IllustrationAFTER PULLING INTO MY DRIVE WAY I PLACED THE CAR IN PARK. I ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND THE KEY WOULD NOT TURN TO THE OFF SECTION. BECAUSE OF THIS THE LIGHTS AND RADIO REMAINED ON, THE KEY WAS ALSO STUCK IN THE IGNITION. *TR
2008 Chevrolet Impala
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Impala years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
890–25K
11125–50K
14950–75K
11675–100K
141100–150K
59150K+
665 reports with mileage · 145 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 221 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 134 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Suspension. Review the 117 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
51 crash reports10 fire reports36 injury reports
What owners actually said
810 reportsOUT OF NO WHERE WHILE DRIVING THE DISPLAY SAYS "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" AND THEN SWITCHES TO "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL". I HAVE LIMITED POWER, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND SO DOES THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT. I CAN DRIVE THE CAR TO WHERE I AM GOING, BUT NO ACCELERATION. *JS
2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. CONSUMER STATES GM IS NOT COMPLYING WITH IGNITION SWITCH RECALL AND THE PART TO REMEDY THE DEFECT IS STILL NOT AVAILABLE *CN
WHEN I STARTED MY VEHICLE, THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL MESSAGE APPEARED. ALSO, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER MESSAGE. DURING MY DRIVE TO WORK I COULD NOT GO BEYOND 40MPH OR 2RPM. *JS
INTERIOR LIGHTS WON'T SHUT OFF WHEN THEY SHOULD. *JS
OUR 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA IS UNDER THE RECALL FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH. WE HAVE THE LETTER. CAR WAS AT THE DEALER FOR 4 WEEKS AND THEY DIDN'T FIX IT. THEY SAID TO TAKE THE REMOTE OFF THE KEY AND ONLY HAVE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION WITH NOTHING ELSE ON THE KEY AND NO OTHER FIX IS AVAILABLE. WE FEEL THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT …
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OUR 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA IS UNDER THE RECALL FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH. WE HAVE THE LETTER. CAR WAS AT THE DEALER FOR 4 WEEKS AND THEY DIDN'T FIX IT. THEY SAID TO TAKE THE REMOTE OFF THE KEY AND ONLY HAVE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION WITH NOTHING ELSE ON THE KEY AND NO OTHER FIX IS AVAILABLE. WE FEEL THE CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS SHOULD THE CAR SHUT OFF. THE DEALER IS FOWLER CHEVROLET IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA.AND THEY REFUSE TO PROVIDE US A LOANER CAR. WHAT ARE WE TO DO? *TR
DRIVING 40MPH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THEN REDUCED ENGINE POWER FLASHED ON MESSAGE BOARD SEVERAL SECONDS LATER TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AND SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL CAME ON MESSAGE BOARD. MY SPEED WAS REDUCED TO 20MPH IN TRAFFIC! LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY WITHOUT CAUSING ANY ACCIDENT (FYI I HAD MY DAUGHTER …
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DRIVING 40MPH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THEN REDUCED ENGINE POWER FLASHED ON MESSAGE BOARD SEVERAL SECONDS LATER TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AND SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL CAME ON MESSAGE BOARD. MY SPEED WAS REDUCED TO 20MPH IN TRAFFIC! LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY WITHOUT CAUSING ANY ACCIDENT (FYI I HAD MY DAUGHTER IN THR CAR WITH ME). I WILL BE TAKING THE CAR TO A CHEVY SHOP IN THE MORNING WHERE IM SURE I WILL HAVE TO PAY HIGH COST OUT OF POCKET EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR CHEVY OWNERS (ONLINE SEARCH) AND THERE HAS BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS WITH NO RECALL. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE AND I FEEL IT IS PUTTING MANY LIVES IN DANGER AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL A LONG TIME AGO. IM JUST LUCKY I WASN'T ON THE HIGHWAY YET BECAUSE THIS COULD HAVE TURNED FATAL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE I…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATES THAT THE VEHICLE REAR SUSPENSION SYSTEM WAS CAUSING THE TIRES TO WEAR PREMATURELY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED APPROXIMATELY EVERY SIX MONTHS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE AIR BAG SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE MESSAGE TO SERVICE THE AIR BAGS SOON APPEARED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.
Official recalls
214V355000 · Electrical System:ignition
Jun 23, 2014
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
12V377000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm
Aug 3, 2012
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Chevrolet Impala police vehicles because the front lower control arms may fracture. This safety recall does not include non-police Chevrolet Impala vehicles.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP14001 · Passenger Air Bag Ocs Algorithm
Opened Jul 22, 2014 · Closed Mar 7, 2017
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags; Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
The Agency received a petition on November 14, 2013 requesting an investigation into the operation of the passenger air bag Occupant Classification System (OCS) software logic and algorithm.The petitioner states that due to this alleged defect, the passenger air bag may be suppressed at point of impact and not provided the occupant protection as needed in a crash.On July 22, 2014, NHTSA opened DP14-001 to further review the crash event and perform a more comprehensive search and analysis of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).The Agency also collected manufacturers reports on the alleged OCS issue on the subject Impala vehicles and other GM and non-GM peer vehicles.After examination of the petition and available data relating to the subject vehicle's OCS and the specific crash incident where the OCS allegedly failed to operate properly, NHTSA did not identify an issue with the MY2008 Impala involved in the subject crash, nor has it identified a safety-related defect trend existing in the OCS used in the MY 2006-2008 Impala vehicles, in GM peer vehicles or in other non-GM peer vehicles.NHTSA has concluded that further expenditure of the agency's investigative resources is not warranted. The agency accordingly has denied the petition.However, the agency will take further action if warranted by changing future circumstances. The official petition denial, as published in the Federal Register, is available in the document file for this defect petition.The single complaint and crash noted in the Failure Report above is the petitioner's VOQ (10568388) and can be reviewed online at https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=10568388.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE
The Agency received a petition on November 14, 2013 requesting an investigation into the operation of the passenger air bag Occupant Classification System (OCS) software logic and algorithm.The petitioner states that due to this alleged defect, the passenger air bag may be suppressed at point of impact and not provided the occupant protection as needed in a crash.On July 22, 2014, NHTSA opened DP14-001 to further review the crash event and perform a more comprehensive search and analysis of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).The Agency also collected manufacturers reports on the alleged OCS issue on the subject Impala vehicles and other GM and non-GM peer vehicles.After examination of the petition and available data relating to the subject vehicle's OCS and the specific crash incident where the OCS allegedly failed to operate properly, NHTSA did not identify an issue with the MY2008 Impala involved in the subject crash, nor has it identified a safety-related defect trend existing in the OCS used in the MY 2006-2008 Impala vehicles, in GM peer vehicles or in other non-GM peer vehicles.NHTSA has concluded that further expenditure of the agency's investigative resources is not warranted. The agency accordingly has denied the petition.However, the agency will take further action if warranted by changing future circumstances. The official petition denial, as published in the Federal Register, is available in the document file for this defect petition.The single complaint and crash noted in the Failure Report above is the petitioner's VOQ (10568388) and can be reviewed online at https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=10568388.
Air Bags
The Agency received a petition on November 14, 2013 requesting an investigation into the operation of the passenger air bag Occupant Classification System (OCS) software logic and algorithm.The petitioner states that due to this alleged defect, the passenger air bag may be suppressed at point of impact and not provided the occupant protection as needed in a crash.On July 22, 2014, NHTSA opened DP14-001 to further review the crash event and perform a more comprehensive search and analysis of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).The Agency also collected manufacturers reports on the alleged OCS issue on the subject Impala vehicles and other GM and non-GM peer vehicles.After examination of the petition and available data relating to the subject vehicle's OCS and the specific crash incident where the OCS allegedly failed to operate properly, NHTSA did not identify an issue with the MY2008 Impala involved in the subject crash, nor has it identified a safety-related defect trend existing in the OCS used in the MY 2006-2008 Impala vehicles, in GM peer vehicles or in other non-GM peer vehicles.NHTSA has concluded that further expenditure of the agency's investigative resources is not warranted. The agency accordingly has denied the petition.However, the agency will take further action if warranted by changing future circumstances. The official petition denial, as published in the Federal Register, is available in the document file for this defect petition.The single complaint and crash noted in the Failure Report above is the petitioner's VOQ (10568388) and can be reviewed online at https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=10568388.