. took it to the dealership and had the water pump and low coolant sensor replaced. a week later, low coolant light comes on again. again took it to dealership and had to replace another sensor. that happen 10 times during the same year. as of now, july 2009, the light is still on. in 2007, my vehicle started to run hot. was told i needed the manifold intake gasket, thermostat and hoses replaced which would of cost me over $1000.00. i couldn't afford it. i got a local mechanic to replace everything which he charged me $300.00. just recently, i've been having problems starting my car especially after i drive it for a while. i'm a single mother who goes to school and work and this is my only means of transportation. this car has been giving me the blues the past few years and i'm sick of it. all this started with about 150,000 miles and currently i have about 168,000 miles. i will get a better, dependable vehicle later this year and i won't buy another gm vehicle again. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the turn signal lights work sporadically and the vehicle shuts off and on intermittently. he stated that the failure was due to an electrical failure. the dealer stated that nothing could be done because the vehicle was out of warranty. the manufacturer has not been notified. the vin and engine size were unknown. the failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 102,000.

The intake manifold gasket is leaking. it poses a fire hazard if the car is overheated which could pose health threats to those in the car and others outside of the car. the car is a 2002 chevy impala with 71,000 miles. this car has had regular maintenance and is good condition. there have been several things fixed over the past two years. we have spent over $3,000 fixing everything. we cannot afford to fix yet another problem. this car should not be facing these problems at such an early stage. *tr

noticed brownish color of coolant on the 2002 chevrolet impala, some sludge built-up in radiator. this car has 59000 miles on it. dealer reported the problem to be a intake manifold gasket. cost of repairs to be $500 plus. it appeared this to be a common problem that was related to the type of coolant gm used.*ak

I have twice had to take my 2002 chevrolet impala to the shop (resulting in lost time from work and unnecessary repair bills) because the low engine coolant warning light comes on and stays on even though the coolant level is full. the repair shop has twice found oil in the coolant, despite having flushed the cooling system and installing a new low coolant level sensor at a cost of $165. now i am told that this is a common problem with the intake manifold gasket on this type of vehicle and that it will cost around $900 to fix it properly. this car had only 20,580 miles on it when the problem was first attended to and now still has only 21,557 miles. *jb

At around 40,000 miles our 2002 impala had brown stuff similar to pudding in the radiator. we have learned that it was caused by the dex-cool antifreeze that general motors puts in their vehicles. at about 100,000 miles the car overheated. we took it to the dealer and they said it needed new head gaskets at a cost $1300.00 possibly higher if the heads are damaged. this is a very common problem with gm vehicles yet gm refuses to acknowledge that it a defect in their product. we have purchased a ford car and will never purchase a gm product again. i had been a gm man for 30 years but not anymore. *jb

Various engine failures due to dex cool coolant system. engine rebuilt. gaskets. etc new parts installed in each instance. *tr