Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| PIC-5013A | 02/01/2009 | 10030168 | Chevrolet: when turning the steering wheel in a parking lot maneuver with the vehicle not moving (foot on brake) resistance is felt in the steering wheel. this may happen when underhood temperatures are high, such as after an extended road | 08/12/2009 | |
| 08-02-32-004 | 04/01/2008 | 10025168 | Ei08118 - power steering whine/growl noise. *nj | 07/15/2008 | |
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||||
| 070235005 | 08/01/2007 | 070235005C | 10022711 | Ei07162 - steering clunk noise felt, heard from steering column. (replace i-shaft) *nj updated on 09/24/07 *nj updated 10/5/07. *nj | 09/24/2007 |
| STEERING - GEAR BOX - SHAFT SECTOR | |||||
| 07307 | 01/01/2008 | 10024229 | Service update for inventory vehicles only--intermediate steering shaft clunk - expires april 15, 2008. *nj | 03/27/2008 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | |||||
| PIC-5101 | 03/01/2009 | 10030172 | Chevrolet: fluid leaks from under the engine compartment. in cases of power steering system repairs where diagnosis leads to a steering hose clamp replacement, replace with constant tension clamp. | 08/12/2009 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | |||||
| 070232002 | 07/01/2009 | SB-070232002H | 10021443 | Ei07082 - power steering fluid leaking from power steering gear/rack assembly. *kb updated on 09/21/07. *nj updated 10/5/07. *nj updated 2/15/08. *nj updated 5/19/08. *nj updated 2/17/10. *pe | 04/26/2007 |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||||
| PIC-5013A | 02/01/2009 | 10030168 | Chevrolet: when turning the steering wheel in a parking lot maneuver with the vehicle not moving (foot on brake) resistance is felt in the steering wheel. this may happen when underhood temperatures are high, such as after an extended road | 08/12/2009 | |
| PIC-5101 | 03/01/2009 | 10030172 | Chevrolet: fluid leaks from under the engine compartment. in cases of power steering system repairs where diagnosis leads to a steering hose clamp replacement, replace with constant tension clamp. | 08/12/2009 | |
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||||
| PIC-5013A | 02/01/2009 | 10030168 | Chevrolet: when turning the steering wheel in a parking lot maneuver with the vehicle not moving (foot on brake) resistance is felt in the steering wheel. this may happen when underhood temperatures are high, such as after an extended road | 08/12/2009 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 03/06/2013 | 150000 | ||
| I was driving on the highway leading into an overpass. as l entered onto the overpass my service traction control, engine power reduced, and service throttle body disabled flash across my dash board, killing the power to my vehicle and locking my steering wheel. while i was stopped unable to move my vehicle, cars flew me and i was almost hit. at one point another vehicle was almost ran off the road due to oncoming traffic trying to dodge me. this was the worst experience of my life. i have never feared for my life like i did at this time. after doing my research online, i have found many others have been in my situation. i was told that my accelerator pedal sensor has gone bad. i feel that gm should be held responsible and needs to remedy the situation before someone is killed. | |||
| 01/10/2013 | 90000 | 1 | |
| Key gets stuck in ignition and will not turn to lock position. the battery runs down after sitting for awhile. i googled complaints of this happening and there were hundreds of complaints. the problem lies in the center console of automatic transmission cars. chevrolet designed the wiring harness to drag across the floor while moving the shifter lever from gear to gear. this eventually causes the wires to break. depending on which of the five wires break causes problems with the ignition switch (car won't start, transmission won't shift, steering wheel won't lock, key won't come out are some of the problems). as i stated there are hundreds of complaints and feel to issue a recall by chevrolet would be inline. *tr | |||
| 01/10/2013 | 90000 | ||
| Key gets stuck in ignition and will not turn to lock position. the battery runs down after sitting for awhile. i googled complaints of this happening and there were hundreds of complaints. the problem lies in the center console of automatic transmission cars. chevrolet designed the wiring harness to drag across the floor while moving the shifter lever from gear to gear. this eventually causes the wires to break. depending on which of the five wires break causes problems with the ignition switch (car won't start, transmission won't shift, steering wheel won't lock, key won't come out are some of the problems). as i stated there are hundreds of complaints and feel to issue a recall by chevrolet would be inline. | |||
| 12/19/2012 | 73014 | 1 | |
| I was going down the road and out of no where my car says service traction control, followed by service stabilitrak, followed by engine power reduced with a check engine light on. lost almost all power to the car, could barely turn the wheel and the brakes felt extremely strange. i could only go about 5mph tops down the road. luckily i was only 2 min from home. which actually took 6 min because of the reduced engine speed. right before i pulled in the driveway the motor died. the next day i went out and tried starting it. the remote start wasn't working and my check engine light was still on but it did start up with a turn of the key. i looked up codes and found that it was telling me the accelerator pedal sensor was bad. i have googled this issue and found that it is a very dangerous, common problem with the chevy impala. although that is the code it is giving me, other people have had to replace their throttle body to resolve the problem. gm should recall it before someone gets hurt. i will not be buying another gm vehicle in the future because they are too cheap to fix this common issue which could essentially cost someone their life. *tr | |||
| 12/19/2012 | 73014 | ||
| I was going down the road and out of no where my car says service traction control, followed by service stabilitrak, followed by engine power reduced with a check engine light on. lost almost all power to the car, could barely turn the wheel and the brakes felt extremely strange. i could only go about 5mph tops down the road. luckily i was only 2 min from home. which actually took 6 min because of the reduced engine speed. right before i pulled in the driveway the motor died. the next day i went out and tried starting it. the remote start wasn't working and my check engine light was still on but it did start up with a turn of the key. i looked up codes and found that it was telling me the accelerator pedal sensor was bad. i have googled this issue and found that it is a very dangerous, common problem with the chevy impala. although that is the code it is giving me, other people have had to replace their throttle body to resolve the problem. gm should recall it before someone gets hurt. i will not be buying another gm vehicle in the future because they are too cheap to fix this common issue which could essentially cost someone their life. | |||
| 07/24/2012 | 68282 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while parking, the gear shift seized and the gears could not be changed. the contact turned off and restarted the vehicle several times before being able to shift into drive. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or repair shop for inspection or repairs. the contact removed the cover on the gear shifter box and noticed there was a broken wire. the contact stated that the keys had become stuck in the ignition switch. the manufacturer was made aware of failure however no further assistance was provided. the current and failure mileage was 68,282. kmj | |||
| 07/24/2012 | 68282 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while parking, the gear shift locked, and contact was unable to change gears. the contact turned off, and restarted vehicle several times, before contact was able to put vehicle on drive gear. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or repair shop to have an inspection or repair. the contact removed the cover on the gear shift box, and contact noticed there was a broken wire. the contact stated that the key was stuck on the ignition switch. the manufacturer was made aware of failure; however no further assistance was provided. the current and failure mileage was 68,282.yn | |||
| 06/17/2012 | 61000 | 1 | |
| My car shut off with a reduced engine power message with my two small children in the car while the car was in motion. *tr | |||
| 06/17/2012 | 61000 | ||
| My car shut off with a reduced engine power message with my two small children in the car while the car was in motion | |||
| 06/11/2012 | 43000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving 2 mph, the power steering belt fractured and the steering wheel seized. the vehicle was taken to a personal mechanic for diagnosis and repairs. sixty days after the repairs, the vehicle would not shift out of park. the contact was forced to apply the bypass relay button to get the car out of park. the following day, the key became stuck in the ignition and the battery was draining abnormally. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 43,000 and the current mileage was 45,000. | |||
| 06/11/2012 | 43000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving 2 mph, the power steering belt fractured and the steering wheel seized. the vehicle was taken to a personal mechanic for diagnosis and repairs. sixty days after the repairs, the vehicle would not shift out of park. the contact was forced to apply the bypass relay button to get the car out of park. the following day, the key became stuck in the ignition and the battery was draining abnormally. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 43,000 and the current mileage was 45,000. kmj | |||
| 06/11/2012 | 43000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. the contact stated while driving 2 mph the power steering belt broke and the steering wheel locked causing the vehicle to unable to maneuver left or right. the vehicle was taken to a personal mechanic for diagnosis. the vehicle was repaired. sixty days later the vehicle would not shift out of park. the contact was forced to apply the bypass relay button to get the car out of park. the next day the key became stuck in the ignition and the battery was being drained. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 43,000 and the current mileage was 45,000. dt | |||
| 04/27/2012 | 66000 | ||
| Symptoms were noise when steering at low speed, play in steering wheel and vehicle wandering when driving in a straight line. problem was defective intermediate steering shaft. gm redesigned the intermediate steering shaft in 2008 in response to these very problems. gm has not issued a recall for this part, but there have been multiple technical services bulletins, including tsb # 01-02-32-001o. the tsb indicates the need for replacing, not lubricating, the part. the tsb states engineering changes have been made to the service parts available through spo. the service parts for the vehicles listed in this bulletin will no longer require lubrication of the intermediate steering shaft gm re-engineering the part indicates to me as an owner that they know the original product was defective, but are choosing to replace a defective, potentially dangerous part at the owners expense. this problem is widely documented on gm owner and dealership forums across the internet. this problem is shared by chevrolet impalas, chevrolet monte carlos, buick regals, buick lacrosses, oldsmobile intrigue and pontiac grand prix. all of these vehicles are built on the gm w body platform. due to the popularity of these vehicles, the problem likely affects many millions of owners. i had the part replaced at my own expense. i had a certified pre-owned warranty that, according to my invoice, only saved me $30 on the repair. i was charged a $200 deductible for the replacement of the part. | |||
| 10/01/2011 | 45000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the steering wheel seized and could not be unlocked. the contact experienced the failure three times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure bu the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was 52,000 and the failure mileage was 45,000. kmj | |||
| 10/01/2011 | 45000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. the contact stated the steering wheel remained lock and she was unable to move it. the contact experienced this failure on three occasions. the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. the manufacturer was aware of the failure. the current mileage was 52,000 and the failure mileage was 45,000. bw | |||
| 11/18/2011 | 73500 | ||
| Premature tire wear attributed to faulty rods in the rear suspension linkage suspension defect | |||
| 10/05/2011 | 116000 | ||
| On 10/5/11 i tried my 08 impala for first time in rain since i purchased it used 4 months earlier, the car is a police version with the 3.9 flex fuel engine. was excited to try out new tires in rain . , i went thru a few puddles it seemed ok,it wasnt even raining hard, when a car stopped in front of me, i also stopped when i tried to turn left to go around the car the steering wheel just froze,i had only driven about 1 mile .after few seconds it was ok, about 1 minute later it did it again. i just drove it back home disappointed knowing i wont be able to drive it during raining periods . found out thru internet that many customers having same problems with this car . gm needs to recall this car before someone gets really hurt driving this dangerous vechicle ! hopefully not to late!!!!!! was lucky this problem was discovered while car was stopped and not on highway.. checked fluid, belts, all good . . from los angeles | |||
| 03/07/2011 | 55000 | ||
| The first incident occurred during heavy rainfall. my son was turning right onto a highway, after stopping at a stop sign. once he began his turn onto the highway, the steering wheel locked up for a few seconds. he then turned down a residential street and drove around a few blocks, losing steering again for a few seconds while turning a corner. he proceeded to drive back onto the highway and drove 70 miles to his destination, rain continuing, without further incident. on this same day, i drove home 70 miles from this destination, the rain continued and i had driven about 30 miles when the steering locked for a few seconds after i crossed a railroad track and turned onto a residential street. since then, we have had at least one if not more incidents of the steering locking up each time it rains. the steering either locks while making a turn, or after the turn is completed, or as we are turning into a parking spot. today, 9/14/2011, it was raining and my steering locked up while turning from a stop sign, then again while turning into a parking space, and again as i was pulling into my driveway. on this date, however, i noticed that the low battery indicator came on when the steering locked. when the steering first started locking up, we reported it to the dealership, but they said they found nothing wrong with our vehicle. we have notified the chevrolet dealership where our impala was purchased, and gm. it is our understanding that there is no recall for steering problems on the 2008 impala. therefore, we have not been successful in getting this potentially dangerous problem resolved. | |||
| 11/15/2010 | 30000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. while driving at approximately 30 mph in snowy conditions the vehicle swerved from one side to the another uncontrollably. the contact gained control of the vehicle by driving at a slow speed. the failure also occurred during rainy weather. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostics. the mechanic stated the spindle rod was defective and caused the misalignment of the tires and would wear out unevenly and rapidly. the mechanic installed camber bolts to the rear passenger side wheel. the failure continued. the vehicle was not repaired.the approximate failure mileage was 30,0000. ds | |||
| 10/10/2009 | 35000 | ||
| Power steering fails temporarily when going thru small amount of splashing water. car was inspected, belt & tension pulley replaced. failure lasts approx. 20-30 seconds. | |||
| 12/07/2010 | 32000 | ||
| When slowing down and makeing a turn. steering locks up. when come out of turn and hit gas starts working again. | |||
| 09/24/2010 | 25000 | ||
| I was driving my 2008 chevrolet impala and was backing out of a parking space, so my tires were turned at an angle. when backing up, i lost all power steering making it very hard to turn the wheel. once i backed out and put the car in drive the steering began to work again. i checked power steering fluid but it was not low. this problem happens fairly regularly. | |||
| 09/14/2010 | 33000 | ||
| When braking at 50 mph and up, brakes pulsate and steering shutters. i am worried brakes will fail. it is out of warranty but has been going on several months. | |||
| 05/11/2010 | 31900 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. the contact stated the tires were wearing prematurely despite having an alignment performed on the vehicle every three months. the dealer advised having an alignment annually and rotating the tires every 6,000 miles. the manufacturer was not contacted and there were no repairs made to the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were 31,900. | |||
| 01/20/2010 | 33500 | ||
| Steering wheel locks completly when turning happens at least every two weeks. | |||
| 10/07/2009 | 45946 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. the contact made a left turn when the steering wheel locked. the contact was unable to move the vehicle out of the street. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer who test drove the vehicle 74 miles and was unable to duplicate the failure. the failure also occurred while pulling out of the driveway. the contact stated that the failure continued to occur when she applied the accelerator pedal after yielding or stopping at a traffic light. the vehicle was always traveling at a low speed and making a left turn whenever the failure occurred. the failure mileage was 45946. the current mileage was 50993. | |||
| 05/07/2009 | 37000 | 1 | |
| Power steering dies when the vehicle gets wet. dealer is never available for an appointment when it happens. my mechanic has replaced the belt and cleaned everything. it works for a short while then starts again. is any help available? *tr | |||
| 08/18/2009 | |||
| I have a 2008 chevy impala ltz, purchased on 7-4-08 form a gm dealership in yukon, ok. the car had 3670 miles on it when purchased. it was driven, according to dealership, by the area financial officer for gm. the problem is that whenever you drive through standing water or wet snow, you cannot turn the steering wheel. it does not have to much water, just a waterhole where run off from a sprinkler system has run off the driveway. one time, it was left in an enclosed garage over night and the driver the next morning just about hit a parked vehicle because they could turn the the sterring wheel. the car has been to two local gm dealerships and they cannot find any problem. gm safety has been contacted and they could not give an answer for the problem either. the owners of this vehicle feel that this could cause an accident if not fixed. so far, most of the times this has happened has been in town and and at less than 35 mph. | |||
| 02/22/2008 | 1 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. when driving between 35-40 mph or in inclement weather, it is difficult to steer the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to dealer for inspection. the technician could not identify the cause of the failure, nor provide a remedy. the current and failure mileages were unknown. the vehicle identification number was unavailable. updated 12/30/09 *bf the consumer stated since the repairs were done, the vehicle tracks properly on ice. the alignment was out and rear camber and toe was out of specs. updated 12/31/09. *jb | |||
| 11/26/2009 | 51000 | 1 | |
| Early morning start /drove for approximately 4-8 minutes. turned into parking lot and was attempting to park (3/4 turn) when the steering froze. stopped the car and the steering seemed to return. parked car and rotated wheel left to right and noticed that the wheel froze once again. turned car off and no continued issue on restart. immediately brought car to dealership and awaiting a decision on what occurred. do not feel comfortable driving vehicle until dealer can repair issue. *tr | |||
| 01/31/2009 | 18000 | 1 | |
| When i turn my wheel of my car it feels as if its knocking. *tr | |||
| 08/22/2008 | 9500 | 1 | |
| I own a 2008 chevy impala and i have been hearing clicking noises in the steering shaft. i have took my car in to be serviced and they put 2 new front tires on replaced the assist steering shaft and put a 4 wheel alignment on the car because my tires were worn on the outer edge i still hear the same noise when i turn coming out of a parked position and the new tires they put on one was defected and i almost had a major accident on interstate 38 in camden n.j because one of the tires radial belts popped and caused a blow-out which sent me and my husband and 2 kids in a fight for our lives trying to get out of on- coming traffic we had to ride around on a donut in a 2008 for 12 hours until we could find a used tire to come back to richmond virginia 256 miles away from home. i also owned a 2004 chevy impala and upgraded to the 2008 after having my car serviced 5 times for the same thing and low and behold i'm experiencing the same problem click click click................................... *tr | |||
| 07/14/2008 | 7000 | 1 | |
| I was driving through a low area in the street that had a puddle of water to drive through. i was going to turn right and the steering wheel would not turn and then all at once it did turn. i did not have any more water to run through until about a month later in a hard rain and it did it again. this was also when i wanted to make a right turn. this all happened in lakeland fl. i contacted bill heard chevrolet in plant city fl and made an appointment. they checked it out and said they could not make it do that but they ordered parts ( a new belt) and installed a few days later. another rain storm and it did the same thing only this time the instrument panel lights all come on for about a 1/2 minute. i reported this to the dealer and they said bring it back in a they would check out and replace the tensioner. i was driving back to michigan and i was at the georgia and tennessee state line in a rainstorm and it locked up again. i contacted cliff anschuetz in alpena mi and made an appointment with them. they checked it out, put water on the belt but said they could not make it happen. another service rep said he would take a look at it and put on a new belt and tensioner and they did. the belt always squeals when you first start up in the morning. it still does that and i have no doubt the power steering will lock up when it rains. first incident date was sometime in march and to date. this is a very dangerous problem. *tr | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - ROD - RELAY - CONNECTING | |||
| 04/29/2009 | 2 | 12/14/2008 | |
| 2008 chevrolet impala. consumer states severe problem with tires *tgw the consumer stated he has spent more than $588.54 on wheel alignment checks and new tires, not knowing about the spindle rod problem. the consumer encountered severe and dangerous uneven tire wear. the consumer finally replaced all the tires. *jb | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 06/09/2010 | 27190 | ||
| Rear tires were worn out due to known defect in rear linkage had to pay $69.95 for a wheel alignment and $180.72 for two new tires. alignment was probably not neccessary since original problem was in the rear linkage, i feel i should be reimbursed for tires and alignment. | |||
| 11/24/2009 | 15000 | ||
| There was no incident. the rear tires wear out prematurely due to gm's aknowledged rear spindle rod defect. excessive wear on the tires creates a safety hazard within a few thousand miles. gm dealer (graff chevrolet okemos michigan) refused to repair even at my expense. | |||
| 01/06/2011 | 0 | ||
| Driving the impala ss on winter roads in indiana has become a challenge with this car. any ice or snow on the road will only allow you to drive 45 mph at the max and then the rear of the car starts to swerve back and forth as if the tires are fighting one and another for control. contacted the local chevy dealer and was told by the service department that it is a tire problem with the good year eagle rs-a p235/50 r 18 and they have had a lot of complaints on no traction with these tires. service rep stated the tires needed to be taken off and new tires put on. not covered by the warranty. called good year customer service told them the problem and they schedule an appointment for me. took it to the authorized good year dealer and they called back and said the tires have half their tread left and no problems with the tires. he stated that the tire is to wide for driving in the winter time and basically floats on the ice and snow and would suggest only diving the car in the summer months. so here is the dilemma, the manufacture knows that they have had a lot of complaints with the tires (which are the original tires that are sold with the car. the tire manufacture states the tire is to wide for driving on snow or ice and i need to park it into summer gets here and if so if i drive the car in the winter, i have been warned that it is too dangerous to drive. | |||
| 07/03/2007 | 3000 | 1 | 01/01/2007 |
| When driving 2008 chevrolet 4 door lost control at a turning of highway. no speeding and no ticket. this car a safety issue with steering and the brakes. *tr | |||