2009 Chevrolet Impala Brakes Problems

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. The traction control, ABS, and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic however, a diagnostic test could not be performed due the excessive rust underneath the vehicle. The mechanic was unable to hoist the vehicle on the lift because safety and liability issues. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 81,000.

WE RECEIVED A LETTER SAYING THIS YEAR AND MODEL HAVE A POOR SOLDER CONNECTION THAT CAUSES REDUCTION IN ENGINE POWER AND TRACTION CONTROL FAILURE. OUR CAR HAS THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, CHEVROLET WILL ONLY PAY FOR THE FIX IF IT IS UNDER WARRANTY AND HAS LESS THAN 120,000 MILES. WE BELIEVE THAT MOST SIX YEAR OLD CARS HAVE MORE THAN 120,000 MILES AND CHEVROLET IS JUST COVERING THEMSELVES FROM LAWSUITS WITH THIS LETTER. IF THEY SOLDERED SOMETHING IMPROPERLY THEY SHOULD FIX IT REGARDLESS OF THE MILEGE ON A VEHICLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO RESPOND WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF HIM. A PASSENGER IN THE OTHER VEHICLE HAD TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION, THE INJURIES WAS UNKNOWN. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT AUTO BODY MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE SKIDDED INTO THE INTERSECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

IN FEBRUARY 2014,THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ABS WARNING LIGHT BEGAN COMING ON, IN MY 2009 IMPALA, WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN. THE LIGHTS BEGAN TO COME ON MORE FREQUENTLY AND WOULD STAY ON FOR LONGER TIMES. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE LEFT HUB. THIS SOLVED THE PROBLEM FOR ABOUT A MONTH AND THEN THE TRACTION CONTROL AND THE ABS WARNING LIGHTS BEGAN APPEARING AGAIN. EACH TIME THE LIGHTS WOULD STAY ON FOR A LONGER TIME. THE CAR IS NOW IN THE SHOP FOR THE SECOND TIME FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON I95 MERGING ONTO 175 IN COLUMBIA, MD, MY SPEED WAS 65MPH. MY "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" LIGHT AND "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" LIGHT CAME ON AND MY CAR SHUT COMPLETELY OFF. I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR, COULD NOT APPLY BRAKES. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED THE IGNITION SWITCH TO OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES. LUCKILY THERE WASN'T ANY TRAFFIC BEHIND ME CAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE HIT ME AND KILLED ME. I WAITED ABOUT 5-10 MIN TURNED THE CAR ON PROCEEDED TO MY DESTINATION. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. I CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT BOB BELL CHEVROLET ON KANE STREET IN BALTIMORE. I WAS SEVERAL MILES FROM THERE THEY COULDN'T COME GET THE CAR SO I DROVE IT TO THEM. THEY HAD MY CAR APPROXIMATELY 2-3 DAYS AND COULD NOT REPLICATE THE INCIDENT. SINCE THIS TIME IT HAS HAPPENED 8-10 TIMES OR MORE SINCE MAY 11, 2014 I'VE CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT, THEY CAN LOOK AT IT, NO CODES REGISTERED IN DECEMBER WHEN THEY LOOKED AT IT SO THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG. THEY WANT ME TO BRING MY CAR IN BUT DON'T WANT TO GIVE ME A RENTAL. THIS IS TOO DANGEROUS. I AM SCARED EVERYTIME I GET BEHIND THE WHEEL OF MY CAR. *TR

MY TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH THE ABS LIGHT AND THE INFORMATION CENTER SAID SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL. THE DEALER WILL NOT DO ANYTHING WITH OUT ME PAYING FOR IT. IT APPEARS FROM MY RESEARCH THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE IMPALA. MINE DID NOT SHUT DOWN BUT I AM SURE THAT IS NOT FAR OFF. *TR

AFTER BRAKING TO MAKE A TURN, THE FOLLOWING WARNINGS CAME ON: REDUCED ENGINE POWER, SERVICE STABILATRAK, AND TRACTION CONTROL OFF. PLUS THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. FORTUNATELY NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED FROM THIS AND I DID EXPERIENCE REDUCTION IN ENGINE POWER. THESE WARNINGS REMAINED ON FROM THE ONSET UNTIL THIS MORNING, 06/25/12, WHEN I CHECKED IT AGAIN. NOW THE WARNINGS ARE NOT THERE. I STARTED THE CAR AND MOVED IT TO SEE IF THEY WOULD COME BACK ON AND SO FAR, NOTHING. I HAVE READ THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THIS PROBLEM WITH GM VEHICLES PARTICULARLY THIS MODEL. I WANT TO ADD OUR VEHICLE TO THE COMPLAINT LIST DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY OF DEPENDABILITY OF THE CAR AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS PROBLEM AND POTENTIAL FOR ACCIDENT.. I HOPE THAT WITH ENOUGH COMPLAINTS, A RECALL WILL BE ISSUED BY GM. *TR

THE VEHICLE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM (TCS) - "SERVICE SYSTEM" WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED ( LIT UP ) ON DASH DISPLAY AS THE VEHICLE OPERATOR ATTEMPTED TO PULL OUT INTO TRAFFIC, MAKING A LEFT TURN ONTO THE ROADWAY.THE WARNING MESSAGE WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A GRINDING NOISE IN AREA OF THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL AND A SUDDEN DECREASE IN ENGINE POWER AND SELF SLOWING/BRAKING OF THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY, CAUSING OTHER VEHICLE OPERATORS ON THE ROADWAY TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO PREVENT A COLLISION. THE OWNER CONTACTED SEVERAL DEALERS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AS THE "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" WARNING ACTIVATED THREE TIMES PREVIOUSLY BUT WITHOUT POWER LOSS ON THOSE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE OWNER WAS ADVISED BY ALL THE DEALERS THAT THEY "CAN ONLY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WHEN THE WARNING LIGHT IS LIT AS IT IS A RANDOM PROBLEM." THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING DEFECT THAT IS WIDELY KNOWN BY IMPALA OWNERS AND CHEVROLET DEALERS FOR THE PAST SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO EFFECT A SAFETY RECALL. GOOGLE { IMPALA TRACTION CONTROL PROBLEM AND YOU WILL SEE MANY,MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS DEFECT. *TR

HAD TO REPLACE BRAKE ROTORS IN FEB. BRAKES ARE LOCKED UP NOW OCT 29 SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. *TR

THIS VEHICLE IS VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES DUE TO THE WARPING OF THE ROTORS. AFTER RESEARCHING INFORMATION ON THE ROTORS TO A 2009 CHEVY IMPALA LT, I SEE THAT THERE ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT CONSTANTLY REPLACING THEM ON THIS VEHICLE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS MY BRAKES, BUT AFTER PAYING THAT "OVER-THE-HEAD PRICE AT THE DEALERSHIP" TO INSPECT FURTHER, MY SUSPICION LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT IT COULD HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH MY ROTORS; THE FINDINGS WERE THAT IT WAS INDEED MY ROTORS AND NOT JUST 1, BUT ALL FOUR. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS BECAUSE NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO CONSTANTLY REPLACE ROTORS, DUE TO SOME POOR ENGINEERING ON CERTAIN COMPONENTS. I ALMOST GOT INTO 3+ ACCIDENTS TRYING TO APPLY MY BRAKES WHEN DRIVERS DECIDED THAT THEY WERE GOING TO ENGAGE IN POOR, LIFE-THREATENING JUDGMENTS. APPLYING THE BRAKES TO THESE EASILY WARPED ROTORS, EVEN WHEN COMING DOWN FROM A SPEED OF 50, CAUSES THE PEDAL, STEERING, AND ENTIRE CAR TO SHAKE AS IF THERE WAS AN EARTHQUAKE OR YOU ARE BASICALLY LIKE FRED FLINSTONE AND USING YOUR FEET ON THE ROADWAY AS OPPOSE TO YOUR ENGINE. *TR

WITH BRAKE APPLICATION THE VEHICLE VIBRATES, SHUDDERS, AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECOMES HARD TO HOLD. CONDITION IS MOST EVIDENT ON DOWN HILL BRAKING. AFTER BRAKES COOL THE PROBLEM IS LESS NOTICEABLE. THE PROBLEM CAN THEN HAPPEN AT ANY GIVEN BRAKE APPLICATION, WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE IS HARD TO CONTROL IN THIS CONDITION AND THE DRIVER AND OCCUPANTS ARE STARTLED BY THE VIBRATIONS TAKING AWAY THE DRIVERS FOCUS ON DRIVING. *TR

COST OVER $483. TO HAVE DEALER REPLACE BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE. THEY ALSO SAID THEY WERE REPLACING REAR ROTORS IN THE DEAL. WHEN CAR WAS RETURNED WE NOTICED THAT WHILE GOING DOWNHILL, APPLYING THE BRAKES THAT THE FRONT SHOOK VIOLENTLY. CALLED SERVICE MGR AT GM DEALER WHO PERFORMED THIS WORK, AND HE TOLD ME NOT TO USE BRAKES GOING DOWNHILL TO MAINTAIN SPEED, BUT TO GEAR THE CAR DOWN WITH THE USE OF TRANSMISSION. I LIVE IN SOUTHWESTERN PA WHERE THERE ARE HILLS EVERYWHERE. DO I DAMAGE THE TRANSMISSION USING THIS PROCESS SUGGESTED BY THE GM SERVICE MGR, OR USE BRAKES? THOUGHT THAT WAS WHY CARS HAD BRAKES ON THEM ANYHOW?? *TR

WHEN SLOWING DOWN AT ANY SPEEDS ABOVE 30 MPH AT TIMES TOO OFTEN I'M GETTING A VIOLENT SHAKING OF THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT TO RIGHT ABOUT 1" IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. IT'S NOT CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BUT IT IS NOTICEABLE WHEN RIDING AND DOESN'T FEEL NOR LOOK NORMAL AT ALL! IT FEELS LIKE THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES SYSTEM ISN'T WORKING CORRECTLY - RELEASING/COMPRESSING FAST ENOUGH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED ROTORS ON THE VEHICLE WERE WARPED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BECAUSE THE CONTACTS FOOT REMAINED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE WAS A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT, BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS AND THE BRAKES ARE USED OFTEN; BUT THE FAILURE NEVER HAPPENED WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WAS 28,000.

I NOTICED SOME TIME BACK THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THAT I WOULD GET A ROUGH VIBRATION, SUCH AS WITH BAD ROTORS. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER THAT I PURCHASED IT AT AND THEY LOOKED IT OVER AND STATED THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE. SINCE THEN EVERYTIME I HIT THE BRAKES THE VIBRATIONS HAVE ONLY GOTTEN WORSE, IT'S TO THE POINT NOW THAT IT VIOLENTLY SHAKES THE ENTIRE CAR AND FEELS AS IF IT'S GOING TO JERK THE STEERING WHEEL RIGHT OUT OF MY HANDS. SO I MADE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT FOR THIS ISSUE AND A NEW ONE; SOMETIMES MY DASH LIGHTS WILL FLICKER AND IT WILL TELL ME IT'S 102 OUTSIDE WHEN IT'S ONLY 70 AND AUTOMATIC TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR IS WAY, WAY OFF. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED RECENTLY THAT MY FRONT TIRES HAVE BECOME EXCESSIVELY WORN ON THE OUTER EDGES TO WHERE THERE IS ONLY TREAD IN THE CENTER AND THIS SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM WITH ONLY 21,500 MILES ON THE VEHICLE; I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET ABOUT TWICE THAT OUT OF THE FACTORY TIRES. AT MY LAST APPOINTMENT THEY HAVE STILL SAID THERE IS NO NOTABLE PROBLEMS WITH MY IMPALA. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES, ROTORS AND CALIPERS FAILED AND WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED 15,100 MILES LATER AND THE ROTORS AND CALIPERS WOULD REQUIRE REPLACING A SECOND TIME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 31,000. UPDATED 04/30/13*LJ

THE STEERING SHAKES SO VIOLENTLY WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED WHEN NEEDED TO SLOW SUDDENLY IN TRAFFIC OR LEAVING THE INTERSTATE THAT HAVE TO RELEASE THE BRAKE AND APPLY BRAKE SEVERAL TIME TO SLOW DOWN. INSTALLED NEW ROTORS AND LESS THEN 3000 MILES HAD TO HAVE THEM TURNED ALSO BALANCE ALL WHEELS, THEY WARPED AGAIN AFTER NOT EVEN 500 MILES. I'M AFRAID WHEN I NEED TO USE THE BRAKES IN A EMERGENCY SITUATION I AM NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO STOP IN TIME.

WHILE APPLYING MY BRAKES THE FRONT END SHAKES AND STEERING WHEEL SHAKES SO BADLY, IT MAKES YOU WANT TO NOT USE THE BRAKES AND PULL YOUR FOOT OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE BRAKES APPEAR TO HAVE HARD SPOTS IN THE ROTOR. THERE ARE 35,900 MILES ON THIS CAR WHICH WE PURCHASED BRAND NEW IN JULY 2009. MY WIFE DRIVES THIS CAR AND SHE SAYS IT HAS VIBRATED SINCE 13,000 MILES, BUT HAS RECENTLY BEEN A MORE ALMOST VIOLENT VIBRATION WHEN COMING TO A STOP. THIS HAPPENS WHEN COMING OFF AN EXPRESSWAY RAMP AFTER DRIVING MAYBE 20-40 MILES AND NOT EVEN USING THE BRAKES PRIOR TO HAVING TO APPLY ON THE EXIT ON A GRADUAL SLOWDOWN, NOT A SUDDEN STOP. THIS CAUSES ONE NOT TO WANT TO DRIVE THIS CAR. I WAS A MASTER TECH ON TRUCKS FOR 20 YEARS, AND JUST DRIVING THIS ONE TIME, I KNEW THE PROBABLE CAUSE, I WAS NOT JUST GUESSING. I CHECKED THE WEB AND WAS ASTOUNDED TO SEE THE CAR MANUFACTURER I HAD ALWAYS ALIGNED MYSELF TO, IN THE COMPLAINT SECTION RESPONDING NEGATIVELY TO CUSTOMERS. I CALLED 2 LOCAL DEALERS TODAY TO TRY AND GET THE CAR IN TO BE REPAIRED AND ASKED BOTH SERVICE REPS IF IT WOULD BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, AND THEY BOTH IN THE CINCINNATI AREA SAID NO, IT WAS A WEAR PROBLEM. WAITING TO HEAR A RESPONSE FROM THIS COMPLAINT. *TR

BRAKE ROTOR WARP ON 2009 IMPALA LT WITH 30K MILES. CAR VIOLENTLY SHAKES BETWEEN 25MPH - 35 MPH. HAPPENS WHEN SLOWING DOWN FROM SPEEDS 65MPH AND ABOVE. AT THE DEALER NOW BUT THEY ARE TRYING TO SAY THE CAUSE IS DRIVER HABIT RELATED. *TR