2001 Chevrolet Impala Base 3.4

Summary:

Tight car! but too many electrical problems

Faults:

Bad relay in pass-lock 3 caused ignition lockout for up to 15 minutes.

Randomly, there is a loud noise from starter when car is started or car will not start on first crank.

At times my Chevy would stink of gasoline, but dealer saw no problem.

Horrible steering problem when turning and accelerating at the same time! (shakes the steering column!)

Radio has problems reading CD's.

Car is easily dented.

Brakes are noisy, but powerful.

Front center console/armrest is "NOT" a seat!

When car is running on park for too long and gets hotter, engine RPM's increase on it's own!

Can't turn parking light off with car on! (why not?)

General Comments:

This car is beautiful on the inside and outside.

Great value for the money$

You can drive this car like a rental and it will take the abuse.

Car has good power, but it's weight makes you use the brake more than the accelerator.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 4th February, 2005

3rd Apr 2005, 21:02

The Catalytic Converter clogged up under 80k miles. Why does the Impala go through Catalytic Converters so fast? I still believe that my 01 Impala is a great car.

3rd Mar 2006, 02:17

I also had the converter replaced @ around 54K miles. I noticed it slowly, but after a while it was kind of loud and annoying. Was fixed for free under the Federal Emmisions Warranty up to 80K.

2001 Chevrolet Impala LS 3.8 Fuel Injection

Summary:

High quality, decent price. Get the leather package!

Faults:

Stereo system (Dual tape/CD player) did not read Cd's anymore, cost me $50 to replace from dealership. This was included in my extended warranty.

Brakes began to create noise. Still squeaks.

Seat heater for passenger stopped functioning. This could be attributed to the window left open in the rain.

General Comments:

I purchased this Impala LS with sport appearance package brand new off the lot.

It included a premium tape/Cd player with 3-way speakers in front and 200-watt 2ohm 6x9's in the rear, which is very powerful and fills the cabin very well.

The ride is very quiet. The vehicles design feels like a luxury vehicle.

Even though the brakes squeak, they are very effective. High level traction control has kept me from an accident more than once. For a heavy car the braking system is excellent.

Very smooth engine, 200 horsepower and 225 foot lbs of torque makes this car perform very well in all weather.

My car has leather bucket seats, center shifter, on star system, heated side view mirrors, stock fog lights, tachometer, electronic seats in front, seat heaters, leather wrapped steering wheel, small spoiler, sunroof and sport package.

This is quite probably the most comfortable car to drive in cold weather. The heating system is fast and when you include the heated leather seats and fog free sideview mirrors (and onboard outside temperature readout), it does not seem cold at all outside. The traction control works amazingly well in snow. I purposely swerved and gunned the engine in 8 inches of parking lot snow and the car would simply go where I pointed it. The weight of the car coupled with the high quality traction control makes the car one step away from all wheel drive quality in diverse weather.

The lighting is good, with theatre style lighting filling the cabin.

Keychain lock/unlock, siren, trunk open.

Car has optional independant suspension to all tires. Takes turns smoothly and quietly, glides across the highway. Stiff shocks make the car predictable.

For an American (ha American corp with outsourced plants all over the world) car this has turned out to be a very high quality vehicle, with a proven engine (series 2 3800, series 1 has been around since the eighties) and decent gas mileage.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 25th August, 2004

2001 Chevrolet Impala Police 9C1 3.8 litre

Summary:

Great car, lots of features for a medium price

Faults:

I had a clunking noise that appeared around 30000 Km, seemed to be coming from the steering whenever I made sharp turns. Dealer noticed it too and had a special "kit" to fix the steering shaft, which was covered under warranty.

No other problems to report.

General Comments:

I love the car, and the attention it gets while driving on the highway.

I'll be honest and say that originally I wanted to buy a Ford Crown Victoria police car, but those are not available in Canada to the general public. I'm not sure if given the chance I would switch, as I love my little Impala 9C1.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th July, 2003

6th Oct 2003, 14:02

The clunking noise from your Police Impala is probably the welds on the engine cradle... common problem on 2000 and 2001 impalas.

John.

25th Jul 2005, 00:41

We have the same problem...isn't it sad you have to live with it???

26th Sep 2005, 21:48

Actually Crown Victoria Police Interceptors are available in Canada. It is rare to be able to buy one new (you can only buy one if a police agency has ordered it, then declined it upon arrival) but it is very uncommon. They are easier to find used than the Impala interceptor, they are cheaper, and they are of higher (reported) quality.