Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. The vehicle caught fire in the dashboard area and then spread to the hood. The fire occurred two to three months after the vehicle was purchased. A relative sustained injuries to the hand due to the fire. The cause of the failure was electrical. There is no fire or police report. The vehicle was repaired, but the contact does not know the specifics of the repair work. Three months after the repairs were completed, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle began vibrating when the brakes were depressed. This failure occurred while driving 20 MPH or more. The brakes and the disc were replaced and aligned. The failure continued to occur and the brakes were replaced within a month. The mechanic stated that the disc failed which caused the brakes to fail. The contact detects the smell of fuel within the vehicle. The fuel gauge has failed to operate normally since the repairs were performed. The fuel gauge indicated that the fuel level was full; however, the engine shut off and there was no fuel in the vehicle. There was also the presence of fuel on the ground after adding fuel to the vehicle. The dealer has not diagnosed the cause of the fuel gage failure or the odor. The inspector stated that the vehicle may not pass inspection due to the fuel odor in the interior. Although the brakes were repaired twice, the vibration continued to occur. The engine size was unknown. The contact can provide receipts for all of the repairs that were performed, including an insurance report. There is no fire or police report. The current mileage is 81,000 and failure mileage was 45,000. Updated 08/15/07.
2004 Chevrolet Impala brakes complaints
Page 4 of 4: complaints 71 to 89 of 89, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My 2004 impala's ABS trouble light came on as did the "service traction system" light. The dealers diagnosis based upon ABS scanner codes was that the left rear wheel speed sensor had failed/shorted. Gm's sealed wheel hub design on this vehicle meant that in order to replace the wheel speed sensor the entire hub had to be replaced. Since the vehicle has just over 40k miles and is out of warranty, my total cost was over $690 including parts, labor, and taxes. This is absurd and ridiculous. It is unacceptable for the consumer to have to experience this kind of outrageous cost simply to get a sensor replaced. If it were not for the necessity of replacing the entire hub, there is no way that this repair should even cost $100. As a mechanical engineer, I recognize poor design and poor logic when I see it, and this situation certainly falls under those categories. I am extremely dissatisfied that I had no choice but to pay this in order to restore operation of the ABS and traction systems. If this is standard gm design practice, I will definitely consider that a negative when purchasing my next vehicle.
My 2004 impala ss has had a chronic problem with brakes and steering. The car now has 64,000 miles on it, and is again experiencing issues with noises in the steering when turning, stopping and starting. The front end just feels loose. This was an issue corrected when the car was under warranty around 35,000 miles. The problem went away, but has returned some 30,000 miles later. Also, had to have the brake rotors turned around 25,000 miles. Today, the car is having its left wheel bearing replaced.
Dt*: the contact stated when the brake was applied, the pedal pulsated and the vehicle shook. The front rotors were replaced twice and the front and rear brakes and rear rotors were replaced once. The shaking stopped for one week, but then the shaking persisted. There was a the federal safety agency recall, # 04v287000, regarding the service brakes, hydraulic. The vehicle was not included in the recall due to the VIN.
Dt*: the contact stated while depressing the brake pedal there was a popping noise at any speed. There was an the federal safety agency recall, # 04v287000, regarding the service brakes, hydraulic. The vehicle was not included in the recall due to the VIN.
When turning left or right there is a clicking sound coming from the turn in the steering. During the turn it feels as though there is a break in the steering line. It seems as if it were a chain I would say its missing about 4 links. I took it in for this problem about 6 months ago and it was resolved for a while. I was told the steering column needed tightening. Here it is doing the same thing for the last 2 months. Now I notice the braking is not stopping in the manner it should. I have nearly rearended a few people in the last 2 months or continued just past the stop line at an intersection.
Dt*: the contact stated the brakes pulsate when applied causing a increase in the stopping distance of the vehicle. The problem gradually got worse. In july of 2005 the dealership replaced one set of brake rotors and resurfaced the other set. In september another dealership replaced the other set of rotors. The vehicle was taken back into the dealership in december, which determined the rotors need to be resurfaced due to rust build up. They did not resurface the rotors because the rotors were no longer under warranty.
I have had my 2004 impala for 18 months, of that 18 months it has been in the dealer for brakes four times. The rotors keep warping up. Some dealerships have told me about this problem. They have even replaced the rotors one time. This has gotten to be such a problem that my family will not ride in this car. Why can't gm design a car without all the problems the impala has.
Dt: the contact's vehicle was involved in a low speed accident. Upon impact the air bags did not deploy. There was pre-braking prior to the accident and the front of the vehicle sustained damage. The contact was not wearing his seat belt and struck the dashboard, resulting in a head injury. The vehicle was towed to a body shop and is currently awaiting repairs. *ak updated 1/19/2006 -
I have a 2004 impala, the car is 2 years old and I've had to have the rear rotors ground down twice because they had warped and were covered with rust. The dealer did the repair and it was under warranty, but there was no explanation as to why this has happened on a new vehicle.
Consumer was told that the manufacturer reduced the size of the parking brake, which decreased the holding power/ effectiveness of the brake. *ts while the consumer's vehicle was parked on a slight incline, with the parking brake set, the brake would not keep the vehicle from rolling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The first time the consumer was told that the parking brake was adjusted. The second time the consumer was told that it was normal for the brake not to hold/restrain the vehicle when parked on an incline.
Dt: the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. The vehicle has less than 10,000 miles on it. The vehicle would not stop even with the brakes on. It is pulsated/squealed while trying to stop. This resulted in extended stopping distance. The vehicle was unsafe to drive. Rear brakes pulsated due to warped rear brake rotors. The first time dealer inspected vehicle they found front brake rotors warped and out of round. The dealership the brakes overheated, causing them to warp.
My family and I were traveling down a highway in florida and were traveling about 50 MPH and a line of vehicles in front of us stopped, not real fast, but they stopped and we were about 80 yards in back of them and when I applied my brake petal the car just didn't want to stop. It was skidding all along, squealing tires, until I lost control of it and started to fishtail. About 1 foot more or so, we would have been in a major accident! I didn't slam them on or anything. It was kind of a sudden stop, but not really too sudden. All of the vehicles around us stopped prefectly normal. I've driven many vehicles and have never experienced this! My car is still under warrenty, however I have never taken it in. I think I should though. But still, general morors and chevrolet should be ashamed of themselves for releasing a dangerous vehicle like this! Another small complaint I have, which is not necessarly a safety concern, is the fact that the steering is rather poor on this vehicle. When you go around turns, you have a make an effort to turn the steering wheel and get the car going straight again. I am a firm believer that new cars should be better than old one's, however my experiences have obviously proven that they're not. Thank you for reading my complaint. I hope you can get this information out to the public and maybe then gm can make changes.
Complaint regarding the response to the manufacturer's recall by the dealership. *mr recall campaign #04v287000. The vehicle had been driven 3,738 miles without the consumer being notified by gm or the dealership. *sc
' recall campaign' issued on 2004 chevrolet impala for front brake caliper bolt. *bf the consumer stated gm still has not sent him an official recall letter even after the work was performed.
I purchased a 2004 chervolet impala from c & o motors in st. Albans west virginia on march 23,2004. The vehicle only had two miles on the odometer. Ever since I have had the vehicle, I have had continued brake problems, front end suspension problems, noises coming from the dash of the vehicle, and a popping and cracking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. Since I have had this vehicle I have had all 4 tires replaced, all hub caps replaced, all lug nut covers replaced, 2 rack of pinions replaced, 2 steerind shafts replaced, both sides of upper mount and barings replaced, front end suspension bolts replaced and tightened sevreal times, and no have an eletrical problem when rolling up the windows the lights dim, and front head light lens always has mositure in them whenit rains.
Bought a 2004 from russ darrow group in madison wi. This car was a rental car we paid 19k for it and it has 30k miles on it. It shakes when driving over 50mph and the brakes are unreliable. The salesman cooericed us into this car, and we tried to rectify the matter within 48 hours, but they won't cooperate. There are 2004 cars with 0 miles for less money, that have not been in any accidents. The front end is out of allignment and it is unsafe to drive. It is a 2004 chevy impala. We want a different, safe car, we do not want this fixed. The payments are almost 500 per month for six years. There are three different mileage amounts on the papers and on the contract the odometer says 0 striken out. Please help. Thank you.
When the brakes were applied, the vehicle vibrated. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection and mechanic determined that the front rotors needed to be cut. The consumer will have the rotors cut. *ak within 10 miles of driving the vehicle immediately after purchase, the brakes begun to shutter and vibrate. *sc
Owner had to replace the rack and pinion steering , also, owner had replaced a set of brake pads and also had to replace the fuel tank due to a tank failure. Vehicle was purchased brand new and has 13,000 miles yet it has been one problem after another and the manufacturer is not doing anything to assist the consumer. Please provide further details.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2004 Chevrolet Impala?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history