Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Chevrolet Impala submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 51 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.
The 25 most recent of 51, in the owner's own words
THE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. ONE DAY WE WERE DRIVING IN TOWN AT 45 MPH AND THE TRANSMISSION DEVELOPED A HIGH PITCHED SOUND AND TWO SECONDS LATER IT DROPPED TO 25 MPH. THE TRANSMISSION WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST FOR THAN THE CAR IS WORTH. THE TRANSMISSION SHOP STATED IT IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE CAR DUE TO A LARGE GAP BETWEEN THE CLUTCH AND THE GEARS. *TR
2001 CHEVY IMPALA ENGINE, RADIATOR AND BATTERY REPLACED. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE FIXED AT HER OWN EXPENSE BECAUSE GM WOULD NOT HELP HER OUT. SHE STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WENT 3 MONTHS AFTER THE ENGINE. *KB THE POWER SWITCH AND SIDE MIRROR WAS REPLACED. *JB
2001 CHEVY IMPALA WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REBUILT AND GM IS LESS THAN REASONABLE**CC THE CONSUMER STATED IN OCTOBER 2006 THE TRANSMISSION BLEW WITH ONLY 48,000 MILES ON IT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE GEARS FAILED AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPPED MOVING. NO WARNING INDICATORS WERE PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HER RESIDENCE AND TAKEN TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS THE TRANSMISSION. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 67,000.
THE TRACTION SYSTEM WAS ACTIVATING FOR NO REASON. SERVICE ABS LIGHT CAME ON IN VEHICLE. DEALER REPLACED LEFT WHEEL HUB, INCLUDING SENSOR. PROBLEM RECURRED THE DAY AFTER AND THE WRONG ASSEMBLY WAS INSTALLED, THE CORRECT ASSEMBLY WAS INSTALLED. ONE MONTH LATER PROBLEM RECURRED. DEALER CLAIMED IT WAS A LOOSE CONNECTION ON WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLY. SEVEN MONTHS LATER PROBLEM RECURRED. DEALER NOW SAYS THE RIGHT HUB ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACING, AS WELL AS THE TRANSMISSION SOLENOID. REPAIRS HAVE NOT BEEN DONE FOR THE LATTER BECAUSE WE WANT DEALERSHIP TO REPAIR FREE OF CHARGE.*AK
MY VEHICLE HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION RUNNING ROUGH, NEARLY STALLING, AND A 0742 CODE BEING ACTIVATED. THE CAR HAS 123,000 MILES ON IT, SO IT IS WELL OUT OF WARRANTY. A LOCAL TRANSMISSION SHOP STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT AND QUOTED A PRICE OF $1400 TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION. I KNOW THAT THE CAR HAS A GREAT DEAL OF MILEAGE ON IT, BUT I EXPECT A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR THE MONEY I PAID FOR THE CAR. AFTER LOOKING ON THIS WEB SITE AT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND PROBLEMS PEOPLE ARE HAVING WITH THIS CAR/TRANSMISSION, AND SEEING THAT THE 4T65E TRANSMISSION IS USED IN OVER 20 GM CARS, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT GM TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THIS BEFORE IT COSTS THE AMERICAN PUBLIC THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS? ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO PUSH GM TO MAKE THIS PROBLEM RIGHT WOULD BE APPRECIATED. IF YOU CANNOT THE ONLY THING I WILL DO IS BUY JAPANESE.*JB
TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *NM
POWER TRAIN FAILURE: FIRST SIGN OF PROBLEM WAS HARSH SHIFTING, HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FILTER CHANGED, STILL HAD SAME PROBLEM. BEFORE I FOUND THE SERVICE BULLETINS ON THIS PROBLEM THE PLANETARY GEARS GOT CHEWED UP BY A BROKEN PIECE OF METAL, HAD TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION $1800. FILED COMPLAINT WITH GM, SINCE I DID NOT HAVE IT REPAIRED AT A DEALER (FOR TWICE THE PRICE) THEY WOULD NOT HELP. NOW I HAVE A 2001 MONTE CARLO SHOWING THE SAME HARSH SHIFTING. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BE FLUSHED BY THE DEALER AND THEY PUT AN ADDITIVE INTO THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO HELP THE STICKY VALUE PROBLEM, DID NOT WORK. THERE IS A PATTERN HERE AND GM WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *NM
DT: THE CALLER SAID THAT WHILE ACCELERATING TO GET BACK ON THE HIGHWAY LOST FORWARD MOTION. HE SAID THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE PUSHED OFF THE ROAD. VEHICLE WAS TOWED. DEALER HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING YET. MANUFACTURER SAID THEY WERE CONTACTING THE DEALER AND WILL GET BACK TO THE CALLER. THEY WERE HOLDING OFF UNTIL AN INSPECTOR LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE. INSPECTOR WAS NOT A GMC EMPLOYEE.*AK
2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA WAS INVOLVED IN A MINOR ACCIDENT AND AFTERWARDS THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NO LONGER FUNCTION.*MR THE TRANSMISSION HAD NO REVERSE AND HAD SHIFTING PROBLEMS. THE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE THRUST BEARINGS BROKE AND DAMAGED THE SUN GEAR, INPUT CARRIER AND REACTION SUN GEAR. THE TECHNICIAN INDICATED THE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS TRANSMISSION AND THAT IT'S FAILURE WAS NOT RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT. THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED SERVICE BULLETINS REFERENCING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *NM
PROBLEMS TO GET GEAR IN - DELAYED WITH SOME NOISE. A DAY LATER THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE PLANETARY SYSTEM BROKE - AFTER ONLY 44000 MILES. RANSMISSION TYPE 4T65E. REPAIR WAS NECESSARY - COSTS $2300. *AK
PURCHASE - MAY 2003 TRANSMISSION - MAY 2003 TRANSMISSION (ELECTRICAL WIRE) OCTOBER 2003 THE CAR CONTINUED TO RUN IRREGULAR. ON AN INTERMITTENT BASIS IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY HESITANT TAKING OFF FROM A STOP SIGN OR RED LIGHT. FEBRUARY 2004 - NOTHING WAS FOUND WRONG WITH THE CAR ALTHOUGH IT CONTINUED TO RUN IMPROPERLY. SEPTEMBER 2004 - CATALYTIC CONVERTER OCTOBER 2004 - UNDIAGNOSED DUE TO CHEVY'S REFUSAL TO DIAGNOSIS THE CAR FOR FREE AFTER JUST REPLACING THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER SIX (6) DAYS AGO. *NM
2001 CHEV IMPALA --TRANSMISSION FAILURE AFTER 40,000 MILES DUE TO A PRESSURE PUMP BEING BAD. IS THIS THE CAUSE TO MANY REPORTED ROLL BACKS ? DID GM PUT INFERIOR PUMPS IN THEIR TRANSMISSIONS TO CUT COSTS AND AT THE CONSUMERS EXPENSE ?*AK
TRANSMISSION FAILURE--2001 CHEVY IMPALA WITH 45,000 MILES--BASICALLY NO ADVANCE NOTICE--STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, DEPRESSED ACCELERATOR AND TRANSMISSION TOOK AWHILE TO ENGAGE BEFORE MOVING FORWARD. HAPPENED AGAIN AT THE NEXT TWO (2) LIGHTS. GOT CAR HOME INTENDING TO TAKE TO DEALER IN MORNING. BACKED CAR OUT OF GARAGE--WENT 5 FT AND IT WOULD NOT MOVE FURTHER. PULLED FORWARD AND ABLE TO PUT IN REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF DRIVEWAY. MANAGED TO GET TO DEALER. GOING TO TEARDOWN TRANSMISSION TOMORROW. SHOULD NOT HAPPEN ON A VEHICLE WITH 45,000 MILES---90,000 MAYBE, 45,000 NO. THIS IS MY 3RD TRANSMISSION FAILURE WITH A GM PRODUCT SINCE 1980. LIKE THEIR STYLING BUT DON'T KNOW IF I CAN CONTINUE TO PURCHASE THEIR PRODUCTS.*AK
2001 CHEVY\ROLET IMPALA, 64,000 MILES, PURCHASED MAY 2001, NO PROBLEMS UNTIL 8/3/2004-- VEHICLE MADE GRINDING/METAL SOUND, QUIT MOVING ON BUSY 4-LANE ROAD IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID TRANSMISSION IS SHOT AND MUST BE REPLACED, IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY QUOTED ME $3500 TO REPLACE IT. NOW IT IS AT A TRANSMISSION SHOP TO BE REBUILT. NO WORD YET ON HOW EXTENSIVE THE REPAIR WILL BE. *AK
TRANSMISSION BLEW FROM THE INSIDE OUT. *JB
TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT IS LIT WHEN CAR IS PUT IN REVERSE.. THERE IS NO WHEEL SPIN WHEN THIS HAPPENS. ALSO VEHICLE STALLS AT IDLE, WHINING NOISE ON ACCELERATION DEALER SAYS COULD BE INTAKE GASKET LEAKING.. WILL NOT REPLACE . DEALER SAYS COMPUTER TEST SHOWS NO PROBLEM. SMELL OF ANTI-FREEZE IN CABIN AT INTERMITTENT TIMES. CANNOT LOCATE LEAK. *AK
MY HUSBAND SAID THAT HIS CAR WAS DRIVING POORLY FOR ABOUT A MONTH OR SO BEFORE IT BROKE DOWN ON A BUSY ROAD. SINCE THIS IS THE THIRD CHEVROLET TRANSMISSION TO BREAK DOWN ON BOTH MY HUSBAND AND I WE KNEW THAT WAS THE PROBLEM. AS A RESULT WE WERE WITHOUT A CAR FOR ABOUT A WEEK. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT BUT THERE VERY WELL COULD HAVE BEEN. THE CAR JUST DIED AT A RED LIGHT. CHEVROLET REPLACED THIS TRANSMISSION WITH A REBUILT TRANSMISSION,BECAUSE IT WAS STILL UNDER THE ORIGINAL FACTORY WARRANTY. THE WARRANTY ON THE REBUILT PART WAS FOR ONLY 90 DAYS. LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD TO PAY FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO BE REPLACED ON MY 1997 VENTURE AFTER ONLY 52,000 MILES THE WARRANTY GIVEN WAS FOR ONE YEAR. *AK
CAR ROLLS BACKWARD WHILE IN DRIVE ON INCLINE. DEALER CLAIMED THAT IT IS NORMAL. SEEMS TO ME THAT IT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. ALSO WHEN SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE THE TRANS WILL SHIFT BUT WHEN I ACCELERATE THE TRANS SLAMS INTO GEAR. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TAKE CAR IN TO DEALER AS THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN EVERY DAY. AFTER READING OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSIONS IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE. *JB
I CURRENTLY OWN A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS, 3.8L V6. BEFORE 36,000 MILES I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING POORLY AND WHEN IT WAS COLD THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLAM INTO GEAR. DEALER MADE SOME REPAIRS AND TOLD ME THE FUEL SYSTEM NEEDED TO BE SERVICED. I DECLINED THE FUEL SERVICE AT THE TIME AND THE TRANSMISSION SLAMMING INTO GEAR FROM A COLD START CONTINUED. THE PROBLEM WORSENED AT 47,000 MILES. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALER AND AFTER 2 DAYS I WAS TOLD THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE FUEL SYSTEM SERVICE. AT 50,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING SEVERELY. I TRIED TO GET THE CAR HOME AND IT FAILED TO ENGAGE WHILE PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. I GOT THE CAR HOME TO PERFORM THE 50,000 MILE SERVICE TO THE TRANSMISSION AND FOUND A HANDFUL OF METAL IN THE PAN. HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND FOUND OUT THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS COMPLETELY TOTALLED. GM ONLY OFFERED TO PAY FOR HALF THE REPAIR COSTS. THERE IS NO RECOMMENDED SERVICE BEFORE 50,000 MILES AND I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIRS ON THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE OWNED IT LESS THAN 3 YEARS. *AK
WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN, CAR SHOOK ALL OVER AND I HEARD A LOUD BANG. THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. I COASTED TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD WHERE I WAITED FOR A TOW TRUCK. THE DEALERSHIPS SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED ME AFTER ABOUT A WEEK, THAT MY PLANETARY GEAR HAD EXPLODED. HE ALSO STATED THAT THE FLUID FILTER WAS FULL OF METAL SHAVINGS. HE STATED TO US THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT I COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. MY NEW TRANSMISSION COST ME $2200. THIS CAR HAS JUST 55000 MILES ON IT. IT IS ABSOLUTELY INSANE THAT I AM PAYING ALL OF THIS MONEY TO REPAIR THIS CAR, THAT IS PRACTICALLY NEW. I HAVE CONTACTED GM'S CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE AND THEY WILL OFFER NO ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER. THE SERVICE I RECEIVED FROM THEM WAS POOR. THE CASE WAS ACTUALLY LOST ONCE THEREFORE I HAD TO START ALL OVER AGAIN. THE WOMAN WHO THEN TOOK OVER THE CASE BOLD FACE LIED TO MY FIANCE AND THEN BACK PEDALED BY SAYING THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER CASE JUST LIKE MINE AND THE WOMAN JUST HAPPENED TO HAVE THE SAME NAME AS ME. WHAT A COINCIDENCE. IN ADDITION TO THIS, JUST 10 DAYS PRIOR TO THE TRANSMISSION'S DEATH, I HAD TO REPLACE A CATALYTIC CONVERTER IN THE VEHICLE. *AK
WHILE DRIVING TRANSMISSION SLIPPED GEARS AND LURCHED FORWARD. DEALER REPLACED THE ORIGINAL TRANSMISSION WITH A REBUILT TRANSMISSION. THE REBUILT TRANSMISSION ALSO SLIPPED GEARS AND LURCHED FORWARD. *AK WHEN VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO THE DEALER ON FIRST FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION, CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE COLOR OF THE FLUID IN THE TRANS AXLE WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE IN THE BOTTLE. CONSUMER DECIDED TO REPLACE THE TRANSAXLE AND FLUID AFTER VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN FOR A NUMBER OF MILES BECAUSE THE FLUID COLOR GETS DARKER. AFTER REPAIR, JUST AFTER WARRANTY PERIOD, TRANSMISSION BLEW UP THEN VEHICLE QUIT DRIVING FORWARD; TRANSMISSION TECHNICIAN AND COULD NOT TELL THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. CONSUMER SPOKE TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT MANAGER AND SAID THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY OF AN AXLE BEARING OR BEARING FAILURE. *LA
WHILE DRIVING UPHILL VEHICLE SLIPPED OUT OF DRIVE. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PUT IT BACK INTO DRIVE. *AK
I HAVE A CHEVROLET IMPALA 2001. JUST LAST WEEK THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY WENT. I JUST RECEIVED WORD FROM THE TRANSMISSION SHOP I TOOK IT TO. THE ESTIMATE IS $1700.00. WHICH IS RIDICULOUS FOR A CAR WITH 38,500 MILES. GM STATED THAT SINCE IT IS OVER WARRANTY THERE IS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. SECOND THEY STATED THAT THE IMPALA WOULD NEED TO BE AT A GM DEALER FOR THEM TO EVEN OPEN A COMPLAINT WITH THE ISSUE. WHY WOULD I TAKE IT TO A GM DEALER TO HAVE THEM TELL ME SORRY OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEN CHARGE ME DOUBLE THE QUOTE OF A TRANSMISSION SHOP. FOOL ME ONCE SHAME ON YOU. BUT FOOL ME TWICE SHAME ON ME. ANY ADVISE YOU COULD OFFER WOULD BE APPRECIATED.*AK
AT 39,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED WHILE SHIFTING INTO GEAR, WHICH CAUSED A LURCHING MOVEMENT EVERY TIME. *JB INITIALLY, THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM STARTED AT 26K MILES. THE DEALER STATED STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL ROD NEEDED REPLACING AND LUBRICATION. THE DIFFICULTY RETURNED. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG. THE VEHICLE HAD BEGUN TO LURCH INTO GEAR WHEN STOPPED, SKIPPED GEARS IN REVERSE, AND SOMETIMES WOULD NOT DROP INTO PROPER GEAR. *SC
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
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