Intermittently, the light for the airbag goes on. After looking in the owner's manual and being afraid of the airbag going off without provocation, I've resorted to turning off the car and restarting it. Additionally, the radio will lock me out. The solution to that also, has been to turn it off and restart.

UGH!! If only the car would be willing to just work like it is supposed to work without having to be manipulated. The solution to our electrical problems will likely be that we will trade it in for something else.

We started having problems with our 2002 Impala at 15630 miles. We took it in to Love Chevrolet (now called Columbiana Chevrolet) in Columbia, SC., where we purchased it new. The air bag light kept coming on and the radio kept going off with the message �locked up�. At 15630 miles Love Chevrolet Hummer reset the computer. A short time later the air bag light and radio problems occurred again. At 16009 miles we took the Impala back to Love Chevrolet. They kept the car and gave us courtesy transportation for 3 days. When we got the car back we were told that the Inflatable Restraint Sensing and Diagnostic Module was replaced. A few weeks later the air bag light kept coming on and the radio locked up many times but we found that we could shut the car off and open and close the door and restart the car and the indicator lights would go out and radio would work again.

By 23720 miles, we were so upset that we had to keep resetting the faults by opening and closing the door that we took the car in to Tuscaloosa Chevrolet in Tuscaloosa, AL (where we are now living). Tuscaloosa Chevrolet said the computer indicated the problem was with the Body Control Module. It was reprogrammed. Several weeks later the same problems with the air bag light and radio lock reoccurred over and over. We took the vehicle in to Barkley Pontiac, Cadillac, GMC in Tuscaloosa, AL. They found a code with their computer and said we needed a Body Control Module but that since the car was out of warranty we would have to pay for it. We told them we would keep resetting the indications by opening and closing the door. This went on until one time while driving at night the headlights went out. We were able to get them back on by flashing the low beam / high beam leaver. A short time later we heard on ABC World News that GM had a recall on Impalas due to the headlights going off suddenly. We called Tuscaloosa Chev. and they said our VIN. # wasn�t included in the recall. We told them our Impala was doing that and more and they said �sorry�. We called General Motors Customer Service and spoke with Carley LeBlanc. (Service Request: 71-437167435). After several emails and phone conservations she told us to fix it ourselves if we were so concerned. We sent additional information in to Carley LeBlanc and later Angelina Moncivais. They said GM would not help us.

The indications began to worsen in January of 2008. All indicators started cycling (Security, Check Engine, Seat Belt, Oil etc.) and the warning bells started ringing. On February 6, 2008 the Impala would not start. We had to charge the battery (which was only 2 � years old, so we assume power was being pulled from it due to the electrical problems) and on Feb 15, 2008 took it back in to Tuscaloosa Chevrolet. After another diagnostic check we were told the Body Control Module would need replacing at a cost of nearly $600.00. At this time we called General Motors asking for their help since we have had the same problems with the car since we purchased it on June 6, 2002. After about 2� weeks of phone conversations with Daniel Churchill, a customer service specialist, service request #71-603821378, we were told the there was nothing General Motors could do since the car was out of warranty.

We have found case after case of people with 2002 Impalas having the same problems as ours from the NHTSA safecar.gov website. We have just filed our own complaint with NHTSA, #10219794.

As it stands now, we do not ever plan to buy another GM vehicle even though we like driving them better and buying American made cars. We will go the route of Honda or Toyota like so many other people. If GM continues to fall then we certainly understand why. In truth we had planned to get another Impala and keep our 2006 Silverado, but no more. Our boys drive Hondas and never have any problems. We plan to do the same.