Vehicle fire. Vehicle caught fire while cruising at highway speeds. Very dangerous. Vehicle is a total loss.
2003 Chevrolet Impala: fire, smoke or burning smell
24 of the 695 complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Impala describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 24
- of this car's complaints
- 3%
- typical mileage
- 163,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 77 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
I just recently bought this vehicle 03/11/20 and it ran great till yesterday when the intake manifold exploded and caught fire to the engine from the fuel lines melted this happened when I was getting a jump. It says there are no recalls pending it is the 3.8l and it looked original all the parts did can you please help me out
Under the hood fire and unintended key rotation. Maybe 5 days after I took my vehicle into tc chevy (in ashland oregon) to have the 2 recalls repaired on it. I tried to start my car and it caught on fire down by the front bumper and the flames made it to the back side of the motor and ignited the fuel lines causing a mini explosion under the hood, mean while I'm sitting in the driver's seat. I jumped out of the car nearly having the life scared out of me, I popped the hood and grabbed my house garden house and started to try and put the fire out and minimize the damage to my vehicle while I waited for the fire department to reach my house. The fire department showed up and was able to get the fire put out almost torching one of the firefighters head when the fuel pump kicked on without the keys in the ignition and started shooting gasoline reigniting the fire. I'm lucky the fire didn't burn down my house and my neighbor's house that day seeing how the fire caught the bush next door on fire and there was flames 14 ft in the air. See chevy and gm have been trying to act like the fire and the damage to the vehicle is my own fault and none of their own even though the technician says none of the repairs were actually done. I've been trying to get an investigation done and they're trying to push my claim aside and sweep it under the rug. My vehicle was parked in my driveway at my home right next to a bush not my neighbor's house is right up against. Please look into this so that it doesn't get swept under the rug. Please help me. I also have the firefighters report.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle lost acceleration. The vehicle would not accelerate even when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and noticed smoke emerging from the engine compartment. The contact had to use a fire extinguisher to extinguish the flames inside the engine. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The contact also mentioned that the original owner provided a letter regarding the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v701000 (engine). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 291,000.
Yesterday fed 22 we where at home and we hered a loud sound I when out side and the car was catching on fire. The car was completely off and parked in are parking lot.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. While driving 30 MPH, the contact noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact was able to pull the vehicle out of traffic, opened the hood, and noticed that the engine was on fire. The fire was extinguished by the contact. The police and fire departments were not notified and no injuries were sustained. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but the diagnostic results and repairs were unknown. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving home from the dealer. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer. The contact stated that there was a recall on the vehicle, but was unable to provide the federal safety agency campaign number. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was unknown.
While driving on highway got a faint fuel smell (not seen in past). Shortly another motorist flagged me and said he saw flames under the car. I pulled over and evacuated vehicle. Smoke and flames came from engine. The vehicle has been maintained no recent engine work. Car had been running fine with no problems.
The engine caught on fire from oil leak
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 chevrolet impala. While driving and pulling into a fuel station, the contact parked and exited the vehicle. While the contact was in the store, the vehicle caught fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a junk yard lot. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. After driving the vehicle for a short period of time, it caught fire. The contact stated that the fire department extinguished the fire. A fire report was not filed and no injuries were sustained. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, a strong burning odor emitted through the air vents of the vehicle. There were no flames present. The contact noticed that a small amount of engine oil leaked onto the ground underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part needed to perform the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. The contact noticed white smoke coming from the engine and smelled a fuel odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received a notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v701000 (engine, engine cooling) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Electrical system
- Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS)...
- This bulletin provides information for electrical ground repairs using new General Motors replacement...
- This informational bulletin provides information for the IPC odometer programming method quick reference...
- This service bulletin provides information on Module Harvesting.
- This service bulletin provides diagnostic tips/steps on testing for possible EVAP leaks in the system to...
- Electrical system
Related recalls
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
- Risk
- If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
Recall number 14V400000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2003 Chevrolet Impala fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala?
24 of 695 owner complaints about the 2003 Chevrolet Impala (3%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 2000.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala?
There is 1 recall and 77 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala
Headlights 96Won't start 84Stalling 50ABS 33No deployment 18Overheating 18Grinding brakes 17Check engine light 16Door locks 16Loss of power 16Jerking 15Adaptive cruise 12Engine failure 11Fuel pump 10Airbag light 8Brake failure 8Knocking 7Warning lights 7Wipers 7Hesitation 6Fuel leak 5Fuel smell 5Harsh shifting 5Power steering loss 5Premature wear 5Steering lock-up 5
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