SERVICE TRACTION ENGINE POWER REDUCE. *TR ## VIN FAILED ##
2009 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 2009 record →
TURNED CAR ON AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK TO MECHANIC WHO SAID IT WAS THE AIR INJECTION SOLENOID VALVE AND THAT IT IS SUCH A COMMON PART REPLACEMENT ON THESE MODELS THAT THEY KEEP THE EXACT PART IN STOCK! THEY WANT OVER $400 TO REPAIR. *TR
REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT/ SERVICETRACTION CONTROL LIGHT FLASH ACROSS MY DASHBOARD EVERY MORNING WHEN I DRIVE MY CAR. THE CAR SLOWS DOWN AND WILL NOT GAIN SPEED. IT DOES THIS EVERY MORNING. THIS ISSUE NEED TO BE A RECALL. THIS PROBLEM IS HAPPENING TO EVERY CHEVY IMPALA OWNERS I KNOW. *TR
THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED AND DISPLAYED MESSAGES: "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" AND "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL". THIS WAS THE SECOND INCIDENT. THE FIRST INCIDENT RESULTED IN THE ENGINE SHUTTING OFF COMPLETELY AFTER THE SAME INITIAL SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED; LOCKING UP THE STEERING DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC (ESTIMATED 65 MPH, NO INJURES, APPROX. 4 MONTH AGO). OUR MECHANIC CLEANED OUT THE THROTTLE BODY SENSOR AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, AND PHONED THE DEALERSHIP WITH THE TROUBLE CODES. THE DEALERSHIP REFUSED WARRANTY SERVICE AS THE TROUBLE CODES HAD GONE BY THE TIME THE CAR HAD ARRIVED AT THEIR SHOP, AND WOULD NOT TAKE OUR MECHANIC'S PHONE CONVERSATION AS EVIDENCE. WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE THREE SERVICES COMMONLY PERFORMED TO FIX THE PROBLEM WERE TO REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY, THROTTLE BODY SENSOR, AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL; THE LATTER NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED TO THE SHOULDER AND RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION THEN THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE THROTTLE CONTROL SENSOR HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.
DRIVING ON FREEWAY, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COME PN...FEW MILES ON FREEWAY CAR JERK...MESSAGE ON DASH ENGINE POWER LOSS THEN THROTTLE BODY DISABLED THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHILE IM DRIVING 60 MPH...18 WHEELER BLIND ME SO I SWERVE OFF FREEWAY DUE TO STEERING WHEEL HARD TO TURN...I SIT ON SIDE OF FREEWAY F 10 MINUTES...TURN KEY AND NO SOUND. CAR WILL NOT START...CALL FRIEND FOR HELP. AFTER 30 MINUTES CAR STARTS I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED WITH CAR SHUTTING DOWN ON FREEWAY...GM FIX ISSUES. OR PAY BIG LATER..DEATH TRAP. *TR
AS I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE ALL OF A SUDDEN I FEEL THE VEHICLE SLOW DOWN AND THE MESSAGE CENTER DISPLAYS "TRACTION CONTROL OFF" "ENGINE POWER REDUCED". I WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH AT THE TIME HOWEVER TO MAINTAIN THAT SPEED AFTER THIS HAPPENED I HAD TO PRESS THE GAS PEDAL FURTHER. THE STABILITRAK LIGHT STAYED ON FOR A DAYS ALSO. *TR
DRIVING ABOUT 25MPH ON FEEDER, ENGINE REDUCED SPEED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THEN PANEL SHOWED TRACTION CONTROL AND ENGINE REDUCED SPEED. I WAS THANKFUL I WAS GOING HOME. TERRIFIED EXPERIENCE. CHECKED ONLINE. OTHER PEOPLE BAD THE SAME EXPERIENCE AND ALMOST COSTING LIVES BECAUSE OF CLAIMS THE ENGINE STOPS ALSO WITHOUT WARNING. EVERYONE SAID FROM ACCELERATION PEDAL. WHY WAS THIS NOT RECALLED AND I'M HAVING TO TAKE THE CAR TO A SHOP. I CALLED A DEALER BUT DIDN'T OFFER MUCH ASSISTANCE. THIS IS DANGEROUS! *TR
"SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL MESSAGE CAME ON, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON & ENGINE POWER WILL BE REDUCED MESSAGE CAME ON". THE CARS SPEED DROPPED DOWN TO ABOUT 40MPH & WOULD HARDLY GO. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. IT REALLY SCARED ME BECAUSE I THOUGHT MY CAR WAS GOING TO CUT OFF. I DID GET TO WORK SAFELY BUT I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THIS CAR. ME AND MY [XXX] YR OLD WAS ON A 4 LANE WHEN IT JUST CUT OFF AFTER RECEIVING THIS ERROR MESSAGE. I TRAVEL ALOT AND AND SCARED WHEN THIS MESSAGE APPEARS!! *TR PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES, ROTORS AND CALIPERS FAILED AND WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED 15,100 MILES LATER AND THE ROTORS AND CALIPERS WOULD REQUIRE REPLACING A SECOND TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,000. UPDATED 04/30/13*LJ
NOTICED THAT FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT APPEARED TO BE LOOSE. TOOK VEHICLE TO CHEVROLET DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. UPON INSPECTION BY THE DEALERSHIP THE FOLLOWING WAS DISCOVERED '" SEAT FRAME BOLTS IN THE REAR AND SLIDES INTO SLOTS IN THE FRONT FOUND METAL FATIGUED ALLOWING SEAT TO MOVE SLIGHTLY". SINCE THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER COVERED BY THE FACTORY WARRANTY, THE DEALERSHIP WILL NOT FIX. THE SERVICE MANAGER SUGGESTED THAT I TAKE VEHICLE TO A AUTO BODY SHOP TO SEE IF A PIECE OF METAL CAN BE WELDED ONTO THE AREA WHERE THE FRONT OF THE SEAT IS ATTACHED TO THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE. THE MAIN CONCERN THAT I HAVE IS THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVER IF VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. HOW THE METAL CAN FATIGUE IN A VEHICLE THAT IS ONLY THREE AND A HALF YEARS OLD MAKES NO SENSE. PLEASE LOOK INTO THE PROBLEM AND ADVISE. THANK YOU *TR
I HAVE A 2009 CHEVY IMPALA LT & WAS DRIVING APROXIMATELY 50MPH DOWN THE ROAD WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL MESSAGE CAME ON, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON & ENGINE POWER WILL BE REDUCED MESSAGE CAME ON". THE CARS SPEED DROPPED DOWN TO ABOUT 40MPH & WOULD HARDLY GO. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. IT REALLY SCARED ME BECAUSE I THOUGHT MY CAR WAS GOING TO CUT OFF. I DID GET TO WORK SAFELY BUT I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE THIS CAR. I SEARCHED MESSAGE BOARDS ON THE INTERNET & CAME ACROSS 297 MESSAGES FROM OTHER PEOPLE WHO OWN GM VEHICLES THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO. A COUPLE OF PEOPLE SAID THEIR CARS ACTUALLY CUT OFF ON THEM WHILE GOING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. ONE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE PROBLEM FROM WHAT I HAVE READ HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR OR THROTTLE BODY. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ GM KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT HAS NOT DONE A RECALL ON THIS. A COUPLE OF PEOPLE POSTED THAT THEIR LOCAL CHEVY DEALERSHIP COVERED THE REPAIR EVEN THOUGH THEIR CARS WERE NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. I CALLED MY LOCAL CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY SAID THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR REPAIRS MYSELF. TO ME, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. I COULD HAVE A WRECK & GET KILLED OR KILL SOMEONE ELSE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY A COMPANY WOULD CLEARLY KNOW ABOUT A PROBLEM WITH THEIR VEHICLES AND DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. I THINK THAT GM SHOULD COVER THE REPAIRS TO MY VEHICLE AND TO ANY OTHERS THAT ARE HAVING T
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WHEN THE ENGINE STALLED WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION CONTROL WARNING INDICATORS. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND IT RESUMED AS NORMAL. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
I HAVE A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA THAT I PURCHASED IN 2010. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, THE CAR BEGAN TO READ CHECK ENGINE, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, REDUCED ENGINE POWER, THEN STALLS AND JERKS WHILE I'M DRIVING. IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY. I TOOK IT TO AUTOZONE TO HAVE THEM CHECK THE COMPUTER CODE. THEY SAID IT WAS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR. THE CAR ONLY HAS ABOUT 50,000 MILES ON IT. I AM PLANNING O TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BECAUSE IT IS HAPPENING MORE OFTEN AND I AM AFRAID THAT I WILL HAVE AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF THIS PROBLEM. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH REAR DOOR LOCKS COULD NOT BE LOCKED OR UNLOCKED WHETHER USING THE KEYLESS ENTRY OR MANUALLY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOOR LATCH AND THE LOCK HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THE VEHICLE HAD ALWAYS BEEN PARKED INDOORS. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 27,000. UPDATED 01/30/13*LJ UPDATED 1/31/2013 *JS
VEHICLE GIVES A SERVICE THROTTLE STARTING DISABLED MESSAGE AND PROMPTLY SHUTS OFF THE ENGINE. IF YOU WAIT 5 MINUTES THE CAR WILL RESTART AND PERFORM AS USUAL.....UNTIL THE NEXT TIME. SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS AND IS GOING TO RESULT IN SOMEONE BEING KILLED. BASED UPON INTERNET SEARCHES THIS APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE, BUT GM WILL NOT PROACTIVELY FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR
THE CITY ARE WORKING ON THE ROAD AND THE PAVEMENT HAD A BIG DIP IN IT AND THE CAR BOTTOM OUT ,AND THAN THE AIR BAG LITE CAME ON AND SAYS ITS THE PASSAGE SIDE. I TOOK IT TO A CHEVY SERVICE CENTER FOR REPAIRS AND THEY SAID THE PPS MODULE WENT BAD ,THE DEALER SAID NO RECALL ON IT .I THINK THIS IS NOT SAFE OR FAIR .COST TO FIX $848.00. *TR
WAS DRIVING 35 MPH,IN A 40 MPH ZONE,STEERING LOCKED UP AND HIT A CURVE..COULD NOT STEER,THEN AFTER I HIT CURVE . STEERING WENT BACK TO NORMAL..I'M NOT GOING TO DRIVE A CAR THATS UNSAFE... *TR
PURCHASED VEHICLE ON 9/6/2012 USED WITH 27,479 MILES. ON 9/19/2012 WITH 27,960 MILES, I WAS ACCELERATING ON AN ONRAMP GETTING ON A HIGHWAY AND TWO MESSAGES APPEARED ON MY DASH: "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" AND "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL AS WELL AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. EXPERIENCE ROUGH AND HESITANT SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS AND COULD NOT GO FASTER THAN 35MPH. WAS ABLE TO SAFELY NAVIGATE HOME ON SIDE ROADS. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER I PURCHASED IT FROM FOR SERVICE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS READING CODE P2138 AND THE THROTTLE PEDAL ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE SERVICE WAS COVERED UNDER THE DEALER'S WARRANTY AND I WAS SET TO GO. FLASH FORWARD TO 10/24/2012 WITH 29,355 MILES, I WAS DRIVING ON A SIDE ROAD AND THE SAME MESSAGES CAME UP. I CALLED ON STAR AND THEY PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC WHICH RESULTED IN THE COMPUTER READING CODES P2138 AND C0242. EXPERIENCED OUT OF CONTROL WHEEL SPINNING AND SENSITIVE BRAKING. TOOK IT TO A DEALER IN THE AREA I WAS CURRENTLY IN TRAVELING FOR BUSINESS AND THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE WITH ANY ISSUE. ALL CODES AND LIGHTS WERE NOT ENGAGED. I STILL DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING MY VEHICLE DUE TO PROBLEM WITH ACCELERATOR AND HAD TOWED TO THE PURCHASING DEALER NEAR MY HOME. THEY ALSO COULD NOT DIAGNOSE WITH ANY ISSUE AS THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ERROR. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND A PROBLEM (ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY) WITH A POPULAR MODEL. I HAVE ALSO FILED A COMPLAINT WITH GM ON THIS ISSUE AND AM HOPING TO HAVE IT RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY. *TR
WHILE TRAVELING ON THE EXPRESSWAY A CHECK TRACTION SYSTEM WARNING APPEARED ALONG WITH REDUCED ENGINE POWER. AFTER APPROX. 10 MILES THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND I WAS FORCED TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND ATTEMPTED TO RESTART AND THE STARTER WOULD NOT ENGAGE. AFTER WAITING APPROX. 3 MINUTES I WAS ABLE TO START THE CAR AND WARNING SYSTEM WAS GONE HOWEVER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED. *TR
I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK ON MY 2009 IMPALA, I WAS ALREADY CONCERNED BECAUSE THE CAR HAD THE REDUCED POWER ENGINE AND TRACTION CONTROL ENABLED DISPLAY. WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I GET A MESSAGE SAYING DISABLE THROTTLE BODY AND THE STAR FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STOP. THE GOOD THING I WAS ON THE SLOW LANE SO I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER . I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MY CAR IS DOING THIS AND WHY GM IS NOT ISSUING A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THEY PROBABLY NEED SOMEONE TO DIE SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE THIS SERIOUS. *TR
I WAS TURNING LEFT INTO A DRIVEWAY GOING NO MORE THAN 7 MILES AN HOUR, BECAUSE I WAS FOLLOWING A CAR, WHEN I HEARD A LARGE GRIND THEN POP. I PARKED MY CAR AND KNEW IMMEDIATELY THE TRANSMISSION FAILED BY THE FLUID TRAIL AND PART LEFT BEHIND. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND LUCKILY IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. A WEEK AFTER RECEIVING MY VEHICLE BACK THE ALIGNMENT WAS OFF, DRIVER-SIDE HEADLIGHT SOCKET CAUGHT FIRE, I HAVE LABORED START UP, HAVE STALLED ON THE FREEWAY! AND HAVE STABILITRAK, AIRBAG, AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER ERROR CODES THAT RANDOMLY APPEAR. *TR
AS I WAS DRIVING TO GOLF ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 24TH, ON INTERSTATE I-80 HEADING WEST, MY 2009 CHEVY IMPALA ONBOARD COMPUTER STATED THE FOLLOWING, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, REDUCED POWER, STARTER DISABLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALL AT ROUGHLY THE SAME TIME. MY CAR COMPLETELY DIED AND I HAD NO POWER STEERING. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO COAST OUT OF HARMS WAY AND GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I CHECKED SOME WIRES UNDER THE HOOD AND DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING LOOSE. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START THE CAR BACK-UP, THE ONBOARD COMPUTER FLASHED, STARTER DISABLED. I SAT WITH THE CAR FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND TRIED ONCE MORE. THIS TIME IT STARTED AND RAN NORMAL, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIKE WAS ON(STILL IS). HOW SCARY IS THIS REALLY? ENOUGH TO MAKE ME HATE DRIVING THIS CAR ANYWHERE. NOT TO MENTION I'M A SINGLE DAD OF 4, WHO NEEDS TO GET TO WORK, SCHOOL AND MANY OTHER THINGS. *TR
THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS ON THESE CARS DON'T OPERATE CORRECTLY. CURRENTLY THE REAR DOOR LOCKS DON'T OPEN OR CLOSE WITH THE AUTOMATIC LOCKS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SIMILAR MODELS OF CHEVY IMPALA'S. SO FAR I HAVE HAD 3 OF THE 4 DOOR LOCKS REPAIRED BY CHEVY, BUT THE REAR ONES WENT BAD AGAIN. READ THIS WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO HTTP://CHEVROLETFORUM.COM/FORUM/IMPALA-14/2008-IMPALA-REAR-DOOR-LOCKS-NON-FUNCTIONAL-45920/. *TR
I WAS DRIVING AND WHEN I BRAKE I NOTICE A VIOLENT SHAKING IN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE CAR ALSO SHAKES. *TR
HAD THE CAR IN FOR NORMAL INSPECTION AND WAS INFORMED I HAD UNEVEN REAR TIRE WEAR ON REAR TIRES.. THEY HAD TO GRIND THE REAR SPINDLE TO GET PROPER FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT 2011. 12 MONTHS LATE 2012 WAS INFORMED IN 2012 INSPECTION HAD TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRE AND FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND HAVE TWO REAR SPINDLE BOLT TO COMPLETE JOB. THERE WAS NEVER A MENTION OF THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OR IF THE DEALER WOULD STAND HIND THE PRODUCT AND WARRANTY THE WORK DONE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE INSPECTING THE TIRES, HE NOTICED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE WEARING UNEVENLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE WHEEL CHAMBERS HAD FAILED CAUSING THE TIRES TO CUP. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,000. UPDATED 10/24/12*LJ UPDATED 10/25/12
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED MOMENTARILY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO DEALER OR A REPAIR SHOP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 08V517000 (AIR BAGS:FRONTAL) AND CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHO ADVISED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 60,000.
WHILE TRAVELING ON I-95 AT ABOUT 75MPH, THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DASH," REPAIR TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM... ENGINE POWER IS REDUCING". THANKFULLY, I WAS APPROACHING A REST AREA, SO I SAFELY COASTED TO A SECURE AREA. AFTER ESCAPING A POTENTIALLY FATAL ACCIDENT, I RESEARCHED THIS TRACTION CONTROL MESSAGE, ONLY TO DISCOVER INNUMERABLE CUSTOMERS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS ISSUE SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED SINCE IT IS A UNIVERSAL PROBLEM, ONE THAT IS ENDANGERING THE LIVES OF GM AND OTHER DRIVERS ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR
WHILE DRIVING THE CAR THROUGH A PARKING LOT AT ROUGHLY 10-15 MPH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. AS IT WAS DISPLAYING THE MESSAGE FOR WHAT NEEDED TO BE CHECKED THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE STABILITRAK, AND ENGINE POWER REDUCED MESSAGES CAME ON. I HAVE BEEN ONLINE AND CHECK FORUM AFTER FORUM ABOUT IT AND HAVE FOUND HUNDREDS OF POSTS ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE IN THE SAME VEHICLES. WONDERING EUGENE GM WILL BE FORCED TO ISSUE A RECALL AND PUBLICLY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKE WAS DEPRESSED, THE FRONT END WOULD SHAKE AND EXHIBIT A LOUD NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR AN ALIGNMENT OF THE FRONT END, BUT THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION WHERE THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT THE STEERING COMPONENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,256 THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON THE FREEWAY THEN I NOTICED THAT MY CAR'S RPM STARTED BOUNCING UP AND DOWN FROM TWO AND A HALF TO TWO AND BACK AND FORTH AND THEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TURNS ON AND SAYS ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED AND AS WELL AS THE SERVICE TRACTION LIGHT TURNS ON. I SEE THAT I HAVE TO PRESS ON THE GAS PEDAL A LOT MORE FURTHER DOWN FOR MY CAR TO STAY AT 60 MPH AND AFTER 2 MINUTES OF THIS MY CAR'S RPM DROPS TO 0. MY CAR TURNS OFF WITH THE CAR READING STARTER DISABLED AND SERVICE THROTTLE. I HAD TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER. THIS INCIDENT HAD MADE ME LATE FOR WORK AND THIS INCIDENT HAPPENS A LOT NOW. THIS CAN HAPPEN FROM ONCE EVERY TWO OR THREE WEEKS TO TWICE A WEEK. JUST RECENTLY MY CAR'S SEAT BELTS WILL BECOME UNDONE WITHOUT ANYONE CLICKING THE BUTTON FOR IT TO RELEASE. ALSO RECENTLY MY SERVICE AIRBAGS LIGHT HAS CAME ON. *TR
BOTH MY HUSBAND AND MYSELF HAVE 2009 IMPALAS. THEY BOTH HAVE ISSUES WITH THE AIRBAG LIGHTS COMING ON AND OFF. HAS ANYONE ELSE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS? *TR
AFTER BRAKING TO MAKE A TURN, THE FOLLOWING WARNINGS CAME ON: REDUCED ENGINE POWER, SERVICE STABILATRAK, AND TRACTION CONTROL OFF. PLUS THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. FORTUNATELY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED FROM THIS AND I DID EXPERIENCE REDUCTION IN ENGINE POWER. THESE WARNINGS REMAINED ON FROM THE ONSET UNTIL THIS MORNING, 06/25/12, WHEN I CHECKED IT AGAIN. NOW THE WARNINGS ARE NOT THERE. I STARTED THE CAR AND MOVED IT TO SEE IF THEY WOULD COME BACK ON AND SO FAR, NOTHING. I HAVE READ THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THIS PROBLEM WITH GM VEHICLES PARTICULARLY THIS MODEL. I WANT TO ADD OUR VEHICLE TO THE COMPLAINT LIST DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY OF DEPENDABILITY OF THE CAR AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS PROBLEM AND POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENT.. I HOPE THAT WITH ENOUGH COMPLAINTS, A RECALL WILL BE ISSUED BY GM. *TR
THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST 2 YEARS, REALLY SPORADIC SOMETIMES TWO OR THREE TIMES A DAY SOMETIMES NOT AT ALL. WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY A MESSAGE POPS UP ON MY DISPLAY STATING SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL AND ENGINE POWER REDUCED. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IT COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN THE VEHICLE; BRAKES, STEERING AND ALL. FORTUNATELY I HAVE NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS ALTHOUGH THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CLOSE CALLS. I HAVE FOUND SEVERAL FORUMS WITH NUMEROUS PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. A RECALL IS PROMINENT! *TR
I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN I REC'D THE FOLLOWING MESSAGES: SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER. THE ENGINE LIGHT AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS ALSO CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO GO APPROX 50-55 MPH. I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT I WAS NEAR AN EXIT. AS I WAS EXITING, A MESSAGE CAME ON TELLING ME THAT THE POWER WAS BEING TURNED OFF OR STOPPED. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT WORDS. I THEN HAD NO ABILITY TO ACCELERATE AND MY ONLY OPTION WAS TO PULL OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. EVEN THOUGH I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF THE SIDE, IT WAS NOT IN A SAFE PLACE AND TRAFFIC WAS GOING BY AT THE SPEED OF 55-60 MPH AND I WAS BARELY OVER THE WHITE LINE. I CALLED A TOW TRUCK, AND HAD IT TOWED TO MY MECHANIC. THIS HAPPENED AT 4:15 ON A FRIDAY AFTERNOON. MY MECHANIC DIDN'T LOOK AT IT UNTIL MONDAY AND COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. HE DROVE IT ALL OVER AND HE CHECKED EVERYTHING HE COULD THINK OF. I TRUST THIS MECHANIC. HE DID SAY THAT HE WAS AFRAID HE WOULD HAVE TO SEND ME TO THE DEALER TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. I CAME HOME, GOOGLED THE PROBLEMS AND ENDED UP AT EDMUNDS.COM IN A FORUM FOR CHEVY OWNERS WITH THIS ISSUE. WHILE NO ONE WAS HURT THIS TIME, THAT IS JUST A BLESSING. HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL NEED TO BE HURT, MAIMED OR EVEN KILLED BEFORE THEY ISSUE A RECALL AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT A PROBLEM THAT IS VERY OBVIOUS. HOW MUCH MONEY AND TIME WILL I SPEND TAKING THIS TO A DEALER WHO DOESN'T KNOW ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND WON'T DIAGNOSE IT CORRECTLY THE FIRST TIME? AMERICA WANTS AMERICANS TO BUY AMERICAN
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REDUCED POWER WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT AS THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY UNTIL STALLING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC AND WAS TOLD THAT THE THROTTLE SENSOR FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 107,000.
WHEN SLOWING DOWN AT ANY SPEEDS ABOVE 30 MPH AT TIMES TOO OFTEN I'M GETTING A VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT TO RIGHT ABOUT 1" IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. IT'S NOT CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BUT IT IS NOTICEABLE WHEN RIDING AND DOESN'T FEEL NOR LOOK NORMAL AT ALL! IT FEELS LIKE THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES SYSTEM ISN'T WORKING CORRECTLY - RELEASING/COMPRESSING FAST ENOUGH. *TR
I HAVE A 2009 CHEVY IMPALA LT WITH FLEX-FUEL. OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS WHILE DRIVING AT ALL SPEEDS I'VE NOTICED THAT THE ENTIRE DASH BOARD (SPEEDOMETER AREA) WILL LOSE POWER AND ALL THE GAUGES WILL GO OUT AS IF THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF. THE TURN SIGNALS DON'T FLASH ON THE DASH EITHER. BUT THE RADIO, INTERIOR/EXTERIOR LIGHTS AROUND THE CAR AND TURN SINGLES WILL ALL WORK FINE. ALSO THERE IS NO NOTICEABLE LOST IN PERFORMANCE. AFTER A FEW MOMENTS OR MINUTES THE PROBLEM WILL CORRECT ITSELF BUT IT MAY HAPPEN MULTIPLE TIMES IN A TRIP. ALSO I'M HAVING ISSUES WITH THE CAR TURNING OFF AS SOON AS I OPEN THE DRIVER DOOR AFTER STARTING THE CAR BY REMOTE START. SO I HAVE TO SIT AND WAIT A FEW MINUTES BEFORE THE CAR WILL TURN OVER AGAIN. *TR
CAR STALLED ON THE INTERSTATE. MERGED CAR TO BREAK DOWN LANE WITHOUT BEING HIT. TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ILLUMINATED. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. CAR THEN RESTARTED AND WARNING LIGHT WAS OFF. PREVIOUS ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE INCLUDING REAR WINDOWS THAT WILL NOT ROLL DOWN AND DEFECTIVE AIR BAG SENSOR. *TR
TRS/ENGINE REDUCE POWER WILL DISPLAY. CAR HAS STOPPED WHILE DRIVING OVER 75 MPH ON HIGHWAY. WHILE VIEWING WEB PAGE EDMUND.COM IT APPEARS THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ON OVER A DOZEN CHEVY IMPALAS. DOES NOT APPEAR TO AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. GM NEED TO RECALL THE CARS,BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED TO THE SHOULDER WHERE THE CONTACT TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTED, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESET. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ATTEMPTED TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE TO NO AVAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO TOLD THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.
I-40 EAST BOUND; 60 MPH; COMING DOWN A 4 TO 7% GRADE THROUGH THE SMOKEY MOUNTAINS, NORTH CAROLINA SIDE; 1ST ERROR: "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, REDUCED ENGINE POWER, SERVICE ENGINE. APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES LATER 2ND ERROR: "STARTING DISABLE,SERVICE THROTTLE" LOST ALL POWER TO VEHICLE. A VERY DANGEROUS AND FRIGHTENING EVENT HAVING NO CONTROL OF YOUR SPEED, STEERING, AND BRAKING TRYING TO GET OFF TO THE SIDE OF I-40 WITH THE TYPE OF GRADE, TRACTOR TRAILER TRUCKS THAT CAN NOT SLOW DOWN FAST ENOUGH TO LET YOU OVER. WE WERE VERY.... VERY FORTUNATE WITH OUR OUTCOME. HAD TO BE TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP. RAN DIAGNOSTIC; ERROR CODES P2122, P2138. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE COMPONENT: ELECTRONIC ACCELERATOR PEDAL
ALL CHEVROLET IMPALAS DATING BACK TO 2002-2009 HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEMS. THE ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED AND THE VEHICLE SLOWS IMMEDIATELY. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN IGNORED BY CHEVROLET SINCE 2002. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE HAS BEEN KILLED. CHEVROLET DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM, OR SIMPLY CHOOSES TO IGNORE IT. HOWEVER BY SIMPLY READING COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A WIDE-SPREAD PROBLEM AND A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ONE. PUBLIC SAFETY SHOULD REQUIRE THE GOVERNMENT TO DISCIPLINE CHEVROLET FOR INTENTIONALLY REFUSING TO ADDRESS A POTENTIALLY LETHAL FLAW IN IT'S CHEVROLET IMPALA LINE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHERE THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 05/16/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. IT BEGAN LOCKING UP, AS SHE WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK. UPDATED 05/22/12
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT FAILED TO RETAIN THE DRIVER. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10V480000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE) AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE HEAD DURING THE CRASH. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 40,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE TRACTION CONTROL, ENGINE AND THE THROTTLE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED BEFORE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE ENGINE OFF FOR A MOMENT AND ONCE RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE RETURNED TO NORMAL FUNCTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 67,000.
THERE APPEARS TO BE MANY ISSUES RELATED TO BRAKES AND SUSPENSION FOR THE CHEVY IMPALA. AFTER ONLY 10K MILES, THE BRAKES BEGAN TO PULSATE. THE DEALERSHIP RESURFACED THEM. THEY WERE FINE FOR A BIT LONGER BUT THEN THE ISSUE REOCCURED. I AM NOT SURE IF ITS A OVERHEATING ISSUE OR WHAT BUT IT HAS HAD OTHER BRAKE AND SUSPENSION ISSUES AS WELL. THERE IS UNDER 30K MILES ON THE CAR AND IT HAS ALREADY HAD: LEFT FRONT TENSIONER REPLACED, REAR LEFT SWAY BAR REMOVED/REINSTALLED, ROTORS REFINISH, AND A WHOLE NEW SET OF TIRES NOW. WE HAVE HAD MANY OTHER GM VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS FROM BOTH CHEVY AND BUICK. NO OTHER VEHICLE HAS GIVEN US AS MANY ISSUES IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF OWNERSHIP THAT THIS CAR HAS. IT ALL APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION. BASED ON ONLINE SEARCHES, WE ARE NOT ALONE AS MANY IMPALA OWNERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR BRAKE RELATED ISSUES/COMPLAINTS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY AT ANY TIME. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILES WERE 73,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE DOORS REMAINED LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE LOCKED OR OPENED MANUALLY, ONLY BY USING THE ELECTRONIC KEY REMOTE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR ALL FOUR DOORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 6,700.
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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.
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