2004 Chevrolet Impala

INCIDENT DESCRIPTION = I PURCHASED RAIN-X WIPER AT WALMART FOR MY 2004 IMPALA VEHICLE. IT COST $17.99+ AND WAS A 22-INCH MODEL. A WEEK OR SO LATER I RAN INTO A HEAVY DOWNPOUR WHILE DRIVING WEST ON I-40 FROM MEMPHIS TO LITTLE ROCK. THE WIPER PORTION OF BLADE ASSEMBLY BEGAN TO WORK ITS WAY OUT OF THE END OF THE HOLDER AND QUICKLY REACHED ABOUT 5 TO 6 INCHES OUTSIDE THE HOLDER. THE RUBBER BEGAN TO WHIP AROUND AND I HAD TO PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY TO PUT THE RUBBER PART BACK IN PLACE. THIS HAPPENED 3 MORE TIMES BEFORE I HAD TO STOP AND SEARCH OUT A MINI-MART WHERE I COULD BUY A ROLL OF ELECTRICAL TAPE TO TAPE THE RUBBER END TIGHTLY ENOUGH SO IT WOULD STOP FLYING OUT OF THE HOLDER. *TR

DRIVING ON A DARK RURAL ROAD AT NIGHT AND TRIED TO PUT MY LIGHTS ON HIGH BEAM. THE LIGHTS WENT TOTALLY OUT WHEN I TRIED TO PUT THEM ON HIGH BEAM. PREVIOUSLY DURING THE PAST 3 MONTHS THEY HAVE FLICKERED WHEN I WENT TO PUT THEM ON HIGH BEAM BUT DID NOT GO TOTALLY OUT. I HAVE TRIED SEVERAL MORE TIMES TO PUT THEM ON HIGH BEAM AND THE LIGHTS GO OUT TOTALLY EACH TIME SO I DO NOT DARE TO TRY TO PUT THEM ON HIGH BEAM NOW AT ALL. I HAVE CALLED A DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THIS LOOKED INTO. THEY SAY THEY WILL HAVE TO TEST THE CAR FIRST THEN TAKE THE STEERING COLUMN APART AND PROBABLY REPLACE THE SWITCH. ESTIMATED COST UP TO $1000.00 MY CAR HAS ONLY 27,499 MILES ON IT AND I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW IN 2004. *TR

THE TEMPERATURE WAS 10 BELOW ZERO AND MY HEATER BLOWER QUIT WORKING CAUSING ALL OF THE WINDOWS TO ICE UP ON THE INSIDE. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR HOME SAFELY. I CHECK THE FUSES, BUT COULD FIND NO BLOWN FUSES. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER THE NEXT DAY (MONDAY) AND, THANKFULLY IT WAS REPAIRED UNDER MY G.M. EXTENDED WARRANTY AT NO COST TO ME. I HAD 69,560 MILES ON THE CAR AT THAT TIME. *TR

SINCE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN 12/04, REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER PERFORMED VERY POORLY. IN 3/07 IT CEASED WORKING, HOWEVER DASHBOARD CONTROL SWITCH AND I/P CONTROL RELAY APPEARED TO REMAIN FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. TROUBLESHOOTING REVEALED DEFECTIVE CIRCUIT BREAKER (MECHANICALLY BROKEN ARMATURE) TO BE CAUSE OF COMPLETE FAILURE. FOLLOWING REPLACEMENT OF CIRCUIT BREAKER, I/P CONTROL RELAY, AND ANTENNA MODULE, REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER IS BACK TO PERFORMING POORLY. ELECTRICAL GRID APPEARS TO BE FUNCTIONAL - GOOD HEATING PATTERN (WHEN IT HEATS) WITH NO VISUALLY OBVIOUS DEFECTS. NO OBVIOUS PROBLEMS WERE FOUND IN I/P CONTROL RELAY AND ANTENNA MODULE THAT WERE REPLACED. ELECTRICAL DIAGNOSIS INDICATES EXCESSIVE CURRENT DRAW THRU DEFROSTER GRID, WHICH CAUSES CIRCUIT BREAKER TO TRIP AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS OF OPERATION. MANUALLY CYCLING THE DEFROSTER CONTROL ALLOWS BREAKER TO COOL AND CAN AGAIN BE ACTIVATED TO PROVIDE 10-15 SECONDS OF REPEATED OPERATION. NOTE THAT ELECTRICALLY DISCONNECTING THE GRID (AT THE WINDOW) DOES NOT CAUSE THE BREAKER TO TRIP, INDICATING NO SHORT IN THE VEHICLE WIRING HARNESS. WITH POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF THE OEM CIRCUIT BREAKER, DIAGNOSIS REVEALED TO OBVIOUS HEAT DAMAGE TO ANY OTHER COMPONENTS/WIRING IN THE VEHICLE. REAR DEFROSTER GRID APPEARS TO BE SOURCE OF THE EXCESSIVE ELECTRICAL LOAD IN THE CIRCUIT. PROBLEM DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ADDRESSED IN TSBS THAT I CAN LOCATE TO DATE. DISCUSSIONS WITH SEVERAL TECHNICIANS HAS RESULTED IN NOTHING MORE THAN GUESSES AT THIS TIME. *TR

WOW SAME PROBLEM AS EVERYONE ELSE. SPEED DOES NOT REGISTER PROPERLY SEEMS TO BE WHENEVER IT WANTS IT WILL SHOW SPEEDS HIGHER THEN WHAT THEY ARE. THIS IS A DANGER BECAUSE SPEEDS ARE GUESSED IN SCHOOL ZONES AND HIGHWAYS. AFTER A COUPLE DAYS SPEED WILL BEGIN TO WORK OK. NOW THE BLOWER MOTOR AND HEATER DO NOT WORK UNLESS YOU POUND BY THE ASHTRAY AREA AND HOPEFULLY THE AIR CONDITIONING WILL START BLOWING BUT THE HEAT WILL NOT COME ON WHEN SWITCHED TO HEAT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE LIVING IN MONTANA WHEN IT GETS BELOW 32 AND COLDER IT WOULD BE NICE THIS WINTER TO THAW OUT THE WINDOWS SO I CAN SEE WHEN DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS. SOMETIMES WHEN THE AIR IS BLOWING YOU CAN SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. WE ARE IN DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN MONTANA AND IF MY CAR WERE TO CATCH ON FIRE ON SIDE OF ROAD AND CONTINUE UP THE MOUNTAINS THIS COULD BE A DISASTER BE CREATING A WILDFIRE. I AM UNHAPPY WITH MY CAR WHICH HAS STARTED PROBLEMS AROUND THE 30,000 MILE MARK. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THE HIGH BEAM SWITCH IS NEEDING TO BE CLICKED TWICE BEFORE DIMMING DOWN FROM HIGH BEAM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO BLINDING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN LIKE SLIPPING INTO GEAR AS WELL. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR FEELS AS IF THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING, EVERY TURN YOU HEAR KNOCKING AND BUMPING, RECENTLY WAS TOLD THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDS TO REPLACED THE CAR HAS ONLY 60,000 MILES. I HAVE HAD IT FOR 2 YEARS AND I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROPLEMS. MY AC WORKS HOWEVER ONLY THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE HEATING UNIT WORKS. THE KNOCK SOUD OCCURRED IMMEDIATELY AFTER PURCHASE THE DEALER SHIP SAD NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR. I HAVE A FRIEND WITH THE SAME VEHICLE AND HAD THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE KNOCK AND BUMPING FORTUNAELY THERE CAR WAS TOTALLED AND THEY WERE NOT INJURIED AT LEAST THEY ARE NO LONGER RESONSIBLE FOR THIS LEMON. *TR

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55MPH, SMOKE WAS NOTICED COMING FROM THE BACK REAR WINDOW. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO ERUPT INTO FLAMES AND ENGULF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND PROVIDED A WRITTEN REPORT. THE FIRE MARSHALS REPORT STATED THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL AND STARTED WITH A SHORT IN THE WIRING TO THE REAR DEFROSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY AND DEEMED TOTALED.

HVAC SYSTEM IN THE 2004 IMPALA HAS A PROBLEM. THE AC COMPRESER RUNS IN THE HEAT ONLY MODE AT TEMPS AS LOW AS 30 DEGREES. THIS CAUSES THE INSIDE WINDOWS TO FOG UP ON THE INSIDE AND IF THE VECH IS LEFT PARKED OUTSIDE ALL THE WINDOWS WILL FOG UP. THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP ALL WINDOWS CLEAN IS TO OPEN ONE OF THE WINDOWS A LITTLE AND RUN DEFROST WITH AT LEAST HALF SPEED. IF YOU DO NOT DO THIS THE FRONT AND SIDE WINDOWS FOG UP AND IT IS VERY HARD TO CLEAT THE SIDE WINDOWS. THIS PROBLEM IS CAUSING MY GAS MILEAGE TO GO DOWN AND MAKING IT HARD TO DRIVE WHEN IT IS COLD OUT. DEALER SAID IT IS OK. THE MANUAL SAYS THE AC SOULD ONLY RUN ABOVE 40 AND ONLY IN DEFROST OR DEMIST MODES.*AK