Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Impala ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Well the code was telling me to replace the ignition switch. the current one is rather loose and doesn't turn off all the way with out a little extra which has been causing other electrical issues. and now my steering wheel is leaning and pulling to the left out of nowhere. and these all happen sitting still or moving. not so bad on the highway but city streets are hell

I own a 2004 chevy impala 3.8l with approx 179,000 milew.my complaint is in relation to the passlock iii system and the overwhelming amount of "no start" complaints from all the different models of gm car owners across the board with this faulty anti-theft system. i live right smack in the heart of the south in a very small town in tennessee and keep in mind, it is really hot and humidity is ridiculous this time of year. i picked up my daughter at a friends house after work, about 5:25 pm last thurday, 9/5/19, and my car died as i'm driving down the road, like the engine jus shut off for no reason at all , i had filled my tank a few days prior and knew that was not the problem. my first thought was to put in neutral before losing much speed and tried to crank several times before hitting my flashers because there were a few cars behind me on a 2 lane road with very little shoulder room to pull over off road. i popped the good to see if i could see or maybe even smell anything that may have caused this problem. i'm making sure my battery cables aren't loose, no fluids leaking or spewing and luckily a state trooper was passing thru and stopped to see if i needed help and turned his lights on so traffic would know there were problems and could slowly go around. to my surprise, after explaining what happened, he said he had this problem before with his daughters car, 2002 impala, and told me to try the 10 minute reset procedure and sure enough, after that 10 minute reset, she fired right home and was able to get home, home had he not come along and already known bout this faulty system prior, my daughter and i would have been stuck for some time on the side of a 2 lane highway in the early september humidity most likely waiting for a tow. upon researching after, found gm are aware of this problem and should have to fix it, been neglected long enough! thank you!

Power steering hard and trying to run hiit changed water pump.

I called chevrolet customer service about a recall on the car. i explained the problem with the ignition switch and i were told it was covered under the recall #14v400000 electrical system: ignition. they had it towed to a chevrolet service place to be fixed. i received a call that the problem was not covered under the recall and i was responsible for all charges of the work done on the vehicle. a key was made under the recall and the ignition key lock cylinder was not replaced. i paid the bill and had it towed back. the man that delivered it put the key in the ignition and it would not come out or turn. i do not feel i should be responsible for charges and they needed to change the ignition key lock cylinder. the car was in the driveway and when a person went to start the car the key would not turn and would not come out of the ignition switch. resulting in the vehicle couldn't be started. i feel this whole recall was handled improperly and i should not have had to be responsible for charges. the frustration of how it was handled i feel they needed to be more professional about the way they handled this recall before they towed the vehicle to a service place and then make me responsible for charges of work done on the vehicle and towing vehicle back not fixed.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the ignition key became stuck in the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to five star chevrolet of carrollton, texas located at 1735 south interstate 35 east carrollton, texas, 75006. the dealer stated that there was nothing that could be done and that the contact would have to pay for the repair. the contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system) by the dealer prior to the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

The shifter goes all the way to park but they key will not turn to the off position so you cant remove the key.

When backing out of the drive way and go to accelerate the abs/traction control engages and causes the car to stop. it also happens on the road once u come to a stop and or stop and turn onto a street or highway. almost got rear ended a few times. i read online at its happening alot to people all over. this problem is constant ever since i bought the car. previous ower advised me of the problem as well.

On 01/03/2017, on a busy snow packed intersection, when the light turned green, i was pushed off the road by a large pickup truck, into a curb, which curb is taller than my impala's frame to ground clearance. my left front tire and rim were ruined. the driver of the pickup continued north leaving the scene of the accident. prior to gm's bankruptcy, my impala ss, which was made in canada, is a rusty, poorly painted, hastily thrown together piece of junk. it needs many used parts with which to make needed repairs. reasonably priced, quality used parts are impossible to locate. *tr

Turn signals do not opera rate all the time, when they fail hitting the hazard lights button seams to make them operate.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. at various times, the ignition failed to start without warning. the contact attempted to turn the ignition switch for almost an hour. in addition, the contact had difficulty inserting the key in the ignition. the contact also stated that the ignition switch position would be turned or the vehicle would stall without warning. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer (feldman chevrolet of novi, 42355 grand river ave, novi, mi, 48375) where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system). the contact stated that the key pad was previously replaced. the failure mileage was unknown.

For the past few weeks i will go to start my car and it will not crank over. but the security light in the message center will blink constantly. at times while i'm driving it will begin to flash also. it takes about 15-20 minutes before my vechile will start after multiple tries.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 15v201000 (engine and engine cooling ) and 14v400000 (electrical system); however, the parts needed for the repair were unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure. parts distribution disconnect.

For the past couple months the security light in my car has come on at random times. it wont allow me to start my car for 10-15 minutes and also will randomly come on while i am driving. i have talked the my chevy dealer and they told me the could replace the bcm but no guarantee that this would fix the problem. they told me this is a very common failure for the impala and it could be multiple things with the tdm(theft deterrent module) system. i have spoken with chevy as well and was told their was no plan for a recall on this. the dealership says a new bcm plus install and programing will be $750 but they wont guarantee that it will fix the problem. the whole tdm system is faulty and needs to be fixed.

The ignition switch at times fails to send power to the starter solenoid or the ignition coil. when the switch is turn on nothing happens at times, the coil works when connected to directly to the battery and the engine starts but stops in a few seconds when the battery lead is removed..

The car is equipped with an passlock antitheft system that regularly fails. there are hundreds of the same complaints by owners all over the internet. the car won't start for at lease 10 minuted because it thinks it's being stolen. sometime it won't start at all and i have to unhook the battery and try to bypass the system. i learned that this has happened to others while driving almost causing a collission. the dealership i go to acts like they've never heard of it and can't fix it. it's unsafe for my wife and kid to be riding in.

I bought my 2004 chevrolet impala (3800 v6 engine) new, which has now less than 12,000 miles, & i drove primarily for running errands. one month ago, its body computer memory went bonkers. the day after i returned after xmas, i went to get grocery. as the car was normal the previous day, i did not expect any problem. however, upon finishing shopping 30 minutes later, i found the car (1) honking non-stop, (2) its dome lights could not be turned off, (3) the 'door ajar' warning jingled all the way ' even though i stopped by roadside to ensure all doors were closed. on top of that, (4) the turning signals (both left & right) stopped working. about 5 minutes after returning home and locking up the car, (5) the honking/dome lights/door warning started again. although i reset the control panel, the problems did not go away. i therefore took the car to the dealer, but their mechanic could not find the causes offhandedly, and an appointment was made to thoroughly check the car with diagnostic instruments. however, on the day of the appointment (1/26/16), everything was normal again, and diagnostic tests could not find anything wrong by the dealer. today (2/12/16), the turning signals malfunctioned again briefly and worked again, but (6) the instrument panels were all erroneous, with readings of fuel, coolant temperature, tachometer above limits - even when the car is stationary. i expect that it is a matter of time that (7) the speedometer will also go defective. at that time, the dash board will have to be replaced as a whole, costing more than $500 dollars. obviously, the computer system is not working right. i should add that my car has been maintained regularly with the dealer. i hope my report will bring nhtsa's attention to the above parts/workmanship problems of gm.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that after the vehicle was serviced for nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system), the vehicle failed to start. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 150,000.

Faulty/worn ignition switch in this vehicle will generate the following issues: (determined through trial and error due to chronic electrical issues:) 1). engagement and disablement of abs system because of lack of good power to the system from the ignition switch circuit. 2). entire loss of directional system(turn signals) again because of lack of good power to the system from the ignition switch circuit. these two situations lead to vehicle that is unsafe to drive at the time of the failure which may happen stationary or while in motion. these issues were intermittent and would happen at any time. ignition switch in a vehicle should not generate issues such as this.

The only recall i was able to find out was for the ignition,. my transmission just went out 11/19/2015, it will not switch into gear, it starts just fine no check engine light but left me stranded. turned the car off and when i started it again it drove just fine, so i slowly drove it home. i don't get on the highway no more because it lacks power the get up is not there mind you yes i have 225k miles on it but i have had about 10 trouble codes and i managed to get rid of them all when i cleaned the tps, aic, and map sensor new egr valve, oil change tune up transmission flush all has been done this year and still on the highway it struggles, i did have one code that popped up 0420 so at this point i have been thinkin to just replace the catalytic converter when i get my taxes, but the problem is just getting worse and worse, so then i am thinking its the fuel pump, i mean my alternator is fine, i know i am sick of the security light always coming on, my left blinker only works in the day time at night never which is the weirdest thing, my windshield blades only work on the fastest setting, in the winter when it rains or snows my doors when we get inside to lock them the lock and unlock and the panel says door ajar when there is no door ajar,it will drive just fine as it nothing was ever wrong. inconsistent and whats even weird is now the check engine light wont even come on after my transmission failed me in the middle of the road you would think the computer was able to record something. once tranny fixd i will get the ignition recall fixed originally a loud noise was coming from engine like a screeching noise so i figured it was the alternator now that noise is gone but the minute i felt it wasn't the tranny, my car at the light would not go at all until i turned it off and back on. please help me

When trying to crank vehicle passlock code won't allow car to crank until after 10 minutes. the security light will blink until its ready to crank again. vehicle was stationary.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while operating the vehicle, the low beam and high beam lights failed to work. the contact had to maneuver the switch to get the low beams and high beams to work. the contact was concerned that the failure could happen again without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no remedy. the approximate failure mileage was 98,270.

I have replace the ignition switch, starter three times in two years, the alternator and three batteries in two years. also had several frequent tune ups. there is something going on with the electrical system.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while driving approximately 15 mph, the contact activated the right turn signal and heard an abnormal noise, but no signal illuminated at the time of the turn. the contact stated that the battery and brake lights illuminated intermittently. this was a recurring failure. the vehicle was driven to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the multi function switch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 141,151.

I was going down a steep hill - warner hill road - stratford ct. the car battery light came on and i lost power - including brakes. i was able to use the brakes but they were extremely hard to push but they worked. luckily there was no cars in front or back and the traffic light was green. i was able to coast across the intersection into the sikorski aircraft plant past the guard and was able to stop. i turned the ignition switch and the car worked fine. this car was recalled for ignition switch problems and all the dealer did was to replace the key fob with a lead weight. i believe that they should have replaced the entire ignition switch. please let me know if you have any information that the ignition switch should have replaced instead of just a key fob replacement which did not work.

The vats system will not let me start my car for 10 to 20 minutes. the system has broken down and my thinking is that gm should have a recall to fix the issue.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact took the vehicle to a mechanic, who stated that there was a recall for the pass lock on the key. the mechanic referred the contact to a dealer. the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system). the manufacturer stated that the vehicle would not be repaired. the failure mileage was unknown. updated 7/29/15*cn updated 10/17/2017*cn

I was drive home from work at night and my security light came on my car. the next thing it was off. while i was driving to work after leaving home the light came back on and stay on. i got to work and look in my gm manual and seen that i should take it to a dealer. i went to my car after work to go home the light was off. i stop to get gas. my car would not start. nice man came and said lets disconnect the battery. he did. my car started. i was ok for threes day then the light came back on and my car would not start. i had a recall on the ignition switch in sept of 2014. took it to the dealer they only fix the key. i took it to the dealer today they had to fix a part on the ignition switch. please ask that there is a recall. i dont feel safe with this car. i can't afford a new car. i scared that this car could stop running while driving it. thank you

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the vehicle's pass lock security light illuminated continuously.also, the engine failedto turn over and start. the contact stated that the vehicle took up to an hour to start. the contact was able to remove the key completely from the ignition while the engine was running. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 126,000.

After replacing: battery, starter, starter module, ignition module, and tumbler lock assembly the security light comes on and car will not start.

The check engine light and other warning indicator lights come on while vehicle is in motion. the radio and air conditioner fail to function properly when the warning lights flicker on. therefore i am checking to see if there is a recall on this particular problem...............

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. after rainy weather conditions, water leaked from underneath the front passenger side dashboard. there was an accumulation of water on the front passenger side floor. the failure caused an electrical shortage and the radio speaker became damaged. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the water deflector shield would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 104,000.

My security light pops on and then when i turn my car off it won't start back up for at least 20 mins. it happens randomly and leaves me stranded...i seen other reviews and this seems to be an issue with gm vehicles. *tr

Come on now, i see the complaints on a bunch of things that is wrong with my 2004 impala. an there is more than one person saying it. there seems like there is a serious problem here that you guys seem to be ignoring an refusing to fix. i think its about time for some people to get together and file some kind of lawsuit against you guys if you don't address these issues. now for the same complaints for my impala, number 1 it does not like to start sometimes and then i have to wait 20 mins to an hour just for it to finally start. number 2 the security light stays on. number 3 the gages to my speedometer and gas move all over the place and doesn't give me the accurate reading. other experiences i've had noticed is that my brights don't always like to shut off the first time, the car pulls mainly to the right, but also back and forth. and all the buttons and light to my radio works but no sound comes threw. i haven't experienced any of the other things in the complaints yet but these ones i have an they need to be addressed like i said before something is done about it by the people. thank you

2004 chevrolet impala. consumer writes in regards to recall notice #14350. *smd the consumer stated she had unnecessary repairs done on the vehicle, as the safety issue could not be identified. the consumer stated on several occasions, the vehicle would not start. the ignition switch tumbler was replaced. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that when the key was turned to start the vehicle, it failed to start and the security warning light illuminated. after several attempts, the vehicle restarted. the vehicle was driven to the dealer, but the failure was not duplicated. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 90,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while driving at approximately 25 mph, the passlock security system disabled independently. additionally, the security lights and exterior lighting began to flash. the vehicle failed to restart. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

Hello, i just purchased this vehicle from a used car dealer and drove it to work two days later. i work an hour away and take the turnpike....i noticed while i was driving that the speedometer was near 90, and when i pulled into my jobs parking lot i was near 40 mph...the parking lot's speed limit is 10 miles per hour with speedbumps so i knew something was wrong. when i got off of work my gas tank read past the full mark....i have been filling the tank every other day to prevent being stranded. i immediately called the dealer and he took a look at it. i purchased the car on 01/17/15 and today's date is 02/01/15 and i am still waiting to get the problem resolved. i've researched online and seen a lot chevy impalas have this problem. most notably 2001-2005 i would be eternally grateful if the matter can be resolved. thanks, [xxx] p.s. there weren't specific options for the problems. they are:the gas gauge, speedometer, the whole panel....i found out this is called a cluster? or cluster panel? information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I turned the key to start the car and was driving and my gas hand,speedometer and oil indicators just fell to the bottom of the circle. instead of showing me the amount of gas i have the red needle falls behind the "e". the same is true for the speedometer,the needle just falls to the bottom,and the cold/hot indicator is at the bottom of the panel. isn't this an electrical problem? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while driving approximately 45 mph, the steering wheel and the brake pedal became stiff. the vehicle stalled and was able to restart. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the ignition switch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system) however, the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 149,000.

I bought the car used at dealership in rochester ny it had around 128000 when bought it died out at about 131,000 they claimed that the car was fully inspected was a total failure had to spend a 1000 plus dollars at good year to months after bought had no heat [xxx] heads could fix it i want my money back for the car i way over pay i paid 5300 with taxes and sitting in my drive way dead... the call the deaker no response i have warranty but they wont answer or do work. *tr information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact received a notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while driving various speeds, the low beam head lamps failed to work. the contact had to apply the high beams each time the failure recurred. also, the turn signals failed to work when applied. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 170,000. ma 10/19/2015 *cn

2004 chevrolet impala. consumer had car fixed and received no reimbursement. *ta the consumer replaced the dash lights and there was an issue with the air condition and heat. . *jb

I just bought a 2004 chevy impala just 1 week ago (70k miles), and i'm already having major ignition trouble. when i turn the key, nothing happens -- the security light blinks a few times. we replaced the battery and cranking relay switch, and no luck. i've search the web and youtube, and this appears to be a common problem. some say that the car needs to "relearn" my key. other sites say i need to deactivate/reset the security system. sometimes the car stars with no problem. i don't know what triggers the issue. this is beyond frustrating, and i don't have any more money to put in this car. please, please help. thanks! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system) and stated that the parts were not available for several months. while waiting for the part for the recall repair, the key was difficult to turn over and the vehicle stalled more than twice. the dealer did not provide a specific date for when the parts would become available. the manufacturer could not provide an estimated date for when the vehicle would receive the recall repairs. the failure mileage was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact received a notification for nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system) and stated that the parts were unavailable. the dealer was uncertain when the parts would become available to service the vehicle under the recall. the manufacturer was notified of the problem and the contact had not experienced a failure.

Tl* the contact owned a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning and crashed into a barrier and a speed sign. the air bags failed to deploy. a police report was filed and no injuries were sustained. the vehicle was destroyed. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system). the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 96,000.

Yesterday, october 31, my husband took our 2004 chevy impala in to get the keys repaired due to the ignition switch recall. the dealer, [xxx] of wood river, refused to repair the six keys purchased from chevrolet with the car [we ordered 4 additional keys from chevrolet with the car]. it was a flat refusal to repair more than two keys, not a "there is a fee for additional keys" the dealer said they were instructed to do this by chevrolet. as these keys were purchased from chevy [as opposed to being copies made elsewhere] they should be covered. the recalls, nhtsa recall #14v400, gm recall #n140350 notice specifies "all ignition keys" i have written chevy to complain and also notified senators [xxx] of chevy's actions. i though you should be notified that chevy is not actually fixing the problem as ordered. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. several attempts were made before the vehicle responded. the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system); however, the failure persisted. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unavailable.

Service traction system light has gone on a number times and then went off again. now, when it goes on the abs light and the traction off lights also go on. they usually go off while driving. these warning lights do not always go on. if they are going to go on, it will generally be on start up. today all three lights went on at start up, but the service light went out and the abs and traction lights remained on. turned vehicle off, then back on and the two lights remained on. i've been told it's a common problem with impalas, you can spend a lot of time and money trying to figure out the defect without success. i'm worried that our safety might be in jeopardy. *tr