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8.1

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$410
Average Mileage:
108,900 miles
Total Complaints:
27 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (24 reports)
  2. blown fusible link (1 reports)
  3. brain of car erased (1 reports)
  4. replaced ignition (1 reports)
2004 Chevrolet Impala electrical problems

electrical problem

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2004 Chevrolet Impala Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #27

Jul 142016

Impala LX 3.2L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 92,720 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car won't start due to security issues with fuel shut off system. Bad ignition switch and factory recall. Will never buy a Chevy again. Dealer could not fix issues.

- cgservs, Lakewood, US

problem #26

Dec 092016

Impala LS V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 93,000 miles

I inherited this car from my mother after her death in 2012. She occasionally had the same issue and was never able to have it solved, and now I'm carrying on in the same manner.

I will drive the car somewhere, park it, come back out to it and it won't start. Won't crank, no click, nothing. Dead. The car will be towed in and it will then, at the dealer's service door, start. Or the tow company will arrive and the driver will get into the car and start it. I have gotten in the habit of waiting 20-30 minutes to try to start it again before calling the tow company, but haven't had that work yet. This all occurs about every eight months or so and it doesn't matter if it's summer or winter.

I wonder if it's the moving of the car, or the shift lever, that gets it starting. This last time, the tow truck driver arrived, tried to start the car, didn't start, put it in neutral to push it out into the lot further so he could pull it onto the flatbed more easily and on a whim tried to start it. It of course started.

It is one big royal pain in the ass...and often I have my disabled sister with me which complicates things in bad weather. Chevy needs to step up to the plate on this.

- mccrellgencm, Rochester, NY, US

problem #25

Aug 052015

Impala LS 3.8L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 126,000 miles

WORST CAR EVER! This was the first car I ever had and this is definitely a lesson learned because now I know to stay away from all GM cars. I had so many issues with this lemon, the head gaskets blew, the spark plugs are causing engine misfires, the fusible link wire blew out causing my car to not crank or start. I don't care what year, make and model Chevy you have, if one is bad then they're all bad. So we live and learn so stay away from all GM cars people.

PS. If you have a no crank no start issue, definitely check your "fusible link", this is a minor fix that causes a big headache. Now if you got money you can get your car towed to the Chevy Dealership and let them fix it but I'm sure they'll charge you 1k or something like they did me. I hate GM and I hate mechanics with their overpriced & minor 15-20min work ethic. $1,011.76 on a new fuse and a new battery??? Their prices really are a rip off. I had to pay like $400 just for them to diagnose my car....Why are we paying them to tell us what's wrong with our car anyways?? Scammers, F** GM and F** mechanics.

- Nate J., columbia, MD, US

problem #24

Aug 252015

Impala 3.6L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 153,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Once again my car won't start this morning, flashing security then 20 minutes later it starts! I have seen this complaint on here so much what does it take for Chevy to do a recall? It's just getting worse. I just picked it up from a Chevy dealer and they couldn't get it to give them a code yet first thing this morning it gives me one but now that I got it started again it probably won't give them a code, what the heck am I supposed to do, I can't afford to just run out and buy another car

- cpkeil12, Greencastle, IN, US

problem #23

Apr 282015

Impala ES V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 118,000 miles

We've had this 'no start' issue for 6-9 months. We've spent about $400 on a professional tune up, replaced the starter, new battery and the problem continues. For no reason at all it won't start. Radio comes on, air/heat work yet no start. Very frustrating.

How many complaints does Chevrolet need to see before they own up that something is amiss? We take good care of all our vehicles with regular maintenance and should be able to drive for a long long time yet. Not sure we'll be so loyal to Chevy after this.

- L W., Gretna, NE, US

problem #22

Jun 012006

Impala

  • Automatic transmission
  • 49,000 miles

Car has faulty computer, about 3 times a month a car would not start for 15min, and then it starts like nothing happened, the computer was never replaced, I had to deal with this problem until the end.

- arthurl101, brooklyn, NY, US

problem #21

Apr 222015

Impala

  • Automatic transmission
  • 101,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I needed to go on Dr. appointment and car still not starting. Battery brand new. Sure it's security issue .

- farmterri, Emporia, KS, US

problem #20

Jul 072014

Impala SS

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,000 miles

Car had been running fine. Replaced battery only 18 months before with 5 year DELCO. Went into the store for milk and came out. Door opened with remote but then had dim lights and would not start. All dashboard indicators statred to click and needle indicators jumping up and down and would not stop. Then the remote would not work so I had to lock the doors manually. Had to leave it to be towed next morning by AAA.

When they jumped it the car started right up but I took it straight to the mechanic who said it was a bad alternator and the battery got fried too. Had to replace both the battery and alternator -cost me $490.62. Never had a problem like this before with any of my cars.

- adriansmom, Warminster, PA, US

problem #19

Dec 082014

Impala LS V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 200,000 miles

Tried to start my car after work, would not start. This is a reoccuring problem. Have power to the vehicle but car does not make a sound when I try to start the vehicle. I replaced the starter in 2014 after it happened the first time. Yet the problem continues. I've found through trial and error that if I keep trying it will eventually start. THere is no pattern to this problem. I've had it not start early in the morning and in the early evening. My mechanic can find NOTHING wrong with my vehicle. I keep seeing multiple issues from owners about starter issues. If a recall is not issued soon I will never get another impala. I've owned a 2002 and 2004. Never again if Chevy doesn't take some responsibility and issue a recall.

- Beth V., St. Louis, MO, US

problem #18

Aug 222014

Impala

  • Automatic transmission
  • 165,000 miles

Intermittently the car will not start. The car has a security light on. This car does NOT have a chip in the key. Unpredictable, nothing happens when the key is turned. After 10 - 30 minutes of waiting, the car starts fine.

I have tried cleaning contacts on electrical connectors, including the computer/BCM. It did not help.

The car failed while on our local mechanics rack during an oil change. He was unable to find a fix. After ten minutes, it started. As we drove off, the mechanic was still scratching his head.

I went to the Chevy dealers service center to discuss the problem. The service adviser tried to distract me with an unrelated recall notice. I tried to explain the problem and he said it could be "anything". In a nutshell, they were clueless.

Maybe someday the problem will totally fail and then we will be able to fix it. In the meantime, I accept the fact that Chevy makes unreliable vehicles.

- Chip C., Sanford, FL, US

problem #17

Dec 022013

Impala LS 3.8L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 146,192 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This beautiful car has left me stranded more times than I can count, and I had decided it was the ECM, because I could roll it forward with my foot Fred Flintstone style, and it would start. But not today. So far, I have had the ignition replaced, and that seemed to work for awhile—and then it didn't. I took it to another mechanic, and of course, it started just fine for him. I have made countless calls for tow trucks—they arrive, and the car magically starts (again, if it's the ECM, moving it is what does it). Sometimes, the car will start "later," and once, I was out of a car for 3 days.

So who knows how long I will be stranded this time, for the umpteenth time, thinking I will never buy another Chevy, especially not from Jim Butler (last time I was stranded, I left a message for their service department and never got a call back; and keep in mind that I paid them HUNDREDS of dollars several years ago to fix this problem, but it's not fixed—my road hazard insurance can testify to how many times I filed a claim only to cancel it when the tow truck arrived). Supposedly, this is a recall issue on the 2005 Impala, but not on mine, although the web is FULL of similar reports. "Help! My 2001-2005 Impala won't start! I've replaced every part of the system, and it still does it" (Cha-ching, right?) I used to love my car, but now she's just one of those beautiful high-maintenance chicks that you want to dump but you're stuck with.

Thanks, Chevy. I had a Toyota before, and I decided to "Buy American," and this is what I get. Should I make the same mistake again?!!

- Laney P., High Ridge, MO, US

problem #16

Jan 262014

Impala LX 3.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 211,000 miles

i have owned many other vehicles and i have never had this much of a headache. first the speedometer quit working,t hen a coolant leak, now this POS will not start. tried all kinds of tricks on the internet, heard people say that the resistor trick worked. got my son to tear apart my car and all for nothing waste of time. now its just a waste of space to me.

- Melissa R., Statesville, NC, US

problem #15

Oct 012013

Impala SS 3.8L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 200,000 miles

Car wouldn't turn over, then key wouldn't come out of ignition. Put code reader on and it read error, had it towed to dealer and they said it was because of a fuse under hood not in all the way. Got car and went home. Next morning won't start and key stuck again, read codes and it said no codes, all of a sudden my car has no brain.

So I looked at all wires with a diagram, inside car everything fine. Popped hood and I found a bunch of wires that control everything in car wrapped up in electrical, they were all shredded and torn apart. Looked like they were rubbing on belt. I cut and connected, car started fine and is still starting with no problem. Where did my $200 to the dealership go? Maybe a new popcorn machine!

- Alanna M., Tacoma, WA, US

problem #14

Feb 262012

Impala LS 3.8L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 150,000 miles

I have been reading in the complaints list references to several issues with the automatic transmission not shifting and dashboard instruments failing. I am suspicious that both are related but wanted to know if anyone having experience with getting them fixed.

The transmission issue started about 50,000 miles ago and manifested by the transmission slamming into gear from a stop when driving. I learned that if I shifted the car manually from the stop (when it was actin up), the car pulls away from stop normally. An alternative "short term" fix, would be to turn the car off and let it sit for a few seconds before turning the ignition back on. Typically after doing this the car shifts flawlessly.

The second manifestation of a transmission issue was the hard shifting between gears 1- 2-3 but normal shifting into overdrive. Again, turning the car off/on fixes the problem.

These transmission issues occur maybe 3 - 5 times a week and don't seem to be getting any worse at the moment, but may actually be happening less often.

The next problem was with the speedometer. I first noticed that it was behaving a little jerky when accelerating, jumping 2-3 mph instead of increasing /decreasing smoothly as I sped up or slowed down. After about 6 months of this it started "floating" around with regards to what speed I was driving. The tack does not appear to be malfunctioning and using it I can gauge my driving speed fairly accurately on the highway. If the spedo says I am doing 90 mph while the tac is telling me 70 mph, when I stop the speedo will say 20 mph. It has "floated" in both the negative and positive direction and can change while driving. Turning the car on and off does not seem to have any control of the failure.

The temp gauge is behaving much the same as the speedometer.

Yesterday I experienced a "gross" malfunction of the entire electrical system. I was at the store, so I came out to a warm car. When I tried to start the car, gauges bounced, check engine light flashed and an intermittent buzzing noise came from the dash. The starter made NO attempt to engage and NO error messages were displayed on the little screen that lets you know when the trunk is open, a tire is low, etc. Turning the ignition off did not stop the flashing and buzzing. I had to disconnect the battery to turn off the "show".

Has anyone run into a mechanic smart enough to diagnose the transmission problem as electrical in nature?

If so, what did they need to do to fix it?

Thanks in advance for any help I receive.

- ksnow56, Blue Springs, MO, US

problem #13

Sep 012010

Impala

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,000 miles

OK.........for all of you wondering about the Security light issue on your Chevy Impala and the car not cranking because the fuel pump shut down the car and you have to wait for it to restart, here is the cure. Took my car to local locksmith, he pulled the "Made in Mexico" ignition (Thank you GM) and replaced it w/ a "made in America" one. New keys, reprogrammed my remotes and WALA!!! No probs again! Seems the Made in Mexico one has a magnet in it that over time wears down and the computer tells the car HEY I'M BEING STOLEN and shuts down the fuel pump! This fix was only $200.00 and I an a happy camper know knowing I won't be stranded anymore and my car cranks every time now! Good luck!

- fisheress2001, Kemah, TX, US

problem #12

Aug 282011

Impala LX 3.2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 86,532 miles

My wife and I are retirees and have had Chevs all our lives to-date, This problem should definately be on "recall", if it is not, we will shortly be purchasing a new car and we can assure GM that it will not be theirs.

This problem has persisted for the past 1.5 years and judging from on-line complaints it appears that GM really doesn't care ... GM is headed for more slumps and consumer dissatisfaction.

If GM reads these complaints and cares, they will soon determine a proper and more permanent fix this problem...and put out a proper and timely "recall".

- Carmen B., Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada

problem #11

May 102011

Impala

  • Automatic transmission
  • 88,000 miles

This has happened a few times recently and I don't dare to turn my car off if I need to make a quick stop, especially on my way to work. I brought it to a mechanic and, of course, he can't figure out what's wrong with it. He got it to "act up" twice, but could not get a code to figure out exactly what the problem is. Seriously! I had no idea so many people had the same problem! I had the ignition switch replaced a couple of years ago, which pissed me off because it cost almost $400! Like others, I won't buy another Chevy ... EVER!!!

- Keri P., Grand Rapids, MI, US

problem #10

Jun 102011

Impala V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles

I bought car brand new. First the "security" light issue that i have seen posted. Same with me. Never been fixed, they put in new key switch, etc. I have new battery, etc. But will not start. first all lights on now dead completely. Chevrolet needs to fixt this car at their expense. Nothing else will do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is 2011 and I can't afford to get a new car at this time. Do you think I can recomend this model after nothing but trouble since I bought it in 2004?

- mcelyea, Meridianville, AL, US

problem #9

Feb 222011

Impala LS 3.8L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 84,000 miles

My 2004 Impala will simply refuse to start once in a while. The lights come on and the battery and starter are good but it simply will not crank. After fifteen minutes or so it will start fine. It sounds like a lot of owners have this issue and are not getting satisfactory repairs at all. Does anyone know of a fix that really works or at least a way to bypass it ?

- Adrian L., Worthington, IN, US

problem #8

Oct 012010

Impala 3.8L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 150,000 miles

ok...I got this car with 2 miles on it. My tranny is slipping and now it wont start. I called a tow truck which got there 3 hour later and the dam thing started. Drove it staight to auto zone and had them test my battery and alternator and everything was great. Go to leave and it wont start. What is going on...................I wait a hour and it starts slow. strugling to start. I really dont know what to do. everywhere i take it they say it checks out find. Not throwing any codes. Chevrolet needs to take responsiblity and fix it because i wont buy anouther car from them ..along with everyone i can tell.

- Jennifer H., Orangevale, CA, US

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