10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
42,271 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.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2012 Chevrolet Impala:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #7

Jan 082024

Impala

  • miles
The actuators in the air vents are faulty and I've had to have them repla ed multiple times now. They still continue to make clicking noise sounds and blow cold air in winter/hot air in summer. The trunk deck lid paint is bad. The clear coat has been coming off. Paint all over the car's clear coat has been coming off. There is also some spots where it's down to the metal showing rust/corrosion. Finally, and most seriously, is the car's Traction Control System. It goes off constantly and without warning! It's been doing this randomly, in all types of weather conditions, for some time now. It goes off under normal driving conditions. I barely pull out of a parking space, or make a slow turn, or pull out of a parking lot at a very slow speed and it just goes off. The really dangerous part is that it stalls the car almost to a complete stop, when I've been making a turn well before oncoming traffic, and it stalls almost causing an accident on several occasions now. Most of the incidents are on sunny days where there's no inclement weather! This system is not safe and is unreliable. I've checked many public forums, like Reddit, and there are many other Chevy Impala owners who complain of the same exact problem. Yet Chevy has issued No recalls!? The only recall I've seen close to this is for 2011 year models. Although my car is a 2012, 2011 parts likely were used. If the recall affects 2011 Impalas, then any model that used 2011 parts should be included in this recall. I cannot trust the safety of my car's Traction Control System anymore as it comes on without warning, under no circumstances where it would need to come on. People are in danger with this defect! The car cosmetically, specifically the paint job and the flimsy actuators, are also defective. I've always taken excellent care of my vehicle, regularly having maintenance done at my local Chevy Dealership. Another defect that Chevy had to fix was my fuel pump that went out for no reason! I have receipt for this.

- Dacula , GA, USA

problem #6

Mar 122021

Impala

  • 162,500 miles
My car's engine always feels like it's dragging in the front and sounds really really bad like it's about to explode or something it makes a lot of noise and ticking sound as well when I'm driving

- Maplewood, MN, USA

problem #5

Jan 212015

Impala

  • 40,000 miles
Trim on passenger door started peeling off car was not it in any way trim is put on with 2 pieces of what look likes double sided tape very disappointed after spending 18,000 dollars

- Chandler, AZ, USA

problem #4

Dec 032013

Impala

  • 22,000 miles
Tractor trailer hit a 1/2 school bus which hit us on the drivers side, no air bags went off. Passengers had severe injuries including neck, arms, nerve, hands, shoulder damage.

- Fair Oaks, PA, USA

problem #3

Jan 212014

Impala

  • 28,200 miles
The contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that the head rest and the panels located in the front and rear sides windows obstructed the contact's view of the roadway. The dealer attempted to remove the headrest however the headrest could not be removed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure and current mileage was 28,200.

- Rochester , NY, USA

problem #2

May 022013

Impala 6-cyl

  • 16,500 miles
While driving on a straight street past an intersection, a car ran the stop sign and hit the right side corner of the passenger door and damaged the right rear wheel causing a 180 spin and sliding into the curb damaging the left wheels and steering doing $10,000 damage. The problem I am writing about is that the airbags did not activate. I have to wonder why and are they going to activate if I have another crash.

- New Whiteland, IN, USA

problem #1

Aug 272012

Impala 6-cyl

  • 26,700 miles
Upon arriving at a restaurant location where we planned to dine, my spouse opened the right front passenger door using the inside door handle. While pushing the door open she relaxed her handhold on the handle allowing her right hand pinkie finger to become captured between the retracting handle and the flat area where the handle is attached. It pinched her finger and it immediately formed a blood blister and was very painful. After she explained what happened, I inspected all of the other doors and discovered that it would be possible to replicate her type of injury at any of the inside door handles. I then took a picture of her injury and the problem inside door handle.

- Buffalo Gap, TX, USA