NHTSA Complaint #10143706 — 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA

1. LOW COOLANT LIGHT WAS CONTINUALLY ON, AND IT DID REQUIRE COOLANT AT THE TIME, BUT THERE WAS NO INDICATION WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO THE COOLANT - AFTER 2 WEEKS OF SMELLING ANTIFREEZE WITHIN THE VEHICLE, IT WAS THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE COOLANT WAS LEAKING AROUND THE LOWER INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET NEAR THE BOLTS AND THEN THIS LED TO THE REPLACEMENT OF THE GASKET ITSELF..IT TOOK 8.5 HOURS OF LABOR AND THE COST OF THE NEW GASKET TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. 2. THERE IS A LOUD CLUNKING NOISE IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE AT SLOW SPEEDS...APPARENTLY IT IS THE INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT AND HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE CHEVROLET DEALER BUT WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM FOR US...THEY SAY THAT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT ADMIT THAT THEY HAVE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS AND THAT THEY HAVE TRIED TO GET CHEVROLET TO RECALL THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE COMPLAINTS FROM THEIR CUSTOMERS. BOTH PROBLEMS THAT I HAVE LISTED ARE A CONTINUAL PROBLEM FOR MANY IMPALA OWNERS AND I FEEL AS THOUGH SINCE THEY HAVE ISSUED NUMEROUS SERVICE BULLETINS TO THEIR DEALERS ABOUT BOTH OF MY COMPLAINTS, THAT THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS BUT STILL REFUSE TO CORRECT THEM FOR THE CONSUMER. AS A CONSUMER I FEEL AS THOUGH GM SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AND MADE TO FIX THESE PROBLEMS FOR ALL OF US 2002 IMPALA OWNERS. *NM