WHEN ACCELERATING AFTER A STOP, TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE IT'S SLIPPING, THE CAR DOES NOT WANT TO MOVE. AFTER APPLYING ENOUGH GAS, THE CAR WILL "BRAKE LOOSE" AND LUNGE FORWARD. THIS CAN DEFINITELY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *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
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.
What owners actually said
810 reportsAFTER STOPPING AT A LIGHT, BRAKES (NOT SURE IF ALL 4) WILL NOT RELEASE. AFTER DEPRESSING GAS PEDAL BRAKES WILL RELEASE AND CAR LUNGES FORWARD. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN THE LAST 3 DAYS. *TR
COMING DOWN OFF OF A MOUNTAIN IN WEST VIRGINIA ON TRIP TO OHIO. APPLIED BRAKES. FRONT END BEGAN TO SHAKE. ONLY WAY TO STOP SHAKING WAS TO TAKE FOOT OFF OF BRAKE. TOOK TO CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. WAS TOLD THAT WAS NORMAL. I DON'T SEE HOW IT COULD BE NORMAL. HAVE NOT MADE THE TRIP SINCE SO HAVE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED. *TR
I WAS DRIVING WHEN VEHICLE LOST POWER AND CAR SHUT OFF. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE MOTOR AND THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A FEW OCCASIONS. MORE RECENTLY, AT TIMES CAR WILL NOT TURN OVER OR CRANK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THEN SUDDENLY THE CAR CRANKS AND AFTER SOME TIME HAS PASSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHUTS O…
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I WAS DRIVING WHEN VEHICLE LOST POWER AND CAR SHUT OFF. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE MOTOR AND THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A FEW OCCASIONS. MORE RECENTLY, AT TIMES CAR WILL NOT TURN OVER OR CRANK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THEN SUDDENLY THE CAR CRANKS AND AFTER SOME TIME HAS PASSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHUTS OFF. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE BATTERY. I REPLACED THE BATTERY AT THE DEALERSHIP BUT IT STILL DOES THE SAME THING. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. SO I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME IT WAS THE IGNITION 1 SWITCH CIRCUIT 2 (CODE P1682). *TR
I WAS DRIVING WHEN VEHICLE LOST POWER AND CAR SHUT OFF. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE MOTOR AND THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A FEW OCCASIONS. MORE RECENTLY, AT TIMES CAR WILL NOT TURN OVER OR CRANK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THEN SUDDENLY THE CAR CRANKS AND AFTER SOME TIME HAS PASSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHUTS O…
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I WAS DRIVING WHEN VEHICLE LOST POWER AND CAR SHUT OFF. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE MOTOR AND THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A FEW OCCASIONS. MORE RECENTLY, AT TIMES CAR WILL NOT TURN OVER OR CRANK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THEN SUDDENLY THE CAR CRANKS AND AFTER SOME TIME HAS PASSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHUTS OFF. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE BATTERY. I REPLACED THE BATTERY AT THE DEALERSHIP BUT IT STILL DOES THE SAME THING. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. SO I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME IT WAS THE IGNITION 1 SWITCH CIRCUIT 2 (CODE P1682). *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO PARK AND THE KEY BECAME LODGED IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER CABLE WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS M…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO PARK AND THE KEY BECAME LODGED IN THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER CABLE WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.
WHILE DRIVING 65MPH VEHICLE JUST DIED. WAS NOT ABLE TO START FOR ABOUT 15 MINS. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES NEARLY CAUSING SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY HAS REDUCED ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING AND JERKS FROM A COMPLETE STOP SOMETIMES. NOW THE OIL ENGINE PRESSURE/TURN OFF ENGINE LIGHT AND ALARM GO OFF ALL T…
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WHILE DRIVING 65MPH VEHICLE JUST DIED. WAS NOT ABLE TO START FOR ABOUT 15 MINS. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES NEARLY CAUSING SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY HAS REDUCED ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING AND JERKS FROM A COMPLETE STOP SOMETIMES. NOW THE OIL ENGINE PRESSURE/TURN OFF ENGINE LIGHT AND ALARM GO OFF ALL THE TIME. REPLACE THE SENSOR, BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE LOUD KNOCKING SOUND FROM THE DASH IS UTTERLY ANNOYING. I THINK THE FACT THAT ONLY THE POLICE CARS GOT RECALLED IS INSANE, NO MATTER WHAT THE RECALL WAS. I'M SURE ONCE THEY TOOK THOSE VEHICLES IN; ALL THE OTHER ISSUES I HAVE MENTIONED WERE ALSO FIXED. ALSO THE REAR DRIVER SIDE POWER LOCK IS FAULTY AND UNSAFE WHEN TRAVELING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN. I HONESTLY BELIEVE WITH SO MANY CONSUMERS HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS, GM SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES BEFORE SEVERAL TRAGEDIES OCCUR AND WE THEN JUST BECOME STATISTICS. PLEASE HELP. THERE ARE SO MANY OF US OUT HERE WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUES ON THESE IMPALAS WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OF SOMETHING THAT APPARENTLY SHOULD BE RECALLED BY GM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. *TR UPDATED 2/18/2015 *JS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. THERE WAS A RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, TH…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. THERE WAS A RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.
ALL FOUR DOOR LOCKS STOPPED WORKING FROM THE DRIVER DOOR CONTROL OR THE FOB. THE ONLY WAY TO UNLOCK THE DOORS IS TO PHYSICALLY PULL UP ON THE LOCK. IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, I WILL BE UNABLE TO UNLOCK ANY OF THE DOORS WITHOUT PHYSICALLY PULLING THE DOOR LOCK. THIS CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE CAR MAY SUDDENLY …
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ALL FOUR DOOR LOCKS STOPPED WORKING FROM THE DRIVER DOOR CONTROL OR THE FOB. THE ONLY WAY TO UNLOCK THE DOORS IS TO PHYSICALLY PULL UP ON THE LOCK. IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, I WILL BE UNABLE TO UNLOCK ANY OF THE DOORS WITHOUT PHYSICALLY PULLING THE DOOR LOCK. THIS CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE CAR MAY SUDDENLY STOP WORKING. I'M AFRAID I WILL BE KILLED WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR! THE CAR DOES NOT STAY IN ALIGNMENT. THE CAR HAS BEEN REALLIGNED AT LEAST THREE TIMES AND THIS FOR A VEHICLE WITH ONLY 37637 MILES, THIS IS AN INJUSTICE. *TR
ONCE MY VEHICLE GOT NEAR 80K MILES, IT BEGAN TO RANDOMLY SHUT DOWN ON ME AS I DRIVE. THE MESSAGE "ENGINE POWER REDUCED, SERVICE THROTTLE" COMES ON AND I BARELY HAVE TIME TO PULL OUT OF HARM'S WAY BEFORE THE CAR WON'T MOVE. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR--MOST RECENTLY, THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWA…
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ONCE MY VEHICLE GOT NEAR 80K MILES, IT BEGAN TO RANDOMLY SHUT DOWN ON ME AS I DRIVE. THE MESSAGE "ENGINE POWER REDUCED, SERVICE THROTTLE" COMES ON AND I BARELY HAVE TIME TO PULL OUT OF HARM'S WAY BEFORE THE CAR WON'T MOVE. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR--MOST RECENTLY, THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND TURNPIKE ON SATURDAY JUNE 28. DRIVING AT 70MPH AND HAVING MY CAR SUDDENLY LOSE POWER IS BEYOND RIDICULOUS. WHEN MY MECHANIC PULLS THE ERROR CODE, IT'S JUST A GENERAL COMPUTER ERROR EVERY TIME. NOTHING AT ALL ABOUT THE THROTTLE HAS EVER SHOWN. WHY IS THIS NOT A RECALL WHEN YOU SEARCH "IMPALA ENGINE POWER REDUCED" AND SEE THERE ARE A TON OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE? DOES SOMEONE HAVE TO DIE BEFORE THIS ISSUE GETS FIXED? *TR
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.
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