Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Impala EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the exterior headlights failed independently while being operated at night. the failure occurred without warning. the dealer was not contacted for diagnostic testing or repairs. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was approximately 260,000.

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

Multifunction switch randomly fails to turn on low beam in motion and stopped. to operate the vehicle with some lights on at night, left hand has to hold down the high beam as it fails to stay on. steering wheel must then be operated with only when hand. replacing the the multi function switch fixes the problem until it fails again. averaging 6 months between failures and have replaced the switch 3 times already.

I was driving at night and turned on my brights and shortly after my headlights went out. i had to mess with the switch before they would come back on. they kept doing this until i switched back to dims. *tr

After sitting for a couple months, upon driving the car again the low beam headlights don't work. replaced the multi-function switch, checked all the relays and fuses. still not working. high beams and daytime running lights work. this basically renders the vehicle undrivable, as it gets dark at 4:30 in the winter, and i am not able to drive it at night. *tr

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.

The headlights no longer work. high beams and low beams both work, but the regular headlights are no longer in service under any circumstance. now, the low beams go on when the headlights used to go on. when i drive at night, i am forced to keep on the high beams. this has been the case for the last 2 weeks. it never had a problem like this before. it started right around the time the vehicle reached 150,000 miles driven.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while driving various speeds at night, the headlights flickered and powered off without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 240,000.

I was driving down the road last night my head lights flashed 3 or 4 times and then i lost all headlights. and now when i turn my brights i loose all headlight

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 mph, the low beam head lights began to flciker and suddenly failed. the contact indicated that the high beam lights also would not turn on. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the head light switch failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 180,000.

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.

The airbag light goes off when starting engine then comes back on again and stays on

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

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

Driving down the road with my high beams on, my headlights went out completely. my low beams work ok but if i use high beams they randomly go out. this is the second gm vehicle i have had with this problem. the mechanic at the gm dealership said 4 of his 6 family members have had same problem. a former co-worker had same problem. i contacted gm and was told my car was to old for them to fix it... *tr

I was out running errands. i turn on my left turn signals and it was not working. i depressed my hazard switch, and turned it off and turned my left turn signals again and it started working. i have been having this problem off and on since the beginning of july,2014. i have read numerous complaints about this same issue. this is a safety issue that gm needs to address today! *tr

I have had issues with lights for the past 6 months. first started out where if i had my bright lights on every now and again all my lights would go off while driving. the bright lights wouldn't stay on so had to hold to keep them on. then it came a period of time where all my lights would not work. on friday, june 27th 2014, i was at work and happened to look out the window and noticed my lights were on. went outside to see if car was dead. when i got in the car i could see that my steering column was smoking (on fire) coming from the turn signal switch. the bright lights had stuck to on somehow and this is why i could see that my llights were on. i unhooked the battery and the smoking stopped. when i went to hook battery back up there wasn't any more smoking but my windshield wipers were going as fast as they could and i couldn't switch or do anything to make them stop. the hazards or all my lights were blinking on/off repeatedly. nothing i could do to stop. as of now i'm driving without any fuse to the wipers and the lights work during the daytime but will not work at all after dark. i've been told the part that is needed to replace this is a multi-functional switch. however, this is going to cost $800 to replace. many complaints out there about the same thing happening to same year/make/model car and no recall?? *js

2004 chevy impala loses low beam headlamps due to an issue with the multipurpose switch located on the steering column. after doing a google search found hundreds of others with the same issue. after losing low beam headlamps after a few months high beam lamps are also not working. *tr

Headlights went out while driving at night,hold dim/bright switch to have brights only,release switch to normal position,lights go out,normal clicking sound when engaging dim/brights not there. *tr

Switch became difficult to change to high beams, sometimes the lights would go black. now high beams only stay on by hold switch back. *tr

The turn signals stopped working. after panicking and turning on hazard lights, then again trying the turn signals, did they decide to begin working again. now the turn signals randomly decide to stop working, and must use the hazard trick again to get them working. almost caused numerous accidents, and caused a traffic ticket. can not figure out the problem as to why they do this, but read up on many different sites that many different people experiencing the same difficulties. very dangerous for people with children. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact was driving approximately 60 mph with the headlights activated when they suddenly failed. the contact attempted to use the high beams however, they also failed to illuminate. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the multi-function switch needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 210,000 and the current mileage was 214,000. the vin was not available.

Headlamps turn off while driving.

While driving on a rural and curvy road, my lights when out when i switched from my high beams to my low beams. i could not see for a few seconds and luckily the high beams came on when i used the multifunction switch to engage them. i am lucky that no one was coming because i was unable to see where i was going. the multifunction switch did not ?click? like it typically does when i switch from high beams to low beams. luckily no one was injured when i was driving but if this happens in the future to someone else there could be tragic results. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the light dimmer switch failed to activate and was able to activate only one setting. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unavailable.

We were driving our 2004 chevrolet impala this evening and have been having issues for the past month with the headlights. the dim lights would not work at all, only the brights worked. this evening, we smelled something burning and suddenly the multifunction switch was smoking and on fire. we shut off the car and waved the fire out, luckily we got out safe. we now have no headlights and had to have the vehicle towed. i have seen that this is a problem with many impalas and chevrolet needs to take action. someone could be injured in an accident due to their lights failing or get injured because their car starts on fire. it's a lawsuit waiting to happen. *tr

On two separate occasions after dark my lights shut off . this caused a panic as i was in city traffic and could not see. my lights were on the dim mode . i discovered i could make them come back on if i used the multifunction lever to change to bright lights. i'd then switch back to dim and the lights would work for 60-120 seconds and then go out. once again i would go through the whole process with the same result. after my second night of this happening i decided to check their inner net . i had noticed there were 26 complaints relating to the 2004 multifunction lever. i had a car load of people the first night and by the grace of god i did not hit another car . the multifunction selector lever needs to be recalled on 2004 impalas before someone is killed or seriously hurt. if nothing else i think general motors should replace the part when reported malfunctioning at their cost. *tr

I was driving down the interstate with my bright lights on and suddenly my headlights turned off. i reached down and pulled the headlight switch on thinking it was the day time driving lights, but they still did not turn on. in a panic i flipped the dimmer switch on the steering wheel and they came on. since then i happened again with my brights about a month ago but happened 4 times last night, with my brights and dims, on my 6 mile drive home. i have owned dozens of cars in my life, most chevrolet, and never had a failure of this magnitude while driving. this seems to be a serious failure and a huge safety concern for me as i have teenagers that drive my car and may not have be able to safely resolve an issue like this with out injury. *tr

The day i bought the car used, the lights went out on the way home. after complaining on a chevy forum, i bought a used multifunction switch which i learned was a common problem in impalas and monti carlos. this year in spring (sorry i don't remember the exact date or miles) that part malfunctioned when on bright. the salvage yard was sold out in used switches because it was such a common defect and i couldn't afford a ne,w one. while driving on dim i hit two deer which caused $100s of dollars in damages. i complained chevy said they knew it was a problem and that i would have to pay for the part myself. i paid over $300 to replace with my labor. then my lights went out on dim. chevy did the math, its cheaper to take the chance o someone dying and suing then to take away this money source for dealers *tr

Head lights will not turn on, blinkers will not turn on, traction control turns itself of and you cannot turn it back on. the following dash lights illuminate. check engine, battery and abs. this has been happening for about a year on and off. started at about 80,000 miles. sometimes only one of the above conditions occur and sometimes all at once. problems happen day and night, damp or dry, usually only occur during engine start up, but occasionally has occurred while driving. i found a trick to make the head lights come on (turning on and off my hazard lights). my fog lights are not affected by these issues. i have had the battery and alternator tested multiple times because that is the direction everyone points me too. both are good. i see others having the same issues. i hope this gets look into. *tr

While driving at night with the high beams on, the headlights and instrument lights suddenly go dark. manipulating the high/low beam switch on the steering column caused the lights to turn on again. this condition has happened several times and occurs without warning. it is a very dangerous situation. *tr

Last july the dash lights and interior panel lights stopped working. they could be made to work intermittently by wiggling the headlamp switch and / or banging on the instrument panel. last night my son was driving home at approximately 9:30 pm on a 4 lane secondary road at approximately 45 mph in moderate traffic and all of the headlamps went out with no warning, leaving him unable to see the road ahead. he ran over a curb, but was able to maintain control of the vehicle and bring it to a stop in a nearby parking lot. he and his passengers (2) were very shaken emotionally. the car was left there overnight. when it was picked up during the daylight hours today, the headlights were working again. after driving it home and turning the headlights on and off manually, they quit again. they could be made to work intermittently by wiggling the dimmer switch / turn signal lever on the steering column. i called the chevrolet dealership nearby and was told that this was a common problem and the part was over $500. i believe this to be a severe safety problem if this is common to these vehicles, as my son and his passengers could have been seriously if not fatally injured had the circumstances been different. *tr

The heater completely stopped working but was finally able to get the passenger side to work (it has dual temp. controls). the turn signals work just when they want to and the windshield wipers do the same. they just stop working with no warning what so ever. have taken it to several different places to have it looked at but nobody can determine the cause of these problems. however, upon the research i've done since these problems began i've found i'm not the only one experiencing these same issues yet there has been no kind of recalls to fix it. *tr

In may 2012 my headlights on my car started to not come on when needed. then they would come on 10-30 minutes after the car was started. the headlights started "flashing" while the car was driving. the headlights went completely out after about a month. i have had the dimmer switch replaced, and the lights are not working at all now. the bright barely come on and i have to hold the stick down the whole time i want to use them. sometimes if i need to drive a night i use the fog lights which have recently decided not to work at all. this is the worst car i have ever owed. i have had plenty of issues with this car on other issues. *tr

Intermittently when driving vehicle at night and switching on high beams, then when switching back to low beams, the headlights go off completely. i have to remember to put the fog lights on, so if the lights go out i will still be able to see. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact was driving approximately 40 mph with the headlights activated and suddenly without warning the headlights stopped illuminating for a few seconds. the same malfunction recurred on three separate occasions. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 95,000. updated 03/14/12*lj the multi-function switch was replaced at a cost of $ 495.78

When applying the bright headlights, all exterior and dash lights go out. very scary! when operating switch again lights return, but have dim headlamps only. this has happened several times. now only drive with dims on until i can afford the repair. not safe! *tr

Turn signals come but do not blink. hazard signal comes on but does not blink. *tr

My husband was driving at night at approximately 55 mph, with my dim headlamps on. without any warning the headlamps went out, he went off the right side of the road way to avoid any problems. after checking he did have high beams and fog lights yet. he proceeded home on high beams. the low beams never have come back on. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the high beam headlights failed to illuminate. the contact also mentioned that two weeks later the high beam headlights illuminated independently and remained illuminated when the vehicle was powered off. the contact stated that the battery had to be disengaged in order to shut off the high beams headlights. the contact stated that there was a smoke emitted from the high beams switch. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the multi-function switch needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 170,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while parked, the contact noticed that the headlights were not functioning. the failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. the technician stated that the module in the turn signal assembly would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 73,000.

The headlights on my 2004 chevy impala just suddenly went out during night time driving. the only thing that would give me any light was to hold back on the dimmer switch lever. i have since learned that this malfunction has happened to hundreds of owners of impalas. the switch is quoted as costing over $500 and installation another $200. that's alot for a commonly defective plastic part! it's also a very poor design to have all headlights go out simply because the dimmer switch is malfunctioning. *tr

Roughly around 2 1/2 to 3 years ago, i was driving across a levee when my headlights went completely went out-the lights came back on the next day. then again 2 days later went completely out, therefore, i had the dimmer switch replaced. 2 months ago my headlights went out again. this time when they came back on, they only worked on bright. i cannot dim my lights and have been pulled over twice-once by a state trooper and another time by the local police department. *tr

The turn signals stop working for no reason. both right and left turn signals will just not work. i found a temporary fix on a car forum on the web. if you turn the hazard light switch on and off a few times then the turn signals will work again for awhile. at first it happened only occasionally. now it is happening on a daily basis. and you don't find out until you are going to make a turn or switch lanes on the highway. i found so many complaints about this problem on the car forums to indicate to me that mine is not an isolated problem. this is the second electrical complaint i've had to make on this car. the other problem was with the speedometer and other gauges not functioning which required a very expensive fix. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the headlights suddenly failed. the contact had to utilize the high beam headlights in order to illuminate the roadway. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that the bright and dim switch would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 85,000. updated 5/24/11 *cn the consumer stated the manual switch did not work. the consumer stated he had to use the highbeam lights. updated 096/03/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the headlights were illuminated and as the low beams were switched to high beams, the interior and exterior lights failed. as the low beams were engaged, the interior and exterior lights came back on the failure recurred whenever the exterior lighting was switched from low beams to high beams. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 82,000. updated 05/04/11 *bf updated 05/11/11

Headlights go off while driving, then come back on automatically. sometimes when they go off they are off for up to 5 minutes. very dangerous to drive at night as you do not know when it will happen. *tr

In my 2004 chevrolet impala night driving is unsafe. i will be driving down the road when its dark and i will have a chance to turn on my bright headlights for a better vision of the road. after turning them on i can drive about 5 or so miles and the headlights will shut off. the only way to regain the headlights is by turning off the brights. you loose all lights, not just the brights. the only lights on are the parking lights. very unsafe and you cannot see the road. also everyones in awhile the lights will blink. it happens at least once every time if i go on at least a 20 minute drive and are turning brights on and off. no buttons are involved when the lights go out. they just automatically shut off by themselves. very scary and very unsafe if you don't know how to get them working again. have heard that it may be the brights switch but those are way overpriced. *tr

Had high beams on, heading home, lights all of a sudden went off! pulled over and stopped. low beams work fine, high beams do not. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while driving 65 mph the headlights would shut off intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that because they shut off intermittently they can not repair them unless they fail completely. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 110,000.