Owner-reported complaints naming the exterior lighting system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Chevrolet Impala submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 123 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 123, in the owner's own words
HIGH BEAM SWITCH HAS BEEN BROKEN, VERY COMMON PROBLEM WHEN GOOGLE SEARCHING. NO ONE FIXES IT AS IT IS PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE. CANNOT USE HIGH BEAMS AND MANY PEOPLE ADJUST THE LOW BEAMS HIGHER AS A SOLUTION, WHICH IS BAD FOR EVERYONE. SHOULD BE A RECALL?
MY BACK LIGHTS AND DASHBOARD DOES NOT WORK
THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE OCCURS AT RANDOM TIMES AND CONDITIONS. AS I'M TRAVELING AT NIGHT AND I PULL BACK THE DIMMER SWITCH LEVER, THE HEADLIGHTS WILL GO OUT AND LEAVE ME TOTALLY IN THE DARK. THE ONLY WAY THAT I CAN GET THE HEADLIGHTS TO COME ON AGAIN IS TO CONTINUE TO MANIPULATE THE DIMMER/TURN SIGNAL LEVER UNTIL THE LIGHTS COME BACK ON. *TR
TURN SIGNALS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. AND JUST IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WAY YOU SEE THAT YOUR TURN SIGNALS DO NOT WORK AND SOMETIMES THEY WORK! *TR
I HAVE HAD 1 TURN SIGNAL SWITCH REPLACED DUE TO A WIRE THAT FRIED AND STARTED SMOKING CAUSING WHITE SMOKE TO COME OUT NEAR THE STEERING WHEEL. THE HIGH BEAM HEAD LIGHTS WERE STUCK ON THE ON POSITION KILLING THE BATTERY. THAT WAS LAST YEAR. THESE SWITCHES COST ABOUT 500.00 BC THEY ARE DEALER PARTS. NOW, 10/21/14 I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT NIGHT AND LOST MY LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS. MECHANICS TELL ME SAME PROBLEM. I NEED ANOTHER TURN SIGNAL SWITCH REPLACED. I'VE BEEN DRIVING ON ONLY HIGH BEAMS NOW UNTIL I CAN AFFORD ANOTHER 500 BUCKS. TO EXPENSIVE FOR ME TO KEEP REPLACING. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS. THE CONTACT HAD TO ACTIVATE THE HIGH BEAMS AS AN INTERIM FIX. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURNING SIGNALS FAILED TO ACTIVATE INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE.
MY BLINKER SWITCH AND HIGH BEAM DOESN'T WORK AT ALL YOU HAVE TO MESS WITH THE FLASHER BUTTON IF YOU WANT TO SINGLE A TURN. OTHER TIMES IT WORKS BUT STILL NO HIGH BEAMS ITS BEEN WORKED ON LIGHTS CHANGED EVERYTHING STILL NOTHING. I WAS TOLD A FACTORY DEFECT BUT HEARD NOTHING ON THIS. I CARRY MY SMALL CHILDREN AND MY WIFE IN THIS CAR AND I ALMOST GOT REARENDED A FEW TIMES SO IF ITS A FACTORY DEFECT THEY SHOULD FIX IT. I HEARD OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT SO ITS NOT JUST PARTS WORE OUT IT WAS NO GOOD IN THE BEGINNING THEN THEY SHOULD PAY FOR IT SINCE THE FAULT IS AT THE FACTORY. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY FAILED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE A/C SYSTEM FAILED TO ACTIVATE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. UPDATED 08/27/14*LJ UPDATED 09/18/2014 *JS
I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND MY HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. I FLASHED MY BRIGHTS AND THEY CAME BACK ON. IT HAS DONE THIS MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED AND WHEN SWITCHING FROM THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS TO THE HIGH BEAM LIGHTS, THE LIGHTS WOULD SHUT OFF. THE CONTACT WOULD SWITCH THE LIGHTS ON AND OFF, BUT THE LIGHTS WOULD NOT REMAIN ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED CONTINUOUSLY OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE LIGHT SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000. UPDATED 05/29/14 MA THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. UPDATED 06/2014 *JS
HAZARD FLASHER SWITCH IS BAD. THE TURN SIGNALS WILL GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY. IF YOU PRESS THE HAZARD BUTTONS OVER AGAIN THE TURN SIGNALS WORK AGAIN. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING SINCE 2012 WHEN MY VEHICLE HAD 70,000 MILES. *TR
MY TURN SIGNALS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. SOMETIMES NOT AT ALL AND SOMETIMES HAVE TO ACTIVATE FLASHERS ON AND OFF. SOMETIMES LITES WON'T TURN ALL THE WAY OFF WHEN I PARK THEY WILL MAKE A CHIMING SOUND AND I WILL TURN THEM ON AND OFF TIL IT STOPS. *TR
WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON I127 HIGHWAY, WITH MY DIM LIGHTS ON AND CARS PASSING ME, MY DIMS GO BLANK. NOTHING. I HAD TO QUICKLY PULL OVER AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO FIND THE PROBLEM. AFTER ABOUT A DOZEN EPISODES OF THESE I FIND THAT MY BRIGHT LIGHTS WOULD STILL OPERATE. AFTER I'D GET HOME I WOULD SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND WAIT A FEW MINUTES AND RESTART THE ENGINE AND MY DIMS WOULD COME BACK ON !!!!! I HAVE CLEANED THE LITTLE SIGNAL SWITCH ON THE FRONT DASH BUT THEY STILL GO OFF AT ANY TIME OF THE NIGHT. I HAVE COME CLOSE TO A FEW ACCIDENTS. PLEASE HELP ! I HAVE TALKED WITH SEVERAL MECHANICS AND ROOKIES BUT THEY WERE STUMPED. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE HEAD LIGHTS AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL LAMPS FAILED. THE FAILURE RECURRED SPORADICALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 159,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED WHEN SWITCHING FROM LOW BEAMS TO HIGH BEAMS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS NOW EXPERIENCING ANOTHER NEW SAFETY CONCERN IN REGARDS TO THE PASS LOCK, WHERE THE COMPONENTS WERE WEARING OUT. THE SECURITY SYSTEM WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THE KEY WHEN IT WAS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION. THIS LOCKED THE CONTACT IN THE VEHICLE AND PREVENTED IT FROM STARTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN SINCE THIS PASS LOCK FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 102,000.
THE TURN SIGNALS STOP WORKING ON ITS OWN. THEN STARTED WORKING AGAIN. THE SIGNAL DOES NOT WORK ALL THE TIME. *TR
TURN SIGNALS WORK INTERMEDIATELY. THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH IMPALAS. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN I SIGNAL I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS GOING TO WORK. I HAVE ALMOST CAUSED MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. I COMPLAINED MULTIPLE TIMES TO THE DEALER BUT THEY CLAIMED NOTHING WAS WRONG. AS SOON AS I HIT THE 100,000 MILE MARK THEY ALL OF A SUDDEN HAVE A SOLUTION. THIS SHOULD BE FIXED BY THE DEALER BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF TIMES IT'S BEEN REPORTED. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING GOING ON WITH THE SWITCH. *TR
I BOUGHT THIS CAR 4 YEARS AGO AND I DID NOT HAVE PROBLEMS TILL THIS HAPPENED, THE CAR DON'T WANT TO STAR IN SEVERAL TIMES, IM ALREADY PISSED OFF AND I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT, CUZ I KNOW THAT NOBODY IS GOING TO BUY IT LIKE THAT; I LIKE THE CAR BUT THIS IS INOPERABLE!!!! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WITHOUT WARNING; THEREFORE, THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED TWICE IN 2009 FOR THE SIMILAR FAILURE WHERE THE DIMMER SWITCH ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED EACH TIME. THE CONTACT PLANNED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,936.
I HAVE A 2002 IMPALA AND MY TURN SIGNAL WORKS SOMETIMES AND OTHER TIMES IT DOESN'T. MY MOM HAS A CHEVY MALIBU AND HERS WAS DOING THE SAME THING AND THEY RECALLED IT DUE TO DEFECTIVE PARTS SO I LOOKED IT UP ON LINE AND GM HAS RECALLED OTHER MODELS BUT NOT IMPALA. SO I TOOK IT TO A GM LOCATION AND THE GUY TOLD ME THEY KNOW ITS A PROBLEM BUT UNTIL THEY RECALL IT THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO BUT PAY FOR IT. IT STARTED AT AROUND 98,000 MILES AND I WOULD ALMOST GET HIT WHEN I SLOWED DOWN TO TURN AFTER A WHILE THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY I GUESS ABOUT 135,000 NOW ITS BACK AGAIN IM AT 182,000 AND STILL NO RECALL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY AND WHEN THE TURN SIGNAL MECHANISM WAS SLIGHTLY JOLTED THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE UNIVERSAL LIGHT SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000. UPDATED 04/15/11*LJ UPDATED 11/21/11
BOTH HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF AT NIGHT WITH NO WARNING. SOMETIMES LOW LIGHTS TURN OFF AND THEN COME BACK ON AFTER A FEW SECONDS. SOMETIMES HIGH LIGHTS SHUT OFF AND DO NOT COME BACK ON UNLESS THE LIGHTS ARE MANUALLY SWITCHED TO LOW. THIS HAPPENS AS MUCH AS ONCE A MONTH TRAVELING AT 65 MPH EVER SINCE I OWNED THE VEHICLE. THERE IS NO INDICATION WHEN AND WHERE THIS WILL HAPPEN. IT IS JUST RANDOM. IF YOU ARE UNAWARE HOW TO GET THE LIGHTS TO COME BACK ON, THEY WILL NOT. DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF SEVERAL OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO REMEDY! *TR
I OWN A 2002 CHEVROLET IMPALA LS 4D. I WOULD BE DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON AND FOR NO REASON BOTH HEADLIGHTS WOULD TURN OFF, DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITHOUT ABILITY TO SEE. WHEN I THEN I THEN HIT THE HIGH/LOW DIMMER SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES WITH MY HAND THE LIGHTS WOULD RETURN. THIS WOULD OCCUR ONCE EVERY MONTH OR SO, AND OCCURRED AT THIS APPROXIMATE FREQUENCY OF TIME FOR AS OFTEN AS I OWNED MY CAR, SINCE 2007. IT IS QUITE FRIGHTENING TO DRIVE AT NIGHT WHEN YOUR LIGHTS WOULD SUDDENLY GO OFF WITHOUT WARNING. FINALLY, LAST YEAR THE HIGH BEAM WOULD NOT CLICK ON WITH THE SWITCH APPARENTLY BEING BROKEN. MY FATHER OWNED THE SAME YEAR IMPALA, AND HE REPORTED THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM, THE LIGHTS WOULD SUDDENLY GO OUT AND HE WOULD HAVE TO HIT THE SWITCH TO HAVE THE LIGHTS RETURN ON. HE HAD HIS FIXED AND IT COST HIM IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF 600 DOLLARS. MY BRIGHTS ARE CURRENTLY NOT FUNCTIONING DUE TO THIS BROKEN SWITCH WITH THE COST TO FIX BEING AROUND 600 DOLLARS. I FIND IT QUITE UNUSUAL WITH THE SAME YEAR IMPALA TO HAVE THIS OCCUR, AND FIND IT EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. *TR
HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OUT WHILE IN OPERATION. *TR
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.
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