Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Impala ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Speedometer has a mind of it's own sometimes it works, some times it doesn't, this is a real safety concern when i cannot tell the true speed in which i am driving. *tr

Speedometer malfunctioning. there were no known specific activities that led to the occurrence of this issue. about two months ago, during a road trip, i noticed that i was driving slower than normal traffic but my speedometer stated i was doing the speed limit 65 mph. when i looked at my gps, it stated i was doing about 47 mph. when i sped up to 65 mph according to my gps, i was in the flow of traffic. after i stopped, it "reset" itself back to zero when the car was idle. about a week ago, it won't reset anymore. when the car is off, the needle points straight up. when the car is idle, the needle goes to about 80 mph. when i'm driving, it goes past 120 mph. so i'm constantly using my gps in order to maintain the proper speed. i've begun to research on the internet any information on this issue. there are many complaint websites where various impala owners (2004-2006) that are encountering the same issue. i'm not willing to replace this part; i have over 126,000 miles on my car. but there were other owners who did not have nearly as many miles as i have with the same issues. *tr

The speedometer in my '04 chevy impala ss is very erratic. it displays incorrect speed. i was traveling @ 70mph but the speedometer displays @ 49 mph. when stopping it will drop below the zero mark at @ 15 mph. the needle ticks around on the face of the dial. this seems dangerous to me not knowing the speed you are traveling. from internet research i've seen this is a common problem on '04 gm cars. this problem is erratic. in my opinion there should be a recall on these cars. *tr

Vehicle speedometer suddenly quits functioning. speedometer suddenly shows high speed (example 120 mph) when driving highway speeds (verified at 70 with gps). speedometer remains stuck in this position. i was able to clear the error after returning home and cycling the ignition from off to on several times. this occurred on july 2009 also under the same circumstances. *tr

My 2004 chevrolet impala is having major issues with the whole interior gauge panel. i have read thousands of the same complaints about impala models 2003-2006, and other chevy models. the gas gauge has went completely out and the mph gauge randomly goes haywire reading the incorrect speed, or no speed at all. the most common response is that gm has a defective stepper motor in the instrument cluster. this problem ranges in model and mileage and costs up to $600 to fix. this is a dangerous safety issue, not to mention a huge pain. gm really needs to step it up and recall this obviously defective piece. i have yet to repair it as i feel its not my fault and they need to fix this defective safety issue. i know i'm not alone in this complaint. *tr

The car wont start but all the lights and it acts like it started but the motor wont turn and no1 nos how to fit it does this ever day i try to start it and it wont do anything until i wait 10to 20 min and then it starts like nothing happen if i know how to fit it i wont but no1 can tell me what's the calls of it can you just tell me what i need to do to get it fixed?

Speedometer on 2004 chevy impala with 41k miles is defective. started sporadically, now it is all the time. speedometer may say i'm moving at 50 mph when at a stop or over 100mph on a city street. i have not had the defect fixed yet. *tr

2004 chevrolet impala speedometer with 60k mileage completely went out of order. it could point at any speed gauge in driving. very dangerous on the road. thousands of impala owners reported the same problem on the web. gm should recall before anyone has road accident. *tr

I just bought an impala 2004 this january. i an on a fixed income and cannot afford to make many expensive repairs. when we had a cold snap, my car was making a whirring noise and i discovered that my speedometer was on zero. when the car warmed up, the speedometer started to work again this happened on the remaining cold days and then stopped. 6 months later, the speedometer is either on zero or just not working properly. luckily, i don't travel very far, but this is very unsafe. i have read on the internet that chevy recalled the speedometer for the tahoe, but not the impala. i again am on a fixed income and cannot readily get this fixed, but unfortunately will have to shell out $500 for a part that chevy put in knowing it's defective. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while attempting to turn on the vehicle, the ignition failed to recognize the key. the contact would have to wait approximately 10 minutes before the ignition would recognize the key. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 170,000 and the current mileage was approximately 183,000. the vin was unavailable.

2004 chevrolet impala speedometer stopped working properly. it sticks(does not return to 0 mph when stopped) at the current speed on deceleration and increases readings from the deceleration point. so, car appears to going at 60 mph even though it is moving slowly in traffic. cannot determine proper speed to adjust speed to speed limits. my car registered 120 mph in a school zone, even though i was trying to maintain proper speed. this defect makes the driver unable to determine actual speed vehicle is moving at. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while driving approximately 65 mph, the speedometer displayed that the vehicle was traveling 90 mph, which then increased to 110 mph. in addition, the rpm gauge failed to provide accurate reading levels while the vehicle was parked. the failures occurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failures. the approximate failure mileage was 133,000.

Having same problem as many others. security light blinking, car wont start for 10 min called chevy no solution. recall and fix. safety issue. attention chevy your car is not safe!!! *tr

Chevy impala 2004 with less the 60k miles. speedometer, not accurate, shows incorrect speed, either too fast or too slow or no speed when moving. the engine temperature gauge, started with needle not returning to default position when engine is cold. now temperature gauge shows high temperature when in fact engine is cold. the gasoline gauge stopped working. *tr

Speedometer starts at random speeds and then continues like it started at zero. it sometimes says 80 or 100 mph when you are not moving and then continues to go higher as you drive. obviously you have no idea how fast you are driving. *tr

2004 chevy impala; speedometer misreading, and gas gauge malfunction. more prevalent in colder conditions. it happens constantly but occasionally works fine. began malfunction in summer 2009. consequences- speeding tickets. nothing done yet because gm states there has been an investigation and that the impala does not fall under the parameters of the problem so they will not help. dealer wants excessive monies to do repair in comparison to independents. this is 1 of 3 chevy vehicles in my fleet and all 3 are experiencing the same problem. the other 2 are silverados. all began experiencing the problem at about 135,000 miles. all are 2004 models. have fixed 1 of the silverados in order to deal with speeding ticket. the other silverado seems to have begun functioning correctly after parking for several days in warm environment. gm & the dealer stated that the vehicle is beyond the mileage agreement and the impala does not qualify for any help. its seems very coincidental that 3 chevy vehicles of the same year make and similar mileage would all experience the same problem around the same time frame. *tr

My 2004 chevy impala will not start sometimes. this is very inconvenient as i have a young child and this has happened at night far from home on more than one occasion. my security light also comes on at times and will just go off by itself. i have been told it is a bcm problem or a pass lock sensor problem, but this is an issue on many impalas. i can't believe gm has not issued a recall on this as i am sure many people are put at risk daily. *tr

Speedometer just quit working the way it should with out warning... giving from no speed mph to going exceedingly much faster then what you are going.. ie~ at a stand still registering at over 75mph... to driving approximately 50mph and registering at below 0 mph.. this has been what has been going on in the 1 day since the problem has started; on august 20 2009. *tr

I bought a 2004 chevy impala with 76,000 mile's on it and i have been having a ton of problems with it even after spending hundreds of dollars in shop fees trying to fix the problem's, the speedometer sticks or just doesn't work at all so i can never tell how fast i'm going along with the temp. gauge so i can't tell if the car is over heating or not. the gauge cluster is faulty and the gauges only work when they want to. i also have problems with the automatic transmission slipping from 1-2, the high beam switch doesn't work unless you hold it and any time you use a window of have the rear window defrost on the radio is all static. *tr

My impala is having several safety issues which i have noticed is a common occurrence in these vehicles. i have also noticed gm has not recalled these issues. first safety issue is in the instrument cluster panel in which there are faulty stepper motors that cause my gas gauge, temperature gauge and speedometer to not function at all. not knowing how much gas you have, how fast you are going, or what temperature your car is. these are serious safety issues to any driver. second issue, my pass lock security system is malfunctioning. the security light stays on and causes my car to not start, leaving me and my infant son stranded for up to thirty minutes until it decides to start. shame on gm for not resolving these issues in all their models. when will there be recalls for these obvious safety issues?! this is the last gm car i buy! *tr

Impala 2004, speedometer stop working. *tr

Speedometer has a mind of it's own sometimes it works, some times it doesn't, this is a real safety concern when i cannot tell the true speed in which i am driving. *tr

My vehicle was parked in my garage overnight and on 8-6-09, i tried to start the car to go work and it would not crank. i had lights but it would not start. checked battery-o.k. hit starter with a hammer. vehicle started. taken to garage for a new started. started installed; next morning it would not crank. towed to chevy dealer. told it needed a new pcm(powertraincontrolmodule) which was under the emissions warranty. vehicle now starts, but the security warning light stays on and the ignition sensor would have to be replaced. ( a new battery was installed.) ignition keys had to be reprogrammed. this failure has occurred only 1 time so far. i've been told this is a problem with this model vehicle and the problem is in the ignition switch which may fail again at anytime.

The speedometer on my 2004 chevy impala went crazy, stopped working. through much research, there are hundreds, maybe thousands of this car with this problem. gm says there is no recall as of now and the problem is $400 to $600 to fix. i have been told it is the gauge cluster. it is a 4yr old car with 68k miles on it, i feel that gm should take responsibility for this problem. there is a recall for the chevy trucks and tahoe's for that year, but not the impala's... they use the same part number in the gauge cluster, so why shouldn't the impala have a recall on them? this is a costly repair and a very dangerous part to have go out. i've read that people cannot afford to repair their cars, so they are driving them with no speedometer. i am doing this also, having to save up to have it repaired. so now we are guessing our speed, hoping not to get speeding tickets. please help us get gm to help out. *tr

Low beams are no longer operable on the car. seems to be a running theme with the chevy impala cars. 2004 chevy impala i have already spent more in repairs than to purchase the vehicle. transmission, front drive line and now my passlock locks me out of the car- car won't turn on for sometimes 3 days. lights quit working about one month ago i live in hawaii and can't get my car to pass safety inspection to get my sticker so i now have a car with 60,000 miles that can't be driven on the road, can't be sold. impala's are money sucking dangerous lemon vehicles. i can't afford to fix it can't sell it so now what the hell am i supposed to do with this car???????????? *tr

Please help. i have a 2004 chevy impala. it has the gm passlock. the security light comes on the message board and sometimes the car will not start. the car has left me stranded about 25 times. i'm afraid one day it will be an emergency and my car is going to leave me stranded. this is a very common among impala and other gm vehicles. this should be a recall asap. thank you! *tr

Dash gauges not moving at all, or when they do work they are not even close to being correct. my speed will show i'm going over 120 mph (i know i am not going 60). temp shows the car is running hot when it not. rpm will stay on red. some days the gauges will work fine and then all of a sudden they will go haywire. i am terrified that my gas gauge is going to stop working or show i have more gas that i do and i end up running out of gas. i am a 24 year old female and i don't know what i do if i ran out of gas somewhere all alone. i don't know what to put for as the date. it just started happening and i continue to have the problem. i googled 2004 impala gauges and there are a lot of people having the same problem. some one is going to get hurt by not knowing how fast they are going, someone could be having problems with there motor and will not able to tell (running hot, low oil, etc). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact noticed that the speedometer was inoperable and she was unable to determine how fast she was traveling. the dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure however, did not offer any assistance. no repairs were performed. the current mileage was 132,000 and the approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

While driving my 2004 chevy impala the speedometer and tach meter needles went hay wire. they have not gone back to their original state. i have no idea what caused this problem, but would like to know what can be done about it. *tr

The security light started coming on, and eventually the car began not starting. it started happening every once in a while, and now happens a few times a week. the lights, radio, and accessories work, but the car will not start. i have to wait 10 minutes to try again. this began about a month after my warranty expired. i took it to a shop, where they "located high resistance in ign cylinder connector to body control module removed and cleaned connectors and reprogrammed as needed". next day, security light went on, morning after that, car would not start! was told at the shop "if security light comes back on, will need to replace tumbler and new key and reprogram $690+ tax". i have a 2-year old daughter that i care for all day, and i work nights- leaving work at 1:30 a.m. i cannot have this happening. this seems to be a widespread problem among gm cars from 2000-2009, and i cannot find a true remedy for it. *tr

first speedometer quit working, now temperature gauge is not reading correctly. *tr

My 2004 chevrolet impala is having problems with the entire instrument cluster. there are thousands or the same complaints about impala models from 2003-2006, as well as other chevy models. the gas gauge has gone completely out, and the volt gauge has now stopped working, and the speedometer randomly goes haywire and moves erratically, reading incorrectly. the most common report is that gm has installed a defective stepper motor in the instrument cluster of these models. and the dealers estimate a repair cost of $600 to replace the cluster completely. this is a dangerous safety issue. gm need to step up and recall this obviously defective part.*cw

My 2004 chevy impala speedometer has stopped tracking the correct speed. it is usually reading much less than i am actually moving but can report much higher speeds. this is a real safety issue because it is difficult to judge your actual speed without it. typically with a working speedometer i have to brake to keep my speed in check. the car rides so smooth that it is easy to go faster than one should. *tr

My 2004 impala's speedometer will go up over 100+ when i am only doing 60mph max. the temp gauge located to the right of the speedo is now doing the same thing. the only short term fix is to the ignition switch off then on again until the gauge reads zero again. on e time on my way home (pa.) from )nj.) the gauge dropped past the max on the speedo and i had no clue on how fast i was going. for over 5 hours i had to go with the flow of traffic and hope that they were not speeding. *tr

I own a 2004 chevy impala. i found this website full of the same complaints as mine, with the vehicle not starting when it should. i have first experienced this at 75,000 miles and i would put in the key and nothing happens except the lights and radio come on. no click no nothing... had the alternator replaced, and it still does it. had the starter checked, it still does it. i have been stranded at work, late for work at home, at restaurants in below zero weather with a child. please see this website, because there are thousands of complaints, and it appears this is a gm issue that should be recalled. i can give the date that happened the other day at work in 110 weather (with humidity) had to wait 1/2 hour then it finally started. something is wrong, and why should consumers have to pay for this problem when clearly it is a gm problem. the website of the complaints (that in order to get an answer you have to pay for..seriously come on) is http://www.carcomplaints.com/chevrolet/impala/2000/electrical/passlock_problem_security_light_is_on.shtml i appreciate your time. because this happens at random times, it is too hard to pinpoint exact times and places that this has indeed happened. my alternator was replaced by a gm dealer and funny they "never heard of this problem before"... although my neighbor who owns a 2002 has the same problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. when the contact attempted to start the vehicle she noticed that occasionally the vehicle would not start. the contact also noticed that all of the dashboard lights would flicker on and off while the contact was attempting to start the vehicle. a local dealer stated that the failure could not be reproduced. there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 52998. updated 12/7/09 *cn the consumer stated the security light would come on. the consumer believed there was a problem with the pass lock system. updated 12/08/09.*jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while driving 25 mph, the anti theft warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. the power steering failed and the vehicle shut off. the contact waited a few seconds and restarted the vehicle. she called the dealer and was informed that the cylinder on the pass lock system was failing, or possibly the body lock control module or the box sensor. the repair would cost $600. the vehicle has not been repaired. the contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 71,800 and current mileage was 71,989. updated 07/28/09. *lj the consumer did not have power steering or brakes. updated 07/30/09.*jb

I have a 2004 impala. it only has 36,000 miles on it. i have kept it well maintained and is great shape with low miles. the gauge cluster on the control panel began acting crazy as many other postings i have seen on the internet. the speedometer and temperature gauge is screwed up. it reads 100 when i'm guessing 40 or 50 mph or 10 when i'm around 35 or the total opposite. i can reset it temporarily by turning the key on and off until the speedometer and the temperature gauge reaches zero. it is sometime ok for a short while. but it definitely will go wacky after i go over 50 mph or if i go over 60 mph hour on the interstate. then i have no speedometer until i try to reset it and sometimes it takes me days to get it back to only temporarily working. i noticed this happening in 2009 when i got the car from my brother after he passed away. the car at that time only had around 28,500 miles on it. but as times goes on, the issues are getting more prominent and worse. there are sometimes i have to wait a day or two to even get it back to reset. i have called the local chevy dealer laria chevy in rittman, ohio where my brother had purchased the vehicle from originally. i told the service manager told of the numerous complaints i had read on this problem. he informed me there was no recall and the cost to repair it would be around $550 to $650. i believe this is a total rip off by chevy!! this is not an isolated problem, considering the mounting number of complaints i have already read on the internet. there is definitely a safety factor involved and i can not believe there was no recall by chevy or by the nhtsa board. i am so displeased with this vehicle that this will be my last chevy i will ever buy and i have voiced my displeasure with several of my friends. i will go back to a dependable honda car which i drove for 12 years and never had issues with it as i have had with this chevy!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact was driving on normal road conditions. the speedometer displayed an inaccurate reading. the failure occurred at any given speed rate. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the failure was contributed to the instrument panel cluster. the vehicle was prepared for the malfunction. the failure mileage was 100,000.

I own a 2004 chevy impala. my security light comes on once in a while and then my car won't start. i've been told by my dealer that it is a passlock issue and that it happens in many gm vehicles. *tr

2004 chevrolet impala speedometer gets stuck or will not work at all. will not show accurate speed. *tr

The instruments in my 2004 chevrolet impala stopped working. first the fuel gauge failed, then the temperature gauge failed, now the speedometer has failed. since the speedometer does not read correctly, i feel it is a safety concern and should be a covered repair under a recall. *tr

Speedometer does not keep accurate reading. gauge can read 110 mph when only going 60 mph or can read 30 mph when driving faster. needle does not always return to zero when stopped or idling. also races at times. happens during cold and hot weather. also, the temperature indicator gauge needle sticks in the middle of the gauge or goes immediately to the red zone when starting the engine from a cold start or after left parked overnight. *tr

First time car was taken out today, the speedometer read 75mph while stopped at a stop light. scary for me particularly because it was the first time my daughter took the car out on her own (1pm). she only went to the grocery store maybe 5 miles from the house. when she returned, i took out the car. everytime i slowed or stopped & started, the beginning speed would increase. for example, i'd be stopped and it would register that i was at 80+mph. at one point on the highway, the speedometer needle pointed at the "n". later this evening (8pm) we took the car out again. it showed 60 mph when we first entered the car. then it decreased, showing 40mph while stopped. quite dangerous situation. this needs to be taken care of via gm; a recall. *tr

My speedometer started by zeroing out while i was driving. i would pull over, shut the car down, and restart it, and it would work fine. it has progressed to it not working correctly at all. *tr

Electronically problems with doors locks and instrument panel. both problems were repaired. now a year later, experiencing both problems. lights on the instrument panel will come on and speedometer will go crazy while driving. unable to lock the car with either key or key fob. *tr

For over a year, i have had problems with the electronic system for my 2004 chevy impala. for several months, the security light in my driver?s panel intermittently displayed when i placed the key in the ignition and my car failed to start. the car would eventually start after 15 ? 30 minutes. at first, this occurred sporadically but then became a more common occurrence. when i took my impala to a local auto-repair shop, they were unable to diagnosis the exact problem. their equipment reported a number of electronic errors but they were not able to pinpoint the precise cause of the car?s issues. instead, they offered to reset the electronic codes and advised me to bring my car back at the first sign of any electronic issues. my impala operated for the next few months without issue. however, a new electronic issue emerged with my vehicle. i noticed my car began to accelerate automatically. for example, if i was at a complete stop, the car began to accelerate at a moderate amount of speed as soon as i released the brake. like the previous issue, this problem first occurred intermittently and soon progressed to a regular occurrence. when i took the impala back to the auto-repair shop, the mechanics stated the automatic acceleration was due to a faulty ignition sensor. after i had the faulty ignition sensor replaced, the impala once again ran without issue for a few months. however, the solution proved temporary as the previous automatic acceleration issue returned. i once again took my car to the auto-repair shop and once again, the mechanics blamed a faulty ignition sensor. at this point, i had the mechanics replace the ignition sensor. since that point, my car has operated without issue until today. the security light in my drivers panel now continually displays whenever i drive. i feel as if i am at the end of my rope. i have spent a considerable amount of money to resolve this issue to no avail. *tr

While driving on a state highway in alabama, all of the warning lights in my instrument cluster became illuminated. i determined that my engine had shut down. after shifting into neutral, i restarted the engine while the vehicle was still in motion. after i arrived at home, i decided to try and determine why the engine shut down. i was able to determine that while driving, my driver's seat was positioned so that my knees were close to the ignition switch. my knee bumped the ignition switch, causing the engine to shut down. further investigation revealed that when i start the engine, if i suddenly release the ignition key (switch) , the ignition switch stops just short of the off position. a slight bump or jar causes the ignition switch to move to the off position. i now drive with my driver's seat farther away from dash to ensure i do not accidentally shut down the engine. *tr

The headlights on my 2004 chevy impala randomly go out at night without any warning. this seems to be caused by a defective dimmer switch. the only way to get the lights back on is by activating/flicking the dimmer switch so as to switch between high/low beams. no significant events led up to this problem. it appeared randomly and without any warning. this problem occurred roughly once every two weeks throughout several months until the dimmer switch had completely failed. approximately halfway through the time period from onset of the problem until failure of the switch, the switch itself began to feel odd. it would allow the headlights to change beam without actually clicking into position. during the latter half of the failure period, the light failure seemed consistent with the improper operation of the switch. the switch now is completely failed with my lights stuck on low beam. i can pull back on the switch to activate the high beams, but they do not remain on when i release the switch. the lights go back to low beam. i am currently in the process of changing the switch which is proving very costly. *tr

Car intermittently fails to start. power to accessories good, but ignition will not work. after 30 minutes or so, it starts, with no problems for 1 -2 months, then it happens again. i took it to the dealer, who read the code and replaced a part, but after a few moths it started happening again. *tr