This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
I have had issues with lights for the past 6 months. First started out where if I had my bright lights on every now and again all my lights would go off while driving. The bright lights wouldn't stay on so had to hold to keep them on. Then it came a period of time where all my lights would not work. On Friday, June 27th 2014, I was at work and happened to look out the window and noticed my lights were on. Went outside to see if car was dead. When I got in the car I could see that my steering column was smoking (on fire) coming from the turn signal switch. The bright lights had stuck to on somehow and this is why I could see that my llights were on. I unhooked the battery and the smoking stopped. When I went to hook battery back up there wasn't any more smoking but my windshield wipers were going as fast as they could and I couldn't switch or do anything to make them stop. The hazards or all my lights were blinking on/off repeatedly. Nothing I could do to stop. As of now I'm driving without any fuse to the wipers and the lights work during the daytime but will not work at all after dark. I've been told the part that is needed to replace this is a multi-functional switch. However, this is going to cost $800 to replace. Many complaints out there about the same thing happening to same year/make/model car and no recall??
2004 Chevy Impala loses low beam headlamps due to an issue with the multipurpose switch located on the steering column. After doing a google search found hundreds of others with the same issue. After losing low beam headlamps after a few months high beam lamps are also not working.
Intermittently when driving vehicle at night and switching on high beams, then when switching back to low beams, the headlights go off completely. I have to remember to put the fog lights on, so if the lights go out I will still be able to see.
Head lights will not turn on, blinkers will not turn on, traction control turns itself of and you cannot turn it back on. The following dash lights illuminate. Check engine, battery and ABS. This has been happening for about a year on and off. Started at about 80,000 miles. Sometimes only one of the above conditions occur and sometimes all at once. Problems happen day and night, damp or dry, usually only occur during engine start up, but occasionally has occurred while driving. I found a trick to make the head lights come on (turning on and off my hazard lights). My fog lights are not affected by these issues. I have had the battery and alternator tested multiple times because that is the direction everyone points me too. Both are good. I see others having the same issues. I hope this gets look into.
The turn signals stopped working. After panicking and turning on hazard lights, then again trying the turn signals, did they decide to begin working again. Now the turn signals randomly decide to stop working, and must use the hazard trick again to get them working. Almost caused numerous accidents, and caused a traffic ticket. Can not figure out the problem as to why they do this, but read up on many different sites that many different people experiencing the same difficulties. Very dangerous for people with children.
- Maple Heights, OH, USA
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Headlights went out while driving at night, hold dim/bright switch to have brights only, release switch to normal position, lights go out, normal clicking sound when engaging dim/brights not there.
I was driving down the interstate with my bright lights on and suddenly my headlights turned off. I reached down and pulled the headlight switch on thinking it was the day time driving lights, but they still did not turn on. In a panic I flipped the dimmer switch on the steering wheel and they came on. Since then I happened again with my brights about a month ago but happened 4 times last night, with my brights and dims, on my 6 mile drive home. I have owned dozens of cars in my life, most Chevrolet, and never had a failure of this magnitude while driving. This seems to be a serious failure and a huge safety concern for me as I have teenagers that drive my car and may not have be able to safely resolve an issue like this with out injury.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Impala. The contact was driving approximately 60 mph with the headlights activated when they suddenly failed. The contact attempted to use the high beams however, they also failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the multi-function switch needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 210,000 and the current mileage was 214,000. The VIN was not available.
The heater completely stopped working but was finally able to get the passenger side to work (it has dual temp. Controls). The turn signals work just when they want to and the windshield wipers do the same. They just stop working with no warning what so ever. Have taken it to several different places to have it looked at but nobody can determine the cause of these problems. However, upon the research I've done since these problems began I've found I'm not the only one experiencing these same issues yet there has been no kind of recalls to fix it.
While driving on a rural and curvy road, my lights when out when I switched from my high beams to my low beams. I could not see for a few seconds and luckily the high beams came on when I used the multifunction switch to engage them. I am lucky that no one was coming because I was unable to see where I was going. The multifunction switch did not "click" like it typically does when I switch from high beams to low beams. Luckily no one was injured when I was driving but if this happens in the future to someone else there could be tragic results.
We were driving our 2004 Chevrolet Impala this evening and have been having issues for the past month with the headlights. The dim lights would not work at all, only the brights worked. This evening, we smelled something burning and suddenly the multifunction switch was smoking and on fire. We shut off the car and waved the fire out, luckily we got out safe. We now have no headlights and had to have the vehicle towed. I have seen that this is a problem with many Impala and Chevrolet needs to take action. Someone could be injured in an accident due to their lights failing or get injured because their car starts on fire. It's a lawsuit waiting to happen.
On two separate occasions after dark my lights shut off. This caused a panic as I was in city traffic and could not see. My lights were on the dim mode. I discovered I could make them come back on if I used the multifunction lever to change to bright lights. I'd then switch back to dim and the lights would work for 60-120 seconds and then go out. Once again I would go through the whole process with the same result. After my second night of this happening I decided to check their inner net. I had noticed there were 26 complaints relating to the 2004 multifunction lever. I had a car load of people the first night and by the grace of god I did not hit another car. The multifunction selector lever needs to be recalled on 2004 Impala before someone is killed or seriously hurt. If nothing else I think General Motors should replace the part when reported malfunctioning at their cost.
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 instrument 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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Impala. The contact was driving approximately 40 mph with the headlights activated and suddenly without warning the headlights stopped illuminating for a few seconds. The same malfunction recurred on three separate occasions. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000. Updated 03/14/12 the multi-function switch was replaced at a cost of $ 495.78
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Marshall, WI, USA