2000 CHEVROLET IMPALA Suspensionfront Problems

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL THERE WAS A CLANKING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP IN MARCH 2004, WHERE THE REAR STABILIZER LINK AND FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS WERE REPLACED AND LUBRICANT WAS APPLIED TO THE STEERING SHAFT. AFTER THE REPAIRS THE NOISE DID NOT COMPLETELY CEASE, AND THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP HAS DETERMINED THE STEERING SHAFT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *AK UPDATED 2/13/2006 - *NM

SINCE SHORTLY AFTER CAR WAS PURCHASED THERE IS A NOTICEABLE CLUNKING/POPPING NOISE COMING FROM THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE CAR. THIS IS ESPECIALLY HEARD WHEN GOING OVER A BUMP. ORIGINAL THOUGHT WAS THAT IT WAS EITHER AN ARM OR A JOINT. DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM AND SUBSEQUENT COMPLAINTS HAVE RESULTED IN MY BEING TOLD IT WAS EITHER "IN MY STEERING COLUMN" (WHICH I FIND ODD SINCE THAT IS ON THE LEFT), OR A "NOISE THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING", OR "SOMETHING TYPICAL TO ALUMINUM ROCKERS", OR EVEN THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THEY HEARD MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT BUT IT WASN'T HURTING ANYTHING. I HAVE HAD THE CAR SINCE IT WAS NEW IN NOVEMBER 2000 SO APPARENTLY THE NOISE IS NOT A SAFETY HAZARD, OR AT LEAST NOT TO ME, AND NOT YET. I REMAIN CONCERNED AND COMPLAIN ABOUT IT ALMOST EACH TIME I TAKE IT IN TO THE MECHANIC...

THERE IS A "POPPING" NOISE FROM THE FRONT END WHEN TURNING STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT. THE DEALER "LUBED" THE PART, HOWEVER IT DID NOT CURE THE PROBLEM.*AK

ROLLING BACKWARDS AT A STOP.SHAKING/SHIMMYING OF STEERING WHEEL--HAD TO REPLACE ROTORS/BRAKES AT MY OWN EXPENSE BECAUSE WARRANTY EXPIRES AT 36,000.I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE MODULE BECAUSE IT WAS MALFUNCTIONING,THE PISTONS/RINGS AND THE ABS SYSTEM WAS ALSO MALFUNCTIONING--STILL AT MY OWN EXPENSE.NOW,I'M HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY STEERING AND FRONT END MAKING CLUNKING NOISES.I BOUGHT THE CAR WITH 17,500 OR SO ON IT,AND NOW 24,000 MILES OR SO LATER I'M SPENDING A FORTUNE ON THE UPKEEP OF AN APPARENT LEMON.SURE WISH CHEVY WOULD DO SOMETHIN ABOUT IT INSTEAD OF GIVING US THE RUN-AROUND. NLM

ROLLING BACKWARDS AT A STOP.SHAKING/SHIMMYING OF STEERING WHEEL--HAD TO REPLACE ROTORS/BRAKES AT MY OWN EXPENSE BECAUSE WARRANTY EXPIRES AT 36,000.I ALSO HAD TO REPLACE THE MODULE BECAUSE IT WAS MALFUNCTIONING,THE PISTONS/RINGS AND THE ABS SYSTEM WAS ALSO MALFUNCTIONING--STILL AT MY OWN EXPENSE.NOW,I'M HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY STEERING AND FRONT END MAKING CLUNKING NOISES.I BOUGHT THE CAR WITH 17,500 OR SO ON IT,AND NOW 24,000 MILES OR SO LATER I'M SPENDING A FORTUNE ON THE UPKEEP OF AN APPARENT LEMON.SURE WISH CHEVY WOULD DO SOMETHIN ABOUT IT INSTEAD OF GIVING US THE RUN-AROUND. NLM

TOOK THE CAR IN AT 7K MILES REGARDING THE THUMP NOISE IN THE FRONT END. SHIMS WERE ADDED WHICH CORRECTED THE PROBLEM. AT 28K MILES I TOOK IT IN AGAIN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED REPLACEMENT. GM IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM SINCE SEVERAL IMPALA'S ARE HAVING THIS PROBLEM AT 30K MILES. THE MNAUFACTURER IS NOT IN BUSINESS AND I WAS TOLD THEIR "TECHNICHANS AT GM ARE WORKING ON THE PROBLEM". I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH GM AND WAS TOLD THEY DID NOT HAVE A DATE WHEN THE NEW PARTS WOULD BE IN TO FIX MY CAR. WAS TOLD TO CONTINUE DRIVING, THERE IS NO DANGER IN DRIVING WITH A BROKEN RACK AND PINION. AFTER FILING THE COMPLAINT I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THE PART WILL BE IN IN APPROX 3 WEEKS. NOT A HAPPY CUSTOMER WITH GM AS I FEEL DRIVING...

CLICKING/SNAPPING NOISE IN THE FRONT END, WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED AT A STOP. DEALER INSTALLED A SHIM KIT IN THE ENGINE CRADDLE, PROBLEM STILL EXIST. NOW STATES THE CRADDLE WILL REQUIRE REPLACEMENT. *AK

PAINT IS PEELING OFF OF FRONT BUMPER AND GRILL HAS BEEN PAINTED 4 TIMES AND IS STILL PEELING OFF/ REPLACED 4 INJECTORS AND MODULE/ HAD TO HAVE FRONT AND REAR END ALIGNED/ HAD TO BUY 4 NEW TIRES/ CAR WON'T HOLD ON INCLINE/ CAN HEAR GAS SLOUCH IN GAS TANK/HAS A POPPING IN THE FRONT END/

VEHICLE HAD A SLIGHT INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH CUTTING OFF WHEN IT WAS COLD OUTSIDE. DEALER SAID IT COULD BE THERE WASN'T ENOUGH OXYGEN GETTING INTO THE FUEL.ALSO, SOMETHING SEEMED TO BE WRONG WITH SUSPENSION THAT IT ROCKED BACK & FORTH WHEN YOU APPLYING BRAKES & STARTING TO GO UP A HILL. DEALER & GMC ARE BOTH SAYING THAT THE SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH THE SUSPENSION TORSION BAR. *AK

AIR CONDITIONING BLOWER MOTOR EMITTED A HIGH-PITCHED NOISE AT 8,029 MILES. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BLOWER MOTOR. THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURED AT 33,130 MILES. THE BLOWER WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. THE BRAKES BEGAN TO VIBRATE AT 17,000 MILES AT 55 MPH. THE DEALER REPAIRED OR REPLACED THE ROTORS ON THE FRONT END. THIS SAME VIBRATION REAPPEARED AT APPROXIMATELY 31,000 MILES. THE DEALER WOULD NOT REPAIR THE BRAKE ROTORS A SECOND TIME. ALSO AT APPROXIMATELY 31,000 MILES, THE FRONT END EMITTED A THUDDING SOUND AT LOW SPEEDS (20 MPH) . THE DEALER WOULD NOT CONSIDER THIS PROBLEM, THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS STILL WITHIN WARRANTY MILEAGE AND TIME. THE FINAL DIAGNOSIS ON THE THUDDING NOISE UNDER THE FRONT END WAS COMPLETELY "SHOT" STRUTS.

WHEN VEHICLE ENCOUNTERED SLIGHT VIBRATION IS COMMON HIGHWAY ROADS SURFACES, THE VEHICLE WILL JUMP, JERK AND WANDER FROM SIDE TO SIDE, FAVORING THE RIGHT SIDE. THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING WILL BRAKE AWAY AND TRY AND BEGIN TO SPIN FIRST LEFT AND THEN RIGHT.. WHEN ROAD CONDITIONS ARE WET FROM MIST OR RAIN, THE VEHICLE WILL CONSTANTLY TRY TO BEGIN A RIGHT REAR SLIDING ACTION AS IF THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IS TRY TO COME TO COME AROUND AND GET IN FRONT OF YOU WHILE IN A FORWARD MOTION. SPEEDS AT WHICH THIS ACCURS IS 45 TO 70 MILES AN HOUR. LOSS OF FORWARD, DIRECTIONAL CONTROL WILL ACCURE, VEHICLE WANDERS BACK AND FORTH. VEHICLE WILL FISHTAIL ON WET ROAD CONDITIONS. VERY SEVER CORNER TO CORNER TIRE WEAR. REAR TIRES CONPLETELY BALD. CONSTANT TIRE ROTATION PROVES WORTHLESS. VEHICLE WILL PULL TO RIGHT FRONT WHEN BRAKES APPLIED. FRONT TO...

WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OVER 55 MPH AND MAKING A SHARP TURN, VEHICLE EXPERIENCED STRONG VIBRATION/ WOBBLING IN THE FRONT END. VEHICLE HAS BEEN BEEN TO THE DEALER 7 TIMES, AND EACH TIME DEALER HAS REPLACED A DIFFERENT PART, BUT DEFECT STILL OCCURS. *AK

VEHICLE PULLS TO THE LEFT WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. FRONT BRAKES AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER 1999, CONTINUED TO HAVE PROBLEM, A FRONT END ALIGNMENT WAS PREFORMED TO SEE IF THAT WOULD CORRECT THE PULL BUT IT DIDN'T. TOOK CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. *AK

A VIBRATION IN CAR AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS,A SLIGHT NOISE OR ROAR SOUND.THE CAR DRIFTS RIGHT TO LEFT FROM CENTER WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS(55-75).THE NEXT THING I FOUND IS HOW THE IMPALA EASILY HYDROPLANES EVEN AT REDUCED SPEEDS AND PEOPLE PASSING ME THINGING NEW CAR WRONG,WELL IF THEY WHERE DRIVING MY IMPALA THEY WOUND GET THE FEAR OF HYDROPLANING VAERY QUICKLY. *AK( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: P228/60R16 )

WHEN DRIVING ON CERTAIN ROAD CONDITIONS, AT SLOWER SPEEDS, THERE IS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE PROBLEM WAS REPORTED TO CHEVROLET AND THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALER COULD NOT CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. CHEVROLET HAS OTHER REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM. THE ABNORMAL NOISE IS A LOUD THUMP AS IF THERE IS A LOOSE PART IN THE SUSPENSION. *AK