2004 Chevrolet Impala LS 3.8

Summary:

Great low maintenance high mileage car

Faults:

At 288,000 miles I have only replaced a cruise control module and an intake gasket. The rest is normal maintenance.

General Comments:

I drive 5000 miles a month in the car. It performs well in snow and ice and rain etc. I live in the Midwest USA, so we get subzero weather and snow and tornado's.

I had driven Volvo's til I moved to this area, and decided to get an American car due to the availability for some one to work on a Volvo.

It has surpassed my expectations. It has very little maintenance, and just runs and runs.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th January, 2010

2004 Chevrolet Impala 3.4L V6

Summary:

Best used car bargain

Faults:

Following problems when bought originally:

- Hard shifting: EPC Solenoid replaced.

- Stalling at idle: Idle Air Control Valve and purge solenoid replaced.

- Other routine maintenance items: worn brakes, weak battery, bad alternator, spark plugs, control arm bushings, rear sway bar links and bushings replaced.

General Comments:

Bought the car from the dealer as is for $1800, since they assumed that the tranny was shot, and it had numerous electrical problems due to the long crank start, as well as stalling due to idle.

Fixups have cost me another $1000, and this was well below than what I originally expected. Ignition cylinder will probably need to be changed in 6~8 months, if I decide to keep this car.

I have taken this on long drives with family upwards of 1000 kms per trip each way, and has delivered stellar performance.

I am a big fan of used GM cars since someone else's nightmare is my bargain. BTW, I never visit stealerships. I prefer to go where the taxis get fixed up. (Always check if the intake manifold has been fixed; if not, factor in its cost as well)

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 31st December, 2009

2004 Chevrolet Impala SS 3.8L Supercharged

Summary:

Great road car

Faults:

Nothing significant. Still original battery after almost 6 years. Some clunking from the front end, but doesn't seem to affect the steering.

General Comments:

Really nice highway car. It will get 30 mpg on cruise at 65 mph. In-town mileage is in the high teens (sometimes less :-). Plenty of power to pass at highway speed.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th December, 2009

11th Dec 2009, 09:51

Does your Impala really only have 22,000 miles on it?

I would have your front end checked out as you shouldn't be hearing "clunking". It could be struts or it could be something in the front end.

2004 Chevrolet Impala Base 3.4

Summary:

At least all the bad parts are easy to find

Faults:

Water pump, fuel pressure regulator, brakes, turn signal/hazard relay switch, heater/AC blower fan, climate control lights, and it is starting to leak antifreeze. All of this in less than 40,000 miles of ownership. I have owned about 10 GMs and this is the worst car I have ever had.

General Comments:

Lots of room, looks good, great gas mileage and is very comfortable. The only problem is that it continually falls apart.

At the same time I bought this, I also bought a 98 Subaru off of EBAY and had to sign a junk waiver on it, and have had no problems at all from it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 27th August, 2009

2004 Chevrolet Impala Base 3.4L V6 SFI

Summary:

This car is awesome, I love it

Faults:

Nothing so far, just had to replace tires because they got old.

Had to replace the rotors and brake pads, which seem to be a problem on these cars.

General Comments:

I love the 3.4L V6 engine. It has great pickup and is quiet.

I also like the plain interior, very easy to reach the radio and air conditioning controls.

I like the automatic headlights; I don't have to worry about turning them on and off.

The car turns extremely well.

I wish the seats had a little more support, but more comfortable than most new car seats these days.

The trunk is huge, although I don't use it much.

The exterior design on the car is what I like most about it.

I love the 4 (circles) lights in the back. I also like that the Impala logo on the trunk, instead of the Chevy bow-tie, which is on the newer impala's. This separates the car from the other Chevy's.

I wish I had a lock on the passengers side in front; it gets annoying sometimes when you don't have your automatic opener.

Gas mileage for this car is around 22mpg, which is better than some smaller v6 engines.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 14th June, 2008

27th Feb 2009, 16:33

I am the original poster of the review. I now have 58,000 miles on the car. The car only had a few problems, which was the turn signals. The turn signals just stopped working. So I took it to the mechanic to get it fixed and surprisingly they worked for him. I got them fixed anyway and it was around 80 dollars.

I also got the rack and pinion lubed to try to fix the clicking problem, but the clicking is still there. I don't have a clue on what to do and I don't want to waste money trying to fix it. Could you please offer some suggestions. I also heard that it means nothing and is just annoying.

The only other thing that happened was part of the trim fell off by the front tire on the drivers side in front. It looks a little ugly because you can see the little holes were the trim was supposed to be. Since it is just body work, I won't get the trim replaced. Other than that, the body is in good shape with no noticeable rust and the paint shines when it is clean.

Other than the little things mentioned above, the car is fun to drive and reliable. It has not left me stranded yet.