2008 Chevrolet Impala

2008 CHEVY IMPALA LT. CONSUMER STATES POSSIBLE SYSTEM FLAW WITH ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 55 MPH ANOTHER VEHICLE WHO WAS TRAVELING ON HIS LEFT CROSSED INTO HIS LANE WITH NO SIGNAL AND FORCED THE CONSUMER TO MAKE A SHARP RIGHT AND THEN A SHARP LEFT TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. AS HE MADE THE SHARP LEFT, HIS VEHICLE WENT COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL AND SENT HIM INTO A 360 DEGREE SLIDING SPIN ACROSS THE HIGHWAY. THE END RESULT WAS THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUTTING DOWN. THE CONSUMER DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE WENT OUT OF CONTROL AT THAT SPEED ON VERY DRY CONDITIONS WITH OR WITHOUT THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM. UPON RESEARCH, THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THE PURPOSE OF THE ESC WAS TO MAINTAIN STABILITY IN THOSE TYPE OF SITUATIONS. *JB

I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA AND WAS BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE, SO MY TIRES WERE TURNED AT AN ANGLE. WHEN BACKING UP, I LOST ALL POWER STEERING MAKING IT VERY HARD TO TURN THE WHEEL. ONCE I BACKED OUT AND PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE THE STEERING BEGAN TO WORK AGAIN. I CHECKED POWER STEERING FLUID BUT IT WAS NOT LOW. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS FAIRLY REGULARLY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH THE VEHICLE STARTED TO HESITATE AND LOST ALL POWER STEERING . THE BATTERY WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT THEN RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND MANAGED TO PULL OVER. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD AND NOTICED THAT THE SERPENTINE BELT WAS TORN DUE TO THE AIR CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR LOCKING UP. THE DEALER WAS INFORMED ABOUT THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST HIM WITH THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43000. UPDATED 12/30/10 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONSUMER WHEN HE PULLED OVER AND OPENED THE HOOD, HE NOTICED THE SERPENTINE BELT HAD SHREDDED. THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE BELT, ONLY FOR IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN AS SOON AS HE TURNED ON THE AC. THE DEALER REPLACED THE AC COMPRESSOR. UPDATED 01/10/11*JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TIRES WERE WEARING PREMATURELY. THE FRONT TIRES WERE REPLACED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AT 5,000 MILES AND AGAIN AT 18,000 MILES. THE RECOMMENDED TIRE PRESSURE WAS 30 BUT THE DEALER RECOMMENDED 35, WHICH THE CONTACT BELIEVED WAS A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE IT WAS OUTSIDE OF THE ORIGINAL MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATIONS. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE WHEN CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 5,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 19,000.

CHECK AIRBAG SYSTEM INDICATOR KEPT COMING ON IN MY 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO GET REPAIRED AND THEY TOLD ME BECAUSE I HAD OVER 36,000 MILES IT WAS NO LONGER COVERED. I HAD NO PROBLEM WITH THAT , BUT THE SERVICE MANAGER INDICATED THAT IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WAS ABLE TO MAKE THE REPAIR THE SAME DAY. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE TROUBLE WAS WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT RETRACTOR, WHICH WAS COMMON, AND THAT IT DISABLED THE PASSENGER AIRBAG. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND SHUT OFF. HE ATTEMPTED TO UNLOCK THE VEHICLE USING THE ELECTRONIC FOB. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT UNLOCK USING THE FOB SO HE HAD TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE VEHICLE. UPON OPENING THE DOOR HE NOTICED BLACK SMOKE WITHIN THE VEHICLE AND A FLAME IGNITED IN THE CENTER OF THE DASHBOARD. HE CLOSED THE DOOR AND THE FLAME EXTINGUISHED ITSELF. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT APPEARED ON THE SCENE AND HE WAS INFORMED THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE SO THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED. THE POLICE DID NOT APPEAR ON THE SCENE BUT A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE IT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING EXAMINED FOR THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 28,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND HE HEARD A GRINDING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE CORRODED WHICH CAUSED THE ROTORS TO FAIL. THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 16,500. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. UPDATED 01/03/11

THE CHEVY IMPALA SEEMS TO BE A FINE VEHICLE IN FOR NORMAL, EVERYDAY DRIVING. IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, THOUGH, IT'S HANDLING BECOMES VERY UNPREDICTABLE. I HAD A CAR PULL OUT IN FRONT OF ME YESTERDAY, CAUSING ME TO BRAKE HARD. THE ANTILOCK BRAKES SEEMED TO WORK FINE, HOWEVER, THE REAR END OF THE CAR SLEWED OUT INTO ANOTHER LANE EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS NO LOCKUP OF THE WHEELS - THE CAR SHOULD HAVE TRACKED STRAIGHT - I WAS TRAVELING IN A STRAIGHT AHEAD MANNER. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD THE CAR REACT IN THIS MANNER. I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH ON THE CAR'S HANDLING - I NOTED CONSUMER REPORT'S UNDERSTATED SUMMARY OF THE CAR HAVING "UNSETTLED" HANDLING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE TRAVELING 70 MPH THE CONTACT SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM INSIDE THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR PANEL, SECONDS LATER THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE AIRBAG LIGHT HAD APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD FOLLOWED BY THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE WIRING WAS REPLACED IN THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG, HOWEVER AFTER THE REPAIR THE FAILURE STILL OCCURRED. THERE WERE NO PRIOR WARNINGS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 40000.