Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||||
| 3170E | 10019186 | Ipc, interior lights and/or headlamps flicker. *ak fb2 | 02/16/2006 | ||
| 04192004 | 04/19/2004 | 10009224 | As a result of a recent change in the headlamp reflector, it is now possible to eliminate the headlamp bulb shield on the low beam bulb of the headlamp assembly without any noticeable change in lighting performance. gm voicemail express. | 09/17/2004 | |
| 02036 | 01/01/2004 | 10006910 | Headlamp elimination of bulb shield from low beam bulb. *mr | 05/19/2004 | |
| 01908 | 01/01/2004 | 10006430 | Headlamp condensation may be normal- check access plugs. *mr | 05/03/2004 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 07/12/2012 | 218000 | ||
| Last july the dash lights and interior panel lights stopped working. they could be made to work intermittently by wiggling the headlamp switch and / or banging on the instument panel. last night my son was driving home at approximately 9:30 pm on a 4 lane secondary road at approximately 45 mph in moderate traffic and all of the headlamps went out with no warning, leaving him unable to see the road ahead. he ran over a curb, but was able to maintain control of the vehicle and bring it to a stop in a nearby parking lot. he and his passengers (2) were very shaken emotionally. the car was left there overnight. when it was picked up during the daylight hours today, the headlights were working again. after driving it home and turning the headlights on and off manually, they quit again. they could be made to work intermittently by wiggling the dimmer switch / turn signal lever on the steering column. i called the chevrolet dealership nearby and was told that this was a common problem and the part was over $500. i believe this to be a severe safety problem if this is common to these vehicles, as my son and his passengers could have been seriously if not fatally injured had the circumstances been different. | |||
| 01/21/2013 | 150000 | 1 | |
| While driving at night with the high beams on, the headlights and instrument lights suddenly go dark. manipulating the high/low beam switch on the steering column caused the lights to turn on again. this condition has happened several times and occurs without warning. it is a very dangerous situation. *tr | |||
| 01/21/2013 | 150000 | ||
| While driving at night with the high beams on, the headlights and instrument lights suddenly go dark. manipulating the high/low beam switch on the steering column caused the lights to turn on again. this condition has happeded several times and occurs without warning. it is a very dangerous situation. | |||
| 12/01/2011 | 90000 | 1 | |
| When applying the bright headlights, all exterior and dash lights go out. very scary! when operating switch again lights return, but have dim headlamps only. this has happened several times. now only drive with dims on until i can afford the repair. not safe! *tr | |||
| 05/15/2012 | 125000 | 1 | |
| In may 2012 my headlights on my car started to not come on when needed. then they would come on 10-30 minutes after the car was started. the headlights started flashing while the car was driving. the headlights went completely out after about a month. i have had the dimmer switch replaced, and the lights are not working at all now. the bright barely come on and i have to hold the stick down the whole time i want to use them. sometimes if i need to drive a night i use the fog lights which have recently decided not to work at all. this is the worst car i have ever owed. i have had plenty of issues with this car on other issues. *tr | |||
| 05/15/2012 | 125000 | ||
| In may 2012 my headlights on my car started to not come on when needed. then they would come on 10-30 minutes after the car was started. the headlights started flashing while the car was driving. the headlights went competely out after about a month. i have had the dimmer switch replaced, and the lights are not working at all now. the bright barely come on and i have to hold the stick down the whole time i want to use them. sometimes if i need to drive a night i use the fog lights which have recently decided not to work at all. this is the worst car i have ever owed. i have had plenty of issues with this car on other issues. | |||
| 06/15/2011 | 73000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while parked, the contact noticed that the headlights were not functioning. the failure occurred intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. the technician stated that the module in the turn signal assembly would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 73,000. sm. | |||
| 06/15/2011 | 73000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while parked the contact noticed the headlights were not functioning. the failure occurs intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic. the technician stated the module in the turn signal assembly would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 73,000. ds | |||
| 10/19/2011 | 102000 | ||
| Turn signals come but do not blink.hazzard signal comes on but does not blink. | |||
| 08/19/2011 | 134410 | ||
| My husband was driving at night at approximately 55 mph, with my dim headlamps on. without any warning the headlamps went out, he went off the right side of the road way to avoid any problems. after checking he did have high beams and fog lights yet. he proceeded home on high beams. the low beams never have come back on. | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 115000 | ||
| The turn signals stop working for no reason. both right and left turn signals will just not work. i found a temporary fix on a car forum on the web. if you turn the hazard light switch on and off a few times then the turn signals will work again for awhile. at first it happened only occasionally. now it is happening on a daily basis. and you don't find out until you are going to make a turn or switch lanes on the highway. i found so many complaints about this problem on the car forums to indicate to me that mine is not an isolated problem. this is the second electrical complaint i've had to make on this car. the other problem was with the speedometer and other gauges not functioning which required a very expensive fix. | |||
| 08/19/2011 | 134410 | ||
| My husband was driving at night at approximately 55 mph, with my dim headlamps on. without any warning the headlamps went out, he went off the right side of the road way to avoid any problems. after checking he did have high beams and fog lights yet. he proceeded home on high beams. the low beams never have come back on. | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 115000 | ||
| The turn signals stop working for no reason. both right and left turn signals will just not work. i found a temporary fix on a car forum on the web. if you turn the hazard light switch on and off a few times then the turn signals will work again for awhile. at first it happened only occasionally. now it is happening on a daily basis. and you don't find out until you are going to make a turn or switch lanes on the highway. i found so many complaints about this problem on the car forums to indicate to me that mine is not an isolated problem. this is the second electrical complaint i've had to make on this car. the other problem was with the speedometer and other gauges not functioning which required a very expensive fix. | |||
| 08/02/2010 | 100000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the headlights failed sporadically. the contact mentioned that the were replaced as a temporary remedy but it failed to repaired the problem. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 200,000. | |||
| 08/02/2010 | 100000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the headlights failed sporadically. the contact mentioned that the were replaced as a temporary remedy but it failed to repaired the problem. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 200,000. kmj | |||
| 08/02/2010 | 100000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving 40mph the head lights would go out sporadically. the contact mentioned that he change the fuses as a temporary remedy but it failed to repaired the problem. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure how did not offered any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 200,000. pm | |||
| 06/02/2011 | 200000 | ||
| Roughly around 2 1/2 to 3 years ago, i was driving across a levee when my headlights went completely went out-the lights came back on the next day. then again 2 days later went completely out, therefore, i had the dimmer switch replaced. 2 months ago my headlights went out again. this time when they came back on, they only worked on bright. i cannot dim my lights and have been pulled over twice-once by a state trooper and another time by the local police department. | |||
| 06/12/2011 | 141852 | ||
| The headlights on my 2004 chevy impala just suddenly went out during night time driving. the only thing that would give me any light was to hold back on the dimmer switch lever. i have since learned that this malfunction has happened to hundreds of owners of impalas. the switch is quoted as costing over $500 and instalation another $200. that's alot for a commonly defective plastic part! it's also a very poor design to have all headlights go out simply because the dimmer switch is malfunctioning. | |||
| 03/06/2011 | 85000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the headlights suddenly failed. the contact had to utilize the high beam headlights in order to illuminate the roadway. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that the bright and dim switch would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 85,000. the vin was unavailable. | |||
| 03/06/2011 | 85000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph when the headlights suddenly failed. he then pulled off the road and then decided to continue to drive, but he had to hold the high beam light on the entire drive. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that the switch for the bright and dim needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired for the switch. the failure mileage was approximately 85,000. the vin was unavailable. tb | |||
| 09/20/2009 | 150000 | ||
| Headlights went out completely after dark at 55 mph .the problem is in the quality of the high /low beam selector i was told .i am replacing the third switch this week 3/16/11 since 09/20/09 . this to me seems to be a gm safety problem which i think should be a mfg recall . have owned many of vehicles and never totally lost headlights . the cost is also unheard of can be $500 or more | |||
| 02/14/2011 | 82000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the headlights were illuminated and as the low beams were switched to high beams, the interior and exterior lights failed. as the low beams were engaged, the interior and exterior lights re-illuminated. the failure recurred whenever the exterior lighting was switched from low beams to high beams. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 82,000. | |||
| 09/20/2009 | 150000 | ||
| Headlights went out completely after dark at 55 mph .the problem is in the quality of the high /low beam selector i was told .i am replacing the third switch this week 3/16/11 since 09/20/09 . this to me seems to be a gm safety problem which i think should be a mfg recall . have owned many of vehicles and never totally lost headlights . the cost is also unheard of can be $500 or more | |||
| 02/14/2011 | 82000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the headlights were illuminated and as the low beams were switched to high beams, the interior and exterior lights failed. as the low beams were engaged, the interior and exterior lights re-illuminated. the failure recurred whenever the exterior lighting was switched from low beams to high beams. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 82,000. | |||
| 09/20/2009 | 150000 | ||
| Headlights went out completely after dark at 55 mph .the problem is in the quality of the high /low beam selector i was told .i am replacing the third switch this week 3/16/11 since 09/20/09 . this to me seems to be a gm safety problem which i think should be a mfg recall . have owned many of vehicles and never totally lost headlights . the cost is also unheard of can be $500 or more | |||
| 02/14/2011 | 82322 | ||
| Tl-the driver owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact did not own the vehicle so the full details of the failure were not available. the contact stated all interior and exterior lighting turned off when the driver switched from low beam headlights to high beam headlights. in order the turn the lighting back on the driver switched back to the low beams. the failure recurred whenever the exterior lighting was switched from low beams to high beams. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 82,000. sm. | |||
| 01/25/2010 | 92333 | ||
| There have been numerous occurrences of this incident during the last year; the latest being last night. last night, i was running somewhere between 55 and 60 mph on a very dark night with my bright lights on when all of a sudden my headlights went out. the instrument panel lights remained lit. after frantically activating the steering column bright/dim switch, the dim lights came back on. this is a very dangerous situation because we live down long, curvy mountain back roads that are not lit. this is a very serious safety issue that is going to get someone killed. my research reveals that there have been untold numbers of identical incidents involving the 2004 impala. i am not going to pay a tax payer bailed out general motors to fix a design related safety issue. before i do, i will contact my attorney and initiate a class action law suit. is it going to take the needless death of many people to get gm to fix this problem? hello out there. is anyone listening? | |||
| 12/15/2010 | 102000 | ||
| Headlights go off while driving, then come back on automatically. sometimes when they go off they are off for up to 5 minutes. very dangerous to drive at night as you do not know when it will happen. | |||
| 08/20/2010 | 110000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while driving 65 mph the head lights would go out intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated because it goes out intermittently they cannot repair the lights thay has to be out fully. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 110,000..-mw | |||
| 12/12/2010 | 150000 | ||
| Entire instrument panel stopped working on my 2004 chevy impala : speedometer, gas gauge, and temperature gauge. called chevy about recalls because 5 other friends having same problems. was told no recalls. front headlights and rear defrost stopped working just yesterday. couldn't see anything. had to park the car. very, very dangerous. someone is going to get hurt. | |||
| 11/11/2010 | 82000 | ||
| In my 2004 chevrolet impala night driving is unsafe. i will be driving down the road when its dark and i will have a chance to turn on my bright headlights for a better vision of the road. after turning them on i can drive about 5 or so miles and the headlights will shut off. the only way to regain the headlights is by turning off the brights. you loose all lights, not just the brights. the only lights on are the parking lights. very unsafe and you cannot see the road. also everyones in awhile the lights will blink. it happens at least once every time if i go on at least a 20 minute drive and are turning brights on and off. no buttons are involved when the lights go out. they just automaticaly shut off by themselves. very scary and very unsafe if you don't know how to get them working again. have heard that it may be the brights switch but those are way overpriced. | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 50000 | ||
| Low beams are no longer operable on the car. seems to be a running theme with the chevy impala cars. 2004 chevy impala i have already spent more in repairs than to purchase the vehicle. transmission, front drive line and now my passlock locks me out of the car- car won't turn on for sometimes 3 days. lights quit working about one month ago i live in hawaii and can't get my car to pass safety inspection to get my sticker so i now have a car with 60,000 miles that can't be driven on the road, can't be sold. impala's are money sucking dangerous lemon vehicles. i can't afford to fix it can't sell it so now what the hell am i supposed to do with this car???????????? | |||
| 05/01/2010 | 65000 | ||
| 2004 chevrolet impala 3.4l v6, 70,000 miles. right turn signal intermittent failure started occurring at around 65,000 miles - interior dash turn signal indicator blinks rapidly but the actual turn signal does not flash at all. i checked all lamps and fuses then replaced the hazard switch as suggested by some car forums but the problem remains! | |||
| 08/11/2010 | 73000 | ||
| The toggle between low beam and high beam quit working, it won't stay in high beam, but that didn't affect my life very much. but suddenly, the driving lights went out on this 2004 chevy impala. this is dangerous, not just a minor inconvenience, and now i cannot drive at night at all, dramatically affecting my life. the part is extremely expensive to replace, between $550 and $800, and that seems to rise to the level of a manufacturer responsibility, given the similar consumer items that have switches that perform satisfactorily far longer in the life of a product. | |||
| 04/02/2010 | 137000 | ||
| Head lights went out completely on car. the only way to have head light is to pull the bright light switch back and hold it. so one hand for bright light and one for steering. so with on coming traffic its either the bright lights or no lights. happened on a very dark night on a country road. could have been a very bad accident. lucky that my 3 small children where not with me | |||
| 05/01/2009 | 80000 | 1 | |
| The headlights on my 2004 chevy impala randomly go out at night without any warning. this seems to be caused by a defective dimmer switch. the only way to get the lights back on is by activating/flicking the dimmer switch so as to switch between high/low beams. no significant events led up to this problem. it appeared randomly and without any warning. this problem occurred roughly once every two weeks throughout several months until the dimmer switch had completely failed. approximately halfway through the time period from onset of the problem until failure of the switch, the switch itself began to feel odd. it would allow the headlights to change beam without actually clicking into position. during the latter half of the failure period, the light failure seemed consistent with the improper operation of the switch. the switch now is completely failed with my lights stuck on low beam. i can pull back on the switch to activate the high beams, but they do not remain on when i release the switch. the lights go back to low beam. i am currently in the process of changing the switch which is proving very costly. *tr | |||
| 09/10/2009 | 75000 | 1 | |
| Total headlight failure while driving at 65 mph on u.s. highway 287 north of ft collins, co. the failure occurred when changing from low to high beams on the headlights. this has happened many times since the first time last fall but we now have the fog lamps on so when they fail we at least have some light though it is minimal. we then have to flip the hi-lo switch several times to get the low beams back on. there has been occasion that after we get the high beams to work after a few minutes they will just go out completely. i have researched this problem online and have found there are probably hundreds of people that have had similar problems with the multiswitch gm used on 2000-2005 vehicles. the cost to replace this switch is outrageous $300.00- $600.00 so i'm sure there are a lot of vehicles on the road that pose a hazard due to this faulty switch. my girlfriend who owns this car lives on a narrow winding mountain road and has had these headlight failures in the middle of curves and it is very scary for her and passengers. if you could investigate this situation i would greatly appreciate it. *tr | |||
| 02/05/2010 | 143122 | 1 | |
| I just had my second multi-function switch (headlight dimmer, turn signal, cruise, wiper/washer) fail on this car for the same reason resulting in complete loss of headlights. this is a very common issue as seen by numerous bulletin board postings. i dissected the original switch to determine if this could be fixed. it became quite obvious what was happening. the contacts on the hi/lo beam portion of the switch foul and overheat. this switch had melted plastic from the switch housing that had flowed over the contacts and prevented proper switch operation. this is an incredibly dangerous situation that manifests itself with little or no warning. this overheating is obviously due to poor engineering that has resulted in undersized contacts that foul due to relatively high load currents in the headlight circuit. *tr | |||
| 11/12/2007 | 80000 | 1 | |
| I bought a used 2004 chevrolet impala and october 19, 2007 and a few months after i had the vehicle the speedometer stopped working. my speed odometer said i was doing forty when i got pulled over for doing 55mph, and as i pulled off and looked at the speedometer it was stuck at 40mph. also the lights go out at any given time on their own. i was driving home one night and my head lights shut off in the middle of a curve and i hit the brakes and slid off the road. this is a real safety hazard. after i fooled around with the highbeam switch for a while the lights started working again. *tw | |||
| 12/26/2009 | 812000 | 1 | |
| 2004 impala headlights go out unexpectedly while driving at night but will come back on if the dimmer switch is used..dash lights and headlights dim when stopped at traffic light. *tr | |||
| 03/25/2009 | 60000 | 1 | 07/01/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while driving approximately 55 mph at night, the high beam headlights failed to operate when activated. the contact's visibility was extremely poor and she pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road. she had to manually hold the dimmer switch while driving to ensure the activation of the headlights. the vehicle was able to be driven normally, but has not been repaired. the vin was not accepted by the system. the failure mileage was 60,000 and current mileage was 70,000. updated 5/26/09 *cn updated 05/28/09.*jb | |||
| 01/05/2009 | 58000 | 1 | |
| The headlights go completely out occasionally when switching on the high beams. it has done this intermittently for some time. they will come on when you switch them again. the car is a 2004 chevrolet impala ss. it first started it about 2 yrs ago. *tr | |||
| 08/15/2007 | 45000 | 1 | |
| I have read several complaints on forums, such as the ones on carcomplaints.com, about this issue. 2004 chevy impala... using the high beams, and suddenly its dark out side... the lights just turn off! you have to flicker the high beams a few times, and the normal lights will come back on. my lights have turned off while driving in the dark at least 400 times so far! this is going to get someone killed! everyone wants around $700 to fix the issue, i think chevy should step up and pay this! *tr | |||
| 02/10/2009 | 72000 | 1 | |
| The headlights keep cutting out with increased frequency with all exterior lights including the dash lights. also, the speedometer will stop working and just keep increasing until it points straight down. both have happened several times. *tr | |||
| 02/10/2009 | 1 | ||
| My 2004 impala has problems with it's light/dimmer switch. one has to click the handle twice in order to dim/brighten the lights. a couple of time the dash lights and headlights all went completely out when i tried to dim/brighten the lights. this is a hazard. there should be a recall!!!!! *tr | |||
| 01/24/2009 | 27200 | 1 | |
| Driving on a dark rural road at night and tried to put my lights on high beam. the lights went totally out when i tried to put them on high beam. previously during the past 3 months they have flickered when i went to put them on high beam but did not go totally out. i have tried several more times to put them on high beam and the lights go out totally each time so i do not dare to try to put them on high beam now at all. i have called a dealership to have this looked into. they say they will have to test the car first then take the steering column apart and probably replace the switch. estimated cost up to $1000.00 my car has only 27,499 miles on it and i bought it brand new in 2004. *tr | |||
| 12/14/2008 | 63000 | 1 | |
| While driving at night my high beams will suddenly shut off. if i hit the dim/bright switch, the low beams will come back on. i have tried taking the lights off of the automatic setting but it makes no difference. it is very dangerous to be driving at night and the lights all of a sudden shut off. *tr | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS | |||
| 12/09/2007 | 1 | 09/30/2004 | |
| 2004 chevy impala--both turn signals and hazard lights stop flashing. tried to replace fuses, but all still good. could not locate a turn signal relay in the fuse box. spoke to a mechanic who said it didn't make since that there was no relay in the fuse panel. looked up the turn signal switch part and it was on back order. the part alone was over $300.00. mechanic also stated it did not make since that it would be the turn signal switch when all other components on the turn signal arm (windshield wipers, cruise control, etc.) still worked. unable to go to the dealership since it was a sunday. looked up other similar complaints on topix.com and found several people having the same problem. was advised to turn on and off the hazard several times. in doing so (about 100 times) the signals started working. therefore, it doesn't seem as if this is a turn signal switch issue, but a hazard switch issue. this is a very dangerous situation if driving and your turn signals stop working which could cause a serious accident. *tr | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS - SWITCH | |||
| 04/15/2008 | 5100 | 20 | 05/22/2007 |
| No prior event. turn signal flasher ceased to function full time. it has been intermittent for several days. hazard lights nor turn signals blink. bulbs come on and stay on. no flasher. *tr | |||
| 09/21/2007 | 61000 | 40 | 06/24/2005 |
| Suddenly the directional signals failed to work. the light would go on and then stay on. when i turn off the engine and restart many times they will again work for awhile and then suddenly stopped again. i've checked the fuzes, etc. but nothing helps. this could present safety issues. checking on the internet i find many have had this same problems. *jb | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS - UNIT | |||
| 04/06/2008 | 42000 | 30 | 10/14/2003 |
| The turn signals and hazard lights no longer blink when turned on. the bulbs light up but do not blink on and off. *tr | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||
| 01/04/2010 | 68250 | ||
| Headllghts go off while driviing. as of now they still come back on when switching the low beam to high beam switch. very dangerous problem. cannot drive car when dark. will cost about $600 to repair.*cw | |||
| 12/03/2009 | |||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. the contact was driving approximately 55 mph at night on normal road conditions with the headlights activated. suddenly, both headlights failed to operate. the driver was able to pull over to the side of the road with extreme caution. after several attempts, the headlights began to function. the vehicle was able to resume normal operation. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the technician was unable to duplicate the failure. the failure mileage was unknown. | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 51000 | 1 | 10/01/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. he stated that the two front headlights looked as if there were frost on them. the manufacturer stated that all headlights in 2001 model year and beyond were equipped with plastic lenses. he stated that the new design of the headlights was a safety issue because of his age and the ability to have sufficient lighting. the failure and current mileages were approximately 51,000. the vin was not accepted. updated 09/16/09 *bf updated 09/17/09 | |||
| 08/01/2009 | 51000 | 1 | 10/01/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. he stated that the two front headlights looked as if there were frost on them. the manufacturer stated that all headlights in 2001 model year and beyond were equipped with plastic lenses. he stated that the new design of the headlights was a safety issue because of his age and the ability to have sufficient lighting. the failure and current mileages were approximately 51,000. the vin was not accepted. updated 09/16/09 *bf the consumer stated sand would blow on the headlight cover which limited visibility. updated 09/17/09 | |||
| 02/24/2008 | 85000 | 1 | |
| Headlights went off during driving at night. this happened eight to ten times over a period of three to four months, with lights on high beam. lights came back on when dimmer lever was activated. instrument panel remained illuminated when headlights went off. *tr | |||
| 01/02/2004 | 1 | ||
| High beam lights are disabled after about 10 minutes of use. *tr | |||
| 02/12/2008 | 111721 | 2 | |
| Last year around this same time i was driving to work around 4:30 am on i 85 nb in atlanta, ga. going to work when my car suddenly went totally dark. i didn't realize it until i got to a stretch of highway that had no lights. it was very scary cause i didn't know if any of the other cars could see me. i got off the hwy at the 1st exit and waited until daylight to go continue to work. i went to the 1st mechanic that opened and the lights were working again so the mechanic couldn't find anything wrong. 1 year later on 2/12/08, my 7year old son and i went to the drug store to get his medication and as we were driving up sr 139, i noticed that i couldn't see the road!!! again, i'm on a stretch of road with no street lights and this time i have interior lights, blinkers and parkers, but i have no headlights. i immediately pulled over and cut the car off hoping to reset the computer or whatever was causing the problem and when i restarted the car the headlights still didn't come on. i waited approx 45 minutes and still in the dark. i was sooo afraid because i had my son with me and i had about 2.5 miles to go before getting home. i took my chances and drove home trying to be as careful as possible as oncoming cars flashed their lights at me and honked. my son was scared and kept asking if other cars were going to hit us or if they could see us. i tried to stay calm for him, but truthfully, i was scared stupid. i've been reading up on similar situations like this and gm has got to step up and fix this problem. why should it take for someone to loose their life for gm to take notice??? i've owned a 99 grand am, 00 oldsmobile alero & now the the 04 impala. i thought that i had moved up and bought a really good car that i loved not a death machine. my next car might have to be a nissan or a toyota. my grandma & mom only buy toyotas and have never had these types of problems. but i'm trying to keep my fellow americans employed even though i've lost my job. *tr | |||
| 11/29/2007 | 66000 | 30 | 10/19/2007 |
| While driving with hi beams on the headlights will repeatedly shut completely off. i have to move the hi/low beam lever and the low beams will come on. this can be very dangerous since i live on un-lit country roads. this in not an occasional problem, it happens every time the lights are on. *tr | |||
| 10/26/2007 | 26980 | 2 | 11/20/2004 |
| Last winter i was driving to work on a dark morning and without warning my headlights went totally out. i kept flipping my headlight switch off and on and my dimmer switch until they came back on. i continued down the road and it happened repeatedly until i got to work. took it to the dealer, they replaced a computer module. i didn't think to much about it until this morning when it happened again. it has been cool or cold out both times it has happened so i don't know if it has anything to do with temperature or not. i have lost time from work because our area auto dealers service depts. are not open on saturdays, not to mention the danger of driving a black car in the dark with no headlights! *tr | |||
| 12/16/2006 | 47700 | 3 | 06/10/2005 |
| Driving along at night with headlights on and they just went out, luckily, there was a bright moon and straight highway, happened 3 more times on way home, approximately 10 miles. after turning car off and on, lights off and on, they would come back on. have not driven it after dark since then. experienced more problems. *jb | |||
| 12/16/2005 | 24000 | 8 | 12/06/2004 |
| Chevy 2004 impala for no reason the head lights will turn off and will not come back on... i have been caught several times in very dangerous roads when this has happened.... thankfully no crashes or injuried. i called chevy several times and they can't tell me why it happens or how to fix it. *jb | |||
| 06/04/2006 | 61925 | 4 | |
| I was driving home one night at about 9:30 in the country and it was pitch-black when all of a sudden my headlights go out. i had to be going about 55 mph when this occurred. they wouldn't come back on until i pulled the dimmer switch in and out repeatedly. luckily i was familiar with the area to come to a stop without incident. within the next couple of days i will be taking my car in to a dealer and get an inspection. *nm | |||
| 05/22/2006 | 28000 | 1 | 03/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the head lights fail intermittently without warning. the problem began four months ago and the vehicle was taken to service dealer who replaced an unknown module. the problem has now returned and the head lights go out without warning and re illuminate without warning. manipulating the switch does not automatically make the lights re illuminate. the contact is planning to make an appointment with the dealer later today for inspection. the vehicle is a police cruiser. | |||
| 12/02/2005 | 42000 | 8 | 04/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the headlights worked intermittently. it occurred at highway speeds of 50 to 60 mph. the headlights turned off without warning and remained off until the dimmer switch was pressed. there were no warning signals before this occurred. the vehicle was equipped with day time running lights. the vehicle has not been seen by a dealer. *ak . incidental night time headlight failure occurred three times on 01/27/2006; once on 02/12/2006, involving high beam, and 3 times on 02/18/2006, involving 2 high beams. subsequent occasional failure until the turn signal/dimmer switch was replaced on 03/14/2006. contact paid $345 for parts and labor. *ak | |||
| 07/15/2004 | 50 | 50 | 01/01/2004 |
| The new model year 04 chevrolet impala sedans have poorly designed and or mis-adjusted daytime running lights, causing blinding glare to on coming drivers, drivers in front of these vehicles and pedestrians walking at night. these excessively glaring lights distract and cause eye pain to other drivers and temporary blindness. this is a serious safety problem that needs to be addressed especially for pedestrians walking against traffic at night.*ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - CONCEALMENT DEVICES | |||
| 02/09/2004 | 1 | 02/07/2004 | |
| On going problem of moisture build up in head light housing. dealer states that this is a problem for all chevy impalas and nothing can be done except to blow out the moisture. this condition occurs everytime lights are turned on. dealer calls this the greenhouse effect. illumination of roadway at night is effected. problem reported to gm however, complaint number 1-188065149, they did not indicate that this would be looked or addressed. *jb | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH | |||
| 12/01/2008 | 67919 | 1 | 04/21/2004 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. while driving approximately 45 mph in the evening, the exterior headlights on both the driver and passenger sides failed. the contact stopped the vehicle and turned the dimmer switch on and off, which allowed the exterior lights to regain power. the vehicle was driven to the contact's residence. the following day, the vehicle was driven to the dealer and they stated that the dimmer switch needed to be replaced. the dimmer switch was replaced that same day. the manufacturer stated that there was no recall; therefore, they were not liable for the repairs. the current mileage was 67,924 and failure mileage was 67,919. updated 12/30/08 *cn updated 12/30/08. *jb | |||
| 04/04/2008 | 50000 | 500 | 07/31/2004 |
| I have a 2004 chevy impala that has had problems with warped rotors, which i had replaced. then a wheel bearing went bad. took vehicle to chevy dealer. they diagnosed it as left front hub bearing being bad. i had left front hub bearing replaced and problem wasn't fixed. turned out it was right front hub bearing that was bad, so both ended up replaced. a few weeks later service traction system light started coming on every day and shuts off the abs and traction control systems. outside temperature and weather conditions don't make any difference. also having problems with headlights going from high beams to dim. sometimes it takes two or three attempts before it will go from high beams to dim. i've never had these kinds of problems with chevrolet's before. i've had chevrolet's with 150,000 miles on them and have never had to replace rotors, wheel bearings, or had abs problems before, just normal maintenance. *tr | |||
| 02/20/2007 | 81000 | 25 | 08/27/2004 |
| Problem switching from high beam to low beam etc and sudden headlight failure at night while driving down road. believe problem is multi function switch which has been reported by numerous people for this vehicle type. started out as infrequent but getting progressively worse. *tr | |||
| 01/05/2008 | 185263 | 3 | 07/21/2005 |
| Multifunction switch on steering colum failed , as a result i have no highbeams , if i attempt to put them on all lights go out , this is a very expensive problem that i think general motors should come good for. *tr | |||
| 12/28/2007 | 93000 | 1 | 01/08/2005 |
| 2004 chevrolet impala. headlights suddenly stopped working completely while backing out of my driveway onto my road. while i was able to pull back into my driveway quickly, it would have been another story a minute later when i would have been at a busy intersection. because there was no accident or injuries, does not make this any less of a serious safety related failure of this vehicle. if the police can ticket you for not fixing one headlight when it fails, why would this not be a more serious safety problem? i had the vehicle in to the gm dealership where they determined that the multifunction switch (on the steering column) had failed. it was replaced and it cost me $786.00 canadian. my wife told me that the lights had gone out a few weeks prior to this while driving home one night. they suddenly went out for a few seconds and then came back on by themselves. i am assuming this was caused by the same malfunction.*cn | |||
| 12/01/2006 | 30000 | 1 | 11/01/2004 |
| Wow same problem as everyone else. speed does not register properly seems to be whenever it wants it will show speeds higher then what they are. this is a danger because speeds are guessed in school zones and highways. after a couple days speed will begin to work ok. now the blower motor and heater do not work unless you pound by the ashtray area and hopefully the air conditioning will start blowing but the heat will not come on when switched to heat. this is a safety issue living in montana when it gets below 32 and colder it would be nice this winter to thaw out the windows so i can see when driving at unknown speeds. sometimes when the air is blowing you can smell something burning. we are in drought conditions in montana and if my car were to catch on fire on side of road and continue up the mountains this could be a disaster be creating a wildfire. i am unhappy with my car which has started problems around the 30,000 mile mark. another problem is the high beam switch is needing to be clicked twice before dimming down from high beam. this is a safety issue due to blinding oncoming traffic. transmission has been like slipping into gear as well. *tr | |||
| 02/15/2007 | 41000 | 6 | 10/15/2004 |
| The blinker switch malfunctions from bright to dim, sometimes goes black *ak. | |||
| 01/15/2007 | 75000 | 3 | 11/25/2004 |
| Driving at night, headlights turned off on their own. pulled forward several times on the dimmer switch and they came back on. if the dimmer switch is on lo-beam & switched to hi-beam, occasionally there is no click. this is when the lights go off. if i hear the click the lights have not failed. will schedule appointment with dealer to correct the problem. *jb | |||
| 01/18/2007 | 1 | ||
| I lost my bright lights on my 04 chevy impala. my daughter had filed the same complaint on her 04 impala also in oct. of 06. i now have to get my dimmer switch replaced, and i know you had a recall on the 02's, why not the 04's also?*jb | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH | |||
| 10/13/2007 | 55000 | 100 | 01/22/2004 |
| 2004 chevrolet impala - the headlights will go out without any warning while you are driving down the road. this is extremely dangerous! i am still in the process of trying to figure out how to get this problem corrected. i have already had the light sensor replaced and the bcm replaced. neither of these corrected the problem. after many days and hours of research, i think it may be related to the multi-function switch on the steering column. this must become a recall as this endangers many lives! *tr | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TAIL LIGHTS | |||
| 12/02/2005 | 42000 | 8 | 04/01/2004 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the headlights worked intermittently. it occurred at highway speeds of 50 to 60 mph. the headlights turned off without warning and remained off until the dimmer switch was pressed. there were no warning signals before this occurred. the vehicle was equipped with day time running lights. the vehicle has not been seen by a dealer. *ak . incidental night time headlight failure occurred three times on 01/27/2006; once on 02/12/2006, involving high beam, and 3 times on 02/18/2006, involving 2 high beams. subsequent occasional failure until the turn signal/dimmer switch was replaced on 03/14/2006. contact paid $345 for parts and labor. *ak | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL | |||
| 01/25/2008 | 1 | 01/20/2005 | |
| Turn signals operate intermittently with switch in either position. hazards work fine. you have to operate hazards to get turn signals to work. when turn signals are inoperative, the driver cannot use them to signal intent to turn that could result in a crash. *tr | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL - FLASHER UNIT | |||
| 04/15/2008 | 5100 | 20 | 05/22/2007 |
| No prior event. turn signal flasher ceased to function full time. it has been intermittent for several days. hazard lights nor turn signals blink. bulbs come on and stay on. no flasher. *tr | |||
| 04/06/2008 | 42000 | 30 | 10/14/2003 |
| The turn signals and hazard lights no longer blink when turned on. the bulbs light up but do not blink on and off. *tr | |||
| 12/11/2004 | 11800 | 10 | 04/17/2004 |
| 1) events leading up to the failure - it all started out of the blue about 2 weeks ago. i have an intermittent failure of the blinker mechanism of the turn signals. when it does not work, the lever is turned for either left or right turn and the signal stays lit, but not blinking. most of the time, thoughout the day, the signals blink properly. 2) failure and its consequences - this is obviously a safety issue in that drivers following me would not be as alert to a non-blinking light as they would be for a blinking light. 3) both myself and my local gas station removed and and reseated the possible offending fuse and associated relay module. he even indicated that both chevrolet and pontiac cars have turn signal arms with shorts in them. i could not find any recalls indicating a short in the turn signals. | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TURN SIGNAL - SWITCH | |||
| 12/09/2007 | 1 | 09/30/2004 | |
| 2004 chevy impala--both turn signals and hazard lights stop flashing. tried to replace fuses, but all still good. could not locate a turn signal relay in the fuse box. spoke to a mechanic who said it didn't make since that there was no relay in the fuse panel. looked up the turn signal switch part and it was on back order. the part alone was over $300.00. mechanic also stated it did not make since that it would be the turn signal switch when all other components on the turn signal arm (windshield wipers, cruise control, etc.) still worked. unable to go to the dealership since it was a sunday. looked up other similar complaints on topix.com and found several people having the same problem. was advised to turn on and off the hazard several times. in doing so (about 100 times) the signals started working. therefore, it doesn't seem as if this is a turn signal switch issue, but a hazard switch issue. this is a very dangerous situation if driving and your turn signals stop working which could cause a serious accident. *tr | |||