2008 Chevrolet Impala

REAR WINDOW DEFROST STOPPED WORKING. REPLACED FUSES AND RELAY. LIGHT COMES ON BUT DEFROST DOES NOT WORK. INVESTIGATION BY OWNER SHOWED WIRING HARNESS UNDER FRONT PASSENGER KICK PANEL BURNT BADLY. FURTHER INVESTIGATION ONLINE INDICATES THIS HAS PROBLEM HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED BY A LARGE NUMBER OF IMPALA OWNERS. DUE TO THE BADLY BURN CONNECTION, PASSENGER CABIN FIRE COULD HAVE OCCURRED. LOCAL CHEVY DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT DENIED ANY KNOWLEDGE OF SIMILAR INSTANCES. RECOMMEND INVESTIGATION. *TR

BOTH REAR AND THE PASSENGER DOOR LOCKS HAVE STOPPED FUNCTIONING WITH EITHER FOB KEY CONTROL OR DRIVER/PASSENGER DOOR CONTROLS. TOTALING THREE DOOR LOCK FAILURES IN TWO YEARS. THIS IS A LARGE SAFETY HAZARD TO SMALL CHILDREN IN THE BACK OF THE CAR AS THERE IS NO FAST OR EASY WAY TO OPEN THE REAR DOORS ONCE LOCKED TO GET THE CHILD OUT IN AN EMERGENCY. I REQUEST THIS BE LOOKED INTO FURTHER FOR A RECALL AS IT CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN IN CAR SEAT ON THE BACK SEAT, WHICH THERE IS NO QUICK WAY TO UNLOCK THE DOORS TO REMOVE THEM IN AN EMERGENCY. MECHANIC STATES: THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH 2008 AND 2009 CHEVY IMPALA VEHICLES. THESE MODEL YEARS WERE PRODUCED WITH A TYPE OF GREASE THAT BLEEDS INTO THE LATCH ACTUATOR. AFTER TIME THE CARBON FROM THE MOTOR BRUSHES BUILDS UP AROUND THE ACTUATOR MOTOR AND SHORTS THE COMMUNICATOR. RESULTING IN NO POWER LOCK OR UNLOCK FUNCTION. REQUIRING FULL LOCK REPLACEMENT TOTALING OVER $1,500. *TR

EVERY TIME IT RAINS, OR EVEN IF THE AIR HAS BEEN DAMP OVERNIGHT, MY FRONT IN-DOOR SPEAKERS FAIL. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE, IN-DOOR SPEAKER IS COMPLETELY BURNT OUT AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR HAS ALSO FAILED. I CALLED THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHO WANTS TO CHARGE ME TO REPAIR THIS. THERE IS WATER LEAKING INTO THE DOORS CAUSING ELECTRICAL FAILURES TO OCCUR. ONCE THE INSIDE OF THE DOORS DRY, THEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT DOOR SPEAKER BEGINS TO WORK AGAIN. THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT DOOR IS COMPLETELY DEAD BUT THE WINDOW WORKS. *TR

CAR WAS JUST STARTED, IN PARKING LOT, GETTING READY TO DRIVE AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SHUTDOWN COMPLETELY. COULDN'T TAKE KEY OUT, OR RESTART, NO LIGHTS, NO ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY AT ALL, BUT IT HAD JUST BEEN RUNNING. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES, IT ALL CAME BACK ON AND RESTART, AND DROVE OK. THERE HAD BEEN BATTERY PROBLEMS IN THE PAST, CORROSION ON TERMINAL, WHICH WAS REPAIRED. THE BATTERY CABLE WHERE THE WIRE ENTERS THE POSITIVE TERMINAL WAS NOT COMPLETELY TIGHT. THE INTERNET HAS REPORTS FROM SEVERAL PEOPLE REPORTING THIS SAME EVENT ON IMPALAS, OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT MODEL YEARS. MOST OF THESE THOUGH, IT HAPPENED WHILE THEY WERE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, AND SOME REPORTED ACCIDENTS THAT RESULTED. PRIOR TO ALL THE MODERN ELECTRONICS, IF THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND THE ALTERNATOR WAS WORKING, THE ENGINE WOULD NEVER JUST SHUT DOWN EVEN IF THE BATTERY CONNECTION WAS BAD. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, WHERE THE CAR CAN JUST SHUT OFF AND THE OPERATOR LOSES ALL POWER SYSTEMS. NO POWER STEERING, EXTREMELY DIFFICULT BRAKING, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING (THOUGH THE LATTER DID NOT HAPPEN TO US). WHEN OPERATING THE CAR IN HILLY OR MOUNTAINOUS ROADS, WHERE THERE ARE STEEP DROP OFFS ON SHOULDER SIDE, AND SEMI-TRUCKS COMING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SURELY THIS HAS POTENTIAL AS DEADLY SITUATION. WOULD LIKE TO SEE REDUNDANCY, IF ALTERNATOR IS PRODUCING, DON'T SHUT DOWN ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. RATHER, JUST GIVE WARNING. ALSO, BE SURE THAT NO CAR WOULD EVER LOCK THE STEERING WHEEL WHEN ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS MALFUNCTION. I AM AFRAID TO HAVE MY WIFE DRIVE THE CAR UNTIL A NEW BATTERY CABLE IS INSTALLED. *TR

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

I CURRENTLY DRIVE A 2008 CHEVY IMPALA, I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR 1 1/2 AND NOT EVEN A YEAR AFTER I PURCHASED IT, I START EXPERIENCING THE (TCS) TRACTION CONTROL SENSOR - WHICH ALTERNATIVELY REDUCE THE SPEED OF THE ENGINE; IT HAPPENS SPORADICALLY,... I TOOK IT TO AUTO ZONE TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMED ON THE CAR, AND THEY READER SAID IT WAS DUE TO A CYLINDER 5 MISFIRE.... MY CAR IS A 6 CYLINDER, IT IS DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AS WHEN THE (TCS) DOES COME ON' THE REDUCE ENGINE SPEED IS WELL UNDER THE HIGHWAY SPEED LIMIT. OTHER CONCERNS THAT ARISE IS THAT SENSE THIS SENSOR HAS BEEN OWN, IT' HAS ACCUMULATED OTHER SENSORS' (ABS) (!) AND THE THROTTLE PEDAL SENSOR. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO THE GM TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY RECALL ON THIS, AND WAS ADVISE THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE. I THINK THIS IS A HUGE DANGER, AS THIS IS A COMMONLY USED CAR IN THE U.S & IF THERE HAS BEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS THUS FAR OVER THE SAME ISSUE, WHY HASN'T ANYTHING BEEN DONE TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE? WHAT IF YOU'VE WORKED HARD TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE YOU WANT;& HAVE TO PAY OUT OF COST; OTHER THAN BASIC MAINTENANCE? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, A LOUD TICKING SOUND WAS HEARD FROM THE DASHBOARD AREA. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ACTUATOR WAS DEFECTIVE AND CAUSED THE BATTERY TO LOSE POWER. THE CONTACT DID NOT HAVE THE ACTUATOR REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,119.

THE RIGHT REAR DOOR LOCK WORKS INTERMITTENTLY WITH MY POWER DOOR LOCK SYSTEM ON MY 2008 CHEVY IMPALA. ALSO THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LOCK WORKED INTERMITTENTLY AT FIRST AND NOW IT DOES NOT RESPOND. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY OWNER OF A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA WITH THIS PROBLEM. PLEAS HELP. IS THERE ANY WAY A RECALL CAN BE ISSUED TO GET THIS ISSUE FIXED? IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO UNLOCK THE RIGHT REAR DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE WITH A KEY BECAUSE THERE IS NO KEY HOLE. THERE IS ONLY ONE KEY HOLE ON TO UNLOCK A DOOR WITH THE CAR KEY AND IT IS ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR ONLY. *TR