general problems of the 2008 Chevrolet Impala - part 1

Q-what component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? a-suspension and steering effective. Any time I drive and make turns it makes like a clunking noise. You can actually feel it in the floor board. It's worse when you are driving down a not so smooth road. You can look at it as soon as possible. Q-how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? a-control arm might snap causing you to lose control of my vehicle and crash into other drivers. Q-has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? a-firestone has inspected my car. Q-has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? a-no my vehicle has not. Q-were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? a-no warning signs of any kind. This started within the last month or two.

The stabilitrak is making the car shake and act crazy. I'm barely in control of the car. There are thousands of more people having the same problem. The car reduces speed because of this issue. Many groups and blogs online about this. Why hasn't anything been done about this? no recalls or anything.

My vehicle experiences an �engine power is reduced� message in addition to losing capability of driving faster than 40 mph likely as a result of a common fault by the manufacturer.

While in motion, car was involved in crash, hit a concrete barrier and a fence and airbag did not deploy, driver sustained a concussion. He was wearing a seat belt.

I am informing you of some very serious concerns in regards to parts of the 07 and 08 chevy Impala that have failed causing accidents as well as injury and grave potential for fatalities. Airbags not deploying, seat belts not locking on impact first and foremost I have requested copies of the paperwork that was submitted to the courts in somerset WI. This showed exactly what took place causeing an accident that was considered negligent due to medications I was on and my disability. The mechanic gave me this report along with info stating that this was a huge problem in fleet police vehicals. The info stated that the police vehicals were fixed and checked however this part has no recall or revision to correct the safety issues that we can find. My vehical does have high millage however it has been very well taken care of thanks to erickson oil and mechanic friends. This part snapping after cracking esily resulted in complete loss of control as well as the car locking up and becoming impossible to steer and stop. It is disturbing that these parts were not corrected from a manufactering aspect (this was looked at by a machinest, as well as an engineer and by the qaulity/dimesions/structure this part easily looked defective) the visual as well as skilled aproach to problem solving drove us to look up recalls prior to buying a new part. We could not find any. Just info that this exact make and model were purchased as fleet vehicals in 07 and 08. Problems with many of these cars resulted in pulling all of the fleet/govnt patrol cars in to be fixed/investigated. However we have been unable to find a recall or warning that should have also been issued to the public. I am currently looking into help to investigate and help get this looked at as it caused an accident as well as being unstable and faulty in another minor impact accident potentiaaly increasing fatality/injuries.

Own snow the rear end slides all over the place you have no control,I have brand new tires extraction tires on rear.

Tl-the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. The contact states that the vehicle rear suspension system is wearing the tires. The contact also stated that the rear tires had to be replaced approximately every six months. The manufacturer was notified of this issue. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000. Bp.

The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that when coming to a stop, the vehicle jerked without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 12v377000 (suspension) and 14v355000 (electrical system) however, the part needed for the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,066.

Had vehicle repaired at fowler Chevrolet in tulsa oklahoma and very concerned that vehicle should have been total loss. Vehicle taken in 2nd time for rework. We have some pictures and video. Body shop manager was terminated. We need assistance. Very concerned about safety issues on vehicle at highway speeds. Unsure where to turn. Several with Chevrolet involved to cover for dealer.

All four door locks stopped working from the driver door control or the fob. The only way to unlock the doors is to physically pull up on the lock. In the case of an accident, I will be unable to unlock any of the doors without physcially pulling the door lock. This creates a safety hazard, especially since the car may suddenly stop working. I'm afraid I will be killed while driving this car! the car does not stay in alignment. The car has been realligned at least three times and this for a vehilce with only 37637 miles, this is an injustice.

We had over $10,000 in insurance repairs on 2008 Impala with blue book around $12,800. Oklahoma insurance dept rules said car should have been total loss. We had to go to a 2nd shop to continue repairs as the body shop manager was fired. Carfax is now showing vehicle with frame damage etc. . And insurance company refuses to assist. We would like to forward more documentation for assistance as ftc is telling us you can assist hold fowler Chevrolet of tulsa oklahoma accountable. This is a serious safety issue also if they are repairing cars that should be a total loss besides compensating us for the financial issues related.

The following has happend twice to me in the last 3 months. I was driving on the freeway 65-70mph when the service traction control/engine power reduced lights came on dash. My car then lost all power on the freeway and my speed was reduced to under 35mph. After stopping the vehicle and turning it off for approximatly 5 minutes, the car started back up.

The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. While driving approximately 35 mph, a vehicle crashed into the driver side of the contact's vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. The contact was knocked unconscious and sustained shoulder injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. In addition, when making a turn, it felt as if the rear tires lifted off the ground. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 76,000.

Known rear camber problems causing rear tires to go bald and fail and highways speeds with less the 20,000 miles. Recall was performed on police package models but not civilian however parts are identical.

It's making a humming nosie.

During routine chassis inspection as part of oil change, I noticed both rear tires had wires exposed on inside tread surface. These have only 16,000 miles of use and are condemned. The vehicle has 67 k miles and this is the end of third set of tires ! rear wheel camber is at fault but why ?.

I had to replace lower control,and trans. Shift lincage I call to see if there was a recall gm said only on police modles another time I had to have car towed to delalership to have trans. Linkage repaired.

Rear tires had excessive wear on the inside of the tire to the point that the thread and wires were showing. Replaced all four tires and wheel alignment. In July 2012 had tires and shocks replaced for the same issue. Big knots were also on the tires and car shook when going at a low speed. Was told that rear suspension was misaligned and that rear shocks would fix the problem. March 2013 tires four tires replaced and wheel alignment again. Was told that camber bolts were needed to fix this problem. Contacted gm in July 2012 about the problem and rep states that there was no recall for this vehicle only the police models. This is unfair for consumers to have to keep buying tires. Vehicle currently has 88560 miles.

We purchased the car new from grand prize Chevrolet. At about 8000 miles I noticed uneven wear on the front tires and called the dealer. I was told that the warranty only covered wheel alignment for the first 6000 miles. Accordingly, I took the car to tire kingdom, a tire dealer, and had the car aligned. At 20,000 miles I again noticed uneven wear in the tires and took the car back to tire kingdom. They aligned it again and said it was ok. It wasn't. At about 35,000 miles it was aligned again by tire kingdom and I put in new tires. The store manager, [xxx] told me he had done the alignment himself and that all was within specs. At 52000 miles one of the tires failed. It was all worn on the inside edge where I had not noticed the uneven wear. I then took the vehicle to maroone Chevrolet who told me they could not align the car without the installation of what they call a "camber kit" because my 2008 Impala had no other way of having the camber adjusted. In summary: my 2008 Impala was misaligned when I purchased it and 52000 miles later is still misaligned because the manufacturer failed to include camber adjustment in the design. Neither the manufacturer or the dealer accepts responsibility for this defect, have not issued a recall and will not fix the problem unless we pay their blackmail. However, according to reports on the internet, a recall for this very same problem was issued by the manufacturer for police vehicles. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that the vehicle would lose control when driving over light snow. The contact stated that the vehicle performed as if he were driving on ice. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the suspension system needed to have a camber kit installed to assist with traction control. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.

Excessive left side tire wear, especially left rear. Left side tires need replaced every 34 thousand miles. I guess the left rear would go faster if I did not rotate the tires to to spread the wear. Car when bought came with replacement tires at 34 thousand miles, I replaced them at 67 thousand and 102 thousand. Problem still exists. I keep an eye on them, otherwise left rear tire would likely have been destroyed by this condition. At 67k miles firestone said they would have to drill holes to align car properly. This is an obvious safety problem, especially since the wear is on the inside of the tire where most folks don't look. I called and mailed gm and they don't care, guess we need some accidents first.

Premature tire wear attributed to faulty rods in the rear suspension linkage suspension defect.

We are getting ready to have to replace our third set of tires. We bought our Impala new and replaced our first set of tires at Feb. 2010 (38,000 miles). Replaced again at 54,000 miles Dec. 2011. Replaced again at 65,000 Nov. Of 2012 and it is in need ot new rear tires again at 72,000. Car shakes and back end slides in bad weather. Service department states that it needs a cambor kit. Research has shown that Chevrolet produced a faulty suspension rod and recalled "police owned" vehicles but not consumer vehicles. Do not feel safe in vehicle or allowing my 16 year old to drive it. My car is aligned and tires rotated and serviced frequently! tires wear down to metal sticking out of tires and inner wear is incredible. Left tire behind the driver is the quickest to have problems and begin to cause car to shake. Secondly, rear door automatic door locks quite working after 2 years of owning car. How do I become part of the class action law suit.

I had been complaining to my husband that the car's rearend has poor stability and it's hard to maintain it during rain and snow and ice. When we went to have it inspected this week, we were informed that it could not pass as the rear tires were bald on the inside. As it turns out, there have been repeated problems with this car, and a recall was done only on the police models? are you kidding me? what about the average person driving this car???? we are not as important. Obviously there is a problem and now I have to get new tires (that only have about 10,000 miles on them) at my freaking expense and I will need to have the suspension fixed. Someone needs to get a general recall done for this model car. . . . We are just as important as the cops. . . . Wth.

When the tires needed replacing on the car, I spent $1100. 00 on a set of premium tires, after 10,000 miles I noticed a roaring sound from the tires. I took the car to the tire dealer. He said the problem was with the alignment of the vehicle, causing the tires to wear uneven, I had the tires rotated every 5,000 miles, I took the car straight to my chevy. Dealer. I was told the struts would have to be ground off and the car realigned and the cost would be mine. I worry about this kind of repair when you alter the part by mis-shaping the part. The cost to me was $197. 00 after hearing about other owners with the problem. I worry about taking road trips with my vehicle. I think that gm should be held liable and the proper fix done to the vehicles for the safety of the car owners. I like the car fine, except for the worry of our safety while on the road.

2008 Chevrolet Impala. Consumer states problem with vehicle tire wear the consumer stated he almost had an accident when the vehicle spun out of control due to a manufactures defect causing tire wear. The consumer requested compensation for three sets of tires that had to be put on the vehicle by January 2010. The service manager at the dealer stated gm was aware of the problem, and refused to reimburse the consumer. The consumer has since traded the vehicle.

Car began to drive different so thought I needed an alignment. Took the car to the dealer I bought it from only to be told I needed new tires. At 30000 miles I thought this was absurd. A month later later I had a flat tire in the rear only to see that the tire had wires sticking out of the tire with a hole almost completely through the tire. Had to spend money for all new tires and they are already starting to show problems after just a few thousand miles. I am single, retired and live paycheck to paycheck. I'm not a fat cat from general motors who can't seem to make a decision that yes, there is a problem with this model and year chevy. When people start dying because of this problem, possibly then you will decide to do something about this.

My 2008 Chevrolet Impala required alignment of all 4 wheels after 35000 miles of use which is not unusual. However, the rear wheels required a special process wherein bolts had to be punched out and shimming was required to allow proper alignment. This effort doubled my cost from $89. 00 to $178. 00. The problem is obviously a manufacturing defect. The general motors problems and complaints department has failed to respond to my complaint which was submitted July 11th, 2011.

Tires started wearing on the inside edge and no other place was told we needed new tires also a 4 wheel alignment we replaced tires on the front and moved old tires to the rear. Looking at the rear of the car you can actually see the tires leaning in at the top and tires have started to show wear in less 1,000 miles all the research I have done says this is a common problem gm will not do anything and will not admit that there is a problem I have put 1 set of tires and not the cheap kind gm used plus the last time I just replaced the front tires and put the older ones on the rear and have had car aligned 3 times.

2008 Chevrolet Impala is very unstable on snpw or ice covered roads. The rear end tends to swerve back and forth when it incounters even the slightest amount of ice or snow. I have over thirty years driving in michigan winters and I have never had a car so unstable in these conditions. I have a 2002 chevy venture and a 97 bonneville that I drove in the same conditions (same road and time for comparison) and they both felt solid even at higher speeds. I have noticed similar complaints in internet forums. I had the tires inspected by a tire dealer and he said that the tires are original equipment and that they had adequate tread. This should be investaged.

I purchased my 2008 Impala with 28k miles in March 2009-certified used. I had to replace the tires within the first 6 months of ownership ( I was told that gm uses cheap tires. From the outside the tread was fine and it appeared to be in good shape but when it was on the lift the told me they all had metal showing. I paid this car off and gave it to my son in April 2010- he has since changed all 4 tires back tires 3 times. We had them rotated and aligned twice, that is when it was discovered that the tires had worn on the inside again. There is no way to know unless it is on a lift. My son took the Impala to the dealer service yesterday and purchased his 2 tires- it was agreed by service manager that if we took the car there and bought tires from universal that he would put them on, do an alignment and most important install the camber bolt kit at no extra charge. This was also told to chevy by (the service manager) when they called him. I didn't go with my son to pick up the car- I did however pay the $350 which was the price agreed imagine my complete anger when I found out last night the camber bolt kit was not installed and all that was done 2 new tires and an alignment! I could have done that down the street for less money. I expect gm to do a recall and fix this suspension issues- we have replaced tires 3 times in the last 6 months and aligned 2 times. What kind of nonsense is it to tell my son he doesn't need the kit? after so many complaints of the same issue\gm issued a TSB #08032 for police Impalas that are on the same platform and suspension, but never extended that to the public. Seems to me that the rear suspension has an severe defect that can cause tire blowout without warning. No tires should wear like that with less than 17,000 miles without a rear suspension and alignment problem that needs to be recalled for repair and replacement of the parts and tires. Does someone have to die due a defect on the car itself? this has to be fixed for everyone.

The chevy Impala seems to be a fine vehicle in for normal, everyday driving. In emergency situations, though, it's handling becomes very unpredictable. I had a car pull out in front of me yesterday, causing me to brake hard. The antilock brakes seemed to work fine, however, the rear end of the car slewed out into another lane even though there was no lockup of the wheels - the car should have tracked straight - I was traveling in a straight ahead manner. This is not the first time I've had the car react in this manner. I did a little research on the car's handling - I noted consumer report's understated summary of the car having "unsettled" handling.

Vehicle had been pulling to the right. It also needed oil change also so took it to local Chevrolet dealer, alexandria motors. The service tech informed me I needed to replace tires since they were worn to the tread. They would not cover it under warranty so I took it to an independent repair shop and was informed this was a frequent (normal?) occurrence on these vehicles due to factory defects. I paid the $581. 12 for tires and repair due to the faulty alignment from factory. I was not aware of extensive involvement until I did a google search recently. I did keep the receipts, etc and have had no subsequent problems with the vehicle now having over 40,000 miles on it.

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.

The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while having routine maintenance performed by an independent mechanic, the mechanic stated that both rear tires exhibited excessive wear. The mechanic replaced both rear tires and performed an alignment. Approximately 7,000 miles after the replacement of the tires, the contact again noticed excessive wear on both rear tires. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic, where both rear tires were replaced and aligned. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was a recall addressing the failure, but the recall only included police issued vehicles. The approximate failure mileage was 18,000.