Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Chevrolet Impala submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
ODOMETER INSTRUMENT CLUSTER RESISTERS OPERATE AT SUCH HIGH TEMPERTURES BECAUSE OF A LACK OF VENTILATION THAT THE SOLDER JOINTS MELT CAUSING THE ODOMETER TO FAIL .I FEEL IF THESE RESISTERS COULD FALL OUT INTO THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER IT COULD CAUSE AN ELECTRICIAL FIRE..
ALTERNATOR SUDDENTLY STOPPED WORKING. DASH BOARD LIGHT DOESN'T ALLOW CONSUMER TO SEE THE SPEED. HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW FAST HE IS GOING. ALSO, WHEN APPLYING BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS HEADLIGHTS GO DIM. WHEN HE RELEASES GAS AND BRAKE PEDALS, HEADLIGHTS ARE FULL FORCE. *AK
STARTING IN THE 1990 MODEL YEAR, GM HAS BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLING DIFFERENTIAL COVER GASKETS THAT DO NOT HAVE THE LUBRICATING HOLES!! IF YOU DO NOT CHANGE THIS GASKET TO ONE THAT HAS THE PROPER HOLES, YOUR OUTER AXLE BEARINGS, AS WELL AS THE AXLES THEMSELVES, WILL BE DESTROYED BY AROUND 70K MILES. THE DAMAGED (UNDER LUBRICATED) BEARINGS WILL WEAR GROOVES IN THE AXLE SHAFTS, REQUIRING THAT THEY ALSO BE REPLACED. IF THIS IS LEFT UNCHECKED, THE METAL BITS FROM THE DAMAGED OUTER BEARINGS AND AXLES WILL ALSO DAMAGE THE INNER BEARINGS, PINION BEARINGS, AS WELL AS CAUSE THE SPIDER GEARS TO WEAR INTO THE DIFFERENTIAL CARRIER. GM HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT CURRENTLY HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT. EVEN THE NEW VEHICLES STILL COME WITH THE IMPROPER GASKETS. FACTORY REPLACEMENT GASKETS ALSO LACK THE LUBRICATING HOLES. GM DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE REAR AXLE GASKET HAS A PROBLEM. AS A SIDE NOTE, GM FULL-SIZE LIGHT-DUTY PICKUPS ALSO SUFFER FROM THIS PROGLEM. I FEEL THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE CORRECTED AT NO EXPENSE TO THE OWNERS. I WOULD ASSUME THAT SHOULD YOU BE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THE REAR END/AXLE GOES, SOMEONE/THING IS GOING TO GET HURT, NOT TO MENTION THE HIGH EXPENSE OF THE REPAIRS TO THE VEHICLE. *AK
STARTING IN THE 1990 MODEL YEAR, GM HAS BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLING DIFFRENTIAL COVER GASKETS THAT DO NOT HAVE THE LUBRICATING HOLES!!! IF YOU DO NOT CHANGE THIS GASKET TO ONE THAT HAS THE PROPER HOLES, YOUR OUTER AXLE BEARINGS, AS WELL AS THE AXLES THEMSELVES, WILL BE DESTROYED TY AROUND 70K MILES. THE DAMAGED (UNDER LUBRICATED) BEARINGS WILL WEAR GROOVES IN THE AXLE SHAFTS, REQUIRING THAT THEY ALSO BE REPLACED. IF THIS IS LEFT UNCHECKED, THE METAL BITS FROM THE DAMAGED OUTER BEARINGS AND AXLES WILL ALSO DAMAGE THE INNER BEARINGS, PINION BEARINGS, AS WELL AS CAUSE THE SPIDER GEARS TO WEAR INTO THE DIFFERENTIAL CARRIER. GM HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM, BUT CURRENTLY HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT, AND EVEN THE NEW VEHICLES STILL COME WITH THE IMPROPER GASKETS. FACTORY REPLACEMENT GASKETS ALSO LACK THE LUBRICATING HOLES. GM DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE REAR AXLE GASKET HAS A PROBLEM. AS A SIDE NOTE, GM FULL-SIZE LIGHT-DUTY PICKUPS ALSO SUFFER FROM THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL THIS PROBLEM SHOULD BE CORRECTED AT NO EXPENSE TO THE OWNERS. I WOULD ASSUME THAT SHOULD YOU BE TRAVELING AT A HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THE REAR END/AXLE GOES, SOMEONE OR SOMETHING IS GOING TO GET HURT NOT TO MENTION THE HIGH EXPENSE OF CORRECTING THE PROBLEM IF YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE REAR END REPLACED.
GENERAL MOTORS IMPROPERLY INSTALLED DIFFERENTIAL COVER GASKETS THAT DO NOT HAVE LUBRICATING HOLES, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE OUTER AXLE BEARINGS/AXLE SHAFT TO BE DAMAGED AROUND 70000 MILES. THE DAMAGED BEARINGS COULD POTENTIALLY WEAR GROOVES IN THE AXLE SHAFTS. IF NOT FIXED, THE METAL BITS FROM DAMAGED OUTER BEARINGS COULD ALSO DAMAGE THE INNER BEARINGS/PINION BEARINGS, AS WELL AS CAUSING THE SPIDER GEARS TI WEAR INTO THE DIFFERENTIAL, CAUSING REAR END FAILURE WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. *AK
GENERAL MOTORS HAVE BEEN IMPROPERLY INSTALLING DIFFERENTIAL COVER GASKETS THAT DO NOT HAVE LUBRICATING HOLES. *AK
DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT, THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK.
TRANSMISSION DIFFERENTIAL NOISE.
GRINDING GEAR SOUND IN REAR END-CAUSING AUTO TO PULL AND JERK. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .