IllustrationGM SERVICE BULLETIN ID: 3650687. *TR
2012 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
460–25K
5825–50K
3850–75K
3175–100K
24100–150K
7150K+
204 reports with mileage · 54 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 58 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 54 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 49 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
20 crash reports5 fire reports12 injury reports
What owners actually said
258 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SEAT BELT FAILED TO LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000.
CAR CUT OFFS WHEN PUT INTO DRIVE CAR CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. RPM ODOMETER STOPS WORKING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON REDUCE ENGINE POWER. STABILITY TRACK AND ABS STOP CAR FROM TURNING. GM DEALER SAID ITS BATTERY TERMINAL WIRES AND A NEW BATTERY CHANGED BOTH AND SAME ISSUE. FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR KEEPS GOING BAD REPLACED TWICE. CAR…
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CAR CUT OFFS WHEN PUT INTO DRIVE CAR CUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. RPM ODOMETER STOPS WORKING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON REDUCE ENGINE POWER. STABILITY TRACK AND ABS STOP CAR FROM TURNING. GM DEALER SAID ITS BATTERY TERMINAL WIRES AND A NEW BATTERY CHANGED BOTH AND SAME ISSUE. FUEL PRESSURE SENSOR KEEPS GOING BAD REPLACED TWICE. CAR IS CHOKING ON TO MUCH FUEL ROTTEN EGGS SMELL COMING FROM EXHAUST. CAR IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DRIVE HAS CUT OFF ON ME IN TRAFFIC TO MANY TIMES NOW. ONCE AND IF PROBLEMS ARE EVER FOUND THEIR NEEDS TO BE A RECALL TO PREVENT INJURY OR DEATH. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 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 ISS…
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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 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.
ACCELERATOR RESPONSE TIME TAKES TOO LONG TO RE-ACCELERATE . AFTER LETTING OFF GAS THEN RE-APPLYING PEDAL WHILE DRIVING, RESPONSE TIME SHOULD BE 800 MILI SECONDS FOR AN ELECTRONIC ACCELERATOR BUT , IT IS WAY LONGER AND MAKES CAR BACKFIRE AT TIMES IF I HOLD PEDAL AFTER THE LAG IN RESPONSE . THIS CAUSES CAR TO LUNGE AND COULD CAU…
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ACCELERATOR RESPONSE TIME TAKES TOO LONG TO RE-ACCELERATE . AFTER LETTING OFF GAS THEN RE-APPLYING PEDAL WHILE DRIVING, RESPONSE TIME SHOULD BE 800 MILI SECONDS FOR AN ELECTRONIC ACCELERATOR BUT , IT IS WAY LONGER AND MAKES CAR BACKFIRE AT TIMES IF I HOLD PEDAL AFTER THE LAG IN RESPONSE . THIS CAUSES CAR TO LUNGE AND COULD CAUSE ME TO GET REAR ENDED OR DAMAGE ENGINE. SECOND, RUBBING GRINDING NOISE (NOT LOUD) FROM RIGHT FRONT AND MORE NOTICEABLE WHILE TRAVELING AT 35-40 MPH AROUND A LEFT BEND IN ROAD OR BY MOVING STEERING WHEEL TO LEFT ABOUT AN INCH WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT DOWN ROAD. DEALER CLAIMED NO PROBLEM FOUND ON EITHER ISSUE , ALTHOUGH THEY CLAIMED TO HAVE REPLACED A STRUT BEARING ON RIGHT FRONT. THERE MUST HAVE BEEN A PREVIOUS ISSUE JUDGING BY THE WORN TIRE BEFORE I PURCHASED CAR. I FIGURED IT WAS AN ALIGNMENT PROBLEM THAT MAY HAVE BEEN FIXED BECAUSE CAR DIDN'T PULL TO ONE SIDE AND DROVE STRAIGHT , BUT APPARENTLY THERE IS STILL AN ISSUE AND NOISE IS SLOWLY GETTING MORE NOTICEABLE UNLESS I'M JUST TUNED INTO IT. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING T 25 MPH AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER W…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING T 25 MPH AND MAKING A RIGHT TURN, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). 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 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
I HAVE TRIED PULLING ON EACH FRONT SEAT BELT VERY QUICKLY TO TRIGGER THE MOTION SENSITIVE RETRACTOR TO SEE IF THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS WOULD LOCK UP. THEY NO LONGER DO. WHEN THE CAR WAS NEWER, I COULD PULL ON THE RETRACTORS VERY QUICKLY AND THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS WOULD LOCK UP AS IF AN OCCUPANT MOVED FORWARD QUICKLY AFTER A CO…
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I HAVE TRIED PULLING ON EACH FRONT SEAT BELT VERY QUICKLY TO TRIGGER THE MOTION SENSITIVE RETRACTOR TO SEE IF THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS WOULD LOCK UP. THEY NO LONGER DO. WHEN THE CAR WAS NEWER, I COULD PULL ON THE RETRACTORS VERY QUICKLY AND THE SEAT BELT RETRACTORS WOULD LOCK UP AS IF AN OCCUPANT MOVED FORWARD QUICKLY AFTER A COLLISION. *TR
2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM. *MW THE CONSUMER STATED WHAT GM SUGGESTED TO HAVE NO MORE THAN ONE KEY ON THE RING. SHE STATED THAT WAS NOT A FIX. *JB
Official recalls
314V355000 · 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.
11V398000 · Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:hose, Piping, And Connections
Aug 5, 2011
GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 19, 2011, THROUGH JULY 29, 2011. THE UPPER POWER STEERING HOSE MAY HAVE BEEN MISROUTED SO THAT IT CAN COME IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO AND/OR CONTACT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WITH THE ENGINE ON, HEAT FROM THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER MAY MELT THE POWER STEERING HOSE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: POWER STEERING FLUID COULD FLOW ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: 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.
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.