Chevrolet Impala

Where it stands out against its peers

• Electrical system: more complaints than 91% of 2014 cars — 35% of its 632 complaints, where an ordinary 2014 car has 17%.
• Electronic stability control (esc): more complaints than 98% of 2014 cars — 16% of its 632 complaints, where an ordinary 2014 car has 3%.
• Lane departure: more complaints than 98% of 2014 cars — 6% of its 632 complaints, where an ordinary 2014 car has 0%.

Same model year only, at least 30 peer cars, zeros included. Every car has a worst part; this shows which, and how far from ordinary it is. A high share means more to check, not a verdict.

Before you buy one

Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.

• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 84 owners reported this, 2 involving a fire
• STEERING — 72 owners reported this, 3 involving a crash
• EXTERIOR LIGHTING — 25 owners reported this
• ENGINE — 23 owners reported this, 1 involving a fire
• ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) — 19 owners reported this
• AIR BAGS — 17 owners reported this, 4 involving a crash
• SERVICE BRAKES — 17 owners reported this, 2 involving a crash
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE — 15 owners reported this
• POWER TRAIN — 14 owners reported this
• STRUCTURE — 14 owners reported this
• STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES — 13 owners reported this
• STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) — 11 owners reported this
• LANE DEPARTURE — 10 owners reported this
• STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — 8 owners reported this
• STEERING,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) — 7 owners reported this
• VISIBILITY/WIPER — 7 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES — 6 owners reported this
• ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES — 6 owners reported this
• STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES — 6 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS — 5 owners reported this
• ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) — 5 owners reported this
• VISIBILITY — 5 owners reported this

Crash test

Crash-tested by NHTSA, the American road safety agency.

Specification

Recalls

Filed by the manufacturer with a regulator. A recall is repaired free of charge, whoever owns the car now.

73% of 2019 cars have more recall campaigns than this one, and an ordinary one has 3. More of them means more to check the service record for, not a worse car.

• 11V398000

  POWER STEERING FLUID COULD FLOW ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE COULD OCCUR.

  GM DEALERS WILL INSPECT TO ENSURE THAT THE UPPER POWER STEERING HOSE IS ROUTED CORRECTLY AND MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.

• 12V377000

  A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower control arms, free of charge. The safety recall began on August 21, 2012. Owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546.

• 13V220000

  If the brake lamps flash when the vehicle is not slowing, a following driver may not adjust vehicle speed when the vehicle is in fact braking, and the brake lamps are illuminating as intended, increasing the risk of a crash.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module. The recall began on June 13, 2013. Owner's may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339. GM's recall number is 13158.

• 14V092000

  If a vehicle's shift cable disengages from the transmission shift lever, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the driver may be able to shift the lever to the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.

  General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any affected transmission shift cable adjusters, free of charge. The recall began on April 10, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Buick owners at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC owners at 1-800-462-8782. General Motors' number associated with this recall is 14048.

• 14V355000

  If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.

• 14V409000

  If any of the components separate, the vehicle may have a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash.

  GM began to notify owners on June 27, 2014, and dealers will inspect the fasteners for correct torque, correcting them as necessary, free of charge. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac) or 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14378.

• 14V450000

  If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.

  GM will notify owners, and dealers will clean paint from behind the ground stud nut and update the PSCM software, free of charge. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. The recall began on August 21, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14330.

• 14V489000

  The storage compartment door may not remain closed in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of occupant injury.

  Parts to remedy this condition are not currently available. GM will send owners an interim notification in early October 2014, and will send a second letter when parts are available. At that time dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the console storage compartment door inertia latch, free of charge. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14476.

7 more campaigns have been filed against this model. A dealer can check by VIN which apply to one car.

Regulator investigations

Opened by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation is a question the regulator asked about a possible defect, not a fault it found — most end without a recall.

• BiCal Chevrolet/Loss of Power Steering

  Audit query, opened March 2017, closed May 2020.

• Passenger Air Bag OCS Algorithm

  Defect petition, opened July 2014, closed March 2017.

• Active Safety System Malfunction

  Preliminary evaluation, opened April 2014, closed November 2014.

• Power steering fluid leaks - fires

  Preliminary evaluation, opened May 2009, closed October 2009.

• Alleged headlight failure

  Preliminary evaluation, opened May 2006, closed October 2006.

• Engine compartment fires

  Engineering analysis, opened October 2002, closed March 2004.

• Inadvertent engine stalling

  Preliminary evaluation, opened January 2000, closed February 2000.

What the maker told its dealers

Service bulletins are the manufacturer's own repair guidance to dealers, filed with NHTSA. A bulletin is not a defect finding; the count rises with how many things a maker writes down, not only with how many go wrong.

Chevrolet filed 551 bulletins about the 2020 Impala.

• Equipment: 138
• Engine and engine cooling: 91
• Electrical system: 85
• Engine: 30
• Power train: 30
• Wheels: 23
• Equipment adaptive/mobility: 19
• Structure: 11
• Tires: 9
• Visibility: 9
• Other: 106

• PI to help diagnose A/C concern · July 2026
• This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available. · April 2026
• This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect. · March 2026
• This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance. · March 2026
• This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic module with no DTC'ss · March 2026
• This PI advised dealer technicians of possible causes of diesel fuel contamination in gasoline powered vehicles and advises of warranty direction. · January 2026
• This Preliminary information communicates to the field on how to diagnosis a GPS issue with the Telematic module with no DTC's · January 2026
• This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance. · January 2026

543 more.

Grouped by NHTSA's top-level system; a bulletin filed under a sub-heading counts toward its system.