NHTSA Complaint #10681799 — 2014 CHEVROLET IMPALA

MY NEW CAR DEVELOPED A HORRIBLE ODOR AFTER ONLY ABOUT 1.5 YEARS OF OWNING IT. I HAD MIDAS MUFFLE LOOK FOR THE ODOR BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A DEAD MOUSE OR SQUIRREL. AT FIRST THEY COULDN'T FIND IT BUT ON THE SECOND VISIT (YOUR NOT GOING TO BELIEVE THIS) THEY FOUND SOME TYPE OF GROWTH INSIDE THE CAR'S FRAME RAIL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. THE SUBSTANCE ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE SOME KIND OF MOLD OR FUNGUS GROWTH INSIDE THE FRAME RAIL. I THEN TOOK IT TO POHANKA CHEVEROLET, I BROUGHT THEM PICTURES OF THE MOLD/FUNGUS, I BROUGHT THEM SAMPLES OF THE MOLD/FUNGUS AND SHOWED THEM WHERE IT WAS LOCATED. THERE RESPONSE TO ME WAS THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS, THEY COULDN'T GET TO IT AND THEY CAN'T FIX IT. THEY RECOMMENDED THAT MAYBE THEIR BODY SHOP COULD FIGURE OUT SOMETHING BUT IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I TOLD THEM THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS MAKING ME AND MY FAMILY SICK TO BE IN THE CAR BUT THEIR RESPONSE WAS HOW SORRY THEY WERE BUT IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE NEW CAR WARRANTY AND BASICALLY NOT THEIR PROBLEM. THEY ALSO REPORTED ON THE INVOICE THAT THE SMELL WAS FROM THE WATER IN THE SPARE TIRE WHEEL WELL WHICH THE SERVICE ADVISOR KNOWS IT WASN'T SINCE HE DIDN'T WANT TO HANDLE THE SAMPLE I BROUGHT AND HE COMPLAINED ABOUT HOW BAD IT SMELLED. I ACTUALLY HAVE NO CLUE WHAT THIS MOLD/FUNGUS IS AND I'M HAVING IT TESTED BY A FAIRFAX LAB NEXT WEEK. ALL IN ALL I HAVE SPENT ALMOST $1000 TRYING TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM BUT MY GUESS IS I"M GOING TO HAVE TO GET RID OF THIS CAR WITH ONLY 12-13000 MILES. I GUESS I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN, THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE CHEVY IGNITION SWITCHES EITHER UNTIL SOME FOLKS DIED FROM IT. I'VE NOTICED SIMILAR COMPLAINTS BUT I BET NO ONE HAS LOOKED AT THE CAR'S FRAME RAIL, THIS ISSUE IS TRULY UNBELIEVABLE AND NO ONE I HAVE TALKED TO (INCLUDING POHANKA CHEVEROLET)HAD EVER HEARD, SEEN OR EXPERIENCED SUCH A PROBLEM. *JS