2003 Chevrolet Impala Exterior Lighting

After I go back and forth between my bright headlights and regular All of a sudden my headlights shut off it happens after so many times going between them

THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS. IN SWITCHING FROM LOW BEAM TO HIGH BEAM THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT SWITCH AND EVENTUALLY GO OUT COMPLETELY. BY HOLDING THE HANDLE MANUALLY FOR HIGH BEAMS IT CANCELS CRUISE CONTROL WHEN ACTIVATED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WOULD NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN PROMPTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,000.

SOMETIMES WHEN IM DRIVING AND IM TRYING TO PASS SOMEONE AND I GO TO USE MY SIGNAL LIGHT THEY DO NOT WORK THEN I CAN GO DOWN THE ROAD THEY WILL WORK PLUS MY LIGHTS WONT GO ON BRIGHT WITHOUT SHUTTING OFF. *TR

HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY WENT OUT WHEN DRIVING. NO WARNING. COULD ONLY USE HIGH BEAM LIGHTS WHEN LEVER CONSTANTLY PRESSED WHEN DRIVING. VERY DANGEROUS. NOT FUSES, NOT BULBS, ULTIMATELY $800 MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH NEEDED REPLACEMENT. APPEARS TO BE A KNOWN HAZARD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS FAILED TO WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

TL* THE CONTACT STATED THAT 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE AND THE BRAKE LIGHT CONTINUOUS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE DIMMER SWITCH NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 186,300.

IN THE SUMMER OF 2013 MY DAUGHTER REPORTED THE MULTIFUNCTION LEVER ON HER CAR WAS HARD TO OPERATE WHEN TRYING TO ACTIVATE HIGH BEAMS. ONE NIGHT WHILE DRIVING DOWN A DARK COUNTRY ROAD SHE ATTEMPTED TO OPERATE THE HIGH BEAM SWITCH AND THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT COMPLETELY. LUCKILY SHE WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK. AT THAT TIME SHE PLAYED WITH THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH AND WAS ABLE TO GET LOW BEAMS TO COME BACK. I'VE SPOKEN WITH TWO MECHANICS WHO SAID THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE EARLY 2000'S IMPALAS WHICH MEANS THERE MUST BE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS / INJURIES ASSOCIATED BECAUSE THESE ARE VERY POPULAR CARS. CHEVROLET SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROLIFIC, WELL-KNOWN SAFETY ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS WERE DEFECTIVE. THE DEALER RECOMMENDED THAT THE HEADLIGHTS BE REPLACED DUE TO MOISTURE INSIDE THE LIGHT FIXTURES. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,644.

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE BEGUN TO GO OFF AUTOMATICALLY. SO FAR, WE CAN CLICK THE LIGHTS FROM HIGH BEAM TO LOW BEAM OR VICE-VERSA AND THEY COME BACK ON. THIS STARTED THE LATTER PART OF LAST YEAR, BUT LAST WEEK THEY ACTUALLY STARTED FLICKERING RIGHT BEFORE THEY WENT OFF. I SEARCHED THE WEB AND FOUND THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT WITH MANY CONSUMERS. I LIVE IN RURAL AMERICA AND FEAR THE LIGHTS GOING OUT WHERE THERE ARE NO STREET LIGHTS OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF LIGHTING. THERE ARE MANY CURVES AND HILLS AND FEAR WHAT COULD HAPPEN ESPECIALLY IF MY TEENAGER IS DRIVING AND PANICS. WE HAVE SEARCHED FOR THE "FIX" BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW FOR SURE AND GM HAS MADE NO ATTEMPT TO RECALL THIS PROBLEM. MY COMPLAINT IS WHY NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. I HAVE READ SO MANY SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT IT MAY BE BUT NO ONE HAS THE EXACT REMEDY FOR IT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT PULLED OVER ON SIDE OF ROAD, PULLED ON TIMER SWITCH HEADLIGHTS CAME BACK ON. I HAVE BEEN READING ABOUT MANY ISSUES RELATED TO HEADLIGHT FAILURE. GM NEEDS TO RECALL MY 16 YR. OLD DAUGHTER 03 IMPALA, BEFORE SHE GETS HURT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 78 AT 60 MPH I ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH FROM LOW BEAM TO HIGH BEAM. ASI DID THAT, I LOST ALL LIGHTS. I JIGGLED THE HIGH BEAM SWITCH AND THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES SINCE THEN. *JS

OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, THE HEADLIGHT LENSES HAVE BECOME CLOUDY AND MURKY. CLEANERS DO NOT HELP. WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT (WORST IN RAIN OR SNOW AND AT HIGHER SPEEDS) THE VISIBILITY OF THE HEADLIGHT LAMPS PROJECTION BECOME LESS AND LESS. DO NOT SUGGEST USING THE HIGH BEAMS AS THESE WOULD BE A COVER-UP. WHEN SEALED BEAMS WERE USED FROM 1940 TO 1996, THIS PROBLEM DID NOT HAPPEN. (THE CLOUDY/MURKY LENSES) UNTIL THE MANUFACTURER'S WENT OVER TO PLASTIC LENSES BECAUSE OF THE NEW SAFETY CODES REQUIRED. UPDATED 01/30/12 *BF

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 60 MPH WHEN THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED TO ILLUMINATE. THE HEADLIGHTS CONTINUED TO FAIL UNTIL THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING NOR WAS THE MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 80,139.

WHEN SWITCH IS PULLED TO PUT ON BRIGHT LIGHTS ALL LIGHTS GO OFF, LEAVING ME DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH ABSOLUTELY NO LIGHTS. WIGGLING, JIGGLING, OR MOVING THE SWITCH EVENTUALLY PUTS THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS BACK ON. HAD THIS FIXED AT A COST TO ME OF MORE THAN $600. I PURCHASED THIS CAR NEW AND HAVE EVERY SERVICE RECORD ON IT, CAN PROVE IT WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND NOT ABUSED. EVEN HAVE SAVED FAILED PART FROM THIS SERVICE. HAVE SEEN A VAST NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM LISTED ON WEB. I WAS LUCKY, THE NEXT PERSON MIGHT NOT BE SO LUCKY. AT THE VERY LEAST PEOPLE WHO OWN THIS MAKE/MODEL NEED TO BE MADE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS TO HAPPEN. I WOULD NOT LIKE TO SEE THIS HAPPEN TO MY GRANDMOTHER OR OTHER LOVED ONE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHENEVER THE PARKING LIGHTS WERE TURNED ON THE HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED HER THAT THERE WAS NO WARRANTY OR RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE AND THE REPAIR COST WAS $500. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000.

I HAVE A 2003 CHEVY IMPALA WITH THE DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS ON CAR FROM FACTORY. WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON EVENING SHE LOST ALL HER HEADLIGHTS AND THEY COULDN'T EVEN BE TURNED ON MANUALLY. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR SOME STREET LIGHTS IN HER LOCATION SHE MIGHT HAVE LOST CONTROL OF CAR. THE PROBLEM WAS DIAGNOSED AS BEING IN THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH IN THE STEERING COLUMN. A GM REPLACEMENT PART WAS QUOTED TO ME AT $500 PLUS INSTALLATION. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ITEM AS I UNDERSTAND FROM MY MECHANIC THAT IT IS COMMON. IT IS VERY UNSAFE AND COSTLY TO FIX. THE AVERAGE PERSON CANNOT FIX THIS SWITCH BECAUSE IT INVOLVES REMOVING THE AIR BAG FIRST. SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS HAD BECOME INOPERABLE AND THE FAILURE WOULD OCCUR INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT NIGHT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON. SUDDENLY, THE HEADLIGHTS BECAME INOPERATIVE. THE SPEED RATE WAS REDUCED AND THE HI-BEAMS WERE ACTIVATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE IN OPERATION. THE CONTACT HAD CONCERN OF THE POTENTIAL SAFETY HAZARD. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 57,000. UPDATED 01/28/11*LJ THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH WAS REPLACED. UPDATED 03/23/11

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE HEAD LIGHTS SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. THE HEADLIGHTS THEN ILLUMINATED WHEN THE CONTACT DROVE UP A HILL BUT THEN TURNED OFF AGAIN WHEN A TURN WAS MADE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 82,000.

MY HIGH BEAM SWITCH DOESN'T WORK IN MY IMPALA. MY CAR IS EITHER AN 02 OR 03 AND, AFTER LOOKING THIS UP ONLINE, IM SEEING THAT THERE ARE A TON OF OTHER COMPLAINTS. THIS IS VERY OBVIOUSLY AN ENGINEERING OR NEGLIGENCE ISSUE WITH THE COMPANY. WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT, ON OCCASION, IF I SWITCH MY LOW/HIGH BEAMS, THE LIGHTS MAY OR MAY NOT GO COMPLETELY OUT. I HAVE TO SWITCH THEM ON AND OFF AGAIN, MAYBE A FEW TIMES, TO GET THEM TO COME BACK ON. THIS POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD SINCE IT COULD TAKE A FEW SECONDS TO GET THEM TO COME BACK ON. *TR

HEADLIGHTS RANDOMLY TURN OFF AT NIGHT WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 IMPALA. NOTHING I DO SEEMS TO HELP THEM COME BACK ON. I HAVE PULLED OVER AND TRIED TO MANUALLY TURN THEM ON, I HAVE TURNED OFF MY CAR AND RESTARTED, I HAVE HIT THE SWITCH TO GO FROM BRIGHT TO DIM. NOTHING HAS HELPED. THEY EVENTUALLY COME BACK ON. THIS HAS HAPPENED MAYBE THREE TIMES SO FAR. I HAVE NO CLUE AS TO WHEN THIS STARTED BUT SINCE YOU ARE MAKING ME PICK A DATE I DID. IT WOULD PROBABLY HAPPEN MORE BUT I QUIT DRIVING MY CAR AT NIGHT FOR THE FEAR OF IT HAPPENING AGAIN! HAVE NEVER TAKEN IT TO THE SHOP TO HAVE FIXED SINCE I AM MARRIED TO A MECHANIC. HOWEVER HE HAS YET TO BOTHER TRYING TO FIX IT OR SEE WHAT COULD BE WRONG EITHER. *TR

I JUST BOUGHT A 2003 CHEVY IMPALA LS. ON MY WAY HOME I TURN ON MY BRIGHTS AND WHEN I WENT TO SHUT THEM OFF IT TURNED ALL MY LIGHTS OFF AND THEY WONT COME BACK ON. MY LIGHTS WILL ONLY COME ON WHEN IN THE BRIGHTS POSITION AND WILL STILL SHUT OFF OCCASIONALLY. I HAVE READ COUNTLESS COMMENT BY PEOPLE WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM IN THE 15 MIN I'VE BEEN ONLINE SEARCHING THIS BEFORE I STUMBLED ONTO THIS WEBSITE. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS SEEING AS DRIVING AT NIGHT AND YOUR LIGHTS JUST RANDOMLY SHUT OFF THAT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY DEADLY IF NOT ALREADY! *TR

RECURRING PROBLEM: WHEN CLICKING FROM LOW BEAM TO HIGH BEAM OR HIGH/LOW USING THE TURN SIGNAL ARM THE HEADLIGHTS GO OUT UNEXPECTEDLY. I'VE BEEN FORCED TO TRAVEL WITH THE FOG LIGHTS ON TO INSURE THAT I HAVE SOME VISION WHEN SWITCHING HIGH/LOW. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO BE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED AND LOSING YOUR HEADLIGHTS! I HAVE FOUND OVER 30 SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON-LINE WITHOUT TO MUCH SEARCHING EFFORT. MANY OF THE RESPONDENTS HAVE SAID THAT REPAIR/REPLACEMENT OF THE TURN SIGNAL ARM RUNS ABOUT $700. IN VISITING WITH MY DEALER HE HAS INDICATED HE HAS NOT HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM--BUT MY RESEARCH INDICATES IT OCCURS OFTEN? THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT OCCURRED IN LATE DEC. 2009. WE ARE HESITANT TO USE THIS VEHICLE AFTER DARK DUE TO THE PROBLEM. *TR

LIGHTS JUST TURN OFF FOR NO REASON. *TR