NHTSA Complaint #10148862 — 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK AROUND 7:30 PM ON TUESDAY ON JANUARY 24, 2006, DARK OUTSIDE. I HAD MY LIGHTS ON BRIGHT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WERE NO LIGHTS. I DID HAVE FOG LIGHTS ON AND I COULD STILL SEE THEM, BUT THERE WEREN'T ANY HEADLIGHTS. I QUICK FLICKED THE DIMMER SWITCH AND THEY CAME BACK ON. I'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED THAT BEFORE. HOWEVER, WHEN I TALKED TO MY MECHANIC THE NEXT DAY HE SAID SOMEONE THE WEEK BEFORE EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING TWICE IN ONE DRIVE. THE PIECE TO REPLACE THIS IS QUITE EXPENSIVE. I HAVE NOT HAD IT FIXED YET, BUT I FELT IT SHOULD BE REPORTED. THIS HAPPENED ONCE. ANOTHER ITEM OF CONCERN IS THAT MY SECURITY LIGHT INSIDE MY CAR HAS BEEN ON FOR ABOUT 2 MONTHS. EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE MY CAR WON'T START ON THE FIRST TURN. ONLY ONCE DID I HAVE TO HAVE IT JUMPED. THERE IS PLENTY OF POWER AS THE LIGHTS AND RADIO STILL WORK. MY MECHANIC HAS TRIED REPLACING AN IGNITION SWITCH (I THINK), BUT THE FIRST TIME I STARTED IT DIDN'T TURN OVER AND THEN IT DID, BUT THE SECURITY LIGHT WAS STILL ON. IT'S BACK IN THE SHOP TODAY. THE OTHER PERSON MENTIONED ABOVE HAS EXPERIENCED THIS SAME DEFECT. THEY ALSO OWN AN IMPALA. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES ON MY CAR. MY MECHANIC CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG.*AK