Problems with 2004 Chevrolet Impala ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

2004 chevrolet impala. consumer writes in regards to difficulty getting parts for engine oil leak on exhaust manifold recall. *smd

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. during a routine oil change, the technician noticed a gasket leak in the vehicle that needed to be replaced. the check engine warning indicator illuminated prior to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified. it was unknown if the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v201000 (engine and engine cooling). the failure mileage was 178,000.

Chevrolet impala 2004, traveling on a 4 lane divided highway, at 65mph, using cruise control, 2 adult passengers using seatbelts, driver saw truck entering the intersection from the drivers right side. the driver accelerated and swerved to avoid a collision. the impala was struck by the truck. skid marks were made on the highway by the tires of the impala from the impact to where the impala stopped and the engine stopped. the driver worked to put the car into park to restart the impala in order to move the impala to a safer position on the highway, out of the lanes of traffic. upon stopping the driver turned off the ignition key to the off position. the key was not on a key ring. the key had been removed from the fob and key ring upon receiving the safety recall notice, gm recall 14350. the hazard blinkers were turned on. the driver and passenger moved to the adjacent frontage road. the driver of the truck called the local police. the driver of the impala called 911. a police report was made. pictures were taken of the damage to both vehicles and the skid marks on the highway, made by the impala. no skid marks were visible along the path traveled by the truck. the impala hazard blinkers were turned off. the driver attempted to start the impala. the impala did not start. the passenger worked to start the impala, the dash lights did not turn on, the head lights did not turn on. a witness moved a vehicle into position to facilitate a "jump start", the impala started, the security warning light was illuminated. the impala was driven a short distance and parked, odometer reading 297336. arrangements for repair have yet to be determined. *tr

(1) heating system failed. no heat, coolant was ok. fan was running. dealer examined. three actuators in the electronics are failed and have to replace at a cost of over $550.00 (2) temperature gauge stopped moving. dealer examined. estimated cost of $~400.00 to replace ipc unit. there is one of the recalled ipc units for gm autos made between 2003-2007; but impala was not included in the recall list. i don't know why? same electronics failed in one unit must be recalled from all the units.. these defects could increase heat in the engine block and could increase fuel consumption, failure of the engine and possibly cause fire, contacted gm but they were not cooperative and denied any claims. *tr

i bought car 2 yrs ago and drove it for 3 months no problems then sat for 6 months, i start driving it and this is all the stuff that went out and stuff still going on. radiator temp sensor, water pump, heater, water pump bearing, instrument cluster, low coolant sensor, radiator, vss, key stuck in ignition, lock cylinder, 8 wires under hood shredded in half due to rubbing on belt, power lock wont work on driver side door, chimes go off when key not in ignition. my problem now is key locked up again finally got it to turn then anti theft system comes on and the car wont reprogram codes. my code reader says it cant read from car. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while the vehicle was at the dealer for repair, the dealer diagnosed there was an oil leak in the intake manifold gasket. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the intake manifold gasket needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign number: 15v201000 (engine and engine cooling). the failure mileage was 126,696.

While driving in heavy traffic, it just stops running. my husband puts the car in neutral and is able to start it back up again. it has done it a few times since that occurrence. this could result in a very serious situation if the car stalls in an intersection and won't restart. the car also has a security issue that prevents us, as the owner from starting it. this has been an ongoing problem from the purchase date. if you turn on the ignition and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes, it will start up. we now leave the car running when filling the car with gas because we have had to sit and wait for it to restart at the pump. this could cause a very serious problem also. if you go on line, you will see numerous complaints about both of these problems. we bought this car used and knew we would be responsible for some issues, but not this, it should be a recall issue. we have had to replace the rack and pinion (very costly) all new brakes and rotors, all new tires, and some other minor issues. i feel, as do numerous other gm owners, this is a factory defect in the security system (passlock key system), causing both problems. anyone having this problem, should be able to take the car to the dealership and they should have to fix it at no cost to the owner of the vehicle. i took it to the dealership just after we purchased it and he said he would have to replace the ignition and something else at a cost of almost $800. i am certain this can be taken care of by rerouting wiring in the security system at a very minor cost, or just resetting the computer system. any assistance you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Vehicle stalled out / stopped while traveling down the road. it has done it twice now. this car is fully equipped with cruise control and traction control. after the first time (three days ago) we took it to a dealer and they could not find any code (s) and or replicate it. it just happened again today. both times the car started right up. this could be a disaster at high speeds on an interstate. thank you. *tr the consumer stated the vehicle stalled for a third time. the dealer ran it for codes and immediately, it came back as a problem with the mass air sensor. it was replaced and so far, there have been no more problems. updated ivoq 08/01/12

The traction control turns on frequently. this causes the car to make a grinding noise. when braking the car makes a grinding noise and car is not stopping it feels like it's locking up and sliding. in a sudden stop needing to be made is at great risk of a accident. i have replaced a elbow shaped part that has busted open twice. car is constantly over heating the radiator cap has a rustic clay like substance. it won't hold antifreeze, i don't see a leak but it needs refilled quite often. the engine smokes, the cars rpm's will flex up and down and the car will just cut off. i'm wondering if the rustic clay like substance has gone through my engine and is causing me many problems with it. i have found reports of lawsuits in past regarding dexicool in gm cars doing this and ruining the engine. the problems in the reports are just like mine and many others on here. help!!' *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact was driving 55 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning and was crashed into by another vehicle. the contact sustained whiplash injuries and was transported to the hospital. a police report was filed. the vehicle was destroyed. the contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired because the vehicle would fail to start and there were other electrical failures. the manufacturer was not contacted in regards to the failure. the failure mileage was 125,000.

2004 impala w/ 3.8l engine stalls when decelerating, leaving the car very difficult and un-safe to drive. currently, the engine starts right back up, but it takes my eyes off the road to put the car in neutral and re-start. i have tried a few inexpensive things such as premium gas, fuel injector cleaner, and a new fuel filter...no affect on the problem. there is no "engine light" which appears. i have owned this car since new and taken very good care of it. i do not want to take it to a dealership if at all possible because i do not trust them. unfortunately, i may be forced to since this is my only car and i cannot afford a car payment. *tr

Pass lock system "security" light comes on and the car will not start. happens randomly. *kb

Rocker arm bolts came out of head disabling cylinder #1. causing engine to run rough and could not exceed 15mph. threads in head failed. this happened again in december 28, 2010 affecting cylinders #3 and #5. now again this issue as of march 9, 2012 in cylinder #2. in each occurrence threads from head were found in bolt threads. bolts were loose disabling cylinder from working. this happens without warning and due to concern of further damaging engine, car requires towing. this seems to be a defect in the materials the head was made of. *tr

My car would randomly turn off while driving on the streets and on the middle of the highway going 55 miles per hour, or while stopped at a light . the car would stall up to 3-4 times per day most of the time and as time went on it got worse. i replaced the fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator, the battery, the fuel filter, the ignition switch, and the car still turns off in the middle of nowhere. the last time it happened was when my wife was driving to work the car stalled a few yards away from a railroad crossing (since she quit driving on expressway), luckily it didn't happen on tracks, no train was coming at that time. she had to wait approx. 25 mins for it to start after trying a few times. the next day the same thing happens but this time it didn't turn on, so she called the dealership and they sent a tow truck. the tow truck driver, when he arrived approx. an hour later, tried to start it but it didn't start either. so, when arrived at the dealership they tried starting it and by then it started. the shop manager, whom i had related this incident to was aware of the situation, so he then assigned a mech to stand by the analyzer monitor while the engine was running. they kept the engine running until it finally died on them again, while the mech was still there, i don't know how long (didn't ask). at this particular time the analyzer indicated that the crankshaft position sensor was the cause of the stall. needless to say it was replaced and is now a month later and it's running just fine. not a hint of stalling nor anything else. my concern is that anything can happen on a highway from a car that turns off randomly due to the crankshaft position sensor. *tr

Now at 117,000 kms. or past my five year warranty. since 88,000kms. have complained several times about temp gauge very out of whack on highway trips, lead me to believe severely overheated, but no message from car, just gauge going almost 90 degrees past "danger point " of gauge. in last two years temp gauge replaced three times. obviously not the problem. returns to normal function in city or short haul driving. stop frequently, and under hood check shows no signs of overheating. conclusion- electrical, sensor, problem and dealer keeps coming up with costly new equipment fixes which do not work. now they want to blame a water pump leak and gaskets, although reservoir carefully watched by me. no leaks there. have never had to add fluid, although i keep it always in car-that is the dexcool-water mix. never down lower than recommended, and the dealer wants to give me a new water pump and take 1000-1200 out of my pocket. they have never mentioned the temp sensor, or any other fix. travel on mountain highways 3 times per year, gauge now gone way over the top 6-8 times. always stop. no sign ever of hose, radiator, water, lowered reservoir, or computer messages as per manual. have read of numerous similar problems of this make and model, the 04 chevy impala ls, always gauges. in my case i will not approve another temp gauge "fix" and now speedometer is acting up as well, just like other drivers reported. *tr

Security light comes on while driving after car is turned off it wont start unless i turn on the ignition switch and let it sit for 20 minutes then the car will start. turn signals lights rarely works properly and the check engine light stays on i've made the repairs under the codes and the check engine light is still on this is dealing with the emission testing. *tr

Was in my car driving smoke came from under the hood. raised the hood and it was on fire. *tr

Failure of lower intake gaskets on 2004 chevrolet impala. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact attempted to start the vehicle when the security warning indicator light illuminated on the instrument panel. the engine would not operate while the security warning indicator was illuminated; however, the engine started after approximately ten minutes. the contact stated that the failure appeared to be more pronounced when the temperature was 50 degrees. the identical failure occurred twenty times. the vehicle was taken a dealer where the technician stated that the failure was contributed to the vcm unit and connectors, which had been replaced. the failure continued to occur. the failure mileage was 97,000. the current mileage was 105,000.

Engine temperature gauge stopped working, then shortly afterwards the speedometer failed. does not read the correct speed or reads 0 most of the time. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while driving in reverse or accelerating at various speeds, the contact heard a loud noise. he took the vehicle to the dealer and they found that the motor mount bolt locks were opened, which may have caused the engine to fail. the dealer tightened the bolts. the contact was aware of the safety risk involved. the current and failure mileages were 77,000.

Failure: lower intake gasket failed due to dexcool antifreeze. dexcool installed at factory. vehicle had sudden serious coolant leak . vehicle overheated on highway and stranded owner. vehicle was taken to dealer for service. dealer told owner to replace gasket and coolant. service technician replaced dexcool with another long life brand of antifreeze. the original dexcool also clogged the radiator which required extra flushing with additional chemicals. *tr

Car was taken in for brakes. rotors warped @ 21,500 miles. 12,000 miles later, warped again. was told this was common and there was nothing they could do for me. repair cost out of pocket. car was taken in for an overheating problem. was told it was totally natural for my car to get that hot. unbelievable!! now i have an intake or a head gasket that is bad. again, nothing they can do. again, cost out of my pocket. this will be the last chevy i service. my car only has 34,000 miles it. the service center told us, "cars are made different these days. stuff happens." if they can't stand behind their cars i won't buy another. 34,000 miles and my car is junk. i think a recall should be issued regarding these problems. bad brakes and bad gaskets. *tr

We have a 2004 chevrolet impala, which is a piece of crap. we purchased this car used, it had 26,000 miles on it. i filed a complaint w/ chevy on phone number 866-790-5700. our case # is 71-578092134. they were no help, since our warranty had expired. our traction system & check engine light kept coming on. the traction system shut off & would not turn back on. it also knocked off the abs system. not safe. we took it to a local mechanic, the repairs were a new thermostat & thermostat sensor, & drivers side rear hub bearing. the cost was $500.00, the dealership wanted @1100.00!!!!!!! for the same repairs. the repair shop stated to me that they have approximately 5-10 impalas a week in their shop for the same repair!!! it appears gm screwed up. we are not the only ones who have this problem. we also own a 1995 gmc 1500 sierra, have not had to fix anything as major as the impala. gm's warranty is the worst in the business. gm was no help at all. *tr

My 2004 impala ss has had several failures of the instrument panel cluster. the first was incorrect speedometer readings that lead to total failure of the speedometer (sticking and/or erratic behavior of the speedometer needle). the second was improper fuel level indication (high level shown with low fuel light coming on - almost no fuel left). the latest is incorrect oil pressure indication. all of these are known issues with the model of stepper motor used to drive these gauges in many gm vehicles. my total cost for repair has been in excess of $300, not including the current oil pressure gauge repair (stepper motors for speedo and fuel level gauge). i plan on having all stepper motors replaced with the latest generation replacement (switec x25.168). this is something that gm needs to take responsibility for and correct as it is a very widespread issue. *tr

Vehicle has been stalling intermittently at any speed. vehicle has stalled a total of ten times. the vehicle has been taken to the local mechanic shop five times and the dealership twice but no codes were found during testing. so far i have had new plugs/wires (tune-up), new coil pack, new ignition module and new crank sensor, and new fuel filter. the vehicle completely dies at any speed. told possibility of bad fuel pump but dealership cannot be 100% certain this will fix the problem. while driving at 70-75 miles an hour the car completely shuts down. it is a miracle i have not been severely hurt or killed. problems began in may 2007 and have been ongoing since then. *tr

Tl* - the contact took the 2004 chevrolet impala in to have a routine oil change. the vehicle had 37, 792 miles. the contact was told by the dealer that the coolant & oil was leaking into the engine. the vehicle was repaired and she has the repair order. this is the first incident. the vehicle did not give any warnings. however, the contact's coolant light turned on 9/06 and she had coolant added.

This vehicle had a head gasket repaired under standard 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. we are now told we have another head gasket or head problem at 49,000 miles. this appears to be an engine manufacturer problem or i got a lemon engine from chevrolet? *jb

Dex-cool antifreeze turned brown and sludged up. less than one year and 16,200 miles on vehicle. took to dealer and had system flushed, reservoir replaced and new coolant added. i will take it back for the same thing every year. many people i've spoken to with gm vehicles have experienced the same thing with this coolant.

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

Engine is consuming over a quart of oil approx. every 1800-2000 miles. i was shown a bulletin that said that there was a problem with oil consumption at the dealership. i brought the car in twice to them each time the low oil light came on and each time they told me there was nothing that could be done but to check it every day or two and keep track then come in with my notes to see what was happening. i brought the car to my regular garage the next time the oil was low and 4 mechanics informed me that the rate of oil consumption was not regular and that there is a problem if it is not making it passed 2000 miles before it loses over a quart of oil.

My "low oil level" light came on after 2000 miles. i had the oil changed, it was a quart low. i was told that new vehicles sometimes "absorb" oil the first time. the light came on again at 5000 miles, the oil was over a quart low. it was implied that i was not resetting the change oil light properly. the engine oil light came on at 9000 miles. at this point i paid for an oil change and an oil consumption test was done. the low oil light came on again at 10,000 miles. the dealership made a service appointment, topping off the oil since it was a quart low and i shouldn't go four days with the oil a quart low. when i returned for the service appointment my oil level was only 1/2 quart low. they had forgotten that they topped it off. i had to pay for another oil change and another oil consumption (dye test) was started. i was shown a notice that was sent to the dealership regarding defective gaskets or seals on 2004 impalas. to date i have had four oil changes, all of which the oil level was over a quart low. i would think that there was enogh evidence to warrant the repair to my vehicle without having to pay for another oil change and wait 2000 miles. i am concerned that if oil is being consumed it has to effect other parts of the engine. the oil has to go somewhere. again, i was told that it would not cause any effect to any other part of the vehicle. *ak

All probs with 2004 impala ss started after 3 months of puchase date. there were less than 3,000 miles on car. 1st incident - while making right turn at 20 mph, car died 1/2 way through turn. the steering wheel locked and ended up going into oncoming traffic. luckily made it to opposite side of road w/ harm. car wouldnt start at all. dealership service dept. replace crank shaft position sensor. 2nd incident - approx 3 weeks after 1st, i was stopped to drop passenger off, car started to shake and idle was high, 2 seconds later car died. car restarted this time, driving home about 35mph car died in heavy traffic, steering locked and had to struggle to get car over to side of road. car would not restart this time. dealership service dept again replaced the crank shaft position sensor. 3rd incident - got the car back on a friday afternoon, the car died again while driving by saturday nite. dealership service dept looked a little further than crank shaft position sensor this time and repaired loose pin connections in ignition coil module connector. 4th incident - 2 months after all this, cigarette lighter doesnt work, lights dim when power windows put up, dash board sensor that gets off when low fuel light/ low tire pressure light comes ondoes not reset. car still feels sluggish. loud scratching noiseoccurs when wheels turned all the way in one direction. everything fixed b/c of blown fuse. scraping noise coming from loose clip in tire wheel well. deealership stated car was running fine and there was no perforamance problems. this has happened over the last 6 months. car presently has 4500 miles on it. oh and chevrolet roadside assistance absolutely horrible. and then to top everything off the dealership makes it seem like all of these problems are caused by the driver, by asking well what gas do you use and how fast do you drive on the highway. this car is an impala ss. the car is supposed to be built for performance. *ak

Vehicle stalled intermittently at any speed. vehicle had been to dealer on four separate occasions, and they were unable to duplicate the problem.*ak the vehicle has stall a total of eight times. the vehicle has been taken to the dealer on four occasions but no codes were found during testing. *nm