CarComplaints.com Notes: Top complaints for the 2006 Chevy Impala include how the transmission slips, clunks and fails. Or how the power steering knocks and squeals. In other words, this car is a noisy bucket of eventual failure points.
My 2006 Impala SS has shut off on me numerous times while driving for unexplained reasons...
The following is the actual chat session I had with GM dated 01/14/2014 the day after my first incident where my car would just shut off while driving. This chat session was a little over a month BEFORE the Ignition Switch Recall went out, dated 02/25/2014----
Welcome to Chevrolet. Please wait while we find an agent to assist you...
[You are now chatting with Louis.]
Louis: Welcome to Chevrolet! How may I assist you?
Customer: I just tried to send an email and I'm not sure it went through.
Customer: My name is Joe and I'm the owner of a 2006 Chevrolet Impala.
Customer: Yesterday morning, at approximately 6:30am, during the height of morning rush hour, I was driving down Interstate 270 in Maryland. (2 minutes into the conversation, he finally responds)
Louis: Thank you for contacting us today! You tried to send an email? Whom did you send an email to Mr. ?
Customer: http://www.chevrolet.com/help/contact-us.html Email Cheverolet link
Louis: Ok, thank you.
Louis: Are you experiencing an issue with your vehicle?
(This guy is real swift. I was tempted to say something like, "No, you fcking idiot! I just wanted to tell you how my morning commute went...)
Customer: Again....I was driving down the interstate, doing about 60mph when all of a sudden, the car just died on me. No Steering, No Brakes, I thought I was going to cause an accident.
(Silence)
Customer: The warning indicator on the dash showed "Starter Disabled Service Throttle" and "Engine Power Reduced"....it did not state SHUTTING CAR OFF COMPLETELY BECAUSE THERE IS A
MAINTENANCE ISSUE!
(Silence)
Customer: I bought this car from a dealer in Springfield VA. It had approximately 37k miles on it used. I haven't even put 25k miles on it. The car has under 60k miles.
(Silence)
Customer: If there is a life threatening issue with this, I'd like to know if there is any type of recall notice on this issue. This was a life threatening situation.
(Finally)
Louis: I'm sorry you experienced this issue. To better assist with recall inquiries, I am going to attempt to transfer you to an agent in our Customer Assistance Center chat department. One moment please.
Customer: The vehicle had to be towed because it would no longer start.
[You have been transferred to department: Customer Assistance Center]
Customer: Really?
(I was thinking "Who have I been chatting with if not Customer Assistance?")
[You are now chatting with Anjelica.]
Anjelica: Hi! Thank you for visiting us today. May I have a few moments To look over the previous conversation?
Customer: yes thank you! I'll also be right back I have an incoming call. I'm at the office at the moment.
Anjelica: I see that you are having a concern with your vehicle and it shutting off, you would also like to know if there are any recalls for this issue? May I please have your VIN to verify any recalls on your
vehicle ?
Customer: It has never happened before. Certainly not driving down the highway doing 60mph to where it just shuts off leaving me with No Brakes and No Steering...
Customer: Luckily, I didn't cause an accident yesterday morning!
Customer: The VIN number is...
Customer: 2*9
Customer: 2006 Impala with less than 60k miles on it. I'm still making payments on this vehicle.
Anjelica: Thank you! was the vehicle towed to a GM dealership for a diagnosis?
Customer: The tow company has a service department and states they have all the certifications. I'm not sure if it's a GM dealership. I've already had to pay over $100 for yesterday mornings tow.
Anjelica: I do not see any recalls on your vehicle for this concern.
(That's because, a little more than a month later, the world would find out that GM has been selling thousands of cars with faulty ignition switches and people have been driving death traps while GM tried to hide the situation for years even going so far as to what seemed to be a cover up. Even after the Congressional Grilling Mary Barra (GM CEO) went through, GM still won't admit to the public this huge mistake and are quietly settling with the families of the victims who died because of this faulty ignition switch)
(Oh, and Mary Barra...GM CEO....she just acted clueless during the entire Congressional Hearing. She made it seem like she didn't have a clue what was happening in her own company. Gotta make sure GM's image isn't tarnished)
Customer: That's what has me concerned. This was a life threatening situation, I've researched this same MIL online and see numerous complaints for the same warning message "Starter Disabled Service Throttle".
Customer: But having this issue shut the vehicle off completely while in motion, leaving the driver helpless should raise some flags for GM, you'd think
Anjelica: We understand and greatly appreciate the information that you have provided. I will document your concern on this issue.
Customer: The service technician that towed the vehicle says he's seen this same issue quite a few times with the Impala's. He said the Throttle Body Control Unit can give this warning indicator. I've priced the device at a little over $250, not including installation. I don't have the funds to get the vehicle towed again to a Certified GM Dealer and have this work done. Now I'm stuck without a vehicle that I'm still making
payments on.
Anjelica: I do apologize for the inconvenience. (But will GM reimburse me for this headache? Nope.)
Customer: Well I guess there's nothing you can do for me. I'll have to figure out how to pay for all this mess. Take my word, though, I'll probably never buy another GM product again. Thank you for your time.
Anjelica: we do apologize for the inconvenience this has caused, I will document this concern. Have a good day.
3 days ago, I get a recall notice from GM in the mail.....3 days ago.
Here is the Recall Notice. Pay Attention to the Issue Date...
GM Recall #:
N140299
NHTSA Recall #:
14V355
Date Issued:
Jul 14, 2014
Recall Title:
UNINTENDED IGNITION KEY ROTATION
Recall Description:
General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in 2005-2009 model year (MY) Buick Lacrosse, 2006-2011 MY Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 MY Cadillac Deville, 2007-2011 MY Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 MY Chevrolet Impala and 2006-2007 MY Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. If the key ring is carrying added weight and the vehicle goes off road or experiences some other jarring event, it may unintentionally move the key away from the run position.
Safety Risk Description:
If this occurs, engine power, power steering and power braking will be affected, increasing the risk of a crash. The timing of the key movement out of the run position, relative to the activation of the sensing algorithm of the crash event, may result in the airbags not deploying, increasing the potential for occupant injury in certain kinds of crashes. Until the recall has been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key ring, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. DRIVE WITH ONLY A SINGLE KEY!
Repair Description:
Dealers are to install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge.
Almost 3 Months Later after the issue date for this recall for my vehicle and I'm just now getting this notice???? ARE YOU FCKING KIDDING ME???
And the guy I talked to last night told me the fix involved a little plastic insert to prevent me from putting more keys on my key fob! That's it. A Little Plastic Insert! So what happens if I'm driving down the road and I hit a bump and the car shuts off again? Where's the new Ignition Switch that GM claimed they would start installing back in April 2014?
It took a lot for me not to start cussing during that chat session with GM and I think I did a pretty good job.
My Impala is back in the shop. Less than 70k miles on it and it's back in the shop. And I'm still making payments on this piece of sht. I'll report this new problem in another complaint. I am quickly trying to pay this car off and get it out of my hair. You can bet this...I will never buy another GM product again. F*ck GM. Anyone know a good Lemon Law Attorney in the State of West Virginia?
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
My 2006 Impala SS has shut off on me numerous times while driving for unexplained reasons...
The following is the actual chat session I had with GM dated 01/14/2014 the day after my first incident where my car would just shut off while driving. This chat session was a little over a month BEFORE the Ignition Switch Recall went out, dated 02/25/2014----
Welcome to Chevrolet. Please wait while we find an agent to assist you...
[You are now chatting with Louis.]
Louis: Welcome to Chevrolet! How may I assist you?
Customer: I just tried to send an email and I'm not sure it went through.
Customer: My name is Joe and I'm the owner of a 2006 Chevrolet Impala.
Customer: Yesterday morning, at approximately 6:30am, during the height of morning rush hour, I was driving down Interstate 270 in Maryland. (2 minutes into the conversation, he finally responds)
Louis: Thank you for contacting us today! You tried to send an email? Whom did you send an email to Mr. ?
Customer: http://www.chevrolet.com/help/contact-us.html Email Cheverolet link
Louis: Ok, thank you.
Louis: Are you experiencing an issue with your vehicle?
(This guy is real swift. I was tempted to say something like, "No, you fcking idiot! I just wanted to tell you how my morning commute went...)
Customer: Again....I was driving down the interstate, doing about 60mph when all of a sudden, the car just died on me. No Steering, No Brakes, I thought I was going to cause an accident.
(Silence)
Customer: The warning indicator on the dash showed "Starter Disabled Service Throttle" and "Engine Power Reduced"....it did not state SHUTTING CAR OFF COMPLETELY BECAUSE THERE IS A MAINTENANCE ISSUE!
(Silence)
Customer: I bought this car from a dealer in Springfield VA. It had approximately 37k miles on it used. I haven't even put 25k miles on it. The car has under 60k miles.
(Silence)
Customer: If there is a life threatening issue with this, I'd like to know if there is any type of recall notice on this issue. This was a life threatening situation.
(Finally)
Louis: I'm sorry you experienced this issue. To better assist with recall inquiries, I am going to attempt to transfer you to an agent in our Customer Assistance Center chat department. One moment please.
Customer: The vehicle had to be towed because it would no longer start.
[You have been transferred to department: Customer Assistance Center]
Customer: Really?
(I was thinking "Who have I been chatting with if not Customer Assistance?")
[You are now chatting with Anjelica.]
Anjelica: Hi! Thank you for visiting us today. May I have a few moments To look over the previous conversation?
https://ems02051.egain.net/system/web/view/live/templates/chevrolet_desktop_chat/chat.html?entryPointId=1001
Customer: yes thank you! I'll also be right back I have an incoming call. I'm at the office at the moment.
Anjelica: I see that you are having a concern with your vehicle and it shutting off, you would also like to know if there are any recalls for this issue? May I please have your VIN to verify any recalls on your vehicle ?
Customer: It has never happened before. Certainly not driving down the highway doing 60mph to where it just shuts off leaving me with No Brakes and No Steering...
Customer: Luckily, I didn't cause an accident yesterday morning!
Customer: The VIN number is...
Customer: 2*9
Customer: 2006 Impala with less than 60k miles on it. I'm still making payments on this vehicle.
Anjelica: Thank you! was the vehicle towed to a GM dealership for a diagnosis?
Customer: The tow company has a service department and states they have all the certifications. I'm not sure if it's a GM dealership. I've already had to pay over $100 for yesterday mornings tow.
Anjelica: I do not see any recalls on your vehicle for this concern.
(That's because, a little more than a month later, the world would find out that GM has been selling thousands of cars with faulty ignition switches and people have been driving death traps while GM tried to hide the situation for years even going so far as to what seemed to be a cover up. Even after the Congressional Grilling Mary Barra (GM CEO) went through, GM still won't admit to the public this huge mistake and are quietly settling with the families of the victims who died because of this faulty ignition switch)
(Oh, and Mary Barra...GM CEO....she just acted clueless during the entire Congressional Hearing. She made it seem like she didn't have a clue what was happening in her own company. Gotta make sure GM's image isn't tarnished)
Customer: That's what has me concerned. This was a life threatening situation, I've researched this same MIL online and see numerous complaints for the same warning message "Starter Disabled Service Throttle".
Customer: But having this issue shut the vehicle off completely while in motion, leaving the driver helpless should raise some flags for GM, you'd think
Anjelica: We understand and greatly appreciate the information that you have provided. I will document your concern on this issue.
Customer: The service technician that towed the vehicle says he's seen this same issue quite a few times with the Impala's. He said the Throttle Body Control Unit can give this warning indicator. I've priced the device at a little over $250, not including installation. I don't have the funds to get the vehicle towed again to a Certified GM Dealer and have this work done. Now I'm stuck without a vehicle that I'm still making payments on.
Anjelica: I do apologize for the inconvenience. (But will GM reimburse me for this headache? Nope.)
Customer: Well I guess there's nothing you can do for me. I'll have to figure out how to pay for all this mess. Take my word, though, I'll probably never buy another GM product again. Thank you for your time.
Anjelica: we do apologize for the inconvenience this has caused, I will document this concern. Have a good day.
Customer: Thanks. You have a good day also.
Page 2of 3 Transcript 1/14/2014 https://ems02051.egain.net/system/web/view/live/templates/chevrolet_desktop_chat/chat.html?entryPointId=1001
Page 3of 3 Transcript
3 days ago, I get a recall notice from GM in the mail.....3 days ago.
Here is the Recall Notice. Pay Attention to the Issue Date...
GM Recall #: N140299
NHTSA Recall #: 14V355
Date Issued: Jul 14, 2014
Recall Title:
UNINTENDED IGNITION KEY ROTATION
Recall Description:
General Motors has decided that a defect which relates to motor vehicle safety exists in 2005-2009 model year (MY) Buick Lacrosse, 2006-2011 MY Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 MY Cadillac Deville, 2007-2011 MY Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 MY Chevrolet Impala and 2006-2007 MY Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. If the key ring is carrying added weight and the vehicle goes off road or experiences some other jarring event, it may unintentionally move the key away from the run position.
Safety Risk Description:
If this occurs, engine power, power steering and power braking will be affected, increasing the risk of a crash. The timing of the key movement out of the run position, relative to the activation of the sensing algorithm of the crash event, may result in the airbags not deploying, increasing the potential for occupant injury in certain kinds of crashes. Until the recall has been performed, it is very important that customers remove all items from their key ring, leaving only the vehicle key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. DRIVE WITH ONLY A SINGLE KEY!
Repair Description:
Dealers are to install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge.
Almost 3 Months Later after the issue date for this recall for my vehicle and I'm just now getting this notice???? ARE YOU FCKING KIDDING ME???
And the guy I talked to last night told me the fix involved a little plastic insert to prevent me from putting more keys on my key fob! That's it. A Little Plastic Insert! So what happens if I'm driving down the road and I hit a bump and the car shuts off again? Where's the new Ignition Switch that GM claimed they would start installing back in April 2014?
It took a lot for me not to start cussing during that chat session with GM and I think I did a pretty good job.
My Impala is back in the shop. Less than 70k miles on it and it's back in the shop. And I'm still making payments on this piece of sht. I'll report this new problem in another complaint. I am quickly trying to pay this car off and get it out of my hair. You can bet this...I will never buy another GM product again. F*ck GM. Anyone know a good Lemon Law Attorney in the State of West Virginia?
- northshorejoe, Kearneysville, WV, US