2003 Chevy Impala....at 100,000 miles..what have I gotten?

@bertrand‌

You said you got the Impala with the 3.6 . . . I assume it actually has the 3.8 liter V6 . . . ?

If that is the case, those engines are known for having problems with the intake manifolds. Not the gaskets, but the intake manifolds themselves.

If you like, I can post some information. Let me know

Of course, it’s not guaranteed to happen to you, but the possibility exists

Other than what I just said, that car is old school through and through. Which is generally a good thing. Old school in this case can mean tried and true

I agree with the other guys. Assume that no maintenance of any kind has ever been done. It’s time to play catch up

Did you trade in the Kia . . . or did you keep it as a spare?

Your Impala was made with either a 3.4 or a 3.8L V6. Your 3.6 must have happened right at the middle of an engine switchover on the assembly line. ;-]

I’m going to guess a “wear and tear” warranty simply means it does NOT cover normal wear and tear.

Congrats; I would just add that you have to bring your maintenance up to date more based on age than miles. The car is anywhere from 12-14 yrs old.

It seems like you made a good purchase. I am not much of one for extended warranties, but perhaps it give you piece of mind. Read the warranty carefully. Be sure to have the fluids (engine oil, transmission oil, coolant, etc.) changed on the schedule in the owner’s manual. Some warranties are void if the maintenance isn’t performed on schedule. Keep the receipts for the maintenance. Remember that the warranty is not a substitute for keeping up with the maintenance. The friends I have known that have owned the Impalas have had good experiences with these cars.

If your car has the 3.8 liter engine, about the only thing that goes wrong with them the intake manifold, as previously mentioned. A waterline within the manifold leaks coolant into the combustion chambers and out the exhaust. Once it cracks, it will suck all the coolant out in a very short time. The 3.8 is one of the best engines GM has used in recent history. They used it in darned near everything. I know of many of them with over 200K miles and a few with 300K. You have a good car there. Don’t sweat it. Don’t even sweat the manifold. I’ve seen a lot of cars that they have never leaked on. If yours is one that does happen to crack, your extended warranty should cover it.

(3.6L ? I don’t think so, unless you bought a Cadillac CTS by mistake.)

I think the Impala is rated as a pretty good and reliable car. When you have a chance, be sure to see what it says about it in Consumer Reports Auto Reliability Guide. It will list some of the most important known issues for that make/model/year, and there may be some items that are considered design issues so are covered under a goodwill extended warranty program.

Some of my neighbors own Impalas of that vintage (bad word to use perhaps…) and they’ve been excellent cars with no problems at all. One is an '03 and the other an '05; both of which still see almost daily use and both still look and drive as new.

Yes I ment 3.8, bad typing on my part. What is an intake manifold? What does it do and where is it on the enigne and how do you tell if it’s going bad?

The intake manifold is essentially the ductwork (albeit very heavy ductwork) that channels the intake air to the cylinders. In the case of this engine, you will know that it has become problematic if you see evidence of coolant in the motor oil.

So, although these tend to be fairly reliable cars overall, you do need to monitor the condition of the oil on a regular basis. If you see what looks like a chocolate milkshake on the dipstick, that indicates the presence of coolant that has contaminated the motor oil, and since coolant is not a good lubricant, that can produce major problems.

If you find evidence of what I described, you will need to get the car to a mechanic very quickly. Hopefully, you will never encounter this.

Well I on average check the oil once a week as I do with all fluids. Right now the oil is very clean and almost clear which leads me to believe the dealership did an oil change on the car before selling it, I am trying to verify that with the salesmen.

" I am trying to verify that with the salesmen. "

Just bear in mind that if he is as “honest” about the oil change as he was with the details of your warranty, his word is not worth very much…

That is true, but in this matter I don’t really see why he wouldn’t be straight up with me, it’s just an oil change.

I wouldn’t take anybody’s word on any of this. If it’s not documented, assume it wasn’t done.

True, but by looking at the dip stick, for the oil to be that clear nad clean it has to have been changed pretty recently with not much driving on the engine.

I agree with everyone on the intake gaskets being problematic eventually. However only use dexcool when replacing the coolant. GM uses it for a reason and many aftermarket companies make dexcool approved coolant at a lower cost than your dealership. Issues with dexcool are 99.9% of the time related to lack of maintenence and not the dexcool itself.

I was able to get the paperwork from the dealership on the work they did after getting the car in trade before I purchased it. From the paper work they replaced the front pads and rotor, the tie rod, the oil light sensor, two new front tires and did a oil change. So I want to look into getting the coolant drained and replaced. The transmission fluid looks very clean and pink on the dip stick so I may hold off on that for a few months. I want to get the battery tested to see it’s condition, although it appears to be starting fine but I know with colder temps ahead that doesnt’ mean alot now.