NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Exterior Lighting complaints
103 reportsClear category filter38,000 miles · Apr 2, 2007
Exterior Lighting
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE AUTOMATICALLY, AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN THEM ON MANUALLY. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO TURN ON THE HEADLIGHTS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. NO OTHER FAILURE…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE AUTOMATICALLY, AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN THEM ON MANUALLY. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO TURN ON THE HEADLIGHTS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. NO OTHER FAILURES HAVE OCCURRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE 38,000.*AK
NHTSA ODI #10186707
58,524 miles · Mar 23, 2007
Engine And Engine CoolingExterior Lighting
TL*- THE CONTACT TOOK THE 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA FOR AN OIL CHANGE, WHILE SHE WAS AT THE SERVICE LOCATION, THE TECHNICIAN TOLD HER THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING. ALSO, THE HIGH BEAM SWITCH DID NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE HIGH BEAM SWITCH TURNED ON, BUT DID NOT STAY ON. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TWO FAILURES W…
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TL*- THE CONTACT TOOK THE 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA FOR AN OIL CHANGE, WHILE SHE WAS AT THE SERVICE LOCATION, THE TECHNICIAN TOLD HER THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD WAS LEAKING. ALSO, THE HIGH BEAM SWITCH DID NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE HIGH BEAM SWITCH TURNED ON, BUT DID NOT STAY ON. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TWO FAILURES WERE COMMON. FAILURE MILEAGE WAS AT 58,524. *AK
NHTSA ODI #10185975
Mileage unknown · Dec 30, 2006
Exterior Lighting
FREQUENTLY AT NIGHT, WHEN SWITCHING FROM LOW BEAM TO HIGH BEAM ALL THE HEADLIGHTS GO OUT.....FOUND BY FLICKERING BACK TO LOW BEAM THEY WILL COME BACK ON. SOMETIMES THEY GO OUT W/O SWITCHING TO HIGH BEAM. SEEMS TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY RISK! *NM
NHTSA ODI #10177400
70,000 miles · Dec 6, 2006
Exterior Lighting
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS WOULD SHUT DOWN WITHIN THE FIRST 5 MINUTES OF TURNING ON. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED.
NHTSA ODI #10175277
10,000 miles · Nov 28, 2006
Exterior Lighting
WHEN HIGH BEAMS ARE ON, THE HEADLIGHTS WILL OCCASIONALLY GO OUT ENTIRELY WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING. THIS PROBLEM HAS CAUSED US TO QUIT USING THE HIGH BEAMS DUE TO THE SAFETY RISK. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10174618
35,000 miles · Nov 25, 2006
Exterior Lighting
ABOUT 9:00 PM I WAS DRIVING ABOUT TWO KM. FROM HOME WHEN MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. I HAD HAZARD LIGHTS, PARKING LIGHTS AND REAR LIGHTS. I TRIED HIGH AND LOW BEAMS TURNING LIGHTS ON AND OFF BUT THEY WOULD NOT TURN ON. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP THE NEXT MORNING AND STILL NO LIGHTS. WHEN THEY FLIPP THE HI-LOW BEAMS THE LIGHTS CAME BA…
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ABOUT 9:00 PM I WAS DRIVING ABOUT TWO KM. FROM HOME WHEN MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. I HAD HAZARD LIGHTS, PARKING LIGHTS AND REAR LIGHTS. I TRIED HIGH AND LOW BEAMS TURNING LIGHTS ON AND OFF BUT THEY WOULD NOT TURN ON. I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP THE NEXT MORNING AND STILL NO LIGHTS. WHEN THEY FLIPP THE HI-LOW BEAMS THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON-THEY DO NOT KNOW WHY THIS HAPPENED. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10174221
Mileage unknown · Nov 10, 2006
Exterior Lighting
RECENTLY, I HAVE HAD 3 OR 4 INSTANCES WHERE THE LIGHTS ON MY 2003 IMPALA WENT COMPLETELY OUT WHILE I WAS DRIVING. I HAD SWITCHED THE LIGHTS BETWEEN HIGH AND LOW BEAM. THIS IS RATHER CONCERTING. MY FRIEND REPORTED THAT HER 2002 IMPALA HAS ALSO RECENTLY BEGAN DOING THE SAME THING. MY LIMITED RESEARCH LED ME TO THIS SITE. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10173102
85,000 miles · Oct 24, 2006
Exterior LightingVisibility
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AT NIGHT WITH THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ENGAGED, THE HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH. UPDATED 12/12/2006 - ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHT …
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DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AT NIGHT WITH THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ENGAGED, THE HEADLIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH. UPDATED 12/12/2006 - ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE THE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHT WENT OUT WHEN SWITCHED FROM HIGH BEAM TO LOW BEAM. THE LIGHTS DID NOT COME BACK ON UNTIL THE CONSUMER BEGUN TO JIGGLE THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH. THE POWER WINDOWS WOULD NOT GO DOWN. THE DEALER REPLACED THE MASTER WINDOW SWITCH. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10171727
15,000 miles · Sep 23, 2006
Exterior Lighting
HEADLIGHTS GO OFF WHEN SWITCHING BETWEEN HIGH BEAM AND LOW BEAM. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10169032
44,800 miles · Jul 2, 2006
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting
2003 IMPALA LS - HEADLIGHTS GO OFF WHILE DRIVING. JUST SHUT OFF. DOESN'T MATTER IF MANUAL HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS ENGAGED OR NOT. INTERMITTENT FAILURE, SOMETIMES NOT FOR TWO HOURS, SOMETIME EVERY FEW SECONDS, SOMETIMES WHEN SWITCHING LOW TO HIGH BEAMS, NO SPECIFIC SPEED OR DRIVING CONDITIONS. ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS AND PARKING LIG…
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2003 IMPALA LS - HEADLIGHTS GO OFF WHILE DRIVING. JUST SHUT OFF. DOESN'T MATTER IF MANUAL HEADLIGHT SWITCH IS ENGAGED OR NOT. INTERMITTENT FAILURE, SOMETIMES NOT FOR TWO HOURS, SOMETIME EVERY FEW SECONDS, SOMETIMES WHEN SWITCHING LOW TO HIGH BEAMS, NO SPECIFIC SPEED OR DRIVING CONDITIONS. ALL INTERIOR LIGHTS AND PARKING LIGHTS APPEAR TO REMAIN ON WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS FAIL. SOMETIMES CAN GET HEADLIGHTS BACK ON BY SWITCHING OFF AND ON AGAIN, SOMETIMES BY FLASHING LOW TO HIGH, BUT THEY DON'T ALWAYS COME BACK ON REGARDLESS OF ACTION. SOMETIMES JUST HAVE TO PARK THE CAR UNTIL DAYLIGHT. CAR HAD JUST OVER 44,000 MILES ON IT WHEN I BOUGHT IT. DROVE FOR TWO WEEKS, BUT NEVER AT NIGHT, SO NOT EXACTLY SURE OF MILEAGE OF FIRST INCIDENT. HAPPENED SECOND TIME I DROVE THE CAR AT NIGHT. UNABLE TO REPEAT INCIDENT AT DEALER, BUT CAR WAS IN "PARK" WHEN THEY LOOKED AT IT, AND IT WAS DAYTIME. IT COULD BE HAPPENING WHILE DAYTIME, TOO, BUT I CAN'T TELL FROM INSIDE THE CAR. I COULD GET A TICKET IN MARYLAND FOR DRIVING WITH NO HEADLIGHTS WHILE USING WINDSHIELD WIPERS. *NM
NHTSA ODI #10161244
Official recalls
5Oct 26, 2015
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
Remedy: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1-800-442-6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Engine And Engine Cooling:exhaust System:manifold/header/muffler/tail Pipe
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
Consequence: Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
Remedy: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1-800-442-6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
Consequence: Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
Remedy: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1-800-442-6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.
Jul 3, 2014
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
Apr 8, 2009
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 1,497,516 MY 1997-2003 BUICK REGAL, MY 1998-2003 CHEVROLET LUMINA, MONTE CARLO AND IMPALA, MY 1998-1999 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE, MY 1997-2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 3.8L V6 NATURALLY ASPIRATED ENGINE. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A CONDITION IN WHICH DROPS OF ENGINE OIL MAY BE DEPOSITED ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD THROUGH HARD BRAKING.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: IF THE MANIFOLD IS HOT ENOUGH AND THE OIL RUNS BELOW THE HEAT SHIELD, IT MAY IGNITE INTO A SMALL FLAME AND MAY SPREAD TO THE PLASTIC SPARK PLUG WIRE CHANNEL AND BEYOND INCREASING THE RISK OF AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENGINES FRONT VALVE COVER AND FRONT-VALVE-COVER GASKET WITH NEW PARTS OF AN IMPROVED DESIGN AND REMOVE THE ENGINES PLASTIC COVER AND PLASTIC OIL-FILL-TUBE EXTENSION, FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING MAY 2016. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438, OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-630-6537, AND PONTIAC AT 1-800-620-7668 OR HTTP://WWW.PONTIAC.COM OR HTTP:WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
Feb 14, 2003
ON CERTAIN MINI VANS, PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG THAT MAY NOT DEPLOY AS DESIGNED. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG INFLATOR COULD RUPTURE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS COULD RESULT IN REDUCED CAPABILITY OF THE AIR BAG TO PROTECT THE DRIVER. ALSO IF THE AIR BAG INFLATOR RUPTURED, PIECES OF THE INFLATOR COULD STRIKE AND INJURE THE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT, AND IF NECESSARY, INSTALL A NEW DRIVER'S AIR BAG. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 11, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BUICK AT 1-800-521-7300, CADILLAC AT 1-800-458-8006, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OR PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737.
Aug 9, 2002
CERTAIN PASSENGER, MINI VANS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE AN AIR BAG INFLATOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE THAT COULD FRACTURE AT A WELD DURING A DEPLOYMENT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: PIECES OF THE INFLATOR COULD STRIKE AND INJURE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AND THE AIR BAG CUSHION WOULD NOT INFLATE FULLY, REDUCING THE CAPABILITY OF THE BAG TO PROTECT THE DRIVER.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT, AND REPLACE, IF NECESSARY, THE AIR BAG MODULE ASSEMBLY ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 15, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT BUICK AT 1-800-521-7300, CADILLAC AT 1-800-458-8006, CHEVROLET AT 1-800-222-1020, GMC AT 1-800-462-8782, OLDSMOBILE AT 1-800-442-6537, OR PONTIAC AT 1-800-762-2737.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
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