NHTSA Complaint #10417724 — 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA

OUR 2002 GENERAL MOTORS CHEVROLET IMPALA HAS THE REPORTED AND WELL KNOWN INTERMITTENT ISSUE KNOWN AS THE PASSLOCK FAILURE REGARDING GENERAL MOTORS SECURITY MODULE WHICH OCCURS ON MANY GENERAL MOTORS CARS MADE FROM 1999-2005. THE PASSLOCK FAILURE HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AND IS DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX/RESOLVE BUT IS REPORTED ON THE INTERNET. THE PASSLOCK FAILURE SEEMS TO BE TIED TO THE 'SECURITY' LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD, HOWEVER IT HAS BEEN SEEN THAT THE 'SECURITY' LIGHT CAN COME ON FROM TIME TO TIME WHILE DRIVING WITH NO PROBLEMS BUT NOT ALWAYS. THE PASSLOCK FAILURE IS OBSERVED IN 2 SCENARIOS: 1) WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC THE VEHICLE MAY STALL, LEAVING THE DRIVER WITHOUT POWER STEERING OR POWER BRAKES, ALSO THE 'SECURITY' LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD WILL BE LIT. 2) AFTER GETTING INTO THE CAR IT FAILS TO START, THE ENGINE WILL NOT TURN OVER BUT ELECTRICAL INSTRUMENTS ALL APPEAR TO WORK OKAY, THE 'SECURITY' LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD WILL BE LIT. FREQUENCY OF FAILURE - THE FREQUENCY OF THESE TWO FAILURES IS UNABLE TO BE PREDICTED, IT HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES IN ONE DAY, MULTIPLE TIME TIMES ACROSS 2 DAYS AND THEN MAY NOT OCCUR FOR WEEKS OR MONTHS. THE ISSUE CAN OCCUR IN WINTER, SUMMER, FALL OR SPRING. TEMPORARY CORRECTION - WHEN THE CAR FAILS TO START THEN THIS ISSUE MAY BE ABLE TO BE RESOLVED TEMPORARILY BY USING ANOTHER KEY ( A SPARE KEY SHOULD BE STORED IN THE CAR FOR SAFETY) OR THE DRIVER MUST WAIT ABOUT 20 MINUTES WITH THE KEY REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION AND THEN THE ISSUE WILL BE TEMPORARILY RESOLVED UNTIL THE NEXT TIME. RESEARCH INTO THIS FAILURE HAS SHOWN THAT THIS FAILURE IS NOT ABLE TO BE REPLICATED BY MYSELF OR ANY RELIABLE SERVICE TECHNICIANS THROUGH MY RESEARCH VIA THE INTERNET. ALSO - RESEARCH INTO THIS FAILURE HAS NOT SHOWN A PROVEN AND FINAL FIX THOUGH MANY THEORETICAL FIXES ARE AVAILABLE. SHOULD THIS FAILURE CAUSE A VEHICLE WHILE IN TRAFFIC TO STALL, DEATH AND INJURY MAY RESULT INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE, THIS ISSUE NEEDS A RECALL FROM GM! *TT