IllustrationENGINE SURGES WHEN COMING OFF OF IDLE. DEALER HAS STATED IT IS A KNOW PROBLEM AND THAT GMC IS WORKING ON A FIX FOR THE EGR VALVE. *AK
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 reportsHEATER CORE BLOCKED-NO DEFROST CAPABILITY-VISION OBSTRUCTED-DANGEROUS SITUATION-THE IMPALA CLUB HAS HUNDREDS OF REPORTS OF THIS DEFECT WHICH APPEARS DUE TO THE DEX-COOL ANTI FREEZE INSTALLED BY GMC AT THE FACTORY.ACCORDING TO INPUT FROM THE MEMBERSHIP REPLACEMENT OF THE CORE, FLUSHING THE SYSTEM, REPLACEMENT OF THE RADIATOR AND …
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HEATER CORE BLOCKED-NO DEFROST CAPABILITY-VISION OBSTRUCTED-DANGEROUS SITUATION-THE IMPALA CLUB HAS HUNDREDS OF REPORTS OF THIS DEFECT WHICH APPEARS DUE TO THE DEX-COOL ANTI FREEZE INSTALLED BY GMC AT THE FACTORY.ACCORDING TO INPUT FROM THE MEMBERSHIP REPLACEMENT OF THE CORE, FLUSHING THE SYSTEM, REPLACEMENT OF THE RADIATOR AND REFILLING WITH TRADITIONAL ANTI FREEZE CORRECTS THE PROBLEM. FAILURE IN THE SYSTEMS WITH THE DEX-COOL OCCURS IN AS LITTLE AS 11,000 MILES BUT MANY FAILURES SEEM TO OCCUR AT 40,000 TO 50,000 MILES. THE DEX-COOL IS STATED TO LAST FOR 100,000 MILES. GM IS PRESENTLY REFUSING TO CORRECT THE DEFECT. *AK
GMC IN RECENT YEARS HAS REPLACED MOST OF THE FUEL LINES ON ITS VEHICLES WITH A FLEXABLE NYLON FUEL LINE. THIS WAS DONE TO SAVE MONEY AND MAKE INSTALLATION EASIER. THE METAL END FITTING ARE JUST ATTACTED TO THE LINES BY SHIRNK RAPPING THE NYLON LINE TO THE FITTINGS. AS PER GM'S OWN SERVICE MANUAL THESE NYLON FUEL LINES ARE VER…
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GMC IN RECENT YEARS HAS REPLACED MOST OF THE FUEL LINES ON ITS VEHICLES WITH A FLEXABLE NYLON FUEL LINE. THIS WAS DONE TO SAVE MONEY AND MAKE INSTALLATION EASIER. THE METAL END FITTING ARE JUST ATTACTED TO THE LINES BY SHIRNK RAPPING THE NYLON LINE TO THE FITTINGS. AS PER GM'S OWN SERVICE MANUAL THESE NYLON FUEL LINES ARE VERY VULNERABLE TO DAMAGE FROM CHAFFING, SHARP OBJECTS, HEAT. THE SERVICE MANUAL STATES THAT THESE FUEL LINES MUST NOT BE EXPOSED TO TEMPERATURES ABOVE 190 DEGREES F. FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR, OR 235 DEGRESS AT ANY TIME. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ENVIRONMENT OF THIS VEHICLE CAN FAR EXCEED 235 DEGREES F. I HAVE SEEN THE LINES SOFTEN FROM EXPOSURE TO HEAT AND THE SHRINK RAP AT THE METAL END FITTINGS RELAX. THESE LINES ARE USED BEFORE THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND ARE EXPOSED TO THE FULL FUEL PRESSURE THAT THE FUEL PUMP CAN GENERATE. THIS CAN BLOW THE ENDS RIGHT OFF THE NYLON LINES WHEN THEY ARE EXPOSED TO HEAT ABOVE 200 DEGREES F. THIS CAN CAUSE A MAJOR ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE SINCE THERE ARE SEVERAL IGNITION SOURCES (ELECTRICAL SPARK AND AUTO IGNITION FROM HEAT)
LF DISC BRAKE CALIPER HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH NOT RELEASING OR "FLOATING" PROPERLY. THIS HAS CAUSED ACCELERATED WEAR TO THE OUT BRAKE PAD. DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO CORRECT. I HAD TO CORRECT MYSELF. I AM AN ASE MASTER AUTO TECHNICIAN. DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS "NORMAL" WHICH IT IS NOT. IF I WAS NOT A TRAININED, CERTIFIED …
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LF DISC BRAKE CALIPER HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH NOT RELEASING OR "FLOATING" PROPERLY. THIS HAS CAUSED ACCELERATED WEAR TO THE OUT BRAKE PAD. DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO CORRECT. I HAD TO CORRECT MYSELF. I AM AN ASE MASTER AUTO TECHNICIAN. DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS "NORMAL" WHICH IT IS NOT. IF I WAS NOT A TRAININED, CERTIFIED AND LICENSED BRAKE TECHNICIAN THE PROBLEM WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DETECTED AND/OR CORRECTED. THIS COULD HAVE LEAD TO REDUCED BRAKING ABILITY AND POSSIBLE ACCIDENT. *AK
RIGHT (PASSENGER SIDE) WINDSHIELD WIPER LINKAGE FAILED. THE LINKAGE IN THE COWL PLENUM CHAMBER BROKE AT THE ATTACHMENT TO THE RIGHT W/S WIPER DRIVE PIVOT. *AK
HEATER CORE CLOGS UP FROM (DEX-COOL) ANTIFREEZE, RESULTING IN NO HEAT FOR DEFROSTERS CAUSING FOGGING OF THE WINDOWS, UNABLE TO RECTIFY. *MJS
HEAT/DEFROST HAS FAILED TWICE BOTH TIMES FLUSHED AND REPAIRED BY MYSELF (ASE MASTER CERT. MECH.) BOTH IN COLD WEATHER DEFROST WOULD'NT CLEAR WINDSHIELD FOR PROPER VISIBILTY GM CLAIMS THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH DEX-COOL IN THE SYSTEM AND IT'S MY PROBLEM NOT THEIRS.
HEAT DOESN'T WORK IN THE WINTER. HEATER CORE HAS TO BE FLUSHED EVERY WINTER BECAUSE OF BUILD UP. DEALER SAYS THAT THIS IS RARE, NEVER HEARD BEFORE OF THIS PROBLEM, AND DOESN'T KNOW ITS CAUSE. *AK *ML
MAJOR VISABILITY AND SAFETY PROBLEM CAUSED BY DEFROSTER/HEATER FAILURE ON MOST 1996 IMPALAS DUE TO CHEMICAL REACTION WITH NEW (1996) DEX-COOL ANTI-FRREEZE IN HEATER CORE CAUSING ACCELERATED LOSS OF HEAT UNTIL COMPLETE BLOCKAGE OCCURS.
DEXCOOL ANTIFREEZE CLOGS HEATER CORE, RESULTING IN HEATER NOT WORKING. HAS HAPPENED TWICE SINCE PUCHASE OF CAR.
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 . . .