13 complaints reported

1996 Chevrolet Impala Visibility

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
13
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jan 2004

REAR VISION IS IMPARED WHEN LOOKING THROUGH BACK GLASS.THE DE-ICER/DEFROSTER HAS TURNED ( FOGGY) .THIS IS A REAL SAFETY CONCERN AT NIGHT ESPECIALLY.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jul 1997
May 2003

HEATER CORE IN MY 1996 IMPALA IS CONSTANTLY CLOGGING, THEREFORE NO HEAT AND NO DEFROSTERS. COOLING SYSTEM FLUSHED 2 TIMES BY CHEVROLET GARAGE. THEY HAVE NO WAY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS NATION WIDE AND NOT A LOCAL ISSUE. *JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jun 2003
Apr 2000

HEATER CORE BLOCKED-NO DEFROST CAPABILITY-VISION OBSTRUCTED-DANGEROUS SITUATION-THE IMPALA CLUB HAS HUNDREDS OF REPORTS OF THIS DEFECT WHICH APPEARS DUE TO THE DEX-COOL ANTI FREEZE INSTALLED BY GMC AT THE FACTORY.ACCORDING TO INPUT FROM THE MEMBERSHIP REPLACEMENT OF THE CORE, FLUSHING THE SYSTEM, REPLACEMENT OF THE RADIATOR AND REFILLING WITH TRADITIONAL ANTI FREEZE CORRECTS THE PROBLEM. FAILURE IN THE SYSTEMS WITH THE DEX-COOL OCCURS IN AS LITTLE AS 11,000 MILES BUT MANY FAILURES SEEM TO OCCUR AT 40,000 TO 50,000 MILES. THE DEX-COOL IS STATED TO LAST FOR 100,000 MILES. GM IS PRESENTLY REFUSING TO CORRECT THE DEFECT. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 2000
Mar 2000

HEATER CORE CLOGS UP FROM (DEX-COOL) ANTIFREEZE, RESULTING IN NO HEAT FOR DEFROSTERS CAUSING FOGGING OF THE WINDOWS, UNABLE TO RECTIFY. *MJS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Mar 2000

HEAT/DEFROST HAS FAILED TWICE BOTH TIMES FLUSHED AND REPAIRED BY MYSELF (ASE MASTER CERT. MECH.) BOTH IN COLD WEATHER DEFROST WOULD'NT CLEAR WINDSHIELD FOR PROPER VISIBILTY GM CLAIMS THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH DEX-COOL IN THE SYSTEM AND IT'S MY PROBLEM NOT THEIRS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Sep 1999
Mar 2000

HEAT DOESN'T WORK IN THE WINTER. HEATER CORE HAS TO BE FLUSHED EVERY WINTER BECAUSE OF BUILD UP. DEALER SAYS THAT THIS IS RARE, NEVER HEARD BEFORE OF THIS PROBLEM, AND DOESN'T KNOW ITS CAUSE. *AK *ML

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 1999
Mar 2000

MAJOR VISABILITY AND SAFETY PROBLEM CAUSED BY DEFROSTER/HEATER FAILURE ON MOST 1996 IMPALAS DUE TO CHEMICAL REACTION WITH NEW (1996) DEX-COOL ANTI-FRREEZE IN HEATER CORE CAUSING ACCELERATED LOSS OF HEAT UNTIL COMPLETE BLOCKAGE OCCURS.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 1998
Mar 2000

DEXCOOL ANTIFREEZE CLOGS HEATER CORE, RESULTING IN HEATER NOT WORKING. HAS HAPPENED TWICE SINCE PUCHASE OF CAR.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 1999
Mar 2000

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2000
Mar 2000

CLOGGED HEATER CORE DUE TO DEX-COOL COOLANT IN CAR. TOOK TWO TRIPS TO DEALER TO GET FIXED, AND THEN ONLY AFTER GIVING THEM THE TSB. DEX-COOL COOLANT IS KNOWN FOR CAUSING HEATER CORE BLOCKAGE, BUT GM REFUSES TO ADMIT IT, OR OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE. AS THE WARRANTY ON MANY OF THESE VEHICLES IS WEARING OUT, COST OF THIS CONSTANT FLUSHING OF THE CORE IS PUT ON THE OWNER. GM ADVERTISES THE DEXCOOL COOLANT DOES NOT NEED TO BE REPLACED, OR SERVICED FOR 100,000 MILES. THIS PROMISE IS OBVIOUSLY NOT BEING LIVED UP TO, AND THE OWNERS OF THE CARS ARE THE ONES PAYING THE PRICE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Oct 2000
Mar 2000

HEATER DOES NOT COME ON DUE TO HEATER CORE BEING CLOGGED. DEALER HAS FLUSHED THE SYSTEM, AND HEATER STILL DID NOT FUNCTION. WATER PUMP REPLACED. APPEARS THAT A CHEMICAL REACTION WITH DEX-COOL ANTIFREEZE, OEM STOPLEAK FACTORY TABLETS, AND ALUMINUM AND STEEL COMPONENTS INCLUDING FLOW RESTRICTOR CAUSE CONGEALING OF COOLANT WHICH CAUSES ACCELERATED LOSS OF HEAT UNTIL COMPLETE BLOCKAGE OF THE HEATER CORE OCCURS. DEX-COOL WAS NOT USED IN PREVIOUS GM MODELS, AND NO HEAT PROBLEMS EXISTED. CONSUMER BELIEVES A RECALL IS IN ORDER. *AK *ML

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Jan 1999
Mar 2000

RIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE) WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE FAILED. THE LINKAGE IN THE COWL PLENUM CHAMBER BROKE AT THE ATTACHMENT TO THE RIGHT W/S WIPER DRIVE PIVOT. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC
Incident: Feb 2000
Mar 1999

HEATER CORE LEAKING AT 37,000 MILES COSTLY REPAIR GOT SOME ASSISTANCE AFTER I CALLED 800 NUMBER THEN WATER PUMP LEAKING AT 52,000 MILES COSTLY REPAIR AGAIN NO ASSISTANCE THEN ODOMETER LIGHT FAILED AND HAD TO REPLACE COMPLETE SPEEDOMETER HEAD AGAIN VERY COSTLY I HAVE THE POPPING SOUND IN FRONT SUSPENSION HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANYTHING FROM MANUFACTURER AS TO A RECALL IS THERE ONE

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA, Manufacturer: General Motors, LLC

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 1996 Chevrolet Impala has 13 Visibility complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.