2001 Chevrolet Impala Traction Control Problems
8 owner-reported traction control complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Owner Complaints (8)
OUR 2001 IMPALA RANDOMLY STARTED HAVING THE ABS/TRACTION LIGHT WARNING COME ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT IS SPONTANEOUS AND WITHOUT WARNING. MY BRAKES LOCK UP WHEN I TRY TO STOP, WHEN IN A COMPLETE STOP AND I PRESS THE GAS THE BRAKES MAKE THE CAR HESITATE TO MOVE FORWARD, WHEN TURNING THE VEHICLE THE CAR SPUTTERS THE BRAKES LOCK UP AND I FEEL LIKE I'M DRIVING ON ICE. I HONESTLY DO NOT KNOW WHEN OR IF MY CAR IS ACTUALLY GOING TO STOP OR EVEN MOVE FORWARD WHILE I AM ON THE ROAD. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR ABOUT 3 YEARS NOW AND I HAVE HAD IT LOOKED AT BY TWO DIFFERENT INDEPENDENT SHOPS AND HAVE SPOKEN TO SEVERAL MECHANICS JUST TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT THEY THINK IS WRONG. I HAVE SPENT AROUND $1000.00 IN REPAIRS AND HAVING IT DIAGNOSED. NOTHING HAS PREVENTED THE ABS/TRACTION ERROR FROM OCCURRING IMMEDIATELY AFTER EACH FIX. THIS PROBLEM HAS GOT TO BE ANNOUNCED AND FIXED BY CHEVROLET IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SOMEONE OR AN ENTIRE FAMILY GETS HURT OR EVEN KILLED. IF I WAS THE ONLY FLUKE THEN I WOULD UNDERSTAND BUT THERE ARE THOUSANDS WITHIN THE 2001-2005 RANGE THAT HAS THIS SAME PROBLEM. DON'T BE LIKE TOYOTA AND WAIT TIL NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVE DIED TO FIX A SIMPLE PROBLEM. *TR
I HAVE 2001 CHEVY IMPALA LS WITH ABOUT 80K MILES ON IT. WHEN THE WEATHER STARTED GETTING BAD, THE TRACTION SYSTEM LIGHT KICKED ON FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. I TOOK IT OFF B/C I DON'T LIKE. NOW WHEN I GET IN THE CAR, AND TURN IT ON, MY ABS, TRACTION CONTROL AND "SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM" WARNING LIGHTS COME ON. THE "SERVICE TRACTION LIGHT GOES OFF, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GET THE OTHER TO DO OFF. IT SEEMS I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THE TYPE OF PROBLEM. 100'S OF PEOPLE ACROSS THE US HAVE A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL RANGING FROM YEARS 01-04. *TR
IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. IT IS NOTICEABLE WHEN I AM TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT OR PULLING OUT FROM BEING PARELLEL PARKED, THE ENGINE MAKES A GRINDING NOISE, IT BECOMES SLUGGISH AND THE SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM AND THE TRAC OFF LIGHTS COME ON. ONCE I STRAIGHTEN THE WHEEL, THE NOISE STOPS AND LIGHTS GO OFF. WHEN I AM TURNING EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT AND NEED TO BRAKE, IT DOES THE SAME THING. *TR
IT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A FEW MONTHS NOW. IT IS MORE NOTICEABLE WHEN I AM TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT OR PULLING AWAY FROM THE CURB WHERE I AM PARELLEL PARKED. THE ENGINE MAKES A WHIRRING SOUND, THE ENGINE BECOMES SLUGGISH AND THE SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM AND TRAC OFF LIGHTS COME ON. ONCE I STRAIGHTEN THE WHEEL, THE NOISE STOPS AND THE LIGHTS GO OFF. IT ALSO OCCURS WHEN I AM TURNING RIGHT OR LEFT WHERE I NEED TO BREAK AS I AM TURNING. *TR
THE ABS SYSTEM ON MY 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA ENGAGES AND THE "TRACTION ACTIVE" LIGHT COMES ON WHEN MAKING A SHARP TURN FROM A STOPPED POSITION. THE LIGHT GOES OFF AND THE ABS SYSTEM DISENGAGES WITHIN ABOUT 5 SECONDS. THIS HAPPENS AT LEAST ONCE EACH TIME THE CAR IS DRIVEN. THREE TRIPS TO THE LOCAL CHEVROLET DEALER AND NO REPAIRS MADE AND NO SOLUTION THUS FAR. THE CHEVY DEALER SAYS THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *TR
TRAC CONTROL ABS PROBLEMS IT MAKES A GRINNING NOISE AND IT VERY HARD TO PRESS BRAKES. *TR
I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND PROCEEDED TO MAKE A SHARP RIGHT TURN WHEN I HEARD A GRINDING NOISE COME FROM MY CAR IT WAS THEN I NOTICED THE TRACTION ACTIVITY LIGHT COME ON . I GOT READY TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE TURNING LEFT AND NOISE HAPPENED AGAIN BUT IT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY A DELAY IN MY STOPPING AND ALSO TURNING. AFTER WORK I PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING LOT WITH NO PROBLEMS SO I JUST PAY IT NO ATTENTION. UNTIL I TURNED IN TO MY MOM'S TO PICK UP MY KIDS AND IT DID IT AGAIN BUT THIS TIME AN 18 WHEELER WAS BEHIND ME AND ACTUALLY HAD TO BRAKE AND GO AROUND ME BECAUSE OF THE DELAY IN MY TURNING. I ACTUALLY HAD TO FIGHT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL TO PROCEED WITH MY TURN. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS EVERY TIME I MAKE A SHARP TURN LEFT OR RIGHT , WHETHER I'M TURNING SLOWLY OR NOT , AND I BELIEVE SOME ONE IS GOING TO BE SERIOUSLY HURT BY THIS PROBLEM IF ITS NOT CORRECTED. IT WASN'T UNTIL 2MONTHS AGO I FOUND OUT THAT IF YOU TURN THE TRACTION OFF THAT THE SAME THING HAPPENS BUT NOT AS BAD AND THAT IT HAD SOME THING TO DO WITH PART#10340313 AND PART#10340314 WHICH IS THE ABS HARNESS WHICH CAN ONLY BE PURCHASED THROUGH THE DEALER OR ON GMPARTSDIRECT.COM. WHICH I THINK WE AS OWNERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR BUT WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR TO INSURE OUR FAMILY AND OUR OWN SAFETY. ANOTHER ISSUE I HAVE IS THAT THE TURN SINGLE ALSO STOPS WORKING I HAVE TO PUSH DOWN ON THE HAZARD BUTTON TO GET IT TO WORK AGAIN AND SOME TIMES HIT THE DASH TO GET IT TO WORK. *TR
SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM/ABS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I NOTICED THE TRACTION FEATURE ENGAGING WITHOUT CAUSE. IT BEGAN TO GET WORSE AND ENGAGES MOSTLY WHEN YOU TURN (EITHER DIRECTION), BUT HAPPENS VERY OFTEN. TOOK TO DEALER WAS TOLD IT NEEDED NEW WHEEL BEARINGS, HAD BOTH REPLACED (WHICH WAS VERY PRICEY) AND IT WAS OKAY FOR ABOUT 3 MONTHS AND HAS SINCE STARTED AGAIN. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS, WHEN THE TRACTION IS ENGAGED IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP WHEN BRAKING, IT CAUSES A DELAY IN STOPPING. I'VE ASKED OTHER MECHANICS, NOBODY IS SURE WHAT TO DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT ALL HAVE HEARD SEVERAL OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS. I GOOGLED THE PROBLEM IN HOPES OF FINDING A SOLUTION, TO NO AVAIL, BUT THERE ARE 1000'S OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE FOR THE 2001 IMPALA. THERE SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A RECALL.....THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS!! *TR