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7.4

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$1,880
Average Mileage:
94,900 miles
Total Complaints:
57 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (40 reports)
  2. find someone smart enough to fix it (9 reports)
  3. replace pressure control solenoid (4 reports)
  4. i had to have the transmission completely rebuilt (2 reports)
  5. drive in 3rd/overdrive highway only (1 reports)
  6. replace 02 sensor (1 reports)
2005 Chevrolet Impala transmission problems

transmission problem

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2005 Chevrolet Impala Owner Comments (Page 3 of 3)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #17

Jan 172008

Impala Sedan 3.4L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 69,000 miles

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

I purchased my Sorry * Chevy Impala brand new in January 2005. I started having problems with my car in January of 2008. It started jerking really bad whenever I started to drive the car when stopped at a light or stop sign. The car also would take a long pause before even moving. My car would jerk multiple times while I was driving whenever I accelerated from 25 miles to 30 miles and then the jerking would go away after 30 miles per hour. I took my car to many "So-called" mechanics about this problem but the car would never jerk whenever they would test drive it around to see if it would do it again. Finally after 6 six hours, the car started to jerk and I was informed that the transmission needed a new filter..I had that replaced for $66.00. Since I had that replaced, other things on this car have been going wrong and costing money such as: the speedometer doesn't even work after I paid $100.07 to get it fixed, the cd player skips after I paid $500.00 to replace it, the wires replaced and the radiator fixed due to leaking costing $120.00, brand new tires after the tires shredded on the highway $245.00, the brake pads, brakes, air filter, gas pump, and the alignment after $399+taxes, the thermostat fixed twice for $231 and now to add to this priceless list of things that I have replaced consistently through 2-5 years, the spark plugs replaced for $106 including tax.

After all of that, My car is starting to not start after I turn my key in the ignition. I would start the car and then it would just go start to the battery. I have had my car looked at and serviced since I had the car and the car is only 5 years old with about 88,000 miles on it. I could really understand if this car was 10 years old or more, maybe even 8 years old but come on, 5 years old. I was recently informed by other friends of mine that have the same model and close year as mine that they are having the same problem as well and everybody that they taking it to says the same thing..its the starter plugs, oh it needs an oil change, or they don't know what it is until they hook it up and look under the hood for $100 dollars. I am really at my wits end because I just got this car paid off last year and I am a full time student that is graduating next month and I have no more money in the bank(bc I am unemployed and doing the best I can with finding a job) because I am spending more money on this car to keep it going. I have no down payment to even get rid of this car and I was not able to find any recalls on this car to get it fixed....Can someone help because I am about to pull my hair out thinking about if the transmission goes out? Where I live, there is no transportation that comes where I am at and I am really trying to find a job...any job....HELP!

- austinar, Jacksonville, AR, US

problem #16

Apr 302009

Impala 3.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 62,000 miles

Bought the last Chevrolet I will EVER own back in March of 2008. 2005 Chevrolet Impala. Within a year, the fuel pump, instrument panel, and whatever was causing the gas leak, were replaced. Now....at 60,000 miles, I am noticing a slight slip in the transmission when changing gears. It only happens every now and then. Most days it drives normal, then out of the blue, I'm at a stop sign about ready to go, and the damn car transmission shudders and the tires squeal. I took it to the dealer, and they ran whatever diagnostic and NOTHING. Go figure.....you have a problem, then as soon as you take it in...it works fine. At this point, i am not surprised when a new problem arises with this car. If it's not one thing, its another. We'll see how long it will last before it takes a sh*t....

- Myron B., Coolidge, AZ, US

problem #15

Dec 032009

Impala V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 98,000 miles

The jerking my transmission started last year at 98,000 miles. After first starting the car in the mornings after you put the car in drive it jerks in to gear. After sitting at the red light or after a stop sign when you take off it jerks into gear.

- rogena, Griffin, GA, US

problem #14

Sep 102008

Impala LS 3.8L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 60,000 miles

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

I bought my car in Summer of 08 i had less than 60,000 miles on it. Once i passd the 60,000 point my transmission started to slip in first gear. A few months later 2nd gear started slipping then came 3rd gear. Ive had several mechanics look at it an tell me they can find any thing wrong. I plan to replace the whole transmission but keep complaining to the Chevy house On all the Problems on this model that they need to recall.

- Jeremy G., Midland, TX, US

problem #13

Jan 042010

Impala

  • Automatic transmission
  • 110,000 miles

I also always bought Chevrolet because of their reliability. Bought this one brand new in July 2005, ran fine until I hit about 100,000 and then the shifting became horrible. Thumping into gear, stalling and then shifting, shifting from 1st to 2nd and back again while on city streets. On the highway, its a dream no problems whatsoever, but in the city, it's a pain in the ass!!

- kathymo, St Joseph, MO, US

problem #12

Mar 012010

Impala 3.8L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 43,496 miles

My 2005 Impala has 70,000 km on it and the transmission has just started to shudder at 1st or 2nd gear. After reading the submitted complaints, I am wondering if there is any positive information about fixing this problem.

- ctsang, Toronto, ON, Canada

problem #11

Nov 092009

Impala 3.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 93,000 miles

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

Car started falling out of gear/thunking when climbing hills. Changed transmission fluid, no help. Took it to dealer and got the P1811 code. Replaced transmission for $2500. Still had problem, they reprogrammed the PCM and it was better for 2 weeks. Has started again and is getting progressively worse, mechanics are baffled according to dealer.

- lw_harris, Whitewright, TX, US

problem #10

Dec 012009

Impala 3.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 71,000 miles

2005 Chevrolet Impala started shifting hard after car warmed up. Had transmission fluid changed and filter also with a conditioner added. Mechanic said fluid was clean and filter was clean. Still having problems after all of this. Car actually squalled tires once when pulling out in traffic. I think I'll sue GM if my car gets hit from this. Since then I have found 2 other people within 50 miles that are having the same problem or have had the same problem around the same amount of miles. This should not be happening at 70000 miles. I own 4 GM products and my own brother works for GM but I'm swaying towards another brand the next vehicle that is purchased.

- cbssaylor, Williamsburg, KY, US

problem #9

Mar 152009

Impala 3.2L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 70,000 miles

i think its a really big inconvenience for car buyers to have to experience these type of problems so early on.

- Kareema B., Sarasota, FL, US

problem #8

Apr 082009

Impala 3.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 85,000 miles

Bought 2005 brand new in June 2005. I loved it and did all the regular maint. I was sitting at a red light. I put foot down on accelerator when light turned green. The engine resonded but the car just sat there for 5 seconds before it grabbed and I squeeled the tires and got whipflash at the same time. The fist time was just over 80,000 miles in April 2009. It now is occurring more and more frequently. At first I thought that the tranny fluid was low but checked it and it was fine. As long as I accelerate very slowly it is never an issue but if I dare try to take off in a hurry, it happens regularly. I am not going to fix it until full failure.

Update from Mar 23, 2011: I now have 125,000 miles on the car. I had the transmission power flushed at dealership. They said there were lots of metal filings on the magnet at the bottom of the pan. They wanted to fix transmission. I declined. The transmission still slips and no error codes are reported. I just checked the gas mileage and a tank of gas goes 350 km on the highway. Before slippage I was getting just over 600 km. The next morning after getting my car back from the dealership, I noticed 3 puddles on the ground in the snow. I now have a transmission, radiator and oil leak. It makes me wonder since I never had any leaks before I took it to get flushed. I have another appointment at the dealership to fix the transmission leak. A coincidence for sure.....

- spectre1, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

problem #7

Oct 102008

Impala 3.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 93,206 miles

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

I purchased a 2005 Chev Impala in October 2008 with 150,000 Kms on it. Good buy, it still had warenty on it, when I started to notice a bit of a hard shifting on take off, only after driving it in the city. I called a GM dealership and explained my concerns, they told me that sometimes car transmissions shift hard after driving in cities, that is normal.

I continued to call GM dealerships and they put me off until the warranty was gone. The problem never left, in fact it has gotten worse over the year that we have owned the car. Now the Traction Control light comes on and it growls at us while doing right hand turns, but only from a start; like at the corner when you stop then start - the idiot light comes on and there is a growling noise that comes from the system.

I have read many different people with the exact same problem, does anyone else feel that General Motors should be fixing not only that transmission issue but also the Traction Control issue???

How about we all put our heads together and complain to General Motors about these problems since these can cause serious safety issues which could, or maybe already have resulted in possible fatal safety issues. Let us do it now before the company files for bankruptcy. If anyone wants to start a letter of concern, lets do it now.

- jkscmcl, St.Marys, Ontario, Canada

problem #6

Jun 062007

Impala

  • Automatic transmission
  • 65,000 miles

I've always drove a GM products,until now why do automakers builds cars that their tech are not smart enough to fix or don't want to fix the problem. The problem with my car is the transmission shift hard and only seem to do it if you did a alot of start and stopping and you could turn the car off and let it sit for 10 min. or so then it won't do it again.Sometimes it would go for several days before it would happen again or will do it several times in a row.First time my car messed up took it to the first dealership they want to sell me a fuel systems for a 149.00. Second dealership took my car said can't do nothing about it until it acted up and the only time it seem to act up was on the weekends.After battle it finally acted up and then the fun started with the warranty company this started in june of 07. Fighting with the warranty company the service manager finally got the okay to tear into the transmission.Well guess what the transmission was burnt up it was cheaper to replace the whole thing instead of rebuilding it.2 weeks after getting my car out of the shop this was Dec 07, the problem started again called the dealership," bring it back in so we can reprogram the computer."The simple matter is the car is still acts up and nobody cares GM people give you the run around no warranty left except for the transmission and their answer is "you have warranty left and when it quits we'll fix it."I do have a code P1811 anyone else get the same code?My own personal thoughts its with the computer system but who am I except for a stupid female I'm not smart like that butthead that sits behind his desk in Austin TX probably never had his hands dirty or don't even know where the motor at.I could go on and on about every thing we had to do and even had to pay for to prove that wasn't the problem.

- godzillamom99, Verden, OK, US

problem #5

Jan 252009

Impala

  • Automatic transmission
  • 154,000 miles

I love my GM products. How ever this Impala my husband came home with has been a pain the @$$ from the beginning. We had the transmission replaced in July 2007. It cost us 2000$, today the heifer is out again. We have no car. It was fine yesterday and today it slips from 2nd to 3rd, 3rd to 4th and 4th into 5th. I am so irritated. We had the repairs done by the local dealership. We have put 52K miles on it since the repair. It should not have gone out at all. I can't believe this!!!! Tomorrow it is going back to the dealership to be fixed. If I have to go there at all there will be a scene. I can't believe this. I have always owned Chevy's and never had an issue...Why now? Has anyone else seen this in an 05 Impala before? Or is this just the bad apple from the bunch made that day?????

- bearhall04tn, Dickson, TN, US

problem #4

Jan 152008

Impala 3.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 62,500 miles

Ok so i have had my car since july of 05. The car is a base model impala that i bought with 20,000 miles on it. I have sence put another 40 some. Back in January when the car would shift gears it would bang really hard. I took it to a local shop and had a once over they told me that there was nothing wrong with the transmission. I kept driving it. I also kept feeling the shift. It seemed to do it when it was cold and then clear up as it got warm. Later down the road it just did it all the time. By now i was between jobs and didn't have the money to do anything about it. I parked it and drove my Jeep for a few months. I got in the car and moved it a few times but no real driving. Then one week the jeep was in the shop so i had to drive the car. TO my surprise nothing not even a hiccup. The car ran fine. I drove it for a few weeks just to and from work. One night on my way home the transmission just took a sh*t. I had to limp my way home with the flashers on at about 20 mile per hour. What a piece of sh*t transmission. Only 63000 miles and needs a complete rebuild. GM for you. Should have stuck with the fords.

- Thomas K., Elkton, MD, US

problem #3

Mar 182008

Impala SS 3.8L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 58,375 miles

This is an update to problem dated on 03/18/2008, the "Flight Recorder", was taken out of the car Thursday of last week, and the sent to GM'S Tech. Support, and they, GM Tech. Support came back to the dealership stating that the Flight Recorder came back with "NO CODES" on the Transmission!!! So, at this point and time, I am waiting for the Specialist from GM to call me this Monday with a conference call telling me their is nothing at this point and time they can do for me. This vehicle is still Shifting hard into gear!! So what is going to happen, the transmission will fail, and then I will have no other recourse to take serious action against GM, this issue is out of control!!!! One buys a GM product, they promise the world to you, but when there is an issue with there product, they can not and will not hear you!!!! And if one id OUT OF WARRANTY, THE HELL WITH YOU!!!!

Word to the wise, STAY AWAY FROM A GM PRODUCT!!!!!!!!

Will keep this message updated when it comes available!!!

Boobie From New Jersey!!

- boobie, Altantic Highlands, NJ, US

problem #2

Mar 182008

Impala SS 3.8L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 58,575 miles

This issue with my 2005 Impala SS transmission "Banging Into Gear", was report to the dealership where I purchased it new 06/05, I had the "Major" 50K service done on 03/08, three weeks after that I had to bring the vehicle in due to the transmission Banging more so often now, the service dept. could not duplicate the issue, and the transmission was not showing up any codes. They check the dip stick from the transmission, and the New Fluid was smelling "Burnt", I had a Power Flush done on that 50K major service on 03/08, and the fluid was 3 weeks old, and smelling burnt. I was told since I was off warranty, the miles were 58375, I would have to pay for out of pocket for a evaluation, which I did. the service dept., could not find anything wrong, I contact GM, they gave me Service number, and told me to go back to the dealership to drop the trans pan, that was done, I needed a flight recorder installed to take snap shots of the transmission when it bangs into to gear, which I have now.

Bottom line, this vehicle and the product and GM a not worth a DAMN!!!!

Anyone out there with the same issue??? GOD HELP YOU!!!!!

Boobie

- boobie, Altantic Highlands, NJ, US

problem #1

Jan 152008

Impala

  • Automatic transmission
  • 63,000 miles

I have about 63,000 miles on my transmission. The transmission will jerk very hard when I am driving the car but only at low speeds. I am going to have the transmission looked at and hope that GM mechanics will actually diagnose the problem while the car's still under warranty (I wish).

I should also mention that this car has had electrical, transmission, ignition, exhaust system, and wheel hub issues already. Don't buy GM!

- geist, Lorain, OH, US

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