Owners/service Manual problems of the 2008 Chevrolet Impala

Came to get in and unlock car when I noticed only the front passenger door unlocks. Had to climb through the car (while 5 months pregnant) to unlock both backseat doors for my niece and infant nephew to get them in the car. The 3 locks, besides passenger front, only work maybe once a week randomly. I have my first child on the way in November, and now I have to worry if I will have to set my baby on the ground during winter to climb through the car to unlock the back door manually.

This car had to be towed on above date due to inability to shift out of "park". The mechanic removed the center consol and repaired a broken ground wire to the inter-shift lock. I had to pay out of pocket $383 for a broken wire no bigger than a strand of hair. There is no guarantee that this won't happen again or possibly next time it will be the key ignition wire that will break which is found in the same selenoid. I feel that this is a flaw in gm manufacturing of this type of vehicle. I have reviewed hundreds of other gm complaints of this same nature. I definately agree that this problem needs to be reviewed by gm and a recall is warranted. I would also like to include that there is definately a problem with this vehicle's power locks. My rear power locks would not unlock when the lock button was depressed. I have had this problem repaired twice within the past 2 years and now the rear locks will not open again unless I reach over the seat and manually unlock them myself.

Rear passenger doors will not unlock, trapping passengers after parking vehicle nether of the rear passenger doors could be opened. Both rear passenger doors remain locked and could not be unlocked using ether the lock controls located on the drivers side door control or with the key fob. My 90+ year old parent was in rear passenger compartment. Due to severe dementia they became panicky and agitated when they were unable to get out of the vehicle. They did not have the ability to open the door using the passenger lock nor could they follow instructions to do so. This would be the same situation as having a small child trapped n the rear. The rear door manual locking mechanism are located to far back to be reached from the drivers compartment. I was only able to free him by entering the truck and pushing one of the rear seats flat to access the passenger area. Had this been a crash or vehicle fire any passenger in rear compartment would have perished. A review of Impala owner complaints on several web sites indicates there is a common issue with the rear door locks on these Impalas but gm has not offered to fix what is an obvious safety hazard.

Both rear passenger door locks stop working prior to 60,000 miles. They would work randomly and eventually stopped working all together. After researching the issue there are several hundred complaints on websites and it appears to be that they used a lubricant that becomes too solidified. If I were in an accident I wouldn't be able to unlock the rear doors using the key fob or the power unlock. It has to be done manually and they are very difficult to reach from the front seats.

3 of the 4 door locks won't operate with a key fob or the door panel and there's no key access anywhere outside except the drivers side which is the only lock that currently works. . . With children or adults in the back seat or the passenger side this creates a serious hazard in the event of an accident or the need to enter the car urgently if being pursued by an abductor. Small children wouldn't be able to manually unlock doors to exit the vehicle in case of an emergency and the driver would have to climb over the back seat to access the lock manually or lose precious time rolling windows down and getting out of the car to open the door locks from outside the car. . . . This vehicle is low mileage and these locks are defective. Many have been blogging about these defective door locks and gm needs to recall these and replace their defective door lock actuators stat at no cost to the consumer!.

The back doors and the front passenger door will only lock and unlock manually.

Ive owned 2 Impalas and my sister in law owns one also. All 3 have had problems with door lock actuators needing replacing. Doors need to be opened manually from inside or out. It cost approx. $500. 00 to replace if not under warranty.