Problems with 2006 Chevrolet Impala ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Its a 2006 impala she was driving down the freeway and smoke came out the vents of the dash !!! the traction light was on and the power seats do not work but it still runs, she left the car and had it toed ! so i was wondering if this has happened to any one else ? it looks like it happens a lot but gm has not done anything about it !!!! i read a lot of dash fires from the electrical box on different complaints and some the door locks do not work when the electrical problems begin and traps you in the car !!! its hard to believe this goes on with no outcome its like someone has to die or get killed before anything is done. *tr

While driving home from work traveling at a speed of 70 mph i suddenly received a notification of reduced power and to service my traction control had the problem diagnosed as a faulty engine control module still having this problem. *tr

I've had an ongoing issue since this spring with an issue on traction control and the display reporting 'reduced engine power ". i've now had the throttle body sensor and power train computer module replaced. i'll be driving at a rate of speed on the highway of apx 60mph and then these error messages appear and the cruise kicks off. there's hesitation as i try to accelerate. *js

My 2006 chevrolet impala is experiencing problems with the tire pressure monitoring system, as well as the remote keyless entry system. both systems use the same antenna in the vehicle, and the module controlling each system is defective. many times a day while driving, an alert will appear saying "service tire monitoring system" and i will lose readings of my tire pressures. mandated in 2005, tpms systems are as important as air bags and seat belts in vehicles, so this is a serious safety concern. i recently had a flat tire that could have resulted in a blowout on the expressway had i not visually checked the tire because the tpms system was not working correctly. i have found a service bulletin regarding the issue with a document id of 1990156. i have contacted gm about the issue and was told that it was no longer covered by the original vehicle warranty and a service bulletin is not enough for them to replace the equipment without charging myself, the consumer. this safety issue needs to be addressed because these systems are in place to increase the safety of the vehicle and they are not serving that purpose due to poor design right out of the factory. in addition to the failure of the tpms system, the defect also makes the remote keyless entry system useless due to extremely poor range (~2 feet). this is more of a convenience issue, but it is still caused by the same defect. *js

The key got stuck in the ignition switch...gm dealership cannot locate the problem. *tr

Rear defroster wiring under front passenger door had smoked and small fire. car was in motion on a city street. was just pulling into my driveway so i pulled of fuse box cover to discover it. wires melted. had no fuse in there. burned out quickly.

Shortly after purchasing the vehicle i noticed that when opening the driver's side or any other doors dic (driver's info center) stays lit and radio stays on for 15 minutes. was told it may be the bcm (body control module). also checked vehicle's oil and all was fine then 2 weeks later check engine light comes on and dipstick shows no oil. no leaks anywhere on driveway nor under carriage. steering wheel squeals when turning yet all fluids are topped off. is this vehicle a lemon? *tr

Going 55 mph car suddenly dropped to 35 mph almost got rear ended by cars behind me. dash lights came on service traction control , engine power reduced, check engine light came on, cruise control not working. had some work done at chevrolet dealership 100 miles ago so maybe something they did wrong. but i see there are many complaints and dangerous situations caused by this very same message. someone is going to get hurt or killed by this sudden deceleration with no warning. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the key failed to remain in the ignition. once the vehicle was started, the transmission failed to switch gears. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the ignition failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system). the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

I was jus leaving my job on my way to school when as i reached about half a mile away from my job the car displayed a message engine power reduced i was goin the speed limit which was about 45 to 50 when i was suddenly uncontrollably brought to under 20 mph cars nearly ran into my rear several times so i had to quickly put on my hazards n pull into a nearby shopping center i had to have the car towed home n now i'm car i don't have the necessary funds my local chevrolet dealership is chagrin to fix this issue especially when they charge by how long the job takes after for the life of me i can't understand how my 2005 chevy impala which had 155000 miles performed better than my 2006 i never had as much issue as i did with this car as i did with older also in this 2006 impala this cooling system part are very cheap i would not recommend a chevy to any one after experience the problems i did with this car especially when i was driving and lost all my power steering fluid after just having a recall for an power steering pump hose repaired. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving in reverse approximately 3 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that the computerized system needed to be replaced. in addition, the transmission had been replaced three times, including the oil pan gasket. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 168,000.

I've been experiencing the same problem with my 2006 impala off and on for the last year, maybe more. the car will randomly give me an error of "engine power reduced." the car slows to a crawl, has no acceleration, the engine shakes and it sputters until the engine is turned off. i took it to a mechanic who said it was the tps sensor. he replaced the throttle body. the car ran fine for a few months and then it started again. since i was getting the same codes, i took it back to the mechanic who informed me that it could be an electrical problem or it could have been caused by my battery, but there's no way to tell for sure without troubleshooting. i have since been to several mechanics, all who say the codes point to the throttle body, but they also agree that i shouldn't be getting these codes so quickly after replacing the unit - which cost over $300. i'm a single mother who works and goes to graduate school full time. i don't have the resources to carelessly dump money into a car. i've put up with it because i can usually pull over, turn the engine off, wait a minute and it will crank back up; however, it has gotten progressively worse. last night, i was driving down the interstate when the console read "starting disabled service throttle." the engine then shut off while i was driving at highway speeds and left me stranded on the side of a dark highway, alone, with a car full of groceries and a son who was waiting on his mom to get home to put him to bed. fortunately, i was on a road without a lot of other cars around or it could have been much more dangerous. i've done a lot of research and this seems to be a very common problem with gm cars. an internet search will reveal the same symptoms and the same results from dealers, all without a permanent fix. gm needs to investigate this issue which clearly affects a large number of cars across the gm brand! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, another vehicle crashed into the driver's side of the vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. in addition, the contact stated that the speedometer failed. a police report was filed and the contact sustained injuries. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was not diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was unknown.

My car had been showing the service battery charging system for about two days. when i called southeast kia of somerset, they tried to say it was the actually battery, keep in mind, i have only had this car for six weeks. i knew that it wasn't because i had been having no problems with my car whatsoever before this, and i was raised around mechanics and truck drivers, i do know a little about cars. when i turned the car off it would not start back up. i had the battery jumped three times and it died sitting there, we finally got it charged so that i could drive to my mothers, but had problems on the way there. as i was driving, all of my gauges completely stopped working in my car, and i thought the car had died and that i was coasting. so i pulled over to the side of the road, with my three children in the car, and realized the car was running. i shut the car off, but it kept running. now, kia is saying that if it's the alternator it's not covered under a two year warranty that i have, because they don't want to have to fix it basically. i have been severely ripped off, and now me and my children are without a car. i think it is ridiculous that car lots are able to send out terrible and unreliable cars to people without a second thought, and then don't want to fix things. now i am trying to find a way to get a different car and leave this piece of junk on their lot, i will probably never buy a car again unless it only has about 20 miles on it and is brand new, and will definitely do more research on the type of car, along with the dealership selling it to me. and kia has not heard the last of me as well. *tr

Original owner of vehicle. noticed sometime in august of 2013 that the rear window defogger wasn't working. checked fuse, relay, grid connections and found incomplete circuit. traced open circuit to a wiring harness connector behind passenger side kick panel under glove box. found that rear window defogger wire (purple) was burned and insulation was melted. separated the wiring harness connector to find that specific connector for this wire inside connector was also burned and melted on both sides of the connector. concerned about fire hazard. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle exhibited an abnormal tapping noise from under the air conditioning unit. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis where it was stated that the air conditioning unit needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while stopped at a median, another vehicle that was driving approximately 55 mph crashed into the front passenger's side of the vehicle. the contact stated that the air bags failed to deploy. a police report was filed and there were no injuries reported. the vehicle was towed to a impound lot. an independent mechanic repaired the vehicle however, the contact stated that the horn and the drivers side headlight failed shortly afterward. the failure mileage was 200,000.

Last june i went to the store and tried to open my back doors and they would not open from the inside. i was able to open one of the back doors from the outside only. the door locks indicated the doors were not locked. if i was involved in an accident and needed to get people out of the back seat of my car they would not be able to get out on their own. the locking mechanisms failed on both doors. both doors has this lock issue for about 3-4 months and then one of the locks started working again from the inside. eventually the other door started working again once it was getting close to winter. this is a serious safety issue that needs looked into and a recall done by gm. gm consistently puts out expensive cars with inadequate parts that fail. i researched this issue online and found this was typical of all chevy imapla's no matter the year. *tr

Well for a month i been geting power reduce ingine on the dash bourd i got my husband to check it out and he cant belive what he saw did some reseach on line and look like this is a command problem so he bought the throttle body and no luck so then bought the pedal possion sensor hope gm can reimburse all the people that have this problem.i spent already close to $500.00 and am still working on the car please help...it not cool that gm is ignoring the situation it look look there aware of it.... *tr

While driving the reduced engine power light came on while driving on expressway. since then it comes on more frequent. causing car to accelerate very slow, and in some cases stalling. nearly causing an accident. vehicle is not safe. several service bulletins but only 1 recall. i will never buy a gm product again. i have owned several gm vehicles. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that a ticking noise was present coming from the fan box located inside the dashboard, which caused the engine battery to drain. the contact indicated that the ticking noise was present while the vehicle was turned off and the keys were removed from the ignition switch. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. the local dealer was not notified. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 100,000. *tt consumer stated ticking noise is draining the battery and causing alot of problems. 'parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).' *jb

My 2006 chevy impala has thump noise in the steering any time i turn and sounds like it gonna fall apart its a hazard to be on the road. and the heater clicks wont work resulting in the windshield being fogged when im driving that's a hazard also. i called chevy customer service did they help no take your vehicle to the dealer pay $ 100.00 maybe you will get it fixed free! haha forget it im selling the car its easier that's my story im very dissatisfied in chevy. and any of this happens at anytime of the speed 0-75 mph. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. the technician stated that the computer would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 101,000.

My fiance was driving my car on his way to pick my children up from their grandmothers and smelled something burning. as he was trying to find a place to pull over smoke came into the vehicle near his feet and all of a sudden the car was on fire. he pulled over into a restaurant parking lot but by then the electric was out in the car so the doors were locked and he wasn't able to open the door. good thing he had the windows down prior to the fire because that was his only escape. one of the employees brought out a fire extinguisher and tried to put it out with no luck. the fire department arrived and finally was able to put the fire out. it was determined that the fire was in the area of the fuse panel and wiring harness. my car is a total loss after just paying it off just two weeks ago! heartbreaking. i've been doing my research and was surprised to find that i'm not the only person that this had happened to. this is a safety concern and it needs to be addressed! i'm just thankful that my children were not in the car when this happened because the worst could have happened all because no one wants to do a recall! thank god there were no fatalities but who's to say the next person this happens to will be so lucky? *tr *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving at all speeds, the cruise control activated and the vehicle decelerated. various warning lights also illuminated randomly. in addition, the gear shifted into park, but the vehicle continued to drive. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated that the vehicle might have been experiencing internal electrical failures. the dealer also stated that the failure might be due to the transmission, but there were no warning lights indicating such. the vehicle was not repaired and the dealer offered no assistance. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 77,000 and the current mileage was 79,000.

I boyght my car from a used car dealership it has a little over 133,000 miles. i'm having problems i think with my ignition switch because when the problem first started it would not crank nor turn over. after turning the switch back and forward for five min or so, it would start. now i can't get it to do a thing. i need help with this issue. *tr

Service battery charging system is showing on dashboard. battery and alternator have been replaced and it still appears on dashboard. i dont know what else to do. *tr

Displayed on panel "reduced engine power" . on star diagnosed service code "p2138". on 05/01/2012 while driving through a large intersection my engine power was reduced to 3 or maybe 5 mph. i was trying to get through the intersection without the acceleration that was so desperately needed. this is definitely a safety issue. in addition to being concerned about getting into an accident, i'm fearful i will be the one causing a fatal pile-up. i have been to the chevy dealer 4 times and they were unable to fix this problem.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the air conditioner was emitting an abnormal clicking noise. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection but the cause of the failure was unable to be determined. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. the failure mileage was 59,000.

The electrical in the car is messed up. i turn to the right and my radio shuts off, also if its dark out and my lights are on and i put the windows down the lights down as i'm pressing the button to put them down. *js

Is or was or has this car had any recalls. for a 2006 veh with only 54,104 miles on it and have to put out the money to pay for work on a car with electrical problems, so far (intercontrol module) is not right. this problem caused the whole car to not respond at all (in luck we were at home when this happened)but, if we were gone it could have been a disaster if this would have happened while driving it shuts the whole car down, this is a disaster waiting to happen. please help *kb

From time to time i hear some banging noise like someone is in my trunk or like it the side. i'm not sure what it . also my power steering make noise all the time. and my driver side headlight bulb comes loose and blows out a lot. it seems like it's something with the connector. to many issues with this car. *tr

I was driving my company assigned car down a steep hill when the engine stalled without warning. this has happened 5 other times with this vehicle. this was the first time i was traveling fast though. it's like the engine just turns off. the lights are still on but i lose the power steering and brakes. it was terrifying and extremely dangerous. this problem happens completely randomly with no warning. it has happened to others in my company with their impalas. i looked online and found numerous other instances of chevy impalas of various model years doing the same thing. it is currently in the repair shop and the mechanic can't duplicate the problem. i told them its random and occurs about every 4 months or so. i am afraid i will have to get back in this death trap due to my employer making me. please help- i don't want to die because chevrolet has a problem with their electrical systems in their cars. *tr

I purchased a 2006 impala ss, just recently after reaching 60,000 miles my transmission started slipping in 4th gear and overdrive at highway speeds. a short 300 miles later the transmission failed completely while driving home from work on the interstate. i had the car towed to a local transmission shop where i was told it either needed to be rebuilt or replaced. i had it rebuilt for $2442 all out of my own pocket because my powertrain warranty had already expired. now a mere 3 months later and now currently at 69,200 miles the new transmission is showing the same exact symptoms it had when it failed the first time. again with no warranty and repair costs over 2000 dollars i will soon be forced to replace the transmission again. not to mention rental car costs and the inconvenience of having this happen twice within a year and 10,000 miles apart. other recent issues include a check engine light on for a cylinder 6 misfire due to an oil fouled spark plug and burning or using a full quart of oil every 1000 miles i'm sure major engine repairs are soon to come. it almost makes me sick to my stomach knowing i still have 4 more years to pay on this vehicle and all of these problems under 70,000 miles majority of which are highway driven. needless to say this will be the last gm vehicle i ever own. *js

My wife was driving home from the grocery store on jan 1st, with my daughter in the passenger seat. they began to smell something burning, so my wife pulled over, when my daughter got out of the car she saw flames shooting out from under the glove compartmented good samaritan came running over with a fire extinguisher to attempt to put fire out, my daughter called 911, and the cranford fire dept. showed up within minutes to put out the fire. in the fire dept. report they said the fire was caused by an electrical problem from the fuse box. the car was ruled a total loss, the passenger side air bag deployed and the windshield cracked, luckily nobody was seriously hurt, but gm is claiming they have no responsibility for this fire. both my wife and i disagree, the car was well taken care of only at a gm dealer, and had no after market accessories installed.we have several photos taken by insurance company and the fire dept. report. if you need any further information please feel free to contact us. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

If car is not started daily. it will drain the battery and require a jump. friend has same make and model 2006 impala lt. same problem. i have installed new battery every year for four years. *tr

White spade connector for rear defroster wire burnt/melted inside connector harness. located under passenger side kickplate under fuse panel 2006 chevy impala. possible small electrical fire due to improper connector unable to support rear defrost electrical amperage. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet impala. while driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technicians advised that the wiring harness was melted and would have to be replaced. the failure recurred three times and the repairs were performed twice. the vehicle was not repaired the third time the failure occurred. the approximate failure mileage was 230,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet impala. while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated. the failure occurred multiple times. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system); however, the part needed was unavailable to perform the repair. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unavailable.

Rear defrost does not work, light turns on but does not defrost rear window. *tr

2006 chevy ss impala started having issues with the dash board readings, the car would not start because it would show the car was in drive when it was not, there was no readings for the speed, all electrical readings were out of control, finally the abs would not work and then the car would not start at all and had to be towed in. the abs module at only 75,000 miles had to be replaced. this is a serious safety issue that needs to be addressed by chevy, the repair needed put me in a serious driving safety concern and chevy should not say sorry this is no longer under warranty and we can't do anything for you. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet impala. while the vehicle was parked the contact noticed that the rear defrost was not working. the contact stated that the wiring to the defrost on the front passenger side of the vehicle was burnt. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the fuse link and connectors. the approximate failure mileage was 43,500. updated 09/12/11

I have a impala lt that suddenly started locking in park not allowing me to shift to other gears. apparently there is some solenoid that runs from the shifter to the brake pedal which released the button on the stick shift. i have to take it in yet to confirm the problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2006 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the key seized in the ignition while trying to start the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the ignition switch was repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was unknown.

I was driving on the freeway in st. paul, mn. i started up an incline to exit the freeway. i suddenly lost all control of steering and brakes. i traveled uphill until the car rammed into the curb on the other side of the exit ramp. i turned off the car and got out and called the police. *tr

The car was parked in front of our home. i saw flames on driver's side, which quickly consumed the entire interior. 911 was called and our local fire department put it out. the fireman believes it was caused by the electrical system. *tr

2006 chevrolet impala. the rear defogger does not work. nothing happened, it just quit working. when you push the rear defogger button on the front panel, the light lights up showing it is working, but it isn't working on the rear window. it is hazardous because you can't see out of the rear window with frost and even snow built up on it. *tr

My 2006 chevy impala will not turn on. i replaced the battery and starter with the same results. starter relay is also good. i have researched this problem on the web and to my horror, this is a common problem with this vehicle, with very high dollar possible solutions that may not work. every time i bring in this vehicle i am charged 100 dollars for them to say what is wrong and when they (supposedly) fix it ( or say it did not do it with them and its all in my head and your doing something wrong to it), it does it again. the charging system is ok but there is no power at all thruout the car but if you wait a couple of hours it will show lights but it will not even crank and then go completely dead. this same problem has happened from every other customer who has had this problem and cost them plenty of money without a solution. i have researched youtube, yahoo answers, fixit, etc... and this is what all these other numerous customers are saying even when they went to the chevy certified mechanics throuout the country. i do not have the resources to keep paying for diagnosis and numerous possible fixes that does not remedy the problem. bringing the vehicle to a chevy dealer for them to charge me an arm and a leg to not fix the problem ( and no they will not give you a refund for not fixing the problem that they charge a 100 dollars upfront to diagnose). this is not the only problem, the transmission slams into gear especially when you come from a start or after you back up and drive forward. this is not normal but chevy will say it us. i take pride in keeping my car running so i know it is not from neglect or abuse this is simply an ongoing problem that these chevy vehicles have because i m seeing this exact same problem on their other models throughout multiple year spectrum. this is ridiculous!!! all these consumers across the country are not wrong. *tr

I owned a 2006 impala with 100,000 miles on it. on 11-11-2009 i was driving to work and all of a sudden the traction control came on. i had to slow down to 45 miles an hour and cross 3 lanes in heavy traffic to get to the right hand lane. at that point the engine completely shut down and started smoking. i got out of the car and there were flames coming from the front driver side of the engine. within 3 minutes the whole engine was completely engulfed in flames. car is completely totaled and i owe more on it than it is worth. luckily i have gap insurance but finding a new car without a sizeable deposit is nearly impossible. this was an error that gm should have known about and i should have been notified of this. car fires just don't happen out of nowhere especially when it's an electrical fire. *tr

I purchased my 2006 impala ss brand new in 2006. i've been a loyal gm customer my whole life. at 99,000 started experiencing transmission issues, slipping,and hard shifting... at 101,000 miles i was driving down the highway and my transmission stopped working. i refinanced my car to rebuild the transmission for $2,200 . after the rebuild transmission was working ok. then at 122,000 miles it stopped working again... it was snowing and i was stranded in the turn lane of a road with a speed limit of 55mph... i turned off my car let the engine cool down and back on at least 20 times... my car moved about 200 feet each time... an hour later i got back to my house that was 5miles from the failure. i cant afford to fix it now and i am still paying for the car. its been sitting in my yard for 10 months. this issue is very dangerous and needs to be resolved. i also received a recall for my power steering hose, got it fixed and the brackets came loose from my frame causing my steering to get very hard. i pulled over and checked my power steering fluid at walmart and it was empty. i filled it and everything was working. the next morning i had no power steering again... my hose had rubbed on my frame making a hole. i went to the store and bought more power steering fluid but after i put it in my steering was making a loud sound and didn't turn well. i think it was damaged due to the leak. i too have a loud clicking sound coming from my dashboard when i turn on my car. i was told by the dealership it was the vent flap motor ... $750 dollars to repair... part is only $65 the rest is labor... also when i first bought my car i had to get all 4door windows replaced (under warranty) due to improper window guide adjustment. and my automatic trunk release works off and on, my keyless entry only works 5 feet from my car with new batteries,and all tire pressure sens. went bad$100 each help. *tr