2012 Chevrolet Impala Suspension Problems

Your 2012 Impala has experienced multiple serious issues within six months of ownership, including transmission failure requiring two tows, complete brake system failure, a slow leak in the rear left brake caliper, and a broken rear left sway bar. You've also seen warning lights for Stabilitrak, Brake Assist, Traction Control, and Brake System appear after transmission service. The dealership told you the brakes and transmission were new with no mechanical issues, but the car continues to develop problems that put your family's safety at risk.

Your suspension stabilizer bar is making loud noises. You've had this problem fixed before at a cost of $700, and it's happening again. The repair will likely involve inspecting and replacing worn stabilizer bar components like bushings or links.

JUST BOUGHT CAR HAVEN'T HAD ANY RECALL MAINTENANCE CHECKED BY VIN

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHEN MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE ABS, TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, AND SERVICE STABILITRAK INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION, AN ABNORMAL GRINDING SOUND WAS HEARD. ONCE THE VEHICLE WAS SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED, ALL OF THE MESSAGES AND WARNING INDICATORS TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SPEED CONTROL SENSOR IN THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE WHEEL BEARING WAS FAULTY. THE ENTIRE WHEEL BEARING WAS REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURES CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE FAILURE. JACK MCNERNEY CHEVROLET (363 NY-281, TULLY, NY 13159, (315) 238-5110) WAS CONTACTED AND WANTED TO CHARGE THE CONTACT OVER $100 TO PERFORM THE SAME DIAGNOSTIC TEST AS THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 35,000.

SINCE 2017, UPON STARTING MY CAR I GET ALL OF THE FOLLOWING ALERT MSGS "SERVICE STABILITRAK", *SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST" AND "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" ON MY DASHBOARD. I'VE HAD THE CAR INTO LES SCHWAB AND ERROR CODE DIAGNOSTICS DONE BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER BOTH FRONT HUB ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED. THE SAME SERVICE MESSAGES STILL CONTINUE TO APPEAR ON THE DASH. LES SCHWAB HAS CHECKED THE HUB SENSOR WIRES REPEATEDLY AND ALL ERROR CODES AND FIND THEM TO BE OK. THEY FIND THE CAR TO STILL HAVE A CRUNCHING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE CAR, MOST MARKEDLY WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT, BUT CAN ALSO BE HEARD WHEN THERE IS A DROP IN ELEVATION, AS WHEN EXISTING A PARKING LOT INTO A SLIGHTLY LOWER ROADWAY. ON JUNE 14,2019, WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION AND TURNING RIGHT AT A STOPLIGHT, THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED AS HAS WHEN I MAKE A LEFT TURN. THE CAR SUDDENLY ACTED AS THOUGH THE BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED VERY HARD AND THEN THE CAR HALTED BRIEFLY WITH TRAFFIC BEHIND ME AS THOUGH IT WOULD STALL OUT. I APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR TILL I FORCED THE CAR TO MOVE AROUND THE CORNER AND AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE OF FIGHTING BRAKING RESISTANCE, I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN NORMAL 40 MPH SPEED WITH THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. THIS OCCURRED ON DRY PAVEMENT WITH NO PRECIPITATION. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS AROUND 100 DEGREES. BEST DRIVING CONDITIONS WITH NO ROUGH ROADWAY. LES SCHWAB SAID THE PROBLEM WITH THE HUB SENSOR AND LEFT TURNING IS A KNOWN PROBLEM TO THEM AND SAID THEY WISH IT WOULD BE MADE A RECALL ITEM AS IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM NOW. I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CHEVY IMPALA. LOVE MY CAR BUT WON'T TAKE A CHANCE ON PURCHASING SAME MAKE AND MODEL. I WASN'T SO SURPRISED WHEN RESEARCHING THESE ISSUES ON THE INTERNET TO FIND HUGE NUMBER OF OWNER'S HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS.

NOTIFICATION ON DASH HAS BEEN ON STATING THAT THE AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT SYSTEM WILL NOT DEPLOY. ON STAR HAS ALSO SENT ME DIAGNOSTIC REPORTS STATING THIS IS A URGENT MATTER THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED

USED CAR PURCHASED WITH APPROX. 72,000 MILES. MAJOR PROBLEMS BECAME APPARENT AT 73,000 MILES APPROX. GRINDING CLUNKING SQUEALING NOISES WERE 1ST WARNING SIGNS. ALL OF THESE NOISES OCCUR ANYTIME THE VEHICLE IS BEING DRIVEN, INTERMITTENTLY, BUT EVERYTIME I TURN LEFT OR RIGHT. THE AC/HEATER WENT OUT BECAUSE THE BLOWER MOTOR FAILED. HANDLING WAS HORRIBLE SO REPLACED MOST OF SUSPENSION PARTS BUT ALIGNMENT REPEATEDLY GOES OUT AND MECHANICS ARE IDIOTS SO THEY JUST SAY THEY ARE STUMPED AND SEND ME AWAY. THAT PROMPTED ME TO RESEARCH ON MY OWN. I LOOKED UP THE SYMPTOMS AND HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THE HUB BEARINGS NEED TO BE REPLACED. WHICH I CANNOT AFFORD SEEING AS HOW I JUST SPENT A FEW GRAND ON OTHER REPAIRS.THEN I FOUND OUT THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING WHICH MAKES IT JERK WHEN ACCELERATING, DRIVE VERY SLUGGISH, AND MAKES LOUD NOISES AT IDLE AND IN MOTION. THERE IS MORE PROBLEMS THAT WOULD TAKE TOO LONG TO LIST. I CONTINUE TO RESEARCH ALL OF THIS VEHICLES COMPLAINTS AND PROBLEMS AND IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS TIME FOR A REAL RECALL! GM SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR MAKING SUCH A NIGHTMARE OF A CAR. I JUST PURCHASED THE CAR FROM A DEALERSHIP FOR $10,000 ONE YEAR AGO AND STILL OWE $8,600. JUST HAD THE CAR APPRAISED AT $3,000, SO I AM UPSIDE DOWN $5,500. I CANNOT TRADE IT IN, CANNOT AFFORD PERPECTUALLY REPAIRING AND WOULD NOT BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS NO END. IT IS PARKED NOW BECAUSE I CANNOT DRIVE IT ANYMORE, SO I CANNOT GET TO WORK AND MAY HAVE TO HAVE IT REPOSSESED. THIS IS NOT RIGHT!

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN UNSTABLE MOTION IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUSPENSION OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO MANUFACTURER RECALL AND NO RECOMMENDED REPAIR SOLUTION TO PREVENT THE FAILURE UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS FURTHER TESTED AND DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 12V377000 (SUSPENSION). THE CONTACT WAS UNCERTAIN IF THE VEHICLE WOULD BE REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

THE CAR KEEPS SHORTING OUT THE BATTERY. THE STARTER IS SLUGGISH. THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. THE STABILITRAK WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT WHEEL BEARING AND HUB ASSEMBLY CAUSED THE FAILURE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 34,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THE CARRIAGE BOLT FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN RECOMMENDED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE CARRIAGE BOLTS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, WHEN ACCELERATING AND DECELERATING THERE WOULD BE AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SPIDER GEAR FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

CAR WAS SERVICED (OIL CHANGE AND TIRE ROTATION). AFTERWARDS WHEN DRIVING THE CAR 50-60 MPH THERE IS A VIBRATION FELT IN WHEEL AND IN SEAT. TOOK BACK TO DEALER, HAD ALL 4 WHEELS BALANCED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. ADDITIONALLY THERE IS A CLUNKING NOISE IN FRONT END, NOTICEABLE AT LOW SPEEDS (10-15MPH) WHEN GOING OVER SMALL BUMPS IN ROAD; NOTICEABLE WHEN A/C AND RADIO TURNED OFF. DEALER CANNOT IDENTIFY ANY PROBLEM, SAYS ITS OPERATING AS DESIGNED, NO NOISE. FRUSTRATING CONSIDERING THESE PROBLEMS WERE NOT PRESENT AT PURCHASE OR AT 30,000 MILES. ADDITIONALLY THE AIRBAG / SEATBELT INDICATOR ILLUMINATES FOR PASSENGER SEAT AT RANDOM TIMES FOR NO REASON. SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A BOTTLE ON THE SEAT WILL MAKE IT ILLUMINATE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICED FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V377000 (SUSPENSION: FRONT: CONTROL ARM: LOWER ARM). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS A POLICE PATROL CAR AND REPAIRS HAD NOT BEEN MADE DUE TO THE PARTS NOT BEING AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.