Visibility
Filed Jan 13, 2004
REAR VISION IS IMPARED WHEN LOOKING THROUGH BACK GLASS.THE DE-ICER/DEFROSTER HAS TURNED ( FOGGY) .THIS IS A REAL SAFETY CONCERN AT NIGHT ESPECIALLY.
- NHTSA ID
- 10053115
- Incident
- Apr 7, 1997
- Mileage
- 25,000 mi
1996 Chevrolet Impala Visibility Problems
Owner-reported complaints naming the visibility system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Visibility reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
13
Latest Jan 13, 2004
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
15%
of 88 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0
What this page shows
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors. 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. 13 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.
Owner reports naming visibility
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
Visibility
Filed Mar 5, 2003
HEATER CORE IN MY 1996 IMPALA IS CONSTANTLY CLOGGING, THEREFORE NO HEAT AND NO DEFROSTERS. COOLING SYSTEM FLUSHED 2 TIMES BY CHEVROLET GARAGE. THEY HAVE NO WAY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS NATION WIDE AND NOT A LOCAL ISSUE. *JB
- NHTSA ID
- 10008456
- Incident
- Feb 6, 2003
Visibility
Filed Apr 13, 2000
HEATER CORE BLOCKED-NO DEFROST CAPABILITY-VISION OBSTRUCTED-DANGEROUS SITUATION-THE IMPALA CLUB HAS HUNDREDS OF REPORTS OF THIS DEFECT WHICH APPEARS DUE TO THE DEX-COOL ANTI FREEZE INSTALLED BY GMC AT THE FACTORY.ACCORDING TO INPUT FROM THE MEMBERSHIP REPLACEMENT OF THE CORE, FLUSHING THE SYSTEM, REPLACEMENT OF THE RADIATOR AND REFILLING WITH TRADITIONAL ANTI FREEZE CORRECTS THE PROBLEM. FAILURE IN THE SYSTEMS WITH THE DEX-COOL OCCURS IN AS LITTLE AS 11,000 MILES BUT MANY FAILURES SEEM TO OCCUR AT 40,000 TO 50,000 MILES. THE DEX-COOL IS STATED TO LAST FOR 100,000 MILES. GM IS PRESENTLY REFUSING TO CORRECT THE DEFECT. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 721405
- Incident
- Apr 10, 2000
Visibility
Filed Apr 3, 2000
RIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE) WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE FAILED. THE LINKAGE IN THE COWL PLENUM CHAMBER BROKE AT THE ATTACHMENT TO THE RIGHT W/S WIPER DRIVE PIVOT. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 720921
- Incident
- Feb 15, 2000
Visibility
Filed Mar 29, 2000
HEATER CORE CLOGS UP FROM (DEX-COOL) ANTIFREEZE, RESULTING IN NO HEAT FOR DEFROSTERS CAUSING FOGGING OF THE WINDOWS, UNABLE TO RECTIFY. *MJS
- NHTSA ID
- 551593
Visibility
Filed Mar 22, 2000
HEAT/DEFROST HAS FAILED TWICE BOTH TIMES FLUSHED AND REPAIRED BY MYSELF (ASE MASTER CERT. MECH.) BOTH IN COLD WEATHER DEFROST WOULD'NT CLEAR WINDSHIELD FOR PROPER VISIBILTY GM CLAIMS THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH DEX-COOL IN THE SYSTEM AND IT'S MY PROBLEM NOT THEIRS.
- NHTSA ID
- 720499
- Incident
- Feb 9, 1999
Visibility
Filed Mar 21, 2000
HEAT DOESN'T WORK IN THE WINTER. HEATER CORE HAS TO BE FLUSHED EVERY WINTER BECAUSE OF BUILD UP. DEALER SAYS THAT THIS IS RARE, NEVER HEARD BEFORE OF THIS PROBLEM, AND DOESN'T KNOW ITS CAUSE. *AK *ML
- NHTSA ID
- 858925
- Incident
- Oct 20, 1999
Visibility
Filed Mar 21, 2000
MAJOR VISABILITY AND SAFETY PROBLEM CAUSED BY DEFROSTER/HEATER FAILURE ON MOST 1996 IMPALAS DUE TO CHEMICAL REACTION WITH NEW (1996) DEX-COOL ANTI-FRREEZE IN HEATER CORE CAUSING ACCELERATED LOSS OF HEAT UNTIL COMPLETE BLOCKAGE OCCURS.
- NHTSA ID
- 720444
- Incident
- Oct 15, 1998
Visibility
Filed Mar 20, 2000
DEXCOOL ANTIFREEZE CLOGS HEATER CORE, RESULTING IN HEATER NOT WORKING. HAS HAPPENED TWICE SINCE PUCHASE OF CAR.
- NHTSA ID
- 720375
- Incident
- Oct 1, 1999
Visibility
Filed Mar 16, 2000
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 720176
- Incident
- Feb 28, 2000
Visibility
Filed Mar 16, 2000
CLOGGED HEATER CORE DUE TO DEX-COOL COOLANT IN CAR. TOOK TWO TRIPS TO DEALER TO GET FIXED, AND THEN ONLY AFTER GIVING THEM THE TSB. DEX-COOL COOLANT IS KNOWN FOR CAUSING HEATER CORE BLOCKAGE, BUT GM REFUSES TO ADMIT IT, OR OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE. AS THE WARRANTY ON MANY OF THESE VEHICLES IS WEARING OUT, COST OF THIS CONSTANT FLUSHING OF THE CORE IS PUT ON THE OWNER. GM ADVERTISES THE DEXCOOL COOLANT DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED, OR SERVICED FOR 100,000 MILES. THIS PROMISE IS OBVIOUSLY NOT BEING LIVED UP TO, AND THE OWNERS OF THE CARS ARE THE ONES PAYING THE PRICE. *AK
- NHTSA ID
- 720174
- Incident
- Jan 10, 2000
Visibility
Filed Mar 15, 2000
HEATER DOES NOT COME ON DUE TO HEATER CORE BEING CLOGGED. DEALER HAS FLUSHED THE SYSTEM, AND HEATER STILL DID NOT FUNCTION. WATER PUMP REPLACED. APPEARS THAT A CHEMICAL REACTION WITH DEX-COOL ANTIFREEZE, OEM STOPLEAK FACTORY TABLETS, AND ALUMINUM AND STEEL COMPONENTS INCLUDING FLOW RESTRICTOR CAUSE CONGEALING OF COOLANT WHICH CAUSES ACCELERATED LOSS OF HEAT UNTIL COMPLETE BLOCKAGE OF THE HEATER CORE OCCURS. DEX-COOL WAS NOT USED IN PREVIOUS GM MODELS, AND NO HEAT PROBLEMS EXISTED. CONSUMER BELIEVES A RECALL IS IN ORDER. *AK *ML
- NHTSA ID
- 858557
- Incident
- Oct 1, 1999
Visibility
Filed Mar 13, 1999
HEATER CORE LEAKING AT 37,000 MILES COSTLY REPAIR GOT SOME ASSISTANCE AFTER I CALLED 800 NUMBER THEN WATER PUMP LEAKING AT 52,000 MILES COSTLY REPAIR AGAIN NO ASSISTANCE THEN ODOMETER LIGHT FAILED AND HAD TO REPLACE COMPLETE SPEEDOMETER HEAD AGAIN VERY COSTLY I HAVE THE POPPING SOUND IN FRONT SUSPENSION HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING FROM MANUFACTURER AS TO A RECALL IS THERE ONE
- NHTSA ID
- 704385
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.
Other components reported on this vehicle
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .