10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 63,708 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
Windshield wipers stopped working while driving on highway in rain. 2nd failure in 19 months. Wiper transmission assembly replaced both times.
- Little Meadows, PA, USA
My traction control, ABS and service brake assist light continue to come on despite the fact that I have had the sensors replaced 3 times now. I will hear a growling noise when I put on the brakes or get a foul smell when I turn on the defrost, also when I get that smell the defrost doesn't work properly then later the ABS, traction control and brake assist light will come on. I have had a Chevy dealer and the dealer I bought the car from check the problem and say its fixed 3 times but the problem continues.
- Milwaukee, WI, USA
The driver side sun visor will no longer stay up and falls down obstructing forward vision. I've gone on the internet and this is a somewhat common occurrence on the Impala. GM has no repair for it other than replacement. A new visor costs $125 plus installation. I think it should be a recall based on safety.
- Terrell, TX, USA
Drivers side window shattered. I was rolling up the window. I heard a loud boom sound which scared me. The window completely stopped. Then eventually it fell inside door frame and the window shattered.
- Deatsville, AL, USA
Driving on interstate highway in a rain storm - the windshield wipers abruptly stopped. Dealer installed new wiper transmission 8-23-10. I asked if this happened very often. Dealer said after I called, they had another call for the very same thing. This was a very dangerous situation.
- Vestal, NY, USA
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that the sun visor would not remain in the upward position and would continuously fall into the driver's view of the roadway. The sun visor would hang extremely low. The contact stated the been failure presented itself shortly after purchasing the vehicle. The dealer advised that the sun visor would need to be replaced but the vehicle would first need to be diagnosed. The vehicle was neither replaced nor repaired. The failure mileage was 44,000 and the current mileage was 82,000.
- Lakewood, NJ, USA
Buzzing noise from window coming down.
- Spring, TX, USA
Rear window defogger-- when we had a recent snow storm (one of many), I used my rear window defogger (defroster) only to find out it wasn't clearing the window of fog or melting the blowing snow. This prevented me from seeing the vehicles behind me except from my side mirrors. The lamp on the control lights normally, but there is no voltage going to the rear defogger grid connectors (on each side of window). There is no separate fuse going to this device, only a relay in the forward fuse box. The problem turned out to be a burnt pin on the large connector block under the kick panel on the passenger side. As a new connector (both halves) would boost the cost from $261 to $411, at the dealers suggestion, I had them jumper the wire from each side of the connector instead of replacing the connector. (as this connector is there for assembly purposes only, why not jumper it.) I believe this problem was due to either a poor connection of the pins during manufacturing (high resistive connection) or improper sized pins that are not heavy enough to carry the current. As this connector is not normally accessible to the owner/operator and does not move, it is not a "wear item" and thus was a manufacturing issue. My service writer tells me that this has happened on at least one other Impala that he has seen in his GM shop. Why isn't this power grid fused as it used to be in earlier Impala's" is the pin the proper size for the current going through the pin" this needs to be checked out before it causes a fire in a car. I have a photo available of this connector if needed. The old connector and pins are still in my car.
- Westland, MI, USA
I was driving down the street and my windshield wipers stopped working. It was raining hard and my vision was totally obscured. I had to wait until the rain abated to continue on my journey. I contacted a GM service center and was informed that I would need to buy a new motor although the current motor works just fine however the rubber around the arm that attaches to the motor is cracked. This should not occur in a car that is not that old.
- Dayton, OH, USA
I have a 2006 Chevy Impala that the windshield wipers and came on and would not turn off along with window cleaner spraying non stop, this also caused turn signals to stop working and keys to be locked into car. I had to pull over to the side of the road because I could not see with all the spraying.
- Hilliard, OH, USA
When the car is running but in a stopped position, ie., at a stop light, the heater blows cold air - on any of the dial options, I.e, feet, face, combination, etc. When driving, it then heats, blows warm air. When I had my car into the dealer last year (mahowalds motors in new prague where I purchased the car) for the normal scheduled oil change, they were told about this. The service manager pulled up a bulletin from March of 2008 and it stated that this make/model car would have this problem. It told the dealership how to fix it (no parts involved - just taking off some hoses as there was air bubbles or blockage that was causing this - and they wanted some where around $186 to do this.). I asked why this wouldn't have been done when they knew about this, that this make of car was going to have this problem, and I was told that as long as we didn't bring it up, they were not fixing it as it was not a "recall", just a bulletin letting them know it will happen. Something is wrong with this process when a dealership or a huge company like Chevrolet knows there is a flaw but sits back and keeps their mouth shut about it and then when confronted the customer is told it will take $186 to fix. I was also told that because there were no 'parts' involved in this repair, that this was the reason it cost this much.....it almost makes it sound like, if there do not have any parts cost to fall back on, then they boost up the labor charges. Bottom line is, the bulletin came out in March of 2008, and my car was in every 3000 miles for the oil change, this 'error' repair should have been taken care of and not 'hidden' in the backroom. This is my complaint. I have talked to the service manager at this dealership (where I purchased the car new), a couple of times, and he said he can't and won't do anything about it....I asked him to call the key company on this and he said that isn't part of his job. Where does customer service end that it isn't 'part of his job.
- Shakopee, MN, USA
My driver's side sun visor was falling down and would not stay up. The company replaced it for free. However, the passenger side is falling as well and my warranty is expired. This blocking view not to mention unattractive. I have an otherwise beautiful car.
- St. Paul, KS, USA
- Lake Stevens, WA, USA