2007 Chevrolet Impala

I PURCHISED THIS CAR IN APRIL OF '08 AND IT HAS BEEN FAILING SINCE I BOUGHT IT. THERE IS A VIBRATION WHILE RIDING IN THE CAR THAT MAKES YOUR BODY BOUNCE. THE DEALER STATES THEY DON'T FEEL IT, BUT I HAVE CRONIC BACK PAIN FROM IT. I HAVE HAD IT AT THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND NO FIX. I TOOK IT TO AN ALINEMENT SHOP THEY TOLD ME THAT THE STUTS WERE SET OUT FROM THE FACTORY SO THE TIRES DON'T HIT THE GROND FLAT LIKE THEY SHOULD. THE PROBLEM CAUSES MY TIRES TO SLIP OUT OF BALANCE CONSTANTLY MAKING THE VIBRATION WORSE. MY WINDSHIELD AND DASH BOTH MAKE CRAKING NOISES NOW FROM ALL THE VIBRATION IN THE CAR. IT MAKES FOR A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE RIDE. I AM ON MY 3RD SET OF TIRES AT 28.300. THE BRAKES DON'T WORK PROPERLY, THE DEALER HAS TURNED THE ROTORS TWICE FOR WARPING. NOW THEY ARE GROOVED AND THEY TELL ME THAT "IT'S NORMAL" AND I DON'T HAVE THE NORMAL STOPING POWER I SHOULD. THE POWER STERING SQUIELS, BUT THEY CAN'T HEAR IT. THE FRONT END HAS A BANGING NOISE WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS,"THEY DON'T HEAR",BUT I CAN FEEL IT IN THE FLOOR BOARD WHEN IT HAPPENS. THE CAR IS SLUGGISH WHEN EXCELERATING,"NO PROBLEM FOUND". THE FUEL ECONEMY HAS DECREASED AS WELL. WHILE ON AN INCLINE THE CAR ROLES BACKWARD LIKE A STANDARD,"IT'S NORMAL" I HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR DO THAT WITHOUT THE TRANY BEING BAD. WHEN STOPED AT A LIGHT THE TRANY TAKES A COUPLE OF SECONDS TO REENGAGE FOR TAKE OFF. TPS REPEATED PROBLEMS NOT WORKING POPERLY. THE CARS HANDLING IS VERY POOR IN THE RAIN,SNOW,OR ICE. THE MUFFLER SYSTEM HAS A LEAK AS WELL.

WHEN I AM COMING FROM A STOP AND BEGINNING TO ACCELERATE AT MODERATE RATE BETWEEN 5-25 MILES MY CAR JERKS VERY HARD. THE FEELING IS SOMETIMES TO THE POINT IT FEELS AS IF I HAVE BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND BY ANOTHER CAR. THE FEELING IS VERY FORCEFUL AND IT FEELS AS IF IT BEGINS IN UNDER THE REAR SEATS AND THE REAR TIRES. IT HAPPENS SOMETIMES MAYBE ONCE OR TWICE A DAY AND OTHER TIMES EVERYTIME I PRESS THE GAS UPON COMING OUT OF A COMPLETE STOP AND SOMETIMES IT DOES THIS FORCEFUL JERK/THUMP/SHRUG CONSECUTIVELY AS I COME OUT OF THE COMPLETE STOP AND THEN AS I ACCELERATE A LITTLE MORE. HAVE TAKEN IT TO TWO CERTIFIED GM SERVICE CENTERS ON 3 OCCASIONS AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM. AND AFTER THE LAST VISIT THE PROBLEM HAS GOTTEN WORSE. I AM CONCERNED AS WHAT TO DO. AND THE PROBLEM IS PROGRESSIVELY GETTING WORSE. IT HAPPENS DAILY AND ON MOST OCCASIONS EVERYTIME I STOP. *TR

THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN MARCH 2007 AND IS USED AS A COMMUTER CAR FROM NEW OXFORD, PA TO WASHINGTON, DC DAILY. I AVERAGE 750 MILES PER WEEK. LAST FALL WHEN THE VEHICLE HAD JUST OVER 90,000 MILES, I BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS FIRST WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL DROPPING OFF SPEED AND NOT RESETTING. THIS QUICKLY ADVANCED TO A SHUTTERING FEEL WHEN ACCELERATING AND OCCASIONALLY PICKING UP SPEED AND WITHIN 50 MILES THE CAR REFUSED TO MOVE AFTER A STOP LIGHT. I TURNED IT OFF AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND AFTER PUTTING IT INTO DRIVE, MANAGED TO GET IT TO A NEARBY FORMER CHEVY DEALER. THEY DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION WAS TOTALLY SLIPPING AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. CHEVY STOOD BY THE 100K POWER-TRAIN WARRANTY WITH A NO-COST REPLACEMENT AND INSTALLED A NEW TRANSMISSION, ISSUING A 12,000 MI WARRANTY. TODAY, AT 111,000 MILES, LESS THAN 20,000 INTO THE NEW TRANSMISSION, THE PROBLEM RETURNED. THE FIRST TIME IT WAS ON FLAT GROUND AND I WAS SIMPLY A STALLED NUISANCE IN TRAFFIC. THIS TIME, I WAS GOING UP A HILL AND HAD STOPPED FOR A LIGHT. THE CAR BEGAN TO ROLL BACK DOWN THE HILL, I HAD DIFFICULTY BRAKING AND NEARLY GOT STRUCK BY A LARGE TRUCK. IT WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD UNTIL I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND THEN WITH A THUDS AND JERKS I WAS ABLE TO MOVE IT TO A SAFE PARKING SPOT. THIS TIME I DID NOT HAVE THE DIFFICULTY WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL BUT DID HAVE A BIT OF WHAT I NOW RECOGNIZE WAS TRANSMISSION SLIP BUT I ATTRIBUTED TO THE ANTI-SLIP BRAKES ON ICE. THIS HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIMES. FROM THE EARLY SHUDDERS, LESS THAN 400 MILES ELAPSED. I WAS FORTUNATE BOTH TIMES. *TR

TRANSMISSION "SLIPS" THEN ENGAGES HARD. HAS PROGRESSIVELY GOTTEN WORSE. HAD TRANSMISSION SERVICE JUST ABOUT A YEAR AGO, FLUID HAS BEEN CLEAN AND FULL. I WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN AND STARTED TO GO BUT THE CAR WOULD BARELY PICK UP SPEED, THE ENGINE REVVED THEN AFTER ABOUT 3 SECONDS IT JERKED HARD AND RESUMED ACCELERATION. MY LOCAL DEALER AND GM THEMSELVES FLAT-OUT LIES ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH THIS CAR (HAS HAD ALL THE COMMON THINGS, TIRE WEAR, BAD ROTORS, MOTOR MOUNTS, WINDOW SCREECHING, STEERING NOISES, REMOTE ENTRY, YOU KNOW, TYPICAL IMPALA) SO UNLIKELY IT WILL GO TO DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THEY WILL LIKELY SAY IT'S DUE TO POSITION OF THE MOON AND DIRECTION OF THE WIND. JUST HOPE THIS DOES NOT CAUSE ACCIDENT BEFORE I CAN DITCH THIS CAR OR NHTSA GETS ON GM'S CASE FOR THESE DEFECT RIDDEN CARS! *TR

ON DECEMBER 24, 2009, AFTER PARKING MY 30 MONTH OLD 2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA LTZ ON LEVEL GROUND AT 6:30AM IN THE MORNING AND MINUS 13 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, I ATTENDED MY MORNING WORKOUT FOR 1 HOUR. ON RETURN AND AFTER SUCCESSFULLY STARTING THE CAR I FOUND THE STICK SHIFT ACCESS BUTTON COULD NOT BE PUSHED, DESPITE FOLLOWING THE RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES, AND THE CAR WAS STUCK IN PARK. IT WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL GM DEALER FOR $100. AFTER SIX DAYS AND $150 IN EXPENSES FOR ANOTHER CAR THE GM DEALER REPORTED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A "BROKEN GROUND WIRE" IN THE "SHIFT LOCK SOLENOID CONNECTOR" [INSIDE THE CENTRE CONSOLE WHERE THE SHIFT LEVER IS LOCATED]. THE COST OF REPAIR WAS $137. MY INTERNET RESEARCH SHOWS THIS PROBLEM OCCURS OFTEN IN CHEVROLET IMPALAS, WHICH SUGGESTS THAT THE PROBLEM IS IN THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS PROBLEM COULD BE LIFE THREATENING IF THE PROBLEM OCCURS IN A REMOTE AREA AT THIS TEMPERATURE. I THOUGHT THIS WAS A POWER TRAIN PROBLEM SINCE THE PART ALLOWS THE TRANSMISSION TO ENGAGE, AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. GM CLAIMS IT IS NOT PART OF THE POWER TRAIN. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE LIFE THREATENING, IS A DEFECT IN DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE, AND THAT THE PROBLEM IS A POWER TRAIN PROBLEM AND THEREFORE SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

AT RANDOM TIMES, STARTING FROM A STOP, MY 2007 CHEVY IMPALA LTZ CAR WILL SLOWLY ENGAGE 1ST GEAR AND THEN SUDDENLY ENGAGE WITH A STRONG JERK. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THIS OCCURRED WHEN PULLING OUT INTO TRAFFIC, STARTING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT ON A WET ROAD, AND PULLING UP SLIGHT INCLINED DRIVEWAY INTO GARAGE. SEVERAL OF THESE TIMES I'VE LOST CONTROL BRIEFLY FROM MOVEMENT OF THE STEERING WHEEL, DUE TO THE UNEXPECTED POWER OF THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGING AND JERKING. THE DEALER HAS MADE MULTIPLE UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS AT REPAIRS THROUGHOUT 2008 UNTIL NOW. FROM READING ALL THE OWNER DISCUSSIONS AT EDMUNDS.COM I SEE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHEN THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, HE NOTICED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING AND WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS IN A TIMELY MANNER. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. THE DEALER WANTED TO CHANGE THE OIL AND CHARGE AN ADDITIONAL $400 TO DIAGNOSE THE TRANSMISSION. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 43,678.

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WITH 704 MILES ON IT IN FEBRUARY 2008. IN MAY OF 2008, THE TRACTION LIGHT CAME ON AND THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS WERE "DISABLED". I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED IT, AND THEY TOLD ME I HAD WATER IN THE FUEL. AS I WAS LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP, THE TRANSMISSION STOPPED SHIFTING, AND THE CAR WENT INTO "LIMP" MODE. I LEFT THE CAR TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE REPLACED. I RECEIVED THE CAR BACK 5 DAYS LATER AND THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, AND THE ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL WHERE DISABLED. I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP IN THE HOPES THAT THEY COULD FIND THE TROUBLE. AFTER 14 DAYS IN SERVICE, THEY DETERMINED THAT RUST HAS CLOGGED THE FUEL SYSTEM OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 9,800 MILES ON IT. THE CAR IS NOW "UNDRIVEABLE". THEY HAVE YET TO ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE SAFETY ISSUE THAT WAS THE CATALYST FOR THE SERVICE VISIT. *TR

THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF, IN PARK, WITH THE PARKING BRAKE ON, IN THE DRIVEWAY AT AN INCLINE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS DOWN THE DRIVEWAY, AND HIT THE FENCE WHICH BROUGHT IT TO A STOP. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND DRIVER SIDE REAR OF VEHICLE. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALER, AND THE EVENT EXPLAINED. THE DEALER MADE REPAIR TO DOOR AT MY COST. THE DEALER MADE NO ATTEMPT TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. I CALLED AGAIN TO SERVICE AND SPOKE TO SOMEONE, WHO STATED THAT THE PARKING BRAKE IS NOT SUPPOSED TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING BACKWARDS. NO INVESTIGATION WAS OFFERED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN ROLLING BACKWARDS AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH. THE GEAR WAS PLACED IN PARK AT THE TIME. HER ARM WAS TANGLED IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND SHE WAS KNOCKED TO THE GROUND AND DRAGGED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE FINALLY CAME TO A STOP IN THE STREET. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED BRUISES AND SCRAPES ON HER RIGHT FOOT AS WELL AS HER LEFT KNEE DOWN TO HER ANKLE. HER HIPS AND BACK ARE STILL HURTING FROM BEING KNOCKED DOWN. SHE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER TO HAVE THE VEHICLE INSPECTED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 9,942.