2007 Chevrolet Impala

2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA BRAKING SYSTEM GRABS AND SHAKES CAR EXCESSIVELY WHEN USING THE BRAKES TO CONTROL DESCENT DOWN MOUNTAIN ROADWAYS. THIS HAS ALSO OCCURRED DURING COMMUTING TO AND FROM WORK WHEN THE BRAKES ARE USED QUITE OFTEN. THE BRAKING SYSTEM WAS TESTED BY A CHEVROLET DEALER, THREE DAYS AFTER THE MOUNTAIN DRIVING PROBLEM. THE ROTORS AND PADS WERE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION AND NO PROBLEM COULD BE IDENTIFIED. A WEB SEARCH IDENTIFIES OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME SYMPTOM. ALTHOUGH NO DAMAGE WAS CAUSED, THE CAR WAS OPERATING IN A VERY UNSAFE MANNER. EVEN AT 30 - 40 MPH THE CAR WAS SHAKING ENOUGH TO DEGRADE SAFE CONTROL. *TR

THIS INVOLVES A CONTINUED REAR TIRE ISSUE WITH MY 2007 CHEVY IMPALA LTZ THAT HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED DESPITE ENCOUNTERS WITH DEALERS & NATIONAL TIRE ALIGNMENT SPECIALISTS 12/06: PURCHASED CAR NEW, CAME WITH GOODYEAR EAGLE LS2 RADIALS. 3/08: ONE TIRE BLEW IN CHARLOTTE, NC. AT JUST TIRES, THEY POINTED OUT THAT BOTH REAR TIRES INCLUDING THE ONE THAT BLEW HAD SIGNIFICANT SIGNS OF WEAR, REPLACED BOTH WITH LS2 RADIALS. THE PROBLEM WAS CHALKED IT UP TO ALIGNMENT ISSUES THAT COULD'VE STARTED FROM THE FACTORY. 11/08: AFTER MORE INCIDENTS OF LOW REAR TIRE PRESSURE, TOOK CAR INTO LOCAL JUST TIRES. TIRED OF CONTINUED ISSUES, I DECIDE TO GET TOP OF THE LINE TIRES FROM THEM (GOODYEAR ASSURANCE TRIPLETRED) FOR JUST UNDER $900. 9/09: TIRE KEPT LOSING PRESSURE, TOOK CAR INTO LOCAL JUST TIRES. TOLD TIRES WERE NOT ONLY ONCE AGAIN OUT OF ALIGNMENT, BUT REAR TIRES AGAIN NEEDED REPLACEMENT (IN A MANNER NOT COVERED BY ROAD HAZARD PLAN) FOR $507 WITH TREADS SEVERELY WORN DOWN. THE PROBLEM WAS AGAIN CHALKED UP TO ALIGNMENT ISSUES, THOUGH THEY ALIGNED THE TIRES IN 11/08. 6/10: RANDOMLY CHECK TREADS ON MY TOP-LINE TIRES. COMPLETELY FINE IN FRONT, BUT WORN DOWN CONSIDERABLY ON BOTH REAR TIRES. I DRIVE ONLY CITY STREETS & HAD DRIVEN LESS THAN 12,000 MILES SINCE BUYING 4 NEW TIRES. RESEARCH UNCOVERS A PLETHORA OF REAR-END ALIGNMENT ISSUES ON 2007 CHEVY IMPALAS, INCLUDING A SPECIFIC IDENTIFIED ISSUE: HTTP://FLEETLEADER.PHH.COM/RECALLS/2008/RECALLSJULY2008.PDF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM #08032 - UNEVEN POLICE CAR REAR TIRE WEAR OBVIOUSLY, THIS EXTENDED TO COMMERCIAL IMPALAS & EXPLAINS WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING. WHEN CALLING PALLONE CHEVROLET, THE SERVICE REP FLATLY DISMISSES THE TALK OF THE POLICE RECALL, SAYING THAT THE SPINDLE ROD PARTS INVOLVED ARE COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. (LATER CHECKING INDICATES THE PARTS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME ON BOTH THE POLICE AND COMMERCIAL VEHICLES.) I'M TOLD THAT THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN HELP IS TO CHECK ALIGNMENT, AS IF NOTHING ELSE COULD BE CAUSING THE PROBLEM. *TR

MANY CHEVROLET VEHICLES HAVE A LONG TERM PROBLEM WITH INADEQUATE, DEFECTIVELY MANUFACTURED BRAKE ROTORS CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE, CHATTER, VIBRATE, ETC., WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THE CHEVROLET BRAKE CHATTER, SHAKE, PULSATING, ROUGHNESS PROBLEM REPORTED BY MANY CHEVROLET OWNERS IS NOT ONLY AN ANNOYING PROBLEM BUT ALSO A SAFETY PROBLEM!!!! THE FOLLOWING IS A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE NEARLY RESULTING IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF DEFECTIVE BRAKES ON MY 2007 CHEVROLET IMPALA VEHICLE. RECENTLY WHILE TRAVELING ALONG AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH MY WIFE DRIVING, WE WERE SUDDENLY FACED WITH AN PANIC STOPPING REQUIREMENT BECAUSE OF BACKED UP TRAFFIC ON A CURVE. MY WIFE APPLIED THE BRAKES HEAVILY AND THE CAR WENT INTO SUCH A VIOLENT FRONT SHAKING FIT THAT SHE PANICKED AND RELEASE THE BRAKE TO STOP THE SHAKING AND HAD TO SWERVE TO AVOID STOPPED CARS IN FRONT OF US. THE NHTSA SHOULD FORCE CHEVROLET TO RECALL ALL CHEVROLET VEHICLES WITH THIS PROBLEM AND CORRECT IT BEFORE MAJOR ACCIDENTS HAPPEN WITH LOSS OF PROPERTY AND LIFE. THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON TO MANY CHEVROLET VEHICLE AS REPORTED ON MANY WEB SITES BUT BECAUSE IT IS OFTEN JUST AN ANNOYING CONCERN MOST PEOPLE DON'T CONSIDER THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF THIS PROBLEM UNTIL THEY ARE FACED WITH A SITUATION AS DESCRIBE ABOVE. NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT ASSOCIATE THIS CHATTER, SHAKING, VIBRATING BRAKE PROBLEM DUE TO DEFECTIVE BRAKE ROTOR DESIGN/MANUFACTURE WITH THE ACTIVATION OF THE ANTI-BRAKE SYSTEM. THIS PROBLEM SHOWS UP WITH JUST NORMAL BRAKE ACTIVATION. *TR

ABS & TRACTION CONTROL SERVICE LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND I TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE HUB ASSEMBLY FOR THE LEFT SIDE DRIVER SIDE THAT WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE MY FRONT ROTORS AND BRAKE PADS (I WASN'T HAVING ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY BRAKES BUT BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY NEEDED REPLACING I WENT ALONG WITH IT). AFTER REPAIRS WERE COMPLETED AND MY VEHICLE "ROAD-TESTED", I PICKED UP MY CAR AND AFTER LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP, BOTH THE ABS AND TRACTION SERVICE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND I CALLED AND THEY SCHEDULED ME IN FOR AN APPT. 2 DAYS LATER. THEY COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM SO THEY CALLED AND TOLD ME THAT THEY NEEDED TO DIG DEEPER AND KEEP MY CAR OVERNIGHT AND THAT I WOULD NOW BE CHARGED A DIAGNOSTIC FEE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM UP TO $100. MY SERVICE 2 DAYS PRIOR COST $224.90 SO I WAS A LITTLE SKEPTICAL BUT I NEEDED TO KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS SO I AGREED. I RECEIVE A PHONE CALL TODAY STATING THAT IT IS A WIRE IN THE HARNESS THAT'S CAUSING THE PROBLEM AND IT WOULD BE ANOTHER $250.00 TO FIX. I CHECK THE INTERNET TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION AND NOT ONLY HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ME BUT TO SEVERAL OTHERS AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT AND SHOULD BE COVERED AND HOW DO I KNOW THAT THE DEALERSHIP DIDN'T CAUSE THE PROBLEM/DEFECT BY DIGGING DEEPER TO FIND OUT WHY THE SERVICE LIGHTS WERE COMING ON AND DAMAGED THE WIRE. *TR

I HAVE A 2007 CHEVY IMPALA LT I BOUGHT IT USED WITH 30,000 MILES ON IT. IN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES THE OIL WARNING COMES ON TELLING ME TO ADD MORE OIL. I'VE TAKEN IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND TO OTHER MECHANICS AND CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG. THEY HAVE CHECKED FOR LEAKS AND THERE ARE NONE. THEY SAID MAYBE THE ENGINE IS BURNING IT OFF BUT THEY DON'T SMELL IT. NOBODY CAN TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG, SO IN BETWEEN OIL CHANGES I HAVE TO PUT 1-2 QUARTS OF OIL IN IT. I CHANGE MY OIL EVERY 6,000 MILES. *TR

I PURCHASED A 2007 CHEVY IMPALA LT WITH 52,000 ON 5.27.10. THE CAR IS UNSAFE, MAKES LOUD ROAD NOISE, THE TIRES ARE WEARING OUT FUNNY, EVEN THO THE CAR WAS PERFECT WHEN I BOUGHT IT. THE BRAND NEW TIRES ARE WEARING OUT FUNNY, I TOOK IT TO 2 SHOPS, HAD ROTORS REPLACED THAT WERE WARPED, BALANCED, AND ROTATED TIRES, TOMORROW GETTING IT ALIGNED AGAIN, THE DEALER ALIGNED IT WHEN I PURCHASED IT LESS THAN A MONTH AGO. THE TIRES ALSO NEED BALANCED AGAIN EVEN THO I GOT IT DONE A WEEK AGO. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR IT HAS A SERIOUS DEFECT WITH THE CAR NOT THE TIRES, SOME KIND OF ALIGNMENT PROBLEM A GM DEFECT, AND I'M SEEING ALOT OF OTHERS SAME THE SAME THING AS ME ON THE FORUMS ABOUT THE 2007 IMPALA. THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A LIGHT IN CITY AT LOW SPEEDS, I PUSH THE GAS PEDDLE JUST A LITTLE BIT TO SPEED UP LIKE A CAR IS DESIGNED TO DO BUT THE RPMS GO UP BUT THE CAR DOES NOT SPEED UP TO KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC, I PUSH THE GAS PEDDLE DOWN HALF WAY AND THE OVERDRIVE KICKS IN WITHOUT EXPECTING IT AND IT SPEEDS UP LIKE A ROCKET IN 30MPH TRAFFIC. THE CAR STRUGGLES AND KICKS ITS OVERDRIVE IN TO JUST SPEED UP IN THE CITY, SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT WITH THIS. IM AFRAID TO DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY WITH THE TIRE WEAR ISSUE, THE TIRES ARE BEING RUINED AND NO EXCUSE FOR IT. IM SAVING AND FILING ALL REPAIRS DONE TO MY IMPALA... I REALLY AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR OVER 50MPH, I DON'T THINK MY LIFE SHOULD BE AT RISK BECAUSE GM SLAPPED TOGETHER A CAR WITHOUT MAKING IT SAFE. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE CAR, IT DOESN'T HANDLE OR STIR THAT WELL EITHER, NOT VERY RESPONSIVE. I'M SHOCKED THAT GM PUT OUT SUCH A VEHICLE, IT'S A MESS AND I DON'T GET IT? IT'S A FACTORY PROBLEM GM OVERLOOKED AND NOT WILLING TO RECALL. THEY SHOULD CONSIDERING IT'S UNSAFE. THE CAR HAS OTHER ISSUES AS WELL.. A WARNING LIGHT CAME UP SAYING DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG NOT WORKING, IT CORRECTED ITSELF AND WENT AWAY, I HOPE THE AIRBAGS ARE WORKING PROPERLY? MY GIRLFRIEND SITS IN THAT SEAT. I WANT HER SAFE. *TR