Illustration1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA CAUGHT FIRE WHILE IN MOTION.*MR *CB *JB
1996 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
Limited mileage data: 9 of 88 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Visibility. Review the 13 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
2 crash reports2 fire reports0 injury reports
What owners actually said
88 reportsTHE LOWER BALL JOINT EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE AS STATED IN THE RECALL, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *JB
WHEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FROM A STOP,THERE WAS A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM VEHICLE'S UNDER BODY. CONSUMER BELIEVED THE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS DEFECTIVE. *JB
HEATER CORE IN MY 1996 IMPALA IS CONSTANTLY CLOGGING, THEREFORE NO HEAT AND NO DEFROSTERS. COOLING SYSTEM FLUSHED 2 TIMES BY CHEVROLET GARAGE. THEY HAVE NO WAY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS NATION WIDE AND NOT A LOCAL ISSUE. *JB
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY.*JB
I BOUGHT MY 1996 IMPALA SS BRAND NEW, AND EVERY YEAR SINCE THEN IN THE WINTER TIME I LOOSE THE HEAT. THE DEALER, WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, WOULD FLUSH THE HEATER CORE AND SOMETIMES REPLACE IT YEARLY. THE PROBLEM STILL IS NOT FIXED, AND I HAVE LOST THE HEAT IN THE CAR AGAIN AND THE DEALER WILL NO LONGER FIX THE PROB…
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I BOUGHT MY 1996 IMPALA SS BRAND NEW, AND EVERY YEAR SINCE THEN IN THE WINTER TIME I LOOSE THE HEAT. THE DEALER, WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, WOULD FLUSH THE HEATER CORE AND SOMETIMES REPLACE IT YEARLY. THE PROBLEM STILL IS NOT FIXED, AND I HAVE LOST THE HEAT IN THE CAR AGAIN AND THE DEALER WILL NO LONGER FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY CLAIM IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE ALL OF THE SERVICE RECORDS SHOWING THE HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM. I THINK THIS IS TOTALLY UNFAIR TO THE OWNER, AND I HAVE TALKED TO MANY CAPRICE/IMPALA SS OWNERS OF THIS YEAR WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME PROBLEM. CHEVY KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM BUT DOES NOTHING TO CORRECT IT, AND NOW THE OWNERS ARE LEFT WITH THE BILL AND IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE THEM FIX IT YOU DRIVE IN A COLD CAR. IF THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM, THEN CHEVY/DEALERSHIP SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FLUSHING OR REPLACING MY HEATER CORE(WHATEVER IS NEEDED TO RESTORE THE HEAT) FOR AS LONG AS I OWN THE CAR. I NEED SOME HELP WITH THIS, I AM ONLY A SMALL GUY FIGHTING A GIANT. ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN PROVIDE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANKS KJB. TS
FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR AND MOTION LOOK-UP DEVICE FAILLED WITHOUT WARNING. UPON REPLACEMENT FOUND THAT THE RETRACTION SPRING HAD WORN THROUGH THE PLASTIC SIDE COVER. FALURE OCCURRED WHEN I LEANED FORWARD AND APPLIED FORCE TO THE SEAT BELT SHOULDER HARNESS. IF IT HAD OCCURRED IN AN ACCIDENT, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RESTRAINED.
THE DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT WAS INOPERATIVE. WHEN SEATBELT WAS EXTENDED OUTWARD, IT WOULD NOT RETRACT. BY ASSUMPTION, CONSUMER TESTED THE BELTS BY SLAMMING ON BRAKES, AND THEY DIDN'T RETRACT. TS CONSUMER ALSO REMOVED THE MOLDING AND FOUND THE RECOIL SPRING WAS PROTRUDING OUT OF HOLE ON THE COVER. *TT *JB
ODOMETER DISPLAY GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY-DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS INDICATED THE ONLY WAY TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM IS TO REPLACE THE DASH. SOUNDS EXCESSIVE FOR A VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 42,000 MILES. THE WATER PUMP LEAKING CREATES MORE OF A SAFETY HAZARD. IT LEAKS ONTO THE POWER STEERING BELT, CAUSING THE BELT TO SLIP, CAUS…
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ODOMETER DISPLAY GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY-DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS INDICATED THE ONLY WAY TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM IS TO REPLACE THE DASH. SOUNDS EXCESSIVE FOR A VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 42,000 MILES. THE WATER PUMP LEAKING CREATES MORE OF A SAFETY HAZARD. IT LEAKS ONTO THE POWER STEERING BELT, CAUSING THE BELT TO SLIP, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING TO GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY. THERE IS NO WARNING WHEN THIS HAPPENS. AGAIN, THIS PART FAILING WITH LESS THAN 42,000 MILES ON A CAR SEEMS OUT OF LINE. MR
THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I WANTED TO TURN LEFT INTO A SHOPPING CENTER. I SLOWED DOWN TO TURN LEFT AND THE STEERING WAS TO DIFFICULT TO TURN, I HAD TO RUN OVER A CURB AND OVER A PATCH OF GRASS TO AVOID HITTING A CAR. I STOPPED THE CAR, PUT IT IN PARK AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT TO NO AVAIL. …
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THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I WANTED TO TURN LEFT INTO A SHOPPING CENTER. I SLOWED DOWN TO TURN LEFT AND THE STEERING WAS TO DIFFICULT TO TURN, I HAD TO RUN OVER A CURB AND OVER A PATCH OF GRASS TO AVOID HITTING A CAR. I STOPPED THE CAR, PUT IT IN PARK AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT TO NO AVAIL. I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND STARTED IT BACK UP AGAIN, PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED, BUT NOT WITH EASE. THIS ALSO OCCURRED ON MY WAY HOME INTO MY DRIVEWAY. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURED ABOUT FIFTEEN TIMES. THIS IS A "SAFETY HAZARD" AND COULD BE LIFE THREATENING. *AK
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
2EA99003 · Coolant Fires
Opened Jan 13, 1999 · Closed Aug 17, 2000
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System
There is no summary currently available
PE96001 · Rear Wheel Separation
Opened Jan 4, 1996 · Closed May 31, 1996
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Suspension
INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM GM INDICATES THAT FURTHER INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF WHEEL SEPARATIONS IS WARRANTED.IN GM'S RESPONSE DATED APRIL 26, 1996, GM STATED THAT:GM HAS NOT IDENTIFIED ANY DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHIH MAY CONTRIBUTE TO WHEEL SEPARATION.INVESTIGATION AS TO THE ROOT CAUSE OF WHEEL SEPARATIONS IS CONTINUING.THE RESULTS OF THESE FURTHER INVESTIGATIONS ARE REQUIRED TO ASSESS THE PROBABILITY OF ANY FUTURE INCIDENTS . . .