2004 Chevrolet Impala Transmission Problems

I BOUGHT A 2004 CHEVY IMPALA WITH 76,000 MILE'S ON IT AND I HAVE BEEN HAVING A TON OF PROBLEMS WITH IT EVEN AFTER SPENDING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS IN SHOP FEES TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM'S, THE SPEEDOMETER STICKS OR JUST DOESN'T WORK AT ALL SO I CAN NEVER TELL HOW FAST I'M GOING ALONG WITH THE TEMP. GAUGE SO I CAN'T TELL IF THE CAR IS OVER HEATING OR NOT. THE GAUGE CLUSTER IS FAULTY AND THE GAUGES ONLY WORK WHEN THEY WANT TO. I ALSO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPPING FROM 1-2, THE HIGH BEAM SWITCH DOESN'T WORK UNLESS YOU HOLD IT AND ANY TIME YOU USE A WINDOW OF HAVE THE REAR WINDOW DEFROST ON THE RADIO IS ALL STATIC. *TR

NHTSA ID

10415563

Incident

Aug 20, 2009

THE TRANSMISSION IN MY 2004 IMPALA HAS SLIP SO BAD THAT I WAS ALMOST HIT FROM BEHIND. IT KICKED SO HARD IN RAINING WEATHER THE CAR SWERVE ON THE ROAD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10354780

Incident

Nov 14, 2009

Mileage

90,000 mi

VEHICLE SPEEDOMETER SUDDENLY QUITS FUNCTIONING. SPEEDOMETER SUDDENLY SHOWS HIGH SPEED (EXAMPLE 120 MPH) WHEN DRIVING HIGHWAY SPEEDS. SPEEDOMETER REMAINS STUCK IN THIS POSITION. I WAS ABLE TO CLEAR THE ERROR AFTER RETURNING HOME AND CYCLING THE IGNITION FROM OFF TO ON MANY MANY TIMES. NOW THE TACH JUST '!@#$% OUT AND STAYS AT 6:00. I BEEN ALSO HAVING TRANSMISSION ISSUES TO WHERE THE TRANNY WOULD OCCASIONALLY SHIFT HARD THEN BE FINE FOR A WHILE THEN BACK TO SHIFTING HARD? *TR

NHTSA ID

10297379

Incident

Dec 10, 2009

Mileage

86,000 mi

MY 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALAS TRANSMISSION JUMPS INTO GEAR MAKING THE CAR GO FORWARD IN AN UNSAFE MANNER. I CONTACTED GM AND THEY TOLD ME TOUGH LUCK. THE CAR ONLY HAS 65,000 MILES ON IT. I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY WON'T FIX THIS DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION. I WENT TO CAR COMPLAINTS DOT COM AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10277072

Incident

Jun 26, 2009

Mileage

64,000 mi

I PURCHASED MY 02 IMPALA LATE 07 USED, IT HAD APPROX. 30K MILES. ABOUT 60K MILES IT STARTED TO HARD SHIFT, THEN STARTED OVERHEATING. IT WOULD ONLY HARD SHIFT WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE, 1ST AND 2ND EVERY NOW AND THEN AND AS THE TIME HAS GONE ON ITS DOING IT MORE AND MORE, AND SHIFTING EVEN HARDER, I CALLED A DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID TOUGH. I AM VERY UNHAPPY WITH THIS PROBLEM, I HAVE A 2 YEAR OLD IN MY CAR WITH ME AT ALL TIMES AND THIS ISSUE IS NOT SAFE. OTHER THAN THIS I LOVE THE CAR. ITS GREAT ON GAS AND ALL AROUND WONDERFUL, I AM JUST VERY UNHAPPY WITH THE TRANSMISSION. I TOOK IT TO AAMCO AND THEY SAID ITS GOING TO NEED TO BE REPLACED SOON, HARD SHIFT AND LONG SHIFT. AND THEY SAID THAT IF I KEEP DRIVING IT I WILL BE DOING MAJOR HARM TO THE TRANNY. I CANT AFFORD THIS AND IT SEEMS AS IF I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. I KNOW 1 OTHER PERSON THAT HAS AN 04 IMPALA AND THEY HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10265198

Incident

Apr 1, 2008

Mileage

60,000 mi

THE SPEEDOMETER DOESN'T WORK SOMETIMES. WHEN IT MOVES IT DOESN'T MOVE SMOOTHLY, BUT IT JERKS UP AND DOWN, OFTEN INDICATING AN INCORRECT SPEED. THE CAR HAS LOW MILES ON IT AND THE TCC SOLENOID AND ANOTHER SOLENOID REGULATING LINE PRESSURE IN THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10246147

Incident

Feb 1, 2008

Mileage

55,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, ALL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES STOPPED WORKING. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE HEATER UNIT SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE, IT FINALLY STARTED AND DROVE ROUGHLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FAILURES WERE RELATED TO THE SECURITY SYSTEM IN THE CONTROL PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE MALFUNCTIONS. RECENTLY, THE DRIVER MESSAGE CENTER AND HORN WERE NOT OPERATING, AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT RUNNING PROPERLY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 27,000.

NHTSA ID

10241807

Incident

Jan 7, 2008

Mileage

13,000 mi

THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED GETTING STUCK ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO. FOR ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS I HAVE NOTICED THAT WHEN I TURN THE STEERING WHEEL I HEAR A NOISE IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR, LIKE A KNOCK OR SOMETHING. ALSO WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS I HAVE ALSO SMELLED GAS WHEN I FIRST START THE CAR , MY HUSBAND COULD NOT SEE ANY LEAKAGE OR ANYTHING UNTIL LAST WEEK. IT WAS LEAKING FROM THE FUEL REGULATOR VALVE. NOW THE TRANSMISSION IS STARTING TO SHIFT HARD SOMETIMES. I HAVEN'T HAD THE MONEY TO GET IT ALL CHECKED OUT BY THE MANUFACTURER BUT I WAS WONDERING IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY COMPLAINTS ON ANY OF THESE THINGS. ALSO I CAN HEAR A WHISTLING SOUND WHEN I PRESS THE ACCELERATOR. AND MY HUSBAND JUST INFORMED ME THAT HE BOUGHT A REGULATOR VALVE FOR IT AND SOME O RINGS BECAUSE SOMETHING IS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE SLIGHTLY. CAN YOU HELP PLEASE!!!!!!!! *TR

NHTSA ID

10232413

Incident

Dec 1, 2007

Mileage

98,000 mi

TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING ON 04/16/08. I THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HENDERSON CHEVROLET ON 04/17/08 FOR A TRANSMISSION FLUSH. ON 04/18/08 THE TRANSMISSION PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE AND IS UNDRIVEABLE. I AM CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF HAVING REPAIRS MADE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10224980

Incident

Apr 16, 2008

Mileage

31,190 mi

2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA'S TRANSMISSION STARTS SLIPPING. IT MOVES VERY SLOWLY IN THE MORNINGS. IT MOVES VERY SLOWLY FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. IT WILL NOT PULL HILLS AT A SLOW SPEED BUT ON THE INTERSTATE AT 50-55MPH IT WILL ONLY SLOW DOWN JUST A LITTLE. IT BASICALLY WILL NOT GO OVER 65 MILES PER HOUR. I HAVE TO STAY IN THE SLOW LANE. PLUS, THE DIGITAL INSTRUMENT PANEL DOES NOT WORK SO I CAN ONLY ASSUME I AM GOING 50-55 MILES PER HOUR BY JUDGING THE SPEED PATTERN OF THE OTHER MOTORISTS. THIS MEANS NO TEMPERATURE GAUGE, NO SPEEDOMETER, AND NO FUEL GAUGE. I CHECK FLUID LEVELS EVERY WEEK. I FILL UP MY TANK EVERY SATURDAY AND WEDNESDAY. I AM STUCK AND SICK OF THIS BECAUSE I CAN NOT AFFORD TO GET TWO THINGS FIXED THAT SHOULD ONLY STOP WORKING ON OLD CARS. THIS CAR IS 4 YEARS OLD. *TR

NHTSA ID

10223574

Incident

Oct 10, 2007

Mileage

78,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING 90 MPH, THE SPEEDOMETER GAUGE BECAME STUCK AND REMAINED AT 90 MPH, EVEN WHILE DRIVING AT LOWER SPEEDS. THE SPEEDOMETER REMAINS AT 90 MPH EVEN WHILE THE VEHICLE IS PARKED. IN ADDITION, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING WHEN IT ACTUALLY WAS NOT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 49,500 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 49,487. UPDATED 10/16/08. *LJ THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOPPED POSITION. UPDATED 10/17/08.*JB

NHTSA ID

10223346

Incident

Apr 3, 2008

Mileage

49,487 mi

I SERIOUSLY THOUGHT I WAS THE ONLY ONE HAVING THESE PROBLEMS. I BOUGHT A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA IN AUG 07. THE PROBLEMS STARTED ONLY A MONTH AFTER I BOUGHT THE CAR. FIRST THE TEMP GAUGE WOULD REGISTER ALL THE WAY UP TO 260. AFTER CHECKING TO MAKE SURE THE CAR WAS NOT RUNNING HOT, I STARTED CALLING DEALERS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I WAS INFORMED BY A SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS THEY HAVE SEEN SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THEY CONTINUED TELLING HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST TO REPLACE IT. WELL ONLY A COUPLE WEEKS LATER THE SPEEDOMETER STARTED THE SAME THING. IT WOULD STICK AND NOT REGISTER RIGHT. THE PROBLEM IS STILL CONTINUING CAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD TO FIX IT. I CONTINUED MY REGULAR MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR AND DURING AND OIL CHANGE I WAS INFORMED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID NEEDED TO CHANGED, SO I MADE THE APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT CHANGED ON SATURDAY. ONLY A COUPLE OF HOURS AFTER HAVING IT CHANGED WE WENT TO BACK UP AND THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED. THIS HAD NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE SO WE THOUGHT IT JUST MIGHT BE LOW ON FLUID. AFTER CHECKING THE FLUID LEVEL WAS FINE BUT THE PROBLEMS CONTINUED. NOW IT SLIPS WHEN I PUT IT IN DRIVE TO TAKE OFF AND YOU CAN HEAR THE TRANSMISSION WHINING WHILE BEING DRIVEN. AS OF NOW IT STILL SLIPS, SOMETIMES, ANDS WHINES, AND OF COURSE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL IS STILL MESSED UP BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE IT FIXED. I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT OWN IMPALAS AND I HAVE COME TO FIND OUT THEY ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS I AM HAVING. YOU WOULD THINK BY NOW THAT GM WOULD REALIZE THERE IS A PROBLEM AND THEY ARE NOT JUST ISOLATED INCIDENTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10223139

Incident

Sep 15, 2007

Mileage

81,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHEN BACKING UP, PLACING THE VEHICLE IN GEAR, OR DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE MAKES A CLICKING OR THUMPING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH INTERIOR TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE COST OF THE REPAIR WAS $2,700. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 51,875 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 30,000.

NHTSA ID

10218750

Incident

Oct 1, 2007

Mileage

30,000 mi

WOW SAME PROBLEM AS EVERYONE ELSE. SPEED DOES NOT REGISTER PROPERLY SEEMS TO BE WHENEVER IT WANTS IT WILL SHOW SPEEDS HIGHER THEN WHAT THEY ARE. THIS IS A DANGER BECAUSE SPEEDS ARE GUESSED IN SCHOOL ZONES AND HIGHWAYS. AFTER A COUPLE DAYS SPEED WILL BEGIN TO WORK OK. NOW THE BLOWER MOTOR AND HEATER DO NOT WORK UNLESS YOU POUND BY THE ASHTRAY AREA AND HOPEFULLY THE AIR CONDITIONING WILL START BLOWING BUT THE HEAT WILL NOT COME ON WHEN SWITCHED TO HEAT. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE LIVING IN MONTANA WHEN IT GETS BELOW 32 AND COLDER IT WOULD BE NICE THIS WINTER TO THAW OUT THE WINDOWS SO I CAN SEE WHEN DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS. SOMETIMES WHEN THE AIR IS BLOWING YOU CAN SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. WE ARE IN DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN MONTANA AND IF MY CAR WERE TO CATCH ON FIRE ON SIDE OF ROAD AND CONTINUE UP THE MOUNTAINS THIS COULD BE A DISASTER BE CREATING A WILDFIRE. I AM UNHAPPY WITH MY CAR WHICH HAS STARTED PROBLEMS AROUND THE 30,000 MILE MARK. ANOTHER PROBLEM IS THE HIGH BEAM SWITCH IS NEEDING TO BE CLICKED TWICE BEFORE DIMMING DOWN FROM HIGH BEAM. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO BLINDING ONCOMING TRAFFIC. TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN LIKE SLIPPING INTO GEAR AS WELL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10202854

Incident

Dec 1, 2006

Mileage

30,000 mi

SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT IN 2004 IT HAS BEEN TOWED 3 TIMES TO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. SINCE A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS PUT IN THE VEHICLE STILL HAS THIS PROBLEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER A DOZEN OF TIMES. UPDATED 09/25/07 *TR

NHTSA ID

10201907

Incident

Jun 8, 2004

Mileage

18,000 mi

WE BOUGHT AN IMPALA CHEVROLET 2004 NEW IN 2004. THERE WERE A FEW PROBLEMS WITH IT. INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER -AND SPEEDOMETER GAUGE DID NOT WORK AND NOISES CAME FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. STEERING GEAR POPPED/CLANKING NOISE HEARD AND SENSED FROM FRONT END. ALSO, SEEMED LIKE SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE IT DID NOT CHANGE GEARS CORRECTLY, AND IT KIND OF BUMPED WHEN ACCELERATING, APPEARED AS IF ENGINE DID NOT WANT TO ACCELERATE. THERE WAS A DELAYED START, MAY BE NECESSARY TO HOLD KEY IN START SEVERAL SECONDS UNTIL STARTING OR TURNING BACK AND TRYING AGAIN. SOMETIMES KEY LOCKED IN AND WON'T TURN. TOOK TO DEALER, BUT IT DID NOT DO IT FOR THEM. *AK ON THE STEERING GEAR THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WAS REPLACED ON 11/19/05. AGAIN THE NOISE WAS BACK AND ON 07/17/07 THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT WAS LUBRICATED. ON OTHER ISSUES REPAIRS ARE TO COSTLY. DO NOT FEEL SECURE ON VEHICLE THESE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.

NHTSA ID

10196636

Incident

Jul 17, 2007

Mileage

18,000 mi

2004 CHEVROLET IMPALA. TRANSMISSION SHIFTED HARD AS IT MOVED FROM STOP TO DRIVING SPEED. *MC *NM

NHTSA ID

10181638

Incident

Sep 18, 2006

Mileage

76,121 mi

THE TRANSMISSION HAS SUFFERED A FAILURE OF THE SOLENOID AND VALVE BODY. APPARENTLY THROUGH SPEAKING WITH SOME OTHER OWNERS OF THE SAME CAR, IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE BY GM AS THEY HAVE ISSUED SERVICE BULLETINS IN RELATION. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN CARS AS EARLY AS 30,000 MILES. IT CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO SHIFT HARD AND THE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL AS AN END RESULT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10167521

Incident

Jul 28, 2006

Mileage

15 mi

VEHICLE CAN BE SHIFTED OUT OF PARK WITHOUT DEPRESSING BRAKE PEDAL WHILE IGNITION IS IN ACC. POSITION. WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING YOU HAVE TO DEPRESS TO RELEASE THE SHIFTER AS PER SHIFTER INTERLOCK. *NM

NHTSA ID

10139986

Incident

Oct 10, 2005

2004 CHEVY IMPALA TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE DRIVING ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY INTERSTATE 80. THE FAILURE HAS COST $100'S OF DOLLARS IN TOW TRUCK FEES, RENTAL FEES ETC. COMPLAINTS WERE MADE TO GREY CHEVROLET IN STROUDSBURG PENNSYLVANIA OVER THE PAST 6 MONTHS REGARDING A NOISE COME FROM EITHER THE TRANSMISSION OR THE ENGINE AND UP TO THE POINT OF THE FAILURE THE SERVICE DEPARTEMENT AT THE DEALER COULD NEVER FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER PROPERTY ASSESSED. GMC CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE WAS ALSO CONTACTED REGARDING OUR UNSATISFACTORY SERVICE MY THIS DEALER OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS AS I WRITE THIS COMPLAIN 7/7/05 MY CAR IS STILL SITTING IN THE LOT OF THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AWAITING WORD FROM GMC ON WHAT TO DO.

NHTSA ID

10127723

Incident

Jun 29, 2005

CAR PARKED ON HILL WITH EMERGENCY BRAKE ENGAGED. WHEN BRAKE WAS RELEASED, CAR ROLLED BACKWARDSAS IF IN NEUTRALAL, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS IN PARK. *AK

NHTSA ID

10093028

Incident

Sep 1, 2004

Mileage

10,500 mi

I HAVE RENTED SEVERAL GM VEHICLES OVER THE LAST YEAR AND FOUND THAT IN MOST EVERY ONE OF THEM IT IS POSSIBLE TO SHIFT THE CAR FROM PARK WITHOUT APPLYING THE BRAKE WHILE THE KEY IS IN THE ACC POSITION. *AK

NHTSA ID

10074818

Incident

Apr 24, 2004

Mileage

4,000 mi