Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Impala ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The speedometer just starting going out of control. if my car is stopped the speedometer says it is going 30 mph. the gas gauge is out of control too. *tr

No events leading, speedometer and temp gage instrument cluster failure at all times, cannot know what speed i am traveling at. i'm waiting for a recall as this is a known problem with the general public and the manufacturer - chevrolet. this is a very dangerous situation not to know your speed accurately. *tr

Speedometer stopped working just before 2 years / we thought it was a vehicle in front of us with high rf output interfering / we were so wrong / / / earlier the gas gauge was sticking and required multiple twists of key to on without starting car then off on off on off on off .... ... to reset it / later it got stuck pointing to the temperature and wont move at all / / / later the temperature gauge stopped working and will point anywhere / although 1 trip in 20 it seems as if its random setting could be correct / / / now the tachometer is intermittent / seems right when it works which is about 4 out of 5 trips / / / and the security light comes on at random / a few times was unable to start the car without waiting ten minutes / / / sometimes the traction light comes on erroneously / / / cruise control seems to have stopped working completely / / / no idea what will fail next / the internet is full of people with these complaints / / / consumers reports used car ratings has this car as bad in every category of parts that can need servicing / / / dealers want thousands to replace multiple parts but wont guarantee that they will fix the problem / / / internet notes that people have found bad solder joints in the bcm, bad wiring harness contacts, bad sensors, etc. and other design defects / / / i have found three independent companies making alternate parts to really fix these problems. and many solutions to help alleviate the problem. / / / is there an unadvertised recall or fix program by gm to fix the instruments and the bogus security system that only locks users out ?? *tr / / / / / ...

Speedometer stopped working. failure began with sporadic inaccurate readings, from zero to 120 mph readings, regardless of actual speed. after several months, it stopped working altogether. *tr

2004 chevrolet impala speedometer cluster does not register the correct speed. it may indicate over 100 + when other cars are passing. speed may indicate over 100 when car is parked and key is removed from ignition. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevy impala. the contact stated that the vehicle shuts off while driving various speeds. the failure has occurred for three years. the dealer installed a path lock system and stated that the cpu may have been stolen. three days after the path lock system was installed the vehicle shut off. the dealer diagnosed the failure again and stated that a bcm may need to be installed. the contact would like for the manufacturer to assume responsibility for the repairs. the current mileage was 77,000 and the failure mileage was 23,000.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 55mph, smoke was noticed coming from the back rear window. the vehicle was pulled to the side of the road for inspection. the vehicle proceeded to erupt into flames and engulf the vehicle. the fire department extinguished the fire and provided a written report. the fire marshals report stated the fire was electrical and started with a short in the wiring to the rear defroster. the vehicle was inspected by the insurance company and deemed totaled.

My dash cluster is malfunctioning. it says my car is overheating. had it worked on and after found it was a known cluster problem. the speedometer is not accurate and i got pulled over for speeding. next the cruise control went out. now the gas gauge is next. checked on line and gm is aware of these issues but has done nothing. repair bill is around 500.00 dollars. seems unfair to me. will be traveling on interstate soon hope no one gets hurt due to speed/engine over heating and not knowing/running out of gas on a busy interstate. i thought i bought a dependable car...guess i was wrong. *tr

Tl*- the contact stated that while driving the 2004 chevrolet impala with 82000 failure mileage the speedometer displayed incorrect rates of speed. the speedodometer needle also began to swerve back and forth slightly. the vehicle was diagnosed as having a failed instrument panel cluster. *ak

The instrument cluster on my 2004 chevy impala ls has stopped working. also, the fuel & oil gauges do not work. the gauges stopped working about 2 years ago after working without problems. from my online searches, i've seen many other impala owners with the same problem. i have not had the cluster replaced, but instead use a handheld gps for speed. i do feel chevy/gm knowingly manufactured a bad component and should be held liable for repairs of the step motors that have failed in these cars. *tr

Cluster is out on my 2004 chevy impala. this controls the speed odometer,temperature gauge,gas gauge,rpms.first the speed odometer went out then the temperature gauge messing up now the rpms. i have not had this car very long. only has 66,000 miles. there has not been any crashes or injuries yet. but i do have two small children. and i'm very concerned about this safety matter. the part is very expensive and i can't afford it. no recalls have been made to my knowledge. *tr

2004 impala headlights go out while driving. *ts the dealer replaced the body control module. the consumer requested reimbursement from the manufacturer. *nm

On oct 6th 2005, while driving the department issued 2004 chevrolet impala, police patrol squad car, i noticed a unfamiluar very strong foul odor when i would turn on the heater. unknown to me at the time, but after i sufferred initially an inhalation injury which nearly killed me by sufficating me causing my blood pressure to escalate thereby causing me to suffer duel anyursm' of the upper thoracic vein and the abdominal vein. i was flown via flight-for-life helicopter to a trauma center, hospitalized in intensive care, left incapacited me for four months and without an income. i am now left with internal scar tissue on my aorta vein. my police supervisor visited me in intensive care in the hospital and informed me that the mechanic from the dealership which services our fleet of leased vehicle, inspection results indicated that the electrical system was overcharging the battery and as a result the battery began to overheat giving off battery acid fumes which explained the foul odor. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while driving approximately 60 mph, the contact turned off the high beam headlights and the electrical system failed without warning. the contact had to park the vehicle and manipulate the high beam switch on the steering column in order for the lighting/electricity to return. in addition, the vehicle received a recall repair for the ignition key where the key was replaced. afterwards, when the key was in the ignition and turned, the vehicle failed to start. once the vehicle was started and the key was in the on position, the vehicle would stall without warning. the contact had to manipulate the key in the start position several times in order to start the vehicle. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the switch on the steering column and body control module failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer stated that because the vehicle was over 10 years old, they were unable to assist with the repair. the failure recurred. the failure mileage was 42,536.

2004 chevrolet impala security light comes on, locks the ignition, and doesn't allow the car to crank at anytime. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the vehicle caught fire in the dashboard area and then spread to the hood. the fire occurred two to three months after the vehicle was purchased. a relative sustained injuries to the hand due to the fire. the cause of the failure was electrical. there is no fire or police report. the vehicle was repaired, but the contact does not know the specifics of the repair work. three months after the repairs were completed, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle began vibrating when the brakes were depressed. this failure occurred while driving 20 mph or more. the brakes and the disc were replaced and aligned. the failure continued to occur and the brakes were replaced within a month. the mechanic stated that the disc failed which caused the brakes to fail. the contact detects the smell of fuel within the vehicle. the fuel gauge has failed to operate normally since the repairs were performed. the fuel gauge indicated that the fuel level was full; however, the engine shut off and there was no fuel in the vehicle. there was also the presence of fuel on the ground after adding fuel to the vehicle. the dealer has not diagnosed the cause of the fuel gage failure or the odor. the inspector stated that the vehicle may not pass inspection due to the fuel odor in the interior. although the brakes were repaired twice, the vibration continued to occur. the engine size was unknown. the contact can provide receipts for all of the repairs that were performed, including an insurance report. there is no fire or police report. the current mileage is 81,000 and failure mileage was 45,000. updated 08/15/07.*jb

Speedometer changed twice by another chevy dealer, transmission slipping, all lights went off while driving at night, cruise control went off by itself. called gm customer service and about the lights and cruise control, answer was to have it checked, also had the transmission checked by three dealers, only one said yes it was slipping (transmission had been slipping since i got the car). no paperwork due to cost to have it checked by two dealers. one dealer (where i got the car) no longer in business but had the paperwork for the transmission complaint. but they too said they could not duplicate the problems and because of this they refused to work on the car. *tr

This is a description of what happened on various long distance trips. it occured about six times since purchase and the current mileage is 71,400 over 9.5 yrs. we were driving down the highway at about 65 mph. once in kansas, oklahoma, texas, etc. the total electrical system went out. immediately i felt the loss of power. i looked at the speedometer and saw it drop. i saw an engine red light come on. the total duration of outage was about 1.5 seconds. upon resumption of electrical power, nothing further happened. we never lost control of the car. over the years i checked for recall notices and checked with local dealerships. nothing until in june 2012. from 2010-12 i had trouble starting the car when i turned the ignition on. nothing happened. i would wait five minutes or several hours and then it would start. that happen monthly for two years. i took the car to a dealership and they repaired/replaced the ignition part at the cost of about $600. no problem since. i still have the original key from gm with the wide hole. my point here is that i could have been an accident victim from these incidents. i had to pay to get it fixed. *tr

Instrument failure, nothing caused the failure, it just started slowly at 30000 miles, had mild speed misreadings at night, but slowly became worse and worse. but now temperature and fuel does not read correctly any time of day, but goes crazy on hot days. i took the cluster apart and the main processor chip had a blob of silicone drip on it during assembly and now has a burn mark on it. i have talked to numerous other impala owners with some probem.

Along with several hundred others on this same page, the instrument cluster on the 2004 chevrolet impala is failing. temp gauge quit working a few weeks ago, now the speedometer has failed. creates an unsafe condition. chevrolet denies knowledge of defect, but dealer does acknowledge; however, will cost $500-700 to repair. since this is a know defect, and a significant safety issue, why does nhtsa take no action? *tr

Smell gas when not around gas station and ignition problems sometimes i must start the car twice.

Speedometer gives false readings. *tr

I have a 2004 chevy impala and have been having problems with it from the day i bought it. when i got the "new" car i was not informed that the car had been wrecked, yeah, a "new" car. then for the past few years we have had trouble with it cranking. sometimes it will take up to 2 hours to get it to crank. we had heard that it could be something with the started and the dealer said there isn't anything that we can do because you are over your mileage. this is a very known issue and something needs to be done about it. i have been without my for 24 hours as of 7/26/2008 at 10:23 am because it now will not crank. we have tried all the little secrets that have been working in the past. i am taking it to the shop on monday and hopefully it is not going to cost my both of my legs and arms. i think that gm should do something about these well known problems if they want people to keep buying their cars. i can tell you that i will never buy another gm car if something in the near future isn't done about this problem and i will spread the word all over the internet and here in town. word of mouth can make or break a company. i know i am just one right now but soon i will be many and something will be done. *tr

Security light went on last month. it was taken in immediately for repair. i was told it was the ignitiion cylinder. the car also makes a vibrating noise on accelerator. i was told this was the drive shaft and the catalitic converter. all replaced. the car still made noise when left service at northeast auto center in philadelphia pa where it was purchased. yesterday the light for security is back on. 2004 chevy impala very disappointed. car has 55,000 miles. at 36k the radiator and water pump went during funeral procession. *tr

While traveling in 2004 chevrolet impala, speedometer needle will freeze and not move or move to various speeds while the car is traveling at a steady speed. this failure is occurring almost daily, and started as a once in about a month episode. vehicle will need $900 worth of repairs to fix speedometer. *tr

Consumer was unable to start the vehicle. she tried numerous times and was not successful. vehicle was towed to the dealer, and mechanic replaced the starter. however, the problem recurred, and the starter was replaced again. also, while driving at any speed, vehicle stalled . driver was able to restart vehicle. however, the problem recurred, and vehicle was towed to a dealer for inspection, but mechanic could not duplicate the problem. *ak

Gauge cluster. temp. gauge reads from o to 260 degrees weather the engine is running or not. speedometer and fuel gauge are erratic. *tr