NHTSA Complaint #10267895 — 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA

WE ARE THE OWNERS OF A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS. WE PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN OCTOBER OF 2001. IT HAS BEEN LIGHTLY DRIVEN AND WELL MAINTAINED. IT HAS HAD TWO MAJOR REPAIRS; THE FIRST BEING A RECALL OF THE STEERING SYSTEM, THE SECOND, A FAILURE OF THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WHICH WAS COVERED UNDER FEDERAL LAW AND REPLACED. TODAY, I FOUND OUT THAT THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL FOR POSSIBLE FIRE FROM DRIPPING OIL. THAT IS THE BASIC HISTORY. FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, WE HAVE HAD A FRIGHTENING ISSUE WITH THE CAR. YOU TURN THE KEY AND NOTHING. A LIGHT THAT SAYS "SECURITY" FLASHES THREE TIMES OVER AND OVER AND YOU CANNOT START THE CAR FOR TEN MINUTES. GM'S PASSLOCK SYSTEM, WHICH I BELIEVE MALFUNCTIONS, THINKS THE CAR IS BEING STOLEN. TEN MINUTES LATER, YOU CAN START THE CAR. THE PROBLEM IS EVEN IN THE MANUAL FOR THE CAR. GM ADMITS THAT, BUT THEY SAY IT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN AS MUCH AS I HAVE IT HAPPEN, LIKE ONE TIME IS OK, BUT THE 5-6 TIMES OUT OF 10 THAT MY CAR WON'T START IS EXCEPTIONAL. TEN MINUTES IS A LONG TIME WITH A SICK CHILD, ALONE IN A DARK PLACE AT NIGHT, IN AN EMERGENCY OF ANY KIND. IT IS A TERRIFYING SAFETY ISSUE AND I HAVE READ THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. GM OFFERED ME A COUPON TOWARDS A NEW CAR. I KNOW THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS IN THE MANUAL AND PEOPLE ARE FRIGHTENED AND SCARED ABOUT IT. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL A LONG TIME AGO SINCE PEOPLE ARE BEING STRANDED WITH A CAR WITH NO FUEL SUPPLY. DUE TO THE CAR'S COMPUTER SOMEHOW MALFUNCTIONING AND THINKING THE CAR IS BEING STOLEN, THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM REACTS BY CUTTING OFF FUEL SUPPLY FOR A DESIGNATED PERIOD OF TIME, IN THIS CASE, 10 MINUTES EXACTLY. GM SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES FOR HAVING THIS ISSUE AND DOING NOTHING. *TR