DRIVING ON A TRIP AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY SPEEDOMETER MPH INDICATOR JUMPER TO 90 MPH AS I WAS SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT. WHEN I PROCEEDED FORWARD THE INDICATOR NEEDLE RESET YOU 90 MPH AND THIS RESET CONTINUED UNTIL IT WAS POINTING STRAIGHT DOWN. IT DID NOT RESET AFTER TURNING THE IGNITION OFF AND ON. I HAD NO IDEA HOW FAST MY VEHICLE WAS GOING AFTER THAT. I WENT TO A WEB SITE FOR AUTO TROUBLES AND FOUND 72 REPORTS OF THE SAME PROBLEM WITH GM SPEEDOMETERS. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL SINCE A NONFUNCTIONAL SPEEDOMETER IS A SAFETY HAZARD. PS - OTHER GM MODELS ALSO HAVE REPORTS OF THIS MALFUNCTIONING SPEEDOMETERS. GM WANT $500 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE SPEEDOMETER, WHEN A SIMPLE CAPACITOR FIX IS ALL THAT IS REQUIRED. A TEMP FIX WORKS FOR A FEW WEEKS, THEY IT HAPPENS AGAIN AND GM SAID IF YOU REPLACE THE SPEEDOMETER AND IT HAPPENS AGAIN, THEN IT COSTS ANOTHER $500 TO REPLACE THE REPLACEMENT? GM WANTS TO FLEECE US! *TR
2004 Chevrolet Impala complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2004 record →
I HAVE A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA AND THE CLUSTER HAS GONE OUT ON IT, SIMILAR CHEVY TRUCKS AND SUV'S HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME ISSUE, BUT THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THE CARS AREN'T COVERED UNDER RECALL. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM THAT I HAVE HAD GO OUT ON ANY CAR AND IT IS VERY ODD THAT THE SAME MANUFACTURER IS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH OTHER VEHICLES. *TR
THE SPEEDOMETER SHOWS WRONG SPEED-FASTER THAN I AM GOING-ALMOST CAUSED ACCIDENT SLOWING DOWN ON FREEWAY. CHEVY WANTS $500 TO FIX THE PROBLEM WHICH SHOULD BE COVERED BY THEM. *TR
2004 IMPALA WITH 43,000 MILES. SPEEDOMETER FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING, THE SPEEDOMETER SLOWLY BEGINS TO READ HIGHER AND HIGHER VALUES. WHILE TRAVELING APPROX. 55-60 MPH, SAW HIGHEST READING AT 105 MPH, READ 73 MPH STANDING STILL. REPEATEDLY TURNING CAR ON AND OFF EVENTUALLY WILL "0" THE SPEEDOMETER, BUT PROBLEM RECURRED THE NEXT DAY. *TR
ON MY 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA, THE SPEEDOMETER IS NEVER RIGHT. THIS JUST STARTED. I'VE BEEN READING ON THIS PROBLEM ON OTHER IMPALAS AND THERE IS NO FACTORY RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO GET IT FIXED. THIS CAR WILL BE HANDED DOWN TO MY DAUGHTER WHEN SHE IS 16. HOW IS SHE SUPPOSED TO KNOW HER SPEED? GM NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS FACTORY DEFECT. *TR
I BOUGHT A USED 2004 IMPALA IN AUG. 2008 AND BASICALLY SINCE THE FIRST DAY I GOT IT I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE SPEEDOMETER. THE DEALER PROMISED TO HAVE IT REPAIRED, BUT HAS YET TO DO SO. THEY KEEP GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND, AND NOW FOR THE PAST MONTH MY STEREO HAS STOPPED WORKING. YESTERDAY MY FUEL GAUGE STARTED GOING HAYWIRE. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS ONLY WORK SOMETIMES. THE LOW TIRE PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT WONT RESET. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. BECAUSE OF MY SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING I ALMOST WENT OFF THE SIDE OF A FREEWAY ON RAMP FROM NOT BEING ABLE TO TELL HOW FAST I WAS GOING. I JUST HAD TO PRAY THAT I HAD SLOWED DOWN ENOUGH TO MAKE THE CURVE. IS SOMEONE GOING TO HAVE TO BE SERIOUSLY INJURED OR DIE BEFORE THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS. I HAVE BEEN TO SEVERAL WEBSITES RESEARCHING THE 2004 IMPALA AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ALL SAYING THE SAME THING. ITS TIME THAT GM TAKES RESPONSIBILITY AND DOES SOMETHING ABOUT IT. I AM NOT ABLE TO HAVE MY CAR REPAIRED BECAUSE OF THE COST. IT'S WAY TO EXPENSIVE. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GM VEHICLE. *TR
THE TIRES KEEP LOOSING AIR IT TAKES ABOUT 2 DAYS FOR THEM TO LOOSE ABOUT 10LBS. THEY ARE LEAKING BECAUSE OF CORROSION OF THE WHEEL WHERE THE TIRE BEAD HAS TO SEAL. THE CAR HAS THE INDY SPECIAL EDITION CHROME PLATED ALUMINUM WHEELS. THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY THE CHROME PEELING OFF OF THE ALUMINUM IN THE BEAD AREA THE CORROSION CAUSES DEEP PITS THAT WILL NOT LET THE TIRE SEAL. THE DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDED TO PUT INNER TUBES IN THE TIRES WHICH ARE UNSAFE BECAUSE OF SUDDEN DEFLATION IN CASE OF A PUNCTURE. THE WHEELS WOULD COST I THINK OVER $2000 TO REPLACE THE SET. I THINK THIS IS VERY BAD QUALITY ON CHEVY PART. 4 WHEELS BAD ON A CAR IS NOT A NORMAL MAINTENANCE ISSUE. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE OF THE CONSTANT AIR LOSS. 2004 CHEVY IMPALA SS INDY EDITION. *TR
EVERYTHING WAS WORKING NORMALLY AND ALL OF THE SUDDEN MY SPEEDOMETER BEGAN GOING HAYWIRE. I'VE READ THAT MANY OTHER IMPALAS HAVE EXPERIENCED SIMILAR PROBLEMS. IT'S CURRENTLY DOING 90MPH PARKED IN MY GARAGE. IT SPORADICALLY ACCELERATES FROM WHEREVER THE NEEDLE IS AT THE TIME BUT WON'T RETURN TO ZERO WHEN IT COMES TO A STOP. *TR
MY SPEEDOMETER IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. IT WILL DISPLAY ANYWHERE BETWEEN ZERO MPH AND 120 MPH WHEN DRIVING APPROX. 70 MPH (JUDGING ON THE SPEED OF OTHER TRAFFIC. I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY IMPALA WITH 81,000 MILES. REPAIR AT A GM DEALERSHIP IS APPROX. $400. I HAVE SPOKEN TO GM CUSTOMER SERVICE ABOUT THEM BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR OF A SAFETY HAZARD. THEY DON'T SEEM TO CARE. *TR
THE SPEEDOMETER IN MY 2004 IMPALA DOES NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY. IT IS UNPREDICTABLE IN WHAT SPEED IT MEASURES. SOMETIMES IT STAYS ON "0" SOMETIMES IT'S AT "110" WHEN I'M DOING APPROX. 20MPH. IT'S JUST BROKEN. *TR
FAILURE: LOWER INTAKE GASKET FAILED DUE TO DEXCOOL ANTIFREEZE. DEXCOOL INSTALLED AT FACTORY. VEHICLE HAD SUDDEN SERIOUS COOLANT LEAK . VEHICLE OVERHEATED ON HIGHWAY AND STRANDED OWNER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR SERVICE. DEALER TOLD OWNER TO REPLACE GASKET AND COOLANT. SERVICE TECHNICIAN REPLACED DEXCOOL WITH ANOTHER LONG LIFE BRAND OF ANTIFREEZE. THE ORIGINAL DEXCOOL ALSO CLOGGED THE RADIATOR WHICH REQUIRED EXTRA FLUSHING WITH ADDITIONAL CHEMICALS. *TR
THE SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T WORK SOMETIMES. WHEN IT MOVES IT DOESN'T MOVE SMOOTHLY, BUT IT JERKS UP AND DOWN, OFTEN INDICATING AN INCORRECT SPEED. THE CAR HAS LOW MILES ON IT AND THE TCC SOLENOID AND ANOTHER SOLENOID REGULATING LINE PRESSURE IN THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. *TR
THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER ON MY 2004 CHEVY IMPALA LS HAS STOPPED WORKING. ALSO, THE FUEL & OIL GAUGES DO NOT WORK. THE GAUGES STOPPED WORKING ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO AFTER WORKING WITHOUT PROBLEMS. FROM MY ONLINE SEARCHES, I'VE SEEN MANY OTHER IMPALA OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT HAD THE CLUSTER REPLACED, BUT INSTEAD USE A HANDHELD GPS FOR SPEED. I DO FEEL CHEVY/GM KNOWINGLY MANUFACTURED A BAD COMPONENT AND SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE FOR REPAIRS OF THE STEP MOTORS THAT HAVE FAILED IN THESE CARS. *TR
SPEEDOMETER CONSISTENTLY READS INCORRECTLY AND/OR FREEZES IN PLACE. OCCURS DAILY, RARELY GIVES CORRECT READING. DEALER WANTS $69.95 TO EVALUATE AND REPAIR WILL BE $400-$500 IF IT IS WHAT THEY THINK IT IS. CAR HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY ACCIDENTS. COOLANT TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAS PERIODICALLY MALFUNCTIONED AS WELL: SHOWS HIGH TEMPS WHEN ENGINE IS NOT OVERHEATING. COOLANT LEVELS ARE NORMAL. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE OR ACCELERATING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND THAT THE MOTOR MOUNT BOLT LOCKS WERE OPENED, WHICH MAY HAVE CAUSED THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE DEALER TIGHTENED THE BOLTS. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF THE SAFETY RISK INVOLVED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 77,000.
SPEEDOMETER STICKS AND WILL NOT RESET OR SHOWS 80 MPH WHEN DOING 30 MPH. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER WORKS INTERMITTENTLY AND DISPLAYS INACCURATE READINGS. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST EXCEEDING $600. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER DID NOT ASSIST BECAUSE THE VEHICLE EXCEEDED ITS WARRANTY BY THIRTY DAYS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 31,000.
THE SPEEDOMETER IN MY CAR DOES NOT WORK CORRECTLY. THE CAR ONLY HAS 32000 MILES ON IT & GM WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I FEEL IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE YOU CAN NOT TELL HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING. THE SPEEDOMETER WILL BE STUCK AT 30MPH AND I CAN BE DOING 40 OR 50 MPH. *TR
THIS AM DURING MORNING TRAFFIC AND MY VEHICLE CUT OFF. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES LEADING TO ME HAVING TO GET MY CAR TOWED TO A CHEVY DEALER. COME TO FIND OUT MY PASSLOCK SENSOR FAILED. *TR
THE SPEEDOMETER ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GOES HAYWIRE. IT STICKS WHEN DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEEDS, AND THEN REMAINS SHOWING A HIGH SPEED WHEN SLOWING DOWN. WHEN YOU THEN SPEED BACK UP, IT SHOWS SPEEDS UPWARDS OF 100 MPH EVEN WHEN DRIVING SLOWER THAN EXISTING TRAFFIC. IT WILL ONLY GET BACK TO 0 IF I TURN THE IGNITION OFF AND ON MANY TIMES. IT IS EXCEPTIONALLY DANGEROUS TO TRAVEL WITHOUT KNOWING THE CORRECT SPEED THAT YOU ARE TRAVELING. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES STOPPED WORKING. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE HEATER UNIT SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE, IT FINALLY STARTED AND DROVE ROUGHLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FAILURES WERE RELATED TO THE SECURITY SYSTEM IN THE CONTROL PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTIONS. RECENTLY, THE DRIVER MESSAGE CENTER AND HORN WERE NOT OPERATING, AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT RUNNING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,000.
THE ELECTRICAL CLUSTERS SUDDENLY STOPPED WORKING. ALL THE GAUGES ON MY PANEL DO NOT WORK. THIS INCLUDES MPH, FUEL, RPM, ETC. HAS ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS SUDDENLY HAPPEN? SHOULD IT BE RECALLED? *TR
2004 CHEVY IMPALA, 3.4L -- SPEEDOMETER STOPS WORKING AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR ABOUT AN HOUR. THE PROBLEM SEEMS MORE PRONE TO APPEAR IF YOU ARE ON THE FREEWAY GOING A NEARLY CONSTANT SPEED FOR A SUSTAINED AMOUNT OF TIME. SPEEDOMETER WILL WORK NORMALLY ON SHORT TRIPS, OR AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING FOR A WHILE. EVENTUALLY, AT SOME POINT, THE PROBLEM HAPPENS AGAIN. SPECIFICALLY UPON FAILURE, WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DECELERATING, THE SPEEDO NEEDLE DROPS, EVENTUALLY TO 0 (ZERO), BUT WILL NOT GO BACK UP AGAIN. THIS STARTED HAPPENING AFTER I PURCHASED THE CAR USED (FROM A DEALERSHIP), SO THERE'S NO TELLING FROM MY PERSPECTIVE HOW LONG IT'S REALLY BEEN HAPPENING. THE CAR HAD APPROX. 71000 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. *TR
I HAVE A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA, THE SPEEDOMETER AND TEMPERATURE GAUGE ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY. THE SPEEDOMETER SHOWS ALL DIFFERENT SPEEDS EVEN IF THE CAR IS NOT MOVING. THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. I AM ALSO BEGINNING TO DOUBT THAT THE FUEL GAUGE IS CORRECT. I WAS TOLD BY MY CHEVROLET DEALER THAT THE COST OF REPAIR WILL BE AROUND $700.00. I LEARNED TODAY ON A NEWS REPORT THE GENERAL MOTORS ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM ON THEIR SUV'S AND PICK-UP TRUCKS, BUT NOT ON THE IMPALA'S. I AM STILL TRYING TO SAVE THE $700.00 FOR THE REPAIR. *TR
I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS, AND THE SPEEDOMETER THAT IS IN IT. IT HAS ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS GOTTEN STUCK AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND WILL ONLY GO BACK DOWN BY STARTING AND TURNING THE CAR OFF NUMEROUS TIMES. THIS IS VERY HARD ON THE STARTER AND IS HORRIBLE FOR GAS MILEAGE. THIS PROBLEM IS ALSO A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM IN THAT YOU DON'T KNOW HOW FAST YOU ARE GOING AT ANY POINT AND TIME, AND I CAN NOT TRUST WHEN IT IS WORKING OR NOT. IT COULD ALSO HAVE SIGNIFICANT LEGAL RAMIFICATIONS IF I GET PULLED OVER. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I CAN NOT AFFORD BOTH FINANCIALLY AND CAREER-WISE. I AM A PARAMEDIC AND MY DRIVING RECORD CAN NOT AFFORD TO BE AFFECTED OR IT WILL AFFECT MY JOB. I HAVE DONE NUMEROUS WEB SEARCHES REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND THAT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVING THE SAME TYPES OF PROBLEMS WITH THEIR 2004 IMPALAS AS WELL AS OTHER 2004 CHEVY VEHICLES. I HAVE ALSO CONTACTED CHEVROLET ABOUT THE PROBLEM, AND THEY HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THESE PARTICULAR INSTRUMENT CLUSTERS, THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO FIX THE PROBLEMS WITH THEM, NOR ARE THEY WILLING TO HELP CONSUMERS WITH GETTING THEIR VEHICLES FIXED. I WOULD PLEASE LIKE TO HAVE A CONFIRMATION THAT THIS COMPLAINT HAS BEEN READ BY SOMEBODY AND THAT SOMETHING IS BEING DONE TO CORRECT THIS ISSUE WITH CHEVROLET. THANK YOU, TIMOTHY LORENZ *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING 54 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER WORKED INTERMITTENTLY FOR TWO MONTHS UNTIL IT FINALLY FAILED. A FRIEND OF THE CONTACT, WHO OWNED THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL VEHICLE, WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURES. THE SPEEDOMETER HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 55,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT WAS EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY TURNING THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. HE EVENTUALLY COULD NOT GET IT TO TURN AT ALL, WHICH PREVENTED HIM FROM STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND WILL BE TOWED TO THE DEALER SOON. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 95,000.
INTERMITTENTLY FAILING SPEEDOMETER IN 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. *TR
DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH HIGH BEAMS ON, ALL LIGHTS WENT OUT, APPROX. 10 MINS LATER STARTED FUNCTIONING AGAIN BUT DID IT TWICE MORE IN 10 MILES. SINCE THAT TIME SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER ARE ERRATIC, IF THEY FUNCTION AT ALL. REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT DASH COMPUTER, REPLACED IT BUT DID NOT CORRECT PROBLEM. BEEN RUNNING W/O HIGH BEAMS SINCE AND HAVE TO USE GPS FOR SPEED. *TR
2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS, SPEEDOMETER IS WAY OFF. SOMETIMES SHOWS 60 MPH WHEN PARKED, OR UP TO 160 MPH ON INTERSTATE, WHEN TRAVELING 65 OR 70. NO WAY TO KNOW WHAT ACCURATE SPEED IS, AND COULD BE DANGEROUS. *TR
I HAVE A 2004 IMPALA THAT HAS AN ERRATIC SPEEDOMETER MOVEMENT. I HAVEN'T HAD AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT IT HAS CAUSED ME TO BECOME CONFUSED AND ANXIOUS ABOUT MY EXACT SPEED. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF HAVING AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE CONTACTED GM'S CUSTOMERS SERVICE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND REQUESTED THEY CORRECT IT UNDER WARRANTY. THEY REFUSED TO COMPLY WITH MY REQUEST. I KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH OTHER GM VEHICLES THAT IS BEING CORRECTED UNDER A RECALL. I BELIEVE IT TO BE THE SAME PART FAILURE, ONLY DIFFERENT TYPE VEHICLE. IF I SHOULD HAVE AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THIS SITUATION I BELIEVE GM WILL BE LIABLE. SOMETIMES THE SPEEDOMETER APPEARS TO BE WORKING CORRECTLY AND THIS ONLY ADDS TO THE CONFUSION WHEN IT ISN'T CORRECT. MY WIFE HAS DRIVEN AT EXCESSIVE SPEEDS NOT KNOWING THE SPEEDOMETER WASN'T CORRECT. WE FIRST REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO A CHEVORLET DEALERSHIP OCT. 2007 ALTHOUGH WE HAD FIRST NOTICED A PROBLEM MONTHS EARLIER. THE PROBLEM PROGRESSIVELY WORSENED. NOW IT'S BECOME A REAL PROBLEM, NOT KNOWING HOW FAST I'M GOING AND ESPECIALLY IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS. *TR
MY SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING IN MY 2004 CHEVY IMPALA OUT OF THE BLUE. IT IS STILL BROKEN AND WILL GIVE ME FALSE READINGS EVERY TIME I AM DRIVING. I CAN NO LONGER TELL HOW FAST I AM DRIVING. I HAVE DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BUT I DO KNOW OTHER CHEVY MODELS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
THE EVENT ACTUALLY STARTED THE DAY THAT MY WIFE AND I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE. WE BOUGHT OUR VEHICLE USED FROM SANGER FORD IN SANGER, CA. FIRST THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WENT OUT. LATER THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING AND NOW OUR FUEL GAUGE DOESN'T WORK. THE MECHANIC AT SANGER FORD STATED THAT IT WAS THE CLUSTER AND IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND TOLD US IT WOULD COST $507.45 TO REPLACE. WE HAVE SINCE SPOKEN TO GM, WHO INSTRUCTED US TO GET A DIAGNOSTIC AND THEY WOULD TAKE IT FROM THERE. WE PAID $85 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC AT TOM BENSON CHEVROLET IN SAN ANTONIO, TX. GM THEN TOLD US THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THE CLUSTER ON THE IMPALA, BUT THERE ARE RECALLS ON THE CHEVY TAHOE, SUBURBAN AND THE SILVERADO AND THAT IF WE WANTED IT REPLACED WE COULD DEDUCT THE COST OF THE DIAGNOSTIC FROM WHAT TOM BENSON WANTED TO CHARGE TO REPLACE IT, WHICH WAS $500. I HAVE SEEN COMMENTS ONLINE FROM OTHER '04 IMPALA OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT THEIR CLUSTER GOING OUT, THEY JUST EITHER PAID TO HAVE IT REPLACED AND THE ONES WHO DIDN'T HAVE THE MONEY TO REPLACE IT, LIKE MYSELF, ARE STUCK WITH NOT KNOWING HOW FAST THEY ARE DRIVING, HOW MUCH GAS THEY HAVE OR IF THEIR ENGINE IS RUNNING HOT. PLEASE HELP US. I KNOW THAT THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND GM DOESN'T WANT TO HAVE TO PAY TO FIX IT. *TR
TEMPERATURE GAUGE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. TEMP GAGE WILL GET STUCK IN A CERTAIN POSITION AND WON,T RETURN TO NORMAL UNLESS YOU TURN CAR OFF/ON SEVERAL TIMES. *TR
FUEL FILTER LINE DOES NOT STAY SECURELY ATTACHED TO FUEL FILTER. *TR
SPEEDOMETER STUCK AT 100MPH WHEN CAR TURNED OFF. WHILE DRIVING SPEEDOMETER GOES PAST 120MPH THEN RESETS BACK TO 0MPH WHILE THE CAR IS MOVING. THE GAS GAUGE HAS ALSO BEEN AFFECTED. *TR
INSTRUMENT PANEL WE NOTICED THAT THE TEMP GAUGE WAS READING THAT THE CAR WAS OVERHEATING WHEN IT SHOULDN'T. IT WAS INTERMITTENT AT FIRST, SO WE CHECKED FLUID LEVELS AND EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT. THEN WE REALIZED THAT METER WASN'T RESETTING WHEN WE TURNED OFF THE CAR. IT WAS OPERATING AS THOUGH WHEREVER THE NEEDLE LEFT OFF WAS 0, SO THE CAR READ AS OVERHEATING. A FEW MONTHS LATER IT SPREAD TO THE SPEEDOMETER. SOMETIMES THE NEEDLE WOULD STICK AT 10MPH AND SOMETIMES IT WOULD REMAIN AT 0. SOMETIMES IT WOULD WORK FINE. THEN ONE DAY IT ALSO STOPPED ALL TOGETHER AND REMAINED AT 0. *TR
SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER ARE ACTING ERRATIC. GAUGES ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE, EITHER NOT WORKING AT ALL OR IS GIVING ME A FALSE READING. IF I AM DRIVING AT 35MPH THE SPEEDOMETER MIGHT BE READING EITHER 15 OR 35 OR 75, IT CHANGES ALL THE TIME. *TR
SPEEDOMETER STICKS AND DOESN'T WORK. SAYS GOING 120 MILES PER HOUR WHEN STOPPED. DOESN'T SHOW SPEEDS WHEN DRIVING STICKS IN THE MIDDLE. *TR
2. SPEEDOMETER WILL STOP WORKING WITHOUT ANY WARNING. CAR WILL BE IN MOTION AND THE REGISTERED SPEED WILL DROP TO "0". JULY 27TH, WE WERE TRAVELING AT 45 MPH AND THE SPEED DROPPED TO "0" WHILE WE WERE STILL TRAVELING AT THAT SPEED. WE TURNED THE CAR OFF AND THEN BACK ON AGAIN WHEN WE HAD A CHANCE TO PARK AND IT BEGAN TO WORK AGAIN. LATER THAT DAY, WE WERE TRAVELING 40 MPH (AS NOTED ON A GPS THAT WE WERE USING DURING THIS TRIP) AND THE SPEEDOMETER WAS REGISTERING 20 MPH. THE SPEEDOMETER ALSO DROPPED TO "0" WHILE DRIVING LATER THAT WEEK AGAIN. 3. THE VEHICLE IS STILL COVERED UNDER AN EXTENDED WARRANTY SO IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY DID NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE AND STATED A GM REP INFORMED THEM THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLACE THE CLUSTER UNDER WARRANTY . *TR
WE HAVE A CHEVY IMPALA AND THE SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T WORK PROPERLY. SOMETIMES IT STAYS AT 0 AND OTHER TIMES IT SAYS SOME RIDICULOUS SPEED. IT HAPPENS EVERY TIME WE DRIVE THE CAR. THE PROBLEM HASN'T BEEN FIXED YET. *TR
I HAVE A 2004 CHEVY IMPALA AND HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH IT FROM THE DAY I BOUGHT IT. WHEN I GOT THE "NEW" CAR I WAS NOT INFORMED THAT THE CAR HAD BEEN WRECKED, YEAH, A "NEW" CAR. THEN FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS WE HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH IT CRANKING. SOMETIMES IT WILL TAKE UP TO 2 HOURS TO GET IT TO CRANK. WE HAD HEARD THAT IT COULD BE SOMETHING WITH THE STARTED AND THE DEALER SAID THERE ISN'T ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO BECAUSE YOU ARE OVER YOUR MILEAGE. THIS IS A VERY KNOWN ISSUE AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. I HAVE BEEN WITHOUT MY FOR 24 HOURS AS OF 7/26/2008 AT 10:23 AM BECAUSE IT NOW WILL NOT CRANK. WE HAVE TRIED ALL THE LITTLE SECRETS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING IN THE PAST. I AM TAKING IT TO THE SHOP ON MONDAY AND HOPEFULLY IT IS NOT GOING TO COST MY BOTH OF MY LEGS AND ARMS. I THINK THAT GM SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE WELL KNOWN PROBLEMS IF THEY WANT PEOPLE TO KEEP BUYING THEIR CARS. I CAN TELL YOU THAT I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER GM CAR IF SOMETHING IN THE NEAR FUTURE ISN'T DONE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND I WILL SPREAD THE WORD ALL OVER THE INTERNET AND HERE IN TOWN. WORD OF MOUTH CAN MAKE OR BREAK A COMPANY. I KNOW I AM JUST ONE RIGHT NOW BUT SOON I WILL BE MANY AND SOMETHING WILL BE DONE. *TR
MY SPEEDOMETER DOES NOT WORK. *TR
HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF DURING DRIVING AT NIGHT. THIS HAPPENED EIGHT TO TEN TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF THREE TO FOUR MONTHS, WITH LIGHTS ON HIGH BEAM. LIGHTS CAME BACK ON WHEN DIMMER LEVER WAS ACTIVATED. INSTRUMENT PANEL REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHEN HEADLIGHTS WENT OFF. *TR
RUSTED MAIN FUEL LINE ON A 2004 CHEVY IMPALA CAUSING GAS TO POUR OUT OF VEHICLE ONTO THE GROUND. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYS INACCURATE READINGS. ON OCCASION, THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYS 50 MPH WHEN THE CONTACT IS ACTUALLY DRIVING 30 MPH. THE SPEED SENSOR WAS CHECKED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE DEFECT WAS IN THE ACTUAL SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER. SHE WAS TRAVELING AT WHAT THE SPEEDOMETER READ AS 30 MPH AROUND A CURB, BUT SHE WAS ACTUALLY TRAVELING MUCH FASTER AND ALMOST STRUCK THE CURB. THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE VEHICLE FOR FREE BECAUSE IT IS NOT UNDER A RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.
THERE ARE 2 PEOPLE OTHER THAN MYSELF THAT HAVE CHEVROLET IMPALAS. ONE PERSON HAS A 2005 BUT THE OTHER AND MYSELF HAVE THE 2004. ALL THREE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM YOU WILL BE STOPPED AND START THE GAS PEDAL AND THERE IS A JERK . FEELS LIKE SOME ONE HAS HIT THE BACK OF THE CAR. (TRANSMISSION OR TORQUE CONVERTER.) *TR
GAS GAUGE ERRATIC FALSE READINGS GM MECHANIC TOLD ME FUEL LEVEL SENSOR WAS BAD TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS LATER IT STILL IS WRONG. THAN I PAY DEALER ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS SO THEY CAN TELL ME I NEED A 500 DOLLAR GAUGE CLUSTER WHICH THEY SAID WAS A COMMON PROBLEM. THAT WAS AFTER I WAS TOLD FUEL SENSOR WAS COMMON PROBLEM TOO. I HAVE SEEN AND READ OF MANY COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS IN DIFFERENT AUTOMOTIVE COMPLAINT SITES. *TR
SPEEDOMETER HAS GONE HAYWIRE AND IS NOT ACCURATE ON 2004 CHEVY IMPALA. DISPLAYS 45 WHEN DOING 75, OR WHEN DOING 45. SAFETY ISSUE. WHILE ON THE I-94 I THOUGHT I WAS DOING 45 BEHIND A "SLOW" CAR, IT TURNS OUT I WAS DOING 75. WHEN ON SIDEROADS, NOT SURE IF THE CAR IS MOVING AT 25 OR 40????? *TR
SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T ALWAYS RESET TO ZERO. SOMETIMES IT WILL WORK CORRECTLY. SOMETIMES IT WILL STAY AT 10 OR 20 MPH AT A STOP. WHEN YOU ACCELERATE, IR SHOWS THAT YOU ARE GOING FASTER THAN YOU REALLY ARE. SOMETIMES IT WILL STAY AT 50 MPH AT A STOP. THEN, WHEN YOU ACCELERATE IT WILL GO ALL THE WAY PAST THE LIMIT AND BE AT "6 O'CLOCK POSITION AND STAY THERE. SOMETIMES I WILL USE MY GPS UNIT TO TELL ME MY SPEED, BUT I KNOW ITS NOT PERFECTLY ACCURATE. I HAVE TO SHUT THE CAR OFF, AND REPEATEDLY TURN THE KEY ON AND OFF TO GET IT BACK TO ZERO. RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET HAS PROVEN THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR
Reading these
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2004 Chevrolet Impala → · Every Impala year → · How the figures are calculated →