NHTSA Complaint #10328778 — 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA

NOW AT 117,000 KMS. OR PAST MY FIVE YEAR WARRANTY. SINCE 88,000KMS. HAVE COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT TEMP GAUGE VERY OUT OF WHACK ON HIGHWAY TRIPS, LEAD ME TO BELIEVE SEVERELY OVERHEATED, BUT NO MESSAGE FROM CAR, JUST GAUGE GOING ALMOST 90 DEGREES PAST "DANGER POINT " OF GAUGE. IN LAST TWO YEARS TEMP GAUGE REPLACED THREE TIMES. OBVIOUSLY NOT THE PROBLEM. RETURNS TO NORMAL FUNCTION IN CITY OR SHORT HAUL DRIVING. STOP FREQUENTLY, AND UNDER HOOD CHECK SHOWS NO SIGNS OF OVERHEATING. CONCLUSION- ELECTRICAL, SENSOR, PROBLEM AND DEALER KEEPS COMING UP WITH COSTLY NEW EQUIPMENT FIXES WHICH DO NOT WORK. NOW THEY WANT TO BLAME A WATER PUMP LEAK AND GASKETS, ALTHOUGH RESERVOIR CAREFULLY WATCHED BY ME. NO LEAKS THERE. HAVE NEVER HAD TO ADD FLUID, ALTHOUGH I KEEP IT ALWAYS IN CAR-THAT IS THE DEXCOOL-WATER MIX. NEVER DOWN LOWER THAN RECOMMENDED, AND THE DEALER WANTS TO GIVE ME A NEW WATER PUMP AND TAKE 1000-1200 OUT OF MY POCKET. THEY HAVE NEVER MENTIONED THE TEMP SENSOR, OR ANY OTHER FIX. TRAVEL ON MOUNTAIN HIGHWAYS 3 TIMES PER YEAR, GAUGE NOW GONE WAY OVER THE TOP 6-8 TIMES. ALWAYS STOP. NO SIGN EVER OF HOSE, RADIATOR, WATER, LOWERED RESERVOIR, OR COMPUTER MESSAGES AS PER MANUAL. HAVE READ OF NUMEROUS SIMILAR PROBLEMS OF THIS MAKE AND MODEL, THE 04 CHEVY IMPALA LS, ALWAYS GAUGES. IN MY CASE I WILL NOT APPROVE ANOTHER TEMP GAUGE "FIX" AND NOW SPEEDOMETER IS ACTING UP AS WELL, JUST LIKE OTHER DRIVERS REPORTED. *TR