Check a VIN

2005 Chevrolet Impala lights complaints

Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 51, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2005 Chevrolet Impala lights problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Apr 2, 2014 · Electrical, Lights · 70,000 miles · TX

Driving on grande blvd tyler tx, on my way to work, headlights turned off completely, turned the high beams on and the headlights came back on.

Filed Mar 20, 2014 · Electrical, Lights · 124,800 miles · MI

I was driving at approximately 40 MPH on a straight roadway with brights on when the headlights went out. This occurred in the early morning while it was still dark out. The parking lights remained on. Pulling the headlight switch on the left side of dash to the "manual on" position did not help. I turned on the fog lights and returned home using the fog lights only. Upon arriving home, I was able to get the headlights to work again by switching to high beam and back. This has been an intermittent problem for this vehicle in the past month. The multifunction switch felt like it was fully engaged and gave an audible click when pulled. I have ordered a replacement multifunction switch to repair this.

Filed Sep 26, 2013 · Lights · 47,352 miles · TN

I was on my way to work at at 6:30 am on 9-24-13 when my headlights went off. It was pitch dark and I was totally without headlights. I was able to turn on the fog lights this car has, but it was still hard to see. I have noticed the lights seemed dimmer than what I consider normal. I made an appointment with a local mechanic. He cannot find the reason for the dim lights or the lights going off by themselves. This is very dangerous and I am surprised a recall has not been issued to address this very serious safety issue. When I conducted a google search I noticed that this is a common problem with a number of gm vehicles. It is a wonder I did not crash my vehicle as I never expected my light to go out as I traveled down a highway.

Filed May 13, 2013 · Lights · 146,000 miles · IA

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet impala. The contact stated that when driving in reverse, the reverse indicator lights failed to illuminate. Upon further inspection, the contact noticed that the light casing was full of water. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileage was 146,000.

Filed Aug 27, 2012 · Lights · 91,000 miles · OH

Tl* the contact owns 2005 chevrolet impala. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and after attempting to dim the headlights, all of the lights malfunctioned without any warning. The vehicle was not taken to dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The failure and current mileage was 91,000.

Filed Jun 8, 2012 · Lights · 59,000 miles · WA

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet impala. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH after attempting to dim the headlights, all of the lights failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to diagnose the failure but stated that the dimmer switch needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 59,000 and the current mileage was 80,000.

Filed Feb 18, 2012 · Electrical, Lights · 140,920 miles · WA · fire

This report is about sudden and repeated headlight electrical system failure in a 2005 chevrolet impala sedan, and a request for a nationwide safety recall and repair at gm expense for this issue. After getting in my 2005 impala sedan at approximately 4:55 pm on 16 february 2012, I started up and drove out on the road then I smelled burning plastic and noticed the headlights (low beam) were out. I tried the high beams and they worked as did the left and right turn signals, the windshield wiper controls and the cruise control functioned. As darkness increased I had to hold the switch in the high beam position so I could see to drive so I could get home. From what I could determine the problem seems to be in the wiring to/from the multifunction light control switch or maybe it is the switch itself on the steering column. The fuses and relays and the all seemed to be in working order but the low beam lights still did not work. This failure is extremely dangerous and happens without warning. This is the second time this has happened to me now. With dealer parts cost for a replacement multifunction light switch at $350.00 alone, not to mention labor costs and the criticality of lights while driving means this should be a required safety recall item. I have searched mechanical forums on this subject and there are many such occurrences documented, but gm does not seem to think there is a common problem or a reason to investigate and fix the malfunction. This problem is common knowledge at gm dealerships nationwide. Smelling burning plastic is an indication of a serious electrical problem which could lead to an onboard fire in the car in addition to causing injury and or death from a sudden light outage at night. Again, I request a nationwide safety recall and repair be initiated as it appears to be a manufacturing defect and an extreme safety issue.

Filed Feb 14, 2012 · Lights · 125,000 miles · IL

Tonight, my headlights would not come on. I eventually flicked the low/high beam switch and they came on. About three weeks ago, I was driving home at about 55 MPH in the dark on a single lane country road. The lights went out, they came back on for a moment, and then they went completely out. I drove home slowly with the emergency flashers on. If I had not been alert, I could have easily crashed. This is a serious issue.

Filed Nov 15, 2011 · Lights · 123,402 miles · MN

16 yr old daughter driving down highway at night when headlights just quit. Very dangerous situation. Fortunately the lights came back on after driving with foglights only. 2nd time this has happened. Vehicle in great shape otherwise and maintained appropriately.

Filed Jul 6, 2011 · Lights · 45,000 miles · WA

I purchased a 2005 chevy impala in 2008. The first time I was driving on a state hwy, a very twisty road . I had my headlights on high, right in the middle of the first curve my headlights went out, I jumped the brake and flipped the lever back and forth and they finally came back on low beam, I almost wreaked. The second time I was on the freeway just coming into the outskirts of town, heavy traffic, I flipped the lever back and forth and the low beams came back on. I spoke with a dealer who said they had no complaints from other owners and was told there was no recall. It has happened too many times and can't be pinned to any particular times, now I drive with my lights on low all the time. I went online and found hundreds of people having the same problem. Some had to replace their whole steering column to solve the problem. I can't afford to do this, but the car isn't safe. It keeps doing it and one of these times I will forget and it will catch me unaware and I will wreck.

Filed Jan 26, 2011 · Lights · 100,000 miles · 00

At approx 100,00km the high beam is activated when signaling a right turn. When keeping the handle in certain position the high beam goes off but comes back again when released. Lately remains on when the switch returns to mid position. Never experienced when signaling to the left. This behavior may blind the incoming cars' drivers and also distracts my attention from the road. I did not do anything yet for fixing the defect.

Filed Jan 10, 2011 · Lights · 78,000 miles · OH

I was driving early morning it the dark and my headlights quit working on my 2005 chevy impala. They have not been fixed yet.

Filed Sep 8, 2010 · Lights · 180,000 miles · NJ

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet impala . While driving 25 MPH the headlights started to flicker and the contact smelled an electrical odor. The contact then pulled into her residence and after a few minutes the headlights turned on without assistance. The vehicle was previously taken to a mechanic before for the multi function switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle will be taken to the dealer to have it diagnosed and determine if there were any other problems within the electrical system. No repairs were made when the complaint was filed. The vehicle identification number was not available. The failure mileage was 180000 and the current mileage was 190000.

Filed Jul 13, 2010 · Lights · 94,235 miles · OR

Driving at night, headlights go out within 30-60 seconds of switching from low beams to high beams. Headlights stay out until the high beam switch is flipped again. It started happening once in a great while spring of '09. As time has passed, it now occurs almost every time high beams are used. Cannot find a dealer or mechanic that can duplicate the problem with the car in possession, or that has a solution for the problem.

Filed May 21, 2010 · Body, Lights · 100 miles · CT

Taillights on vehicle fill with water and trunk fills with water when it rains. Dealer has replaced rear panel several times...problem persisted. Dealer 'fixed' problem by drilling holes in taillights to drain, but trunk still fills. Dealer removed plug from trunk. Trunk is full of mold. Contacted gmc several times, they did absolutely nothing. Smells really bad in summer months. Cannot insert key in lock, panel is on crooked. It is good enough for dealer, should be good enough for me???

Filed Apr 19, 2010 · Lights · 52,000 miles · FL

Tl*-the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet impala. The contact stated that while he was driving down the highway at approximately 70 MPH, all of the vehicle lights (interior and exterior) failed to turn on when the sun went down and it became dark. He tried to use the high beam and low beam lights to turn them on manually. He pulled over and after several attempts, the lights turned on. In april 2010, while driving, the lights turned off again. He tried the high beam switch and the lights turned back on. He took the vehicle to the dealership but was told unless he could duplicate the problem, they could do nothing to assist him. He had not spoken with the manufacturer to-date. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The current mileage was 98,947. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

Filed Feb 17, 2010 · Lights · 76,000 miles · IL

Headlights and dash lights go out when bright beam is turned on. When you switch back to dims it comes back on. Afraid to use the high beams. Has happened twice since owning this vehicle. No recalls on this issue.

Filed Feb 5, 2010 · Lights · GA

The lights on the car when on the brights will just shut off, and it only leaves the marker lights lit, until you pull the headlight knob out.. Will do this intermittently.. Has happened very often, everytime the brights are on.

Filed Dec 14, 2009 · Electrical, Lights · 101,250 miles · ID

While driving down the road my instrument cluster lights went out. Then I was wondering why everybody was going so slow (45mph) on my speedometer. So I passed them. I had a GPS and turned it on it was recording 75mph. It was 20 MPH off.

Filed Dec 3, 2009 · Lights · 46,124 miles · ID

I own a 2005 impala ls and while driving at night the headlights go out. This has happened 12 times with my vehicle. The last time it happened I was driving on the interstate at 75mph and they went out. I cycled the light switch 3 times and they went back on. I have done some research on the internet and have found over 60 people reporting the same problem. I think there are a lot more people with this problem that haven't reported it. I contacted gm but had no luck. This is a serious problem and would like to know who I need to contact before anyone gets in an accident and gets hurt or dies.

Filed Nov 24, 2009 · Lights · NY

While driving, the headlights will go out for no reason. This has happened several times while driving at night. If I pull the light switch on and off it will usually work. Flicking the high beams on and off may work too. This is a huge safety feature and I have found that there are many complaints on this same issue cannot find that there has been a recall when there should be.

Filed Oct 29, 2009 · Lights · 89,000 miles · NY

Had problems with headlights going out weather it's low beam or high beam mechanic had to replace turn signal/high beam switch and then that one only lasted 3-4 months. This could really pose a danger has the headlights go out completely, the only thing I could due is hold back on lever to keep high beams activated. The marker lights would stay on. To have this work done is getting expensive if I have to keep replacing this switch. Any help or suggestions would be helpful. I bought this vehicle used 2005 chevy impala.

Filed Oct 28, 2009 · Lights · TX

Turn signal lights stop working after being used a few times. May start working again after car has been turned off ,then on . 2005 chevy impala.

Filed Apr 17, 2009 · Electrical, Lights · 120,000 miles · OK · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet impala. The contact noticed that the instrument panel gauges were inoperative and displayed inaccurate readings. In addition, the windshield wipers failed sporadically, the rear passenger tail light was poorly illuminated, and the battery failed spontaneously. When the failures occured, she smelled a burning odor as if the wires were burning. The vehicle has not been inspected to determine the cause of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000 and the current mileage was unknown.

Filed Feb 15, 2009 · Lights · 47,110 miles · WI

Tuesday, 1/27/09, while driving on a local country road to work at 6:15 am, vehicle headlights and other exterior lights went dark. Dashboard lights stayed on, but other exterior lights went dark for 8 to 10 seconds. Same thing occurred again monday morning, 02/02/09. No dimming or warning, lights just went off and I was driving in darkness. 02/03/09 took impala to gm dealer to run diagnostic. They determined problem with the multifunctional high/low beam lever switch (this unit also houses the cruise control, windshield wipers, and directional light controls). Est for repairs $735.00. 02/07/09 had the unit replaced at another garage for $435.00. I kept the defective unit. Have since done research to find other people reporting this same problem occurring on other impalas ranging at least from model years 2001 thru 2005. In some cases the headlights stayed on, but they were unable to switch the headlights between high and low beam. I feel this is definitely a safety issue. I contacted gm customer service to relate what happened as I believe this is a very serious problem. I feel that due to the high potential for accidents involving injury or even death, this multifunctional lever switch should be "recalled".

Filed Jan 8, 2009 · Electrical, Lights · 60,000 miles · OK

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet impala. The headlights failed 4-5 intermittently for over three months. When the high beam lights were used, the low beams failed. While driving, the contact heard a clicking noise before the lights failed. The low beam lights would illuminate again when he turned the high beam switch. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but they could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 62,961. Updated 3/19/09 *cn the dealer was not able to duplicate the consumers conern. Updated 03/25/09.

Filed Oct 28, 2008 · Lights · 55,000 miles · MS

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet impala. While driving 30 MPH at night on normal road conditions, the headlights unexpectedly lost power. The failure occurred intermittently. The headlights activated automatically when the engine was started. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle will be taken to an authorized dealer for repair. The contact was concerned of the safety risk involved. The VIN was unknown. The failure and current mileages were 55,000.

Filed Aug 26, 2008 · Lights · CT

Low beam malfunction. Low beam connector completely fried. Connector melted on to the bulb. 3-5 bulbs need to be replaced each month and must take it to the auto shop to have a new connector placed on as well. Chevy would not help, said it was not covered under warranty. Dealer said that my whole electrical system would have to be re-done because there is too much power running to the bulbs. Price estimate $3500.

Filed Jul 12, 2008 · Lights · 50,000 miles · NC

Headlight intermittent failure on high beam. Click to low beam and lights come back on. Disconcerting when it happens at night at high speed. Chevrolet dealer replaced body control module at $362, but did not solve problem.

Filed Jun 12, 2008 · Electrical, Lights · 85,000 miles · GA

Driving down paved road headlights will go out sometimes they will come back on and sometimes they won't. I also have reported my speedometer showing 80 or 90 MPH when I am driving at normal speeds and 40 or 50 MPH when completely stopped - sometimes it will not work at all. Vehicle has not been repaired due to the cost involved. Also have had a problem with my power steering pump and a wheel hub. Hub replaced and paid out of pocket and it did not correct the problem. Paid $600 to replace the hub. Had to replace the tires because of that defect.

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car

Buying a used 2005 Chevrolet Impala?

Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.

Check its history