Wow . What a ( insert a bad word here) horrible thing your going through . Man I hope something good comes out of this and it works out for you in the end . Wish the best to you right now . Fingers crossed this get resolved !

 

Thanks for the well wishes. And the worst part for me is that I've been happy with the car until this incident. There is no reason for the evaporator core to go out on a 4 year old car and GM has laid it out plain as day with that special coverage bulletin that it is an issue outside of the owners' control and outside of reasonable automotive ownership expectations.

Yet for some reason they think my 2016 Impala is unique and I should be responsible for bearing the $1800 repair costs.

Still no explanation from GM. 4 days now since they confirmed the issue.

 

Special Coverage# N182186881

Quick rundown of my current story regarding my 2016 Impala LTZ.

My AC was blowing hot so I took it to a local shop who identified the evaporator core as needing to be replaced. I was furious that a car this age would need that kind of repair. Searched online and found that GM issued a special coverage bulletin regarding 2016-2018 Impalas and this exact issue. It acknowledges a problem with the evaporator cores and that GM will repair free of charge. Google the above bulletin # for full special coverage bulletin.

I call my local dealership and give them the bulletin number. They tell me my vin # is not covered and that I have to call GM customer service. So I call GM customer service and have a horrible and unsatisfactory discussion with a low level representative who is ultimately only able to tell me that my VIN # is not covered and therefore I am not eligible for the special coverage. They give me a case # and tell me to work through my local dealership.

I speak with my local dealership who says they will have to confirm that it is the evaporator core and they can then appeal to GM for special coverage. They confirm the issue is the exact issue covered in the bulletin but that GM only offered to pay $180 towards the repair with no explanation. I was told I would have to call GM to get an explanation. So I call the customer service line again and I have the exact same conversation as the first time with what sounds like another foreign customer service rep. They literally have zero new information. They cannot answer why GM only offered to cover $180 of the $1800 repair and they told me there was no manager or anyone else they could send me to for clarification. Their customer service line is an absolute joke.

I am now waiting for a call back from the dealership. I am beyond frustrated and dissatisfied with GM regarding this issue and will likely never purchase a GM vehicle again as a result.

If you have an issue with your evaporator core in your Chevy Impala, call GM and report it. Obviously they are faulty and GM has acknowledged this fact even if they give you the run around.

Im having the same problem on my 2018 model! 2,000 to repair that I don’t have! What’s the gm number?

 

I’m having the same issue with my 2018 impala now for a year because it’s 3000 to have fixed and GM isn’t doing anything about it. We need to start a class action lawsuit against GM. If your interested please respond back to this message. It’s hot azz heck outside and I have a 2 yr old that gets really frustrated when Riding hot

 

Mines blowing hot as well. However it came back on for about 10 mins, I turned car off. Compressor stayed running whole time, I know they used to cycle in older cars. Today, compressor not running. Usually if its a Evap, the gas is gone, so the compressor wont turn on, kinda confused.
Tested the relay with a 9v battery and Ohm meter, still good.

Does the TSB mean they have to work on it? It says it in black and white they cover it for 6yrs 72k miles. Is it fake maybe?

 

It’s definitely not fake. I called today and was told the same thing as Michael. My cars VIN isn’t ”covered” but they will do an investigation. I think people need to keep calling them. I mean, obviously it’s something they are aware of. There has to be something we can do to make them be held accountable for it.

 

If you are having this issue, call and open a case! Make sure they give you a reference number!

The dealership finally contacted me. Says they spoke with no one at GM, just entered it into a computer system and it immediately returned that they would cover $180 of the charge. The manager of the dealership said he has no contact at GM to appeal to. The customer service rep at GM said the dealership manager would act as my contact with GM. It's bull!

I called GM again today and was told they were putting me through to a "manager." I sat on hold for 45 minutes, hung up and called them back. They then said no managers were available and I should expect a call back tomorrow. So who was I waiting on hold for for 45 minutes?

I am still pressing until I am given an explanation. I will write the GM corporate office if I cannot get a legitimate GM rep. If I get a name or number that is helpful I will share it here.

 

Turns out its the Condensor Coil at the radiator, allegedly. We'll see. Mine has tons of rock chips on the front, black car, I suspect it was a rental in the beginning. 32k miles in one year.

 

You could always pay for it, send in a ---nice suggestive-- letter with the receipt, for reimbursement. Send it Certified to wherever it should go. Give a 30 day response requirement in that letter also. After that, file a suit locally at your Judge Judy(small claims court.) From what I've been told, big companies won't send their lawyers to your town over $2k plus court cost, they usually send you the check plus your filing fees for court. Idk for sure, worth a shot. You got the TSB in your hand, no way you could loose a case like that. Its a safety hazard, you cant breathe freon.

Don't be pushy or demand stuff, just ask.

 

Thank you for the suggestion! My husband did discuss a suit

 

I have a 2018 Impala and have had this exact same issue twice so far (both times replaced under factory warranty). My car now has 45,000 miles on it and it feels like the AC system is going out again. It was only about a year ago that the last repair was done. Going to get the system checked this week and see what they say.

 

UPDATE: The service department called back today and confirmed that the evaporator core has gone bad and needs to be replaced. This is now the THIRD time this part has been replaced... in 45,000 miles! I showed them the bulletin notice talking about this exact issue but they told me my car was not covered under that notice. Luckily, because they had the history showing they had done this repair twice before and the last repair was less than two years ago, they are going to cover the cost.

Some background: We purchased this car with around ~24,000 miles in the fall of 2018. In Feb of 2019 we noticed the AC was not getting as cold as it should. Took it in to get checked and had the evaporator core replaced. About a month after that service, it went bad again and was replaced a second time. Now a little over a year since then, it has gone bad for the third time. I noticed the air was not getting as cold as it should and there were times I could visibly see white vapor clouds coming through the vents along with condensation forming on the vents.

I asked them if they were going to be using a different part this time or what happens if this same issue occurs again because it sure seems like it's going to. I didn't get any answers but I will give an update if I get more information.

 

Hi Atlas, thanks for sharing your experience here. I will offer an update on my situation as well.

After waiting several more weels, I called back into customer service after having written a letter and sent multiple emails to gmprioritycare@gm.com and another to the head of GM's North America operations, Alan Batey. I suggest everyone with this issue to do the same. Alan.batey@gm.com

I was told I'd receive a call from a manager within 24 hours. I did not. So I called back in after waiting 2 days. I called the "Sr Customer Service Advisor" Thomas directly, whose number I had saved. No answer. I left him a message. I then called the main customer service line and demanded to speak to a manager immediately. Would you believe the found Thomas? What unfolded was the worst customer service experience yet, which is an incredible feat. I asked if any headway had been made on my claim dating back two months regarding why my VIN# was being excluded from the revision coverage. Thomas then resorted to his prior tactic of telling me he had already answered my questions and that there was no other person above him that I could appeal to for answers. No regional managers, I asked. Nope. After refusing to accept Thomas' bullshit, he finally conceded that he had not, in fact, answered my fundamental question at all. Mid sentence with me Thomas proceeded to hang up. I called the customer service line back and made a report on the incident and was then guaranteed that I would receive a call urgently from another manager about this. Fast forward one week and I've received no contact whatsoever. To put it plainly, their customer service line is a complete farce. My local dealership verified this to be the case. They only exist to delay you, mislead you, and weaken your resolve.

On the local end, the part finally arrived at the dealership. My dealership told me they were engaged with GM in trying to reduce the charge of over $1600 they were quoting me. To my surprise, they xid reduce it yo $712 with no elaboration as to why. Who at GM were they speaking with that authorized it? The customer,e, is totally excluded from this information. A regional manager presumably? No telling.

I dropped the car off today for the repair. I was told the warranty on mew evaporator core is 12 months. That is an absolute joke of a warranty on a systemically proven faulty component that costs over $2000 to repair. I asked what design changes or part upgrades were made in the new evaporator core that supposedly resolve the issue. The dealership could only answer that GM said it was "redesigned."

Needless to say, I am not satisfied that the warranty or redesign will protect me from another component failure that will stick me with this issue again and having to fight with GM again over a multi thousand dollar repair on a new part that is inherently faulty.

Your story above is a perfect example and my dealership says don't expect GM to offer anything towards the repairs if the component fails again after the 12 month warranty is up.

GM has to answer to this issue and the fact that they have behaved the way they have is pretty despicable business practice. This experience has likely permanently sourede on GM products and I am seriously considering selling the Impala after this repair to protect myself from a future recurrence of this same issue.

I will continue fighting GM for reimbursement for the $712 I am paying upfront on this repair and for an explanation regarding their handling of this matter.

This has been an absolute nightmare and I've never been treated more rudely and disrespectfully by a company over a customer service issue in my life. Very disappointed. I am soon to go to social media with my experience sonce GM does not feel as though I am worthy of an explanation or response.

 

Nothing new from GM customer service! They are just a firewall. Your selling dealer service manager has the contact number to people who can make the approvals. Don't waste your time with GM customer service. FYI the Silverados are having the same problem but with the condenser!

Pat

 

Same story with my 2017 Impala. Had the dealership confirm the evaporator was leaking. But then they said the service bulletin did not come up when they put in the vin number and they will not cover it if the bulletin don't come up regardless of what the bulletin says. Called GM support and same story, nothing comes up when they enter the vin.
And no one anywhere can tell me why me car is not covered.
Eventual they offered a discount, but this is ridiculous it should be covered in full as per the bulletin.

Why are they failing in the first place? Seems to me a design problem.
Is there a temperature probe on the evaporator to detect that is has frozen up?
And what has been done to keep it from happening again in another 2 years?
The service bulletin N182186881 said about drain blockage. But when I tested it with
UV dye the water was running out just fine, and I never had water on the floor.
There seems to be another bulletin N182186880 that may mention about reprogramming the computer for this problem.
Has anyone seen this bulletin, I can't seem to find it on the web?
If anyone has it, kindly pass it along.

Has anyone been told why there Impala is not covered?
Has anyone tried taking legal action on this?

 

might be time just to sell the car....
FYI-- EVERY time i have brought a vehicle in to GM for repair they argue everything they possibly can to NOT fix it. and this was WARRANTY stuff too..
GM WARRANTY REPAIR SUCKS PERIOD

 

How does an evaporator core failed (it is just aluminum/alloy coils with radiator fins) and so soon? Leaking refrigerant? I do own a 2017 LT but this is worrysome.

 

How does an evaporator core failed (it is just aluminum/alloy coils with radiator fins) and so soon? Leaking refrigerant? I do own a 2017 LT but this is worrysome.

Formicary Corrosion.

 

Unfortunately I’m going thru the same whole story right now with my 2017 Impala with only 42,000 miles. I read this before calling and told them the bulletin number but they told me the same crap about my VIN not being covered for the Recall or special coverage. They finally offered me a case number and said I might be able to get some cost assistance from GM thru a dealership with the repair. Even tho they should cover the whole thing since it’s a defect and a special coverage.

 

Unfortunately I’m going thru the same whole story right now with my 2017 Impala with only 42,000 miles. I read this before calling and told them the bulletin number but they told me the same crap about my VIN not being covered for the Recall. They finally offered me a case number and said I might be able to get some cost assistance from GM thru a dealership with the repair. Even tho they should cover the whole thing since it’s a defect and Recall.

There is no recall. Recalls are issued for safety defects. This repair is considered an extended warranty or satisfaction campaign by GM.

 

Today I took my 2017 Impala to my mechanic and indeed it is the a/c evaporator that is the problem since I have nothing but warm air coming out. I looked on Consumer Reports and this problem exists for the 18s and 19s also. $1700 to fix by a private garage. I will go to my dealer tomorrow since I bought it new from them and show them what you posted about the Impala's evaporator. Such a great car otherwise.

 

I also have a 2017 impala - same exact problem as others in this thread. My VIN # isn’t covered by this special coverage warranty. GM customer service is useless, they won’t even give me a phone number or tell me how to file a complaint. I’ve asked them to document everything in my case #. I intend to escalate with dealership staff at this point. The customer service lady did tell me that they will not reimburse any repairs performed outside of the dealership by third parties if they do add/expand a special warranty later on. They offered me a $200 “cost assistance” based on how long out of my warranty I am. There is absolutely no reason that this part should fail on a 4 year old car with 60k miles. The pitiful customer service is really a slap in the face to loyal GM customers like me, let alone American tax payers that bailed their sorry *** out in ‘09 and lost about 10 BILLION.

 

same here. 2017 with 20,000 miles. service bulletin says not my vin number so I called GM to no avail. same problem everyone else is having. I have the extended warranty so they ended up paying for it. $2400 was the bill. I would sell the car before I payed for it. GM knows the problem exist and I b damned if im paying for it with only 20,000 miles.

 

They quoted me $2k to repair it. No way I’m paying that. I’m seriously considering trading it in, this is so upsetting because I actually love the car.

 

Special Coverage# N182186881

Quick rundown of my current story regarding my 2016 Impala LTZ.

My AC was blowing hot so I took it to a local shop who identified the evaporator core as needing to be replaced. I was furious that a car this age would need that kind of repair. Searched online and found that GM issued a special coverage bulletin regarding 2016-2018 Impalas and this exact issue. It acknowledges a problem with the evaporator cores and that GM will repair free of charge. Google the above bulletin # for full special coverage bulletin.

I call my local dealership and give them the bulletin number. They tell me my vin # is not covered and that I have to call GM customer service. So I call GM customer service and have a horrible and unsatisfactory discussion with a low level representative who is ultimately only able to tell me that my VIN # is not covered and therefore I am not eligible for the special coverage. They give me a case # and tell me to work through my local dealership.

I speak with my local dealership who says they will have to confirm that it is the evaporator core and they can then appeal to GM for special coverage. They confirm the issue is the exact issue covered in the bulletin but that GM only offered to pay $180 towards the repair with no explanation. I was told I would have to call GM to get an explanation. So I call the customer service line again and I have the exact same conversation as the first time with what sounds like another foreign customer service rep. They literally have zero new information. They cannot answer why GM only offered to cover $180 of the $1800 repair and they told me there was no manager or anyone else they could send me to for clarification. Their customer service line is an absolute joke.

I am now waiting for a call back from the dealership. I am beyond frustrated and dissatisfied with GM regarding this issue and will likely never purchase a GM vehicle again as a result.

If you have an issue with your evaporator core in your Chevy Impala, call GM and report it. Obviously they are faulty and GM has acknowledged this fact even if they give you the run around.

I have the same experience - frustrating - the Special Coverage Bulletin does not apply to my VIN - no one can explain what makes my VIN an outlier - #$%ing mad!!

 

I would love to know how many vin # that special coverage DOES apply to!

 

My '18 Impala has a similar evaporator core warranty issue, consistent with the pattern others are reporting.

GM dealer diagnosed an evaporator core issue, I found the special coverage that said the customer should not pay for repairs, contacted GM, they said the VIN was excluded, I experienced aggressive telephone behavior from a "senior" customer care specialist, and GM offered to pay a small portion of the repair cost.

I suspect the special coverage was issued to head off a state or federal regulatory action or to settle with a plaintiff's attorney to avoid a class action. We need to know what prompted the special coverage, and any attorneys general or private plaintiff's attorneys involved in negotiating settlements on this 2016-2018 Chevrolet Impala manufacturers defect in the air conditioning system.

Those involved in this thread can help by sharing the thread with any plaintiff's law firms involved in GM mass torts, especially those involved in GM air conditioning marketing and sales practices litigation. If you know people in a state attorney general office consumer division, send them a link to this thread.

Understand that you might have remedies available under your state consumer protection laws that are not available in other places. This could be why the special coverage is limited to some VIN numbers.

If your 2016-2018 Impala air conditioner evaporator core defect was covered under GM special coverage bulletin N182186881, please post the last 8 digits of your VIN number here. That information may help us determine which "involved vehicles" are identified in the Applicable Warranties section of the GM Global Warranty Management system.

Plaintiffs may be excluded from taking action as early as a year after discovering a defect. Timely action may be required if any legal relief is available.

Plaintiffs have filed a class action lawsuit in a similar claim involving air conditioning defects in earlier GM models.

IN RE: GENERAL MOTORS AIR CONDITIONING MARKETING AND SALES PRACTICES LITIGATION
Case No. 18-md-02818
United States District Court, E.D. Michigan, Southern Division.

GovInfo

Official Publications from the U.S. Government Publishing Office.

www.govinfo.gov

 

 

Apparently I'm not alone. 2016 LTZ Midnight Edition with 41,000 miles. At the dealer now getting a $1968 evaporator core replacement. I saw the "Special Coverage" in a Google search before finding this forum and was told like others on here, that my vehicle doesn't qualify. I'd sure like to know why.

 

This situation continues to frustrate me, not clear answers since I first contact GM a month ago, it is even more frustrating to read the repair prices, my estimate is for $2699 after already paying $328 to diagnose the problem

 

Imo, any out of pocket expense on cars this new is absolute BS!!! It's obvious there's an evap. core defect on those model years!

 

I find it interesting (and am thankful, being a 2014 owner) that I haven't heard of anyone with 2014 and 2015 models having this problem in spite of those generally having greater age and mileage by now.

Does anyone know what may have changed in subsequent model years to cause this issue? The part suppliers currently list the same replacement part number for the evaporator core for the 2014 thru 2020 Impala.

 

Anyone getting hissing noises from the evaporator prior to the AC failure?

 

Can confirm that this was how mine went - out with a hiss. At least it happened in December, as opposed to the heat of summer.

I bought my 2017 Premier used at the beginning of 2019, and by that December, the evaporator was dead (~40k miles). I have to concur with everyone here in calling the entire saga a nightmare. I chose an extremely highly-rated private shop where the issue had been diagnosed, as they quoted ~$300 lower than the dealer. This turned out to be a mistake. They first tried to renege on their written quote. Then, after delaying the repair an additional 2 days, grudgingly lent me an ancient Ford which boasted an added luxury feature of carbon monoxide poisoning. On to the issues with the actual repair - huge scratches to my windshield UV tint, didn't reconnect the ambient lighting on the dash, and left the dash with atrocious rattling. So... while I hate it for those of you who've had to have multiple of these repairs done at the dealership in a matter of a couple years (absurd)...that's sadly the best option.

 

Well, put me down as a victim as well. 2017, 55K miles, sitting at the dealer now. Same story as everyone else. Covered not covered. 2 grand down the hole. Said they fixed it. Picked her up, still not working. Back at the dealer. What a bait and switch this is. I am going to call the firm who filed the class action in MI. Would love to know if ANYONE has a VIN that was actually covered in GM's system....

 

Just read all the posts here and am definitely startling to get a feeling of dread, I have a 2019 and the AC just quit working, compressor isn't engaging...
I found a couple different Service bulletins about cracked lines... How is this not covered? the car is 2 years old.
I'm going to take it to the dealer for an oil change on Monday and ask them to take a look at it while it's in their shop. I will print these 2 bulletins and give them to them as well.

 

Same issue here. 2017 with 41000 miles, my local mechanic told me there’s no way this should be happening and to contact GM. It’s been about a month now, and the best they can do is a 35/65 split for cost assistance at the Chevy dealership, bringing it from over $3k to just under $2k. My other mechanic quoted $1300. I have received the same go-around regarding the special coverage adjustment N182186881-01 with “It doesn’t pull up on your VIN” (last 8 are H9136968 btw). Called customer support countless times, asked to speak with a supervisor and was told “a request has been put in for you” several times. Never received a call, and only spoke with a supervisor once when a rep put me on hold for an hour to call one. Part of me wants to save $700 and get it fixed sooner, but I know I’ll lose whatever slim chance there is to get it fully covered if I go that route. Probably going to sell this car and never buy GM again. Not that they’ll notice…

 

You all need to find an aggressive State Atty General to investigate.