2004 Chevrolet Impala — Known Issues & Recalls

Your car stalled while you were exiting a highway at 65 mph and wouldn't restart. You then noticed smoke coming from under the hood, and when you opened it, you saw a fire underneath the engine. The fire department had to extinguish it. You had also noticed a battery warning light was on before the stalling occurred. The vehicle was towed but not inspected to determine what caused the fire.

While driving at 60 mph, your engine suddenly shut off and heat came pouring through the air vents. When you opened the hood to investigate, flames erupted from the engine manifold—you had to use a floor mat to extinguish them. After restarting, the check engine light came on. The issue appears to involve oil leaking from the valve cover and front gasket area, which likely caused the engine fire.

While driving at 35 mph, your low oil pressure warning light came on and you noticed an oil leak underneath the car. You discovered that an oil line had become detached near the front passenger wheel well. After reattaching the line, a mechanic informed you that the engine needed to be replaced due to the damage from the oil loss. The repair will likely involve replacing the engine or having the oil line professionally reconnected and inspected to prevent future leaks.

Your 2004 Impala was part of a recall for an electrical system issue, and you've experienced several times when the car failed to start. Chevrolet notified you about the recall but the replacement part needed to fix it hasn't been available yet. You took the car to the dealership, but they couldn't complete the repair and said they'd call when parts arrived. The fix will involve replacing the unavailable electrical component once it becomes available.

You received a recall notice (NHTSA Campaign 14V400000) about an electrical system issue with your 2004 Chevrolet Impala. You want to be removed from the recall mailing list and haven't contacted your dealer or Chevrolet about this yet. To resolve this, you'll likely need to contact your local Chevrolet dealer or call the manufacturer directly to either opt out of the recall or schedule service if needed.

Your traction control system light is on, and you're experiencing grinding noises along with your brakes feeling like they're locking up and your power steering becoming stiff. These issues happen while driving, especially when turning, braking, or steering, and occur in various conditions from local streets to highways. The problem likely involves your traction control system, brake system, and power steering components working together and may require diagnostic testing to identify the root cause.

Your car jerks every time it shifts gears, and when stopped at a light or stop sign, it won't move smoothly when you press the gas — you have to press the pedal all the way down, and even then it jerks and peels out. You're concerned the car might stop moving entirely while driving. This transmission problem has been reported by other owners with the same model.

While driving at 40 mph, your Impala suddenly slowed to 20 mph and the dashboard lights went out. The power steering stopped working, the engine lost power, and the car stalled. Neither an independent mechanic nor the dealer could figure out what caused the problem, and it was never repaired. This could involve checking the electrical system connections, battery, alternator, or engine control modules.

Your car has multiple safety recalls affecting the ignition switch, steering, and engine cooling system. You may experience a stiff ignition that takes a long time to turn, and the steering system can cause your car to drift or slide even on dry roads. These issues have been involved in a crash and require immediate attention through the recall service program.

Your driver's side front seat belt buckle appears to click and engage normally, but when you pull on the belt, the metal clip pops out of the buckle instead of staying locked. This has been happening for several weeks and creates a serious safety risk since the seat belt won't stay fastened during driving. The buckle assembly may need to be replaced with a new or used unit from another vehicle.

Your 2004 Chevrolet Impala caught fire under the hood while parked, requiring the fire department to extinguish it. A mechanic determined that a faulty fuel line caused the fire. The fuel line needs to be replaced to prevent this safety hazard from happening again.

Your car loses power and can't accelerate properly, especially going up hills or ramps, causing it to decelerate when you need speed. This is dangerous because other cars have to swerve around you to avoid accidents. The problem likely involves your engine's ability to produce power, possibly related to fuel delivery, ignition timing, or transmission shifting.

Your car's wiring harness in the fuel system is overheating and causing electrical shorts, which is preventing fuel from reaching the engine. This is causing your car to not start or run properly. The wiring harness will likely need to be inspected for damage and replaced or repaired to restore fuel delivery.

Your car suddenly lost power while you were driving at 40 mph, forcing you to pull over. After waiting 5-10 minutes, you were able to restart it. Your check engine light came on, and you suspect this may be related to a known engine issue (NHTSA Campaign 15V701000). The problem may require diagnostic testing at a dealer to identify the underlying cause.

Your engine oil is leaking and requires frequent top-ups despite using sealant products to try to stop it. You're also experiencing an issue with a sushi-related problem in your dashboard (the original complaint text is unclear on this point).

Your car's muffler pipe broke off and dragged underneath the vehicle while you were driving, creating sparks. This happened while you were attempting to pull over safely. The muffler pipe will need to be replaced or reattached to restore your exhaust system to proper working condition.

Your ignition switch is loose and won't turn off completely without extra force, which is causing electrical problems. Your steering wheel is now leaning and pulling to the left whether you're stopped or driving, though it's worse on city streets than highways. The diagnostic code is recommending replacement of the ignition switch, and you'll likely need to have both the ignition switch replaced and the steering system inspected and realigned.

Your 2004 Impala's engine shut off while driving with no warning, leaving you stranded on a busy road. The PassLock III anti-theft system appears to be causing unexpected no-start conditions on many GM vehicles, and you were only able to restart your car after performing a 10-minute reset procedure. This issue may require diagnosis and repair of the PassLock III anti-theft system, possibly including reprogramming or component replacement.

Your transmission is failing and needs repair or replacement. You've heard that this is a common problem with 2004 Impalas of this type. The transmission may need to be rebuilt or replaced, which typically involves removing it from the vehicle and either repairing internal components or installing a new/remanufactured unit.

Your car is shutting off while you're driving, which causes the power steering to stop working. This has happened multiple times, though only at low speeds so far. The fix will likely involve diagnosing why the engine is stalling—this could be related to fuel system, ignition, or electrical components.