Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Impala ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Gauges on instrument panel not working speed gauge says you are going 120 when you are going 50 now it stays pegged all the way over i fell this is a safety issue and chevy should recall this it is a problem in a lot of there vehicle also heat gauge is not working. *tr

I have a 2004 chevrolet impala that has a huge amount of issues within the dash. my car shows that it is running hot when it is not. it also shows it has no gas when the tank is full. the newest issue is that my speedometer is now stuck on 80 when the car is parked and is well over the 120mph when i am driving on the highway. i have no idea how fast i am going. this is the worse of the three because i or someone could be injured by this. to have people on the road with unsafe vehicles and the manufacture not be held responsible is ridiculous to say the least. there are so many people having this issue and i am not sure why this has not. been recalled. i hope it does not take someone being killed before someone does something! *tr

2004 chevrolet impala - speedometer gone haywire 1. first, the turn signal blinker failed. blinker did not work, but turn signal stayed lit and indicated i as turning. 2. next, the heat turned to air conditioner mode. i had to switch off the ac back to heat. 3. last, on a 45 mph road i was traveling at 45 mph and suddenly my speedometer shot up to 75, despite my speed being maintained at 45 (per the gps unit). i had to get onto the freeway where it is 60 mph. used my gps in order to go the correct speed limit. at a stop light and when parked, the speedometer now registers 75 mph. others have reported this problem too at: http://www.carcomplaints.com/chevrolet/impala/2004/accessories-interior/speedometer_gone_haywire.shtml. *tr

The light switch, part number 10283776, on my car developed an electrical short circuit and burned out the push-on electrical connector for the power supply wire to the lights in the instrument cluster. enough heat was generated to damage the plastic connector, part number 12129431. the fuse did not blow. i replaced the light switch and connector. *tr

Have had a instrument panel cluster i have dealt with for along time why? the car will not start at times due to the malfunctioning security system, wait ten minutes and hope it starts, come on american made g.m. stand up to your ownings. now fuel pressure regulator is leaking, have heard of numerous after market recalls not g.m. related parts once again own up to your product,especially when it concerns life and death of people especially children, for what money? profit? somebody with some power over these issues do something please. *tr

Instrument cluster failed. tachometer, speedometer and temperature gage give false readings. speedometer sticks and indicates 65 mph when vehicle is stopped. tachometer randomly indicates rpms varying from 0 to more than 8000. temperature gage indicates randomly between minimum of 140 and maximum of 260 degrees.

Chevy impala speedometer is not working properly and i cant tell how fast i am driving. the speedometer sometimes reads zero, sometimes reads 100mph and i and only going 30mph. this is dangerous! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala ss. the contact stated that while putting the car in reverse that the vehicle stalled. she was able to restart the vehicle. the security light illuminated on the instrumental panel on different occasions prior to the failure. the dealer was contacted and informed her that the security system was unable to recognize that the key was in the ignition. the failure mileage was 85,000. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was unavailable.

Typical gm speedometer problem. speedometer reads approximately 30 mph faster than true speed. reads 30mph when sitting still. gm issued a "recall" to settle a class action suite for the same issue on its trucks and suvs, but did not issue it for passenger cars like the impala. *tr

My 2004 chevrolet impala ls has a bad security lock system. i go to start car and it won't start i have to wait 15-20 min. for it to start and its becoming more frequent. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated the temperature gauge failed and the indicator gauge fractured. the gauge was in the opposite direction. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the instrument panel cluster had failed. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 56,300.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while driving approximately 20 mph, the contact observed that the speedometer displayed an inaccurate reading of 65 mph. the contact was in the process of taking the vehicle to the dealer for diagnosis and repairs. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

Speedometer does not go to "0" when you stop. you start out at 20 or 30 miles an hour and the speedometer show an inaccurate reading. this is a safety issue. you must rely on your gps device to show your proper speed. there should be a recall on the instrument cluster as there are a lot of complaints. *tr

The instrument panel gages will not function, all indicators are facing downward and do not move. this happens when moving or standing still.

My car won't start. the "security" light sometimes flashes or remains steady, in either event, my car won't start. it happens at least 2 times a day. the most recent time was moments ago when i tried to start the car. now, i can't continue with my work day because it won't start. i have had to miss work as well as other important appointments because of this. i have been researching this problem to see if other chevy owners have had or are currently experiencing the same problem, and there are many many others who shared there experiences on topix.com and carcomplaints.com. i think this is absolutely ridiculous. what if it was a life or death situation???? in addition, winter is fast approaching, and are we supposed to be stranded outside in below zero temperatures??? *tr

2004 chevrolet impala ls 3.8 v6 my wife's car started having problems with the instrument cluster not showing the correct speed or tachometer readings. i went on some site to research the problem only to find that this is a problem with this make of auto for quite some time. in most cases chevrolet has told the owners that the must pay for repairs costing as much as $1000.00. this is unacceptable. if there a systematic failure of this system on the impala then chevrolet needs to correct it before someone thinking they are driving with-in the posted speed limits when in fact they may not be as there is a serious injury. also found that there have been recalls on these cars. i am in the process of checking the partrs on my vehicle to see if it in fact was affected. i have never been notified wether it was or was not part of any recall. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I have a 2004 chevy impala, the speedometer is running 40 miles over what the car is really moving. i was almost rear ended because i was not going fast enough on the freeway. something is faulty in the dash board. i am not sure if there is a recall on this for gm cars. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact was driving approximately 40 mph when the speedometer failed. the speedometer would read inaccurate speeds traveled and the contact was unable to determine his rate of speed. the manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. the dealer advised the contact that the vehicle was no longer under warranty and he would have to pay for the repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 78,950 and the current mileage was 80,076. updated 01/06/11*lj the consumer stated the vehicle was repaired. gm covered the labor and the consumer paid for an hour of labor. updatd 01/24/11*jb

The pass lock system will not allow my wife's car to crank at times. you have to leave the key in the ignition for 10 mins before the car will start. this has happen when my wife and my twin girls were in a bad place and had to lock the doors and just sit in 90 deg weather chevy dealer has no answers. this is a safety problem what has to happen before they are made to fix it someone has to be killed or raped because the car won't crank. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the security warning would illuminate sporadically, causing the vehicle to become unresponsive to starting attempts. the dealer was contacted and advised that there were no recalls and offered no assistance. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 147,000.

My engine wouldnt start because of the passlock security system chevy had in the 2004 impala. *tr

First the fuel gauge stopped working and was like that for a couple weeks, now it is working again, then speedometer went crazy, traveling at approximately 55 to 60 mph, speedometer is reading 15 to 20 mph then drops to 0 it has done this before, so i went online to see if anyone else was having the same problem and if there was a recall. i found numerous complaints from other owners. i was wondering why there is no recall out there since there are so many complaints this could really be a serious issue. *tr

The tachometer stopped working a few months ago, it goes up and down and all around and the speedometer began not working at all one day then it was ok for a few weeks and now it seems to be stuck between 40 and 120 even when the car is off. i have no way to determine my speed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated the key was hard to turn in the ignition and the engine would hesitate before starting. the contact mentioned that there were times the vehicle would not start. the contact received a notification for recall nhtsa campaign number: 14v400000 (electrical system). the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the technician diagnosed that the failure was normal. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the failure mileage was unknown. updated 10/30/14*lj the consumer stated a recall was performed where a metal piece was added to the key for the sliding of the key switch. the ignition remained hard to turn. the manufacturer was notified and advised that the consumer pay for the vehicle to be diagnosed. updated 04/27/2015 *js

I was driving my 2004 impala at night and lights went out. one side had blinked before but came right back on. last night i had to abandon my car. when i picked it up this morning the lights turn on again. totally unsafe and unreliable. i checked online for a possible cause and found that this is an extreme problem with impalas, chevy should fix this before someone gets killed! *tr

Ignition sporadically fails to start vehicle. all electrical systems will turn on, but ignition will not turn over starter. left with a completely unreliable car that has left me stranded on multiple occasions; only to go back to the car an hour later and have it start! told this is an electrical problem that gm has had on multiple makes of cars throughout the past. it is widely known to be a problem, yet no recall has been issued. *tr

2004 chevy impala: speedometer malfunctions, usually jumps to over 120 mph at freeway speeds but can read low or high. when stopped it currently is stuck at 67 mph. tomorrow it may be 35 who knows. i feel this is a major safety issue. *tr

2004 chevrolet impala speedometer has just stopped working. checked online and found out there are a lot of owners that have the same problem. *tr

Passlock system does not allow my car to start,i have been online and seen hundreds if not a thousand or so complaint's with the same problem.this car is useless if i cannot depend on it to start when i need it to,especially in a emergency situation since i live in a rural area of upstate new york that has no cell phone service if gm knows there are so many complaint's about a specific system they place in one of there vehicles,and all are identical . then man -up institute a recall on the passlock system and restore the confidence in many of there customer's. i have a 2004 chevy impala 3.4 ltr. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated the key would not turn in the ignition. an independent mechanic was notified and informed the contact this was a known failure with this vehicle. the vehicle was not examined for the cause of failure. the failure and current mileages were 75,000. sm.

2004 chevy impala the manufacturer installed passlock system continuously locks the car from being cranked. everything will operate properly except being able to crank the vehicle. this happens about every 20 times you crank the vehicle. you have to wait at least 10 minutes before the vehicle will crank. if you take the key out of the ignition during that time it is likely that the system will not reset itself, thus starting the process over again. i contacted 2 gm dealerships who said they could not fix it. had another mechanic look into it and he tried replacing the ignition but that didn't work either. that cost nearly $800.00. now i sit in the blazing sun or freezing cold or rain and wait for the car to finally start. gm needs to fix this for all owners at no charge. sadly for them, it is not just impalas that are having this trouble; it is across the entire product line of gm models. *tr

On several occasions i have been stranded because my car will not start. it apparently has something to do with the security passlock system. when you insert the key nothing happens. it is as though it does not recognize your key as a valid key. the system prevents the car from starting even though all the other systems, radio, lights, electric windows and doors are still functional but it is as though it does not recognize that the car is in park or neutral and does not allow it to start. after several minutes it usually starts. i have taken it to the dealership where i purchased it and after running the diagnostic testing on it tell me they can find nothing wrong with it. they say "unable to duplicate customer concern". since the problem happens occasionally i am sure they cannot duplicate. i have found on line that there was a technical service bulletin #40847003 dated 9/1/04 on this problem and that the same diagnostic service codes of b2958 and 2960 are reflected on the bulletin. i also reviewed the first 200 complaints on this site and see that 26 of those 200 were for this same matter. i am sure there are many more in the remaining 545 complaints. if chevrolet knew this was a problem in the year this car was sold 2004 shouldn't a recall have been done at that time when the car was under warranty? can a recall not be done on this continuing problem? *tr

Vehicle stalled in traffic on various occasions, had it towed to local mechanic twice. on other occasions he provided advice to circumvent the problem, most occasions was to wait, remove and reinsert the key and start the car. took the car into the local dealer (now bill kay), they advised that the ignition switch would have to be replaced (at an exorbitant cost to me). i had our local mechanic replace the switch, and it's been fine since. the problem is that i have two key for the car, one for the ignition switch and another for the doors and trunk. when i received the recall i contacted bill kay, relayed the specifics of my issue, and advised that i was not seeking reimbursement for all my expenses, but would appreciate them rekeying the vehicle so that i could use one key for the ignition, doors and trunk. they advised that this recall did not cover the ignition, and provided no resolution. have contacted them several times with the same result.

My 2004 chevy impala speedometer has stopped working. the temperature gauge does not work at all and the fuel gauge works some time. this car is in otherwise excellent condition. knowing your speed is certainly a safety issue. the dealer says getting it fixed is not a problem just give them hundreds of dollars. *tr

Driving on highway back from california thru nevada speedometer all of a sudden stopped working and slowly dropped to 0 as done it at list 5 more time but only when driving on highways. *tr

I have a 2004 chevrolet impala ls with an automatic transmission 3.2 v6. the speedometer will stay on 70mph at rest or more then go over a 120mph when traveling. once in awhile it may resume back to normal. it is a huge problem in not letting you know exactly what rate of speed you are traveling. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact was driving 30-40 mph when the instrumental panel failed. the manufacturer advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnosis. the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. the failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 49,500.

2004 chevy impala will not start. radio and windows will function,but car will not start....this will last about 10 to 15 minutes. this is the second time this has happened. this occurs about every 2 weeks. *tr

The speedometer will all of a sudden stop working and not give an accurate reading, and it makes clicking noise when it happens. it occurs around once or twice a week normally, with minimal driving. the dash has to be replaced to correct the issue, there are many other people with this problem and it should be fixed at the company's expense. this is a safety issue because i could be going the wrong speed and not have enough time to react to something such as a deer if i am going faster than it says i am or if i have to guess my speed. *tr

Instrument cluster failure on 2004 impala ls 6cyl 3800 tach quit working, temp gauge quit working, fuel gauge quit working or working sporadically. *tr

2004 chevorlet impala temp gauge ceased to work and stuck in it's highest position. tach gauge quit also. replaced instrument cluster with rebuilt unit. *tr

Tl* the contact owns 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the instrument panel was faulty and providing an incorrect reading for gasoline levels, speed traveled and temperature of the vehicle. the contact stated that the message center and radio was also failing. the vehicle was not taken into the dealer for diagnosis or repairs. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 63,394

Speedometer was giving erratic readings and now has stopped working all together. i replaced speed sensor and it did not help. i have to look at gps to find speed or estimate based on flow of traffic. this appears to be a common issue based on the complaints i have seen on internet and gm should replace the speedometer/instrument cluster. *tr

2004 chevrolet impala, instrument cluster gauge malfunction, beginning with temperature gauge showing incorrect temperature (cold start - temp readout 160 f), subsequently showing traction system failure indicator, finally progressed to speedometer failure at highway speed approximately one week later - speedometer began showing random speeds at approximately-steady cruise, reading 42 mph at about 70 mph. internet research demonstrates multiple such instances. chevrolet has addressed identical problem in silverado and avalanche models, but refuses to acknowledge that a problem exists in the impala. *tr

My wife got into a wreck because chevy has not recalled these issues. my 2004 impala abs brakes malfunctioned along with my traction control , she tried to stop at a stop sign and the brake pedal kicked up and would not let her stop she removed her foot from the brake and tried pressing the pedal back down and it kicked up kicking in the abs and traction control not allowing her to stop and she ran into a snow bank but my insurance paid for the body work but not the mechanical problems i replaced both hubs on the front, quit doing it for a week or so and then when i drive it the traction control and abs kicks in while im driving down the road. now my speedometer, tachometer and temp gauge are not workin at 0 rpm my car is doing 90 mph as it sits in my garage not starting because my key will not turn to start it my steering wheel will not lock and because i cant turn my key i can not put my car in neutral to push it out of my garage so i can get it towed i have read so many issues on these and other gm models i am surprised that there was no recalls when i called had this car for 4 years and nothing but problems and money so as my car sits in my garage as it will till these items get recalled i am not putting anymore money in this car i will drive my 98 infiniti that i have had for almost 10 years because i know its dependable. never again gm will you get another cent from me i have never had this many problems with any car. *tr

Vehicle will on occasion not start and displays a flashing security light in the information center. if i wait 10 minutes the security light will go out and the car will start. dealer stated they could not diagnose as problem was intermittent and not reproducible. problem happened on occasion over next several years, all with same symptoms. each time met with the same dealer denial and lack of ability to reproduce the symptoms. this year the problem became frequent and turns out to be a defective passlock ii sensor or ignition switch. from reading this is a common problem but was never addressed or acknowledged by gm. paid $1500 for replacement of ignition switch and bcm at local chevy dealer, who acknowledged this is a common problem. *tr

I was driving my father's 2004 chevy impala at the time of the mechanical failure. i was making a left hand turn from orchard lake rd onto northwestern hwy (i believe this is farmington mich) at this point i lost power to the vehicle (engine, brakes & power steering dead) and coasted to the right hand lane on northwestern hwy. i proceeded to restart the engine and continued on my merry way. no problems going the rest of the way home. the next day i had a problem starting the vehicle. this went on for several days until i took the vehicle to the auto dealership where they replaced the ignition switch. the dealership charged my father $481.39 to replace the ignition switch. i have the work invoice from the dealership showing the work performed. i also have proof of payment to mastercard showing the work was paid for. *tr

1.) this car is used and has a salvage title for vandalism, i have had for five months, i have noticed that all gauges (speedometer, tach & gas guage) do not function properly and safely 2.) the failure occurs daily; started off and on about two months ago 3.)i went to www.carcomplaints.com, this model, make, and year all have faulty gauges. this should be recalled by gm!!!! there are 124 complaints. i am going to a mechanic, but i know i shouldn't have to repair it if there are so many complaints about the gauges going haywire on cars with less miles than mine. *tr

While driving a consistent speed, speedometer will fluctuate from stuck at zero to 120mph. happens constantly. fuel gauge fluctuates also and doesn't always work. if using cruise control while speed appears correct, the impala will automatically increase its own speed while the speedometer does not change leaving an unsafe opportunity open for very tragic accidents to happen. i cannot believe that my 2010 pontiac vibe has had 3 recalls and this impala has not had any for the instrument panel. do people really have to die or be injured before something is done to protect us? *tr

Chevrolet 2004 impala speedometer quit working and manufacturer does not fix although i am certain it is a manufacturing issue. speed can not be monitored so is a safety issue. *tr