2002 chevy impala low coolant light coming on as many others have complained of and there's no change or very little change in level of the anti-freeze. As many others have complained of the intake gaskets are plastic and end up leaking. The 3.4 is a common problem in gm products and I should have known better not to buy 1. Please make this a recall. I don't have $1000 to fix this car I already paid $4400 for it.
2002 Chevrolet Impala engine complaints
Page 5 of 7: complaints 101 to 130 of 180, newest first, as owners wrote them.
We are the owners of a 2002 chevrolet impala ls. We purchased the car new in october of 2001. It has been lightly driven and well maintained. It has had two major repairs; the first being a recall of the steering system, the second, a failure of the catalytic converter which was covered under federal law and replaced. Today, I found out that there is a safety recall for possible fire from dripping oil. That is the basic history. For about a year and a half, we have had a frightening issue with the car. You turn the key and nothing. A light that says "security" flashes three times over and over and you cannot start the car for ten minutes. Gm's passlock system, which I believe malfunctions, thinks the car is being stolen. Ten minutes later, you can start the car. The problem is even in the manual for the car. Gm admits that, but they say it shouldn't happen as much as I have it happen, like one time is ok, but the 5-6 times out of 10 that my car won't start is exceptional. Ten minutes is a long time with a sick child, alone in a dark place at night, in an emergency of any kind. It is a terrifying safety issue and I have read thousands of complaints all over the internet. Gm offered me a coupon towards a new car. I know this is a known problem because it is in the manual and people are frightened and scared about it. This should have been a recall a long time ago since people are being stranded with a car with no fuel supply. Due to the car's computer somehow malfunctioning and thinking the car is being stolen, the passlock system reacts by cutting off fuel supply for a designated period of time, in this case, 10 minutes exactly. Gm should be ashamed of themselves for having this issue and doing nothing.
8-10-2005 I bought it used mileage was 91186 7-5-2006 took it into the shop they replaced intake/vc/head/gasketsflushed radiator replaced h2o pump/thermostat coolant oil change resurface heads covered by guardian warranty over $1700.00 dollars 2/2008 it started all over low coolant light it would get hot brownish looking water replaced radiator/hoses/waterpump/coolantsenser /thermotstat/flushed coolant system but it stillwould get hot/but if you turn on the heater on hot but it would never blow out hot air it was cold only it smell as if theirs coolant seeping into the motor oil my mileage at the first repair was 102100 my mileage as of to day139297 as it sit in drive way I still have payments of 300.00amonth im paying for 11more months and cant even drive it not even a1/2mile to work I been told its affect in the closed coolingsystem and dex cool it internal and I cant afford the repair or the payment but im stuck with them.
My 2002 chevorlet impala has a problem with the intake gaskets leaking. I took it in to the dealer and they told me that this is a common problem with this engine. They also told me it would over $750.00 to repair this. The same thing happen with my wife's 2001 malibu. The dealer said that gm knows that this is a problem but will not do anything about it.
2002 chevy impala 3.8l purchased used in dec. 2004 w/ 65,000 miles. Where to begin... Flooding in floorboards due to clog underneath windshield, three sets of rotors/brakes, clunky noise in steering shaft (replaced twice by dealership) still having same problem, catalytic converter replaced after dealership tried to charge me nearly $1000 to replace; covered by gm as harry green chevrolet was 'unaware' of replacement policy?!? New struts, numerous alignments/balances b/c vehicle still shakes and shimmys at 60-65 MPH; must drive about 75-80 MPH just to keep this to a minimum! Bcm replaced twice by dealer, security issues won't allow car to start for 15 mins. Each time, which is very inconvenient. Sooo many problems and complaints with these 'quality' gm vehicles, and yet they do nothing to resolve them, except hold out their hands wanting more $$$ from american taxpayers to keep on making junk! And now the newest of a long line of recalls/problems is that there is a fire hazard for leaking oil on the manifold! All of these vehicles need to be recalled due to the numerous safety concerns and consumers are sick and tired of general motors obvious disregard for safety and reliability!
Brown milky film in the radiator was diagnosed as being caused by a leaking intake manifold gasket. Replacement of the gasket did fix the problem. Based on internet searches and dealer information, this is a very common problem.
As I was attempting to start my vehicle that morning I heard a loud boom and saw smoke coming from under the hood. When the hood was raised, the engine was in flames. We had to call the fire department to extinguish the fire.
I was driving my car and all of a sudden I lost acceleration. My car felt like it didn't have any power. So when I press on the gas, I have to have the pedal almost to the floor to get my car to go. My husband is a mechanic and he checked out the fuel pump and fuel filter and hooked the car to the computer at work to find out what the problem could be and nothing came back. So we got online and started looking up defects in impala's and for the 2002 impala, they have had to replace the catalytic converters because of them being defective. My car has 96,000 miles on it so according to the internet information I have gathered, my car should be fixed for free at a chevy dealership.
2002 chevy impala - did fine the first year or so. Engine light started coming on. Long story short - been having to make sure there's always antifreeze for years now and hoping and praying I don't end up on the side of the road. Now I'm noticing having to add 1/2 to 3/4 gallon of antifreeze everyday. Temp light goes off and on. Engine light went off which worries me more than when it's on. Now noticing antifreeze burning after I have drove it a little while. Leaves me a little puddle now each night. Seems to lose antifreeze more in the winter while running the heater than it does in the summer. Tired of stressing about the pos!!!!!!!!!
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. The contact was unable to start the engine after several attempts. The vehicle finally started fifteen minutes later. Suddenly, the security warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. The failures occurred sporadically and without warning. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the failure was related to the passlock sensor. The vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 150,000 and current mileage was 170,000.
I own a 2002 chevrolet impala. About 2 weeks ago, my son informed me that the engine is leaking engine coolant, about a 1/2 gallon a week. I found out about the dex coolant lawsuit after the filing date. I contacted the chevrolet dealership where I purchased the car. The salesman referred me to the service department. I contacted the service department and they referred me to the lawsuit website. (this is where I found out that october 27, 2008 was the cutoff date for being included in the lawsuit.) chevrolet so for is not standing behind their product.
The first thing is that I had to replace the head gasket two time now it is leaking again into the water reservoir then I had two replace the main control ( bcm ) and ( PCM ) by the dealership ha to replace the starter and the water pump had to re place two window motor and two window electronic switch that control each window there a lot more but this are the more importance ones it would be okay if I got this car used but I paid for a new car so I would not have this kind of breakdowns does gm stand behind there car or what !!!!!!!!
2002 chevrolet impala I have a 50 / 50 chance of getting this junk to start. I have talked to the dealer and all they want to do is replace the bcm and the ignition, but judging from the other complaints on this model why spend the money if it is not going to fix the problem. Some one some where must know how to fix it, it can't be that difficult. What I have been doing to get it started is leave the key on the on position for a full ten minutes until the security light stops flashing 3 times. If you try and start it to soon you have to wait another ten minutes, the great part about all this is gm wants the government to bail them out because they are loosing money, I wish gm would help bail me out of this piece of junk, I'm losing money trying to keep this thing going.
2002 chevy impala intake gasket on motor lets water into motor cost $740 dollars to repair. Had same trouble on a 95 buick which ruined the engine. My son had same trouble on a 97 buick. I think there should be a recall on this engine gm has had this trouble for years I know of a few other who have had same trouble.
Valve broke off in engine causing catastrophic engine failure. 60,400 miles on engine at time. Oil reservoir was full, oil pump was operational and filter had not collapsed. Engine coolant was full.
I have a 2002 chevy impala with 80,000 that I bought brand new in 2001. Approximately 3 months ago I had to have my vehicle towed to a repair shop as the antifreeze leaked out into my driveway. I was told that the manifold gaskets had failed and needed to be replaced. Also they found that the front brakes were bad and the rotors needed to be replaced. With regard to the leak I was told I was lucky because most times the failed gaskets causes the antifreeze to leak into the motor and seize it. I had the repairs done at a cost of approximately $1,500.00. This past weekend while on the beltway my car started making a loud knocking noise and before I could pull over the motor died. I had the vehicle towed and was told the engine was blown, that they know of at least one piston was in my oil pan. Now I need to have the motor replaced. Which I have gotten prices from $4,500 - $6,500.00. Also, they told me my brakes are bad again, only after 4 months.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. After several attempts, the vehicle would sometimes restart and sometimes not. The failure occurs intermittently. During the most recent failure, the instrument panel lights illuminated, but the starter did not make a noise. No repairs have been made. The failure mileage was 95,000 and current mileage was 110,000.
Car would not start changed passlock and still will not start. Security light is on, radio is locked and the chevy dealership does not know what is wrong with it, they are guessing that is the bcm and the sdm but they cannot promise that it will work.
2002 chevrolet impala with bad intake manifold gasket and brakes. Consumer was informed that the intake manifold gasket leak is a common problem in these vehicles. Brakes have been replaced three times. He states that this is also a common problem. *kb the consumer stated the rotors were warped. The engine and radiator were replaced due to a leak.
2002 impala - sometimes fails to start, security light comes on. Intermittent as to how often..sometimes once every couple of days sometimes 1 every week. Multiple dealers want to charge $300-$1000 to replace bcm which after researching does not guarantee to fix problem.
Intake/head gasket failure. Leaking coolant is due to a known defective gasket. In fact a class action lawsuit has been filed but is insufficient to repay cost of repair. This should be considered a recall item. It is well documented among web-based automotive complaint forums that this is a problem most if not all owners experience....2002 chevrolet impala.....
Various engine failures due to dex cool coolant system. Engine rebuilt. Gaskets. Etc new parts installed in each instance.
Engine fire when car was started, a pop or back fire sound was heard then flames were seen, fire department extinguished fire. Car is sitting waiting gm to respond on investigated event. This is a police car and we have a total of 59 impalas were concerned about.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. Three days after the vehicle was purchased, the contact felt a hard vibration in the axle and also heard a cracking noise on the driver side of the vehicle. The failure occurred while driving 40 MPH. The oil light illuminated and the oil was changed at 104,000 miles. Before the oil change, the mechanic stated that the oil had never been changed and that a new rack and pinion and serpentine belt were needed. The contact also experienced electrical failure that caused the vehicle to shut off completely. The dealer would not give her a carfax report after one was requested. The powertrain was unknown. The failure mileage was 100,979 and current mileage was 105,840.
I too am having problems with the coolant system and the leaking antifreeze. The manifold gasket issue has turned into a class action lawsuit against gm. Recently a decision was made in favor of car owners with this problem. Details should be released in feb 08 about this but I've heard that gm will have to pay car owners who have had this problem fixed a portion or all of the repair cost. For more info google class action lawsuit, gm, and gibbs(this is the attorney).
2002 chevy impala 3.4l 84,000+ miles low coolant light comes on. Leaking antifreeze but not sure where. Continually having to add antifreeze to overflow to maintain level. Car smells like burning antifreeze after being driven. Numerous complaints found online at car forums with other consumers having the same trouble. Contents in radiator and overflow is thick, oily-like substance. So far, while checking oil, it is ok. Not milky or cloudy. Numerous reasons why vehicle has coolant problems. One theory is dexcool causes the sludge. Another theory is faulty intake valve & gasket. Main theory is problem originates from intake valve (gasket) and dominos.
Owner of 2002 chevy impala that has an intake manifold leak. Family member also had an impala, 2003, and had the same issue. Why is this such a problem? When I searched the issue online I found many owners that had the same issue. Gm needs to issue a recall on this problem and have proper gaskets installed in their cars. This car is not a cheap car, and to have these problems is a sign of a poor quality.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 chevrolet impala. The contact stated that the turn signal lights work sporadically and the vehicle shuts off and on intermittently. He stated that the failure was due to an electrical failure. The dealer stated that nothing could be done because the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer has not been notified. The VIN and engine size were unknown. The failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 102,000.
The intake manifold gasket is leaking. It poses a fire hazard if the car is overheated which could pose health threats to those in the car and others outside of the car. The car is a 2002 chevy impala with 71,000 miles. This car has had regular maintenance and is good condition. There have been several things fixed over the past two years. We have spent over $3,000 fixing everything. We cannot afford to fix yet another problem. This car should not be facing these problems at such an early stage.
Noticed brownish color of coolant on the 2002 chevrolet impala, some sludge built-up in radiator. This car has 59000 miles on it. Dealer reported the problem to be a intake manifold gasket. Cost of repairs to be $500 plus. It appeared this to be a common problem that was related to the type of coolant gm used.
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