RECEIVING A MESSAGE FOR SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING ON AND OFF FOR WEEKS. THE CAR SLOWS DOWN. NOW THERE IS A TICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE CAR.
2009 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
663 reports with mileage · 161 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.
- Air Bags. Review the 232 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 224 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 179 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine complaints
179 reportsI WAS WAITING AT A STOP LIGHT. WHEN THE SIGNAL TURNED GREEN, I TURNED AND AS I WAS TURNING MY CAR BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND SHUT DOWN. I HAD TO STEER HARD TO PULL OVER TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC. I PULLED ALONGSIDE THE ROAD. THINKING MAYBE IT WAS LOW ON FUEL, I HAD MY BROTHER GET GAS AND WE PUT GAS IN IT. HOWEVER, IT WOULD NOT START. S…
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I WAS WAITING AT A STOP LIGHT. WHEN THE SIGNAL TURNED GREEN, I TURNED AND AS I WAS TURNING MY CAR BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND SHUT DOWN. I HAD TO STEER HARD TO PULL OVER TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC. I PULLED ALONGSIDE THE ROAD. THINKING MAYBE IT WAS LOW ON FUEL, I HAD MY BROTHER GET GAS AND WE PUT GAS IN IT. HOWEVER, IT WOULD NOT START. SAT FOR MAYBE 20 MINUTES TO SEE IF IT. NOTHING HAPPENED. MY SISTER CAME TO GIVE ME A JUMP THINKING THAT I NEEDED ONE. HOWEVER, NO LUCK AT ALL. HAD TO PULL THE CAR HOME. THE MECHANIC THOUGHT THAT IT WAS MY STARTER, PUT THE STARTER ON AND STILL NOTHING. THE END RESULT, MY ENGINE HAS SEIZED ON ME!!
WHILE TRAVELING HOME AT ABOUT 55 MPH CAR IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES CAUSING ME TO DO THE SAME - THEN TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER CAME ON IN THE DISPLAY WINDOW - FELT LIKE ALL FOUR WHEEL JUMPING UP AND DOWN WHEN TRYING TO GAIN ANY SPEED WEIRD SOUND COMING FROM E…
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WHILE TRAVELING HOME AT ABOUT 55 MPH CAR IN FRONT OF ME SLAMMED ON THEIR BRAKES CAUSING ME TO DO THE SAME - THEN TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON - CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER CAME ON IN THE DISPLAY WINDOW - FELT LIKE ALL FOUR WHEEL JUMPING UP AND DOWN WHEN TRYING TO GAIN ANY SPEED WEIRD SOUND COMING FROM ENGINE (NORMALLY QUIET).
I BOUGHT MY 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA USED IN APRIL 2015, AND SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD THE WARNING SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, FOLLOWED BY ENGINE POWER REDUCED POP UP ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES, WITH VARYING LENGTHS BETWEEN INCIDENTS, BUT NOT UNTIL YESTERDAY DID THE CAR RESPOND IN ANY WAY. YESTERDAY I WAS ACCELERATING UP AN INTERSTATE ENTRANCE …
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I BOUGHT MY 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA USED IN APRIL 2015, AND SINCE THEN I HAVE HAD THE WARNING SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, FOLLOWED BY ENGINE POWER REDUCED POP UP ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES, WITH VARYING LENGTHS BETWEEN INCIDENTS, BUT NOT UNTIL YESTERDAY DID THE CAR RESPOND IN ANY WAY. YESTERDAY I WAS ACCELERATING UP AN INTERSTATE ENTRANCE RAMP WHEN THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL MESSAGE POPPED UP, THEN ENGINE POWER REDUCED, AND I PAID LITTLE ATTENTION UNTIL QUICKLY AFTER THE SECOND MESSAGE I REALIZED I HAD NO POWER, I HAD THE ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR AND THE CAR WASN'T RESPONDING, THE ENGINE HAD SHUT DOWN. SO I TURNED ON MY HAZARD FLASHERS AND TRIED TO PULL OVER TO THE BERM, BUT HAD TO FIGHT THE DEAD STEERING WHEEL TO DO SO, THE POWER STEERING HAD STOPPED WORKING WHEN THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN. THE CAR WOULDN'T IMMEDIATELY RESTART ONCE I HAD COME TO A STOP, BUT AFTER LETTING IT SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES, IT STARTED AND I HAD NO FURTHER ISSUES GETTING HOME. I HAVE READ ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH THIS MODEL VEHICLE HERE ON THIS WEBSITE, BUT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE ENGINE HAS SHUT DOWN ON ME AFTER THE TWO WARNING MESSAGES, AND I WAS VERY LUCKY THAT THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC IN THE LANE I WAS TRYING TO MERGE INTO WHEN IT DID HAPPEN.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL CAME UP ON THE DASH ALONG WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, WITH IN SECONDS OF THIS HAPPENING THE CAR READ REDUCED ENGINE POWER. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER AND SLOWED DOWN TO A MAXIMUM OF 25 MPH. THIS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER CAUSED THE CARS BEHIND ME TO NEARLY MISS R…
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I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL CAME UP ON THE DASH ALONG WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, WITH IN SECONDS OF THIS HAPPENING THE CAR READ REDUCED ENGINE POWER. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER AND SLOWED DOWN TO A MAXIMUM OF 25 MPH. THIS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER CAUSED THE CARS BEHIND ME TO NEARLY MISS REAR-ENDING ME. I HAD TO DRIVE IN THIS CRIPPLED MODE 10 MILES TO REACH THE CLOSEST EXIT. IT IS DUE TO A FAULTY THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE VEHICLES AND CAN CAUSE A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY LOSE POWER AND SLOW DOWN BEFORE STALLING AND SHUTTING OFF. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.
MY NAME IS [XXX] AND I PURCHASED A 2009 CHEVY IMPALA, WITH 123,000 MILES ON IT, IN AUGUST 2015 FROM MAC CHURCHILL AUTO MALL IN BEDFORD, TEXAS. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE ITS PURCHASE UNTIL NOVEMBER 29TH. WHILE EN ROUTE TO EMORY, TEXAS, MY CAR STARTED DISPLAYING "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED" AND "SERVICE TRACTION CO…
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MY NAME IS [XXX] AND I PURCHASED A 2009 CHEVY IMPALA, WITH 123,000 MILES ON IT, IN AUGUST 2015 FROM MAC CHURCHILL AUTO MALL IN BEDFORD, TEXAS. I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE ITS PURCHASE UNTIL NOVEMBER 29TH. WHILE EN ROUTE TO EMORY, TEXAS, MY CAR STARTED DISPLAYING "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED" AND "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" MESSAGES. ABOUT 99% OF THE WAY THERE, I SUDDENLY GOT A LURCH AND MY CAR SLOWED DOWN, WITH STEERING AND BRAKING NOT WORKING. I WAS ABLE TO GET MY CAR OFF THE HIGHWAY SAFELY BUT HAD TO USE MY EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP MY VEHICLE AND GET IT TURNED OFF. I TRIED REPEATEDLY FOR SEVERAL MINUTES TO GET IT GOING AGAIN, BUT IT WOULD NOT START. AFTER ABOUT FIVE MINUTES, THE CAR RESTARTED NORMALLY AND HAS PERFORMED FLAWLESSLY SINCE. HOWEVER, I AM CONCERNED. I'VE HAD A GARAGE PULL AND DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THE ERROR CODES THAT WERE PULLED ARE P2122 AND P2138 ,REGARDING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR. I'VE RESEARCHED THIS AND THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO ASCERTAIN FROM MY RESEARCH. BUT I'M CONFUSED AS TO WHETHER THIS IS A RECALL ITEM BASED UPON THIS: HTTP://WWW.NAIOA.COM/V2/MODULES.PHP?NAME=FORUMS&FILE=VIEWTOPIC&T=49934 . I'M NOW TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHETHER I CAN GET THIS FIXED BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE THIS IS COVERED UNDER MY USED CAR WARRANTY AND I DO NOT FEEL COMPELLED TO PAY FOR A REPAIR THAT GM HAS BEEN AWARE OF BUT FAILED TO NOTIFY MY DEALERSHIP OR ME AS A OWNER, UNTIL I GOT A LETTER ON 12/9/15 INDICATING THAT THERE MAY BE A PROBLEM...WELL AFTER I STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. I WANT GM TO FIX THIS AT THEIR EXPENSE. IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD HERE IN THE DFW AREA BECAUSE THIS COULD REOCCUR WHILE I'M IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND HAVE NO WAY TO STOP BEFORE SOMEONE HITS ME OR I HIT SOMEONE. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
MY VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH SHUT OFF, WHICH CAUSED ME TO LOSE STEERING. WHEN I CRASHED, THE AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. I WAS DRIVING IN A LARGE PARKING LOT AND WENT OVER A SPEED BUMP. I WAS KNOCKED OUT BUT THE POLICE REPORT INDICATED THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF BRAKING OR STEERING. I TOOK MY IMPALA TO THE GM DEALERSHIP OVER 12 TIM…
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MY VEHICLE'S IGNITION SWITCH SHUT OFF, WHICH CAUSED ME TO LOSE STEERING. WHEN I CRASHED, THE AIRBAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. I WAS DRIVING IN A LARGE PARKING LOT AND WENT OVER A SPEED BUMP. I WAS KNOCKED OUT BUT THE POLICE REPORT INDICATED THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF BRAKING OR STEERING. I TOOK MY IMPALA TO THE GM DEALERSHIP OVER 12 TIMES.
FOR A FEW YEARS I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE FIRST TIME WAS ROUGHLY TWO YEARS AGO WHEN THE CAR COMPLETELY LOCKED UP AND SHUT DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY JUST BEFORE RUSH HOUR. I RECEIVED AN ERROR CODE TO CHECK TRACTION CONTROL AND THAT THE ENGINE POWER IS BEING REDUCED. THE CAR THEN LOOSES SPEED DROPPING DRASTICALLY…
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FOR A FEW YEARS I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE FIRST TIME WAS ROUGHLY TWO YEARS AGO WHEN THE CAR COMPLETELY LOCKED UP AND SHUT DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY JUST BEFORE RUSH HOUR. I RECEIVED AN ERROR CODE TO CHECK TRACTION CONTROL AND THAT THE ENGINE POWER IS BEING REDUCED. THE CAR THEN LOOSES SPEED DROPPING DRASTICALLY. THE FIRST TIME I WAS IN THE FAST LANE ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE VEHICLES COMPUTER SYSTEM SHUT DOWN. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO VEER OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGH WAY. LUCKILY NO OTHER VEHICLES WERE DIRECTLY BEHIND ME, AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY ACCIDENT FREE. I'VE NEVER BEEN SO AFRAID AND TERRIFIED IN MY LIFE. I FEAR THIS ISSUE WILL CAUSE FATALITIES THAT CAN BE PREVENTED. I HAD THE CAR SERVICED AT A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP IN ANN ARBOR MI WHICH WAS AN EXPENSIVE FIX! SINCE I'VE HAD THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL REPLACED, THE VEHICLE HAS SHUT OFF TWO OTHER TIMES FOLLOWED BY THE SAME WARNING MESSAGE TO SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL AND ENGINE POWER BEING REDUCED. I'VE WRITTEN IN TO GM AND THEY CONTINUE TO REQUEST THAT I PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE AT A DEALERSHIP FOR THEM TO ADDRESS THE CAUSE. I CANT CONTINUE TO PAY $200-$300 FOR THIS FIX WHEN IT IS A MANUFACTURERS ISSUE. THIS RECALL HAS BEEN DONE ON OTHER CHEVROLET MODELS AND I AM PRAYING FOR A RECALL ON THE 2009 IMPALA. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE TO MY FAMILY AND THE DRIVERS WHO ARE AROUND ME. THE ISSUE IS STILL PRESENT AND IS A MAJOR CONCERN. THE VEHICLE SPEED CANT EXCEED 40MPH AT TIMES, OR WILL INSTANTLY DROP AT UNEXPECTED MOMENTS. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS ISSUE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ALONG WITH THE WARNING MESSAGE "ENGINE SHUTTING OFF". THE ENGINE WAS THEN SHUT OFF AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED AND THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS NO…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ALONG WITH THE WARNING MESSAGE "ENGINE SHUTTING OFF". THE ENGINE WAS THEN SHUT OFF AND COULD NOT BE RESTARTED. APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE ENGINE WAS RESTARTED AND THE VEHICLE OPERATED AS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,683.
Official recalls
516V507000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification; Electrical System:wiring
Jul 5, 2016
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 25, 2008 through February 16, 2010. The front passenger seat frame may contact and damage the wires of the passenger presence sensor module.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the wires are damaged, the passenger presence sensory system may fail to recognize that the passenger seat is occupied, disabling the air bag. Damage may also cause the air bag fuse to short resulting in a loss of all air bags and seat belt pretensions. Both conditions increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will double wrap the wires with anti-abrasion tape and replace damaged wires as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 36110.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 25, 2008 through February 16, 2010. The front passenger seat frame may contact and damage the wires of the passenger presence sensor module.
Consequence: If the wires are damaged, the passenger presence sensory system may fail to recognize that the passenger seat is occupied, disabling the air bag. Damage may also cause the air bag fuse to short resulting in a loss of all air bags and seat belt pretensions. Both conditions increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will double wrap the wires with anti-abrasion tape and replace damaged wires as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 36110.
Electrical System:wiring
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 25, 2008 through February 16, 2010. The front passenger seat frame may contact and damage the wires of the passenger presence sensor module.
Consequence: If the wires are damaged, the passenger presence sensory system may fail to recognize that the passenger seat is occupied, disabling the air bag. Damage may also cause the air bag fuse to short resulting in a loss of all air bags and seat belt pretensions. Both conditions increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will double wrap the wires with anti-abrasion tape and replace damaged wires as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 36110.
14V355000 · 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.
10V480000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage
Oct 13, 2010
GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 CHEVROLET IMPALAS FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES." THE FRONT SAFETY BELT WEBBING MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY SECURED TO THE LAP BELT ANCHOR PRETENSIONER MOUNTED TO THE SIDE OF THE SEAT NEAREST THE DOOR.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THE SAFETY BELT MAY NOT RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANT AS INTENDED DURING A CRASH, WHICH COULD RESULT IN INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT BOTH FRONT SAFETY BELTS FOR PROPER INSTALLATION OF THE ANCHORS TO THE PRETENSIONERS AND, IF NECESSARY, REINSTALL THE ANCHORS. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 5, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.
08V517000 · Air Bags:frontal
Oct 6, 2008
GM IS RECALLING 79 MY 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A PASSENGER-SIDE FRONT AIR BAG INFLATOR THAT COULD FRACTURE AT AN INFLATOR TUBE DURING A DEPLOYMENT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: DURING A PASSENGER-SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, PIECES OF THE INFLATOR TUBE COULD STRIKE AND INJURE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AND THE AIR BAG CUSHION WOULD NOT INFLATE FULLY, REDUCING THE CAPABILITY OF THE BAG TO PROTECT THE PASSENGER.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW PASSENGER-SIDE FRONT AIR BAG. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 10, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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