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2005 Chevrolet Impala

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

499 reports with mileage · 110 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 331 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Steering. Review the 60 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

39 crash reports13 fire reports22 injury reports

Exterior Lighting complaints

49 reports
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89,000 miles · Nov 20, 2018
Exterior Lighting

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50-55 MPH, THE HEADLAMPS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BIG BEND CHEVROLET BUICK (LOCATED AT 1424 N YOUNG BLVD, CHIEFLAND, FL 32626, (352) 493-4263) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE OR RETRIEVE A FAULT…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50-55 MPH, THE HEADLAMPS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BIG BEND CHEVROLET BUICK (LOCATED AT 1424 N YOUNG BLVD, CHIEFLAND, FL 32626, (352) 493-4263) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE OR RETRIEVE A FAULT CODE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO SEE IF THE FAILURE WOULD RECUR. THE CONTACT DID NOT HEED THE MANUFACTURER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000. *TT *TR *BF*JB

NHTSA ODI #11152911

118,169 miles · Dec 11, 2015
Exterior Lighting

WHILE DRIVING ON A SMOOTH DARK COUNTRY ROAD AT A SPEED OF 50 MPH TIME 10:35PM I HAD ACTIVATED THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS AND APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS LATER THE HEADLAMPS WENT OFF LEAVING ONLY THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ON. VISIBILITY WAS INSTANTLY DECREASED TO AN UNSAFE LEVEL WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. I HAD IMMEDIATELY REACTIVATED …

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WHILE DRIVING ON A SMOOTH DARK COUNTRY ROAD AT A SPEED OF 50 MPH TIME 10:35PM I HAD ACTIVATED THE HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS AND APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS LATER THE HEADLAMPS WENT OFF LEAVING ONLY THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS ON. VISIBILITY WAS INSTANTLY DECREASED TO AN UNSAFE LEVEL WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. I HAD IMMEDIATELY REACTIVATED THE LOW BEAMS WITH THE MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH AND THE HEADLAMPS (LOW BEAM) RESUMED OPERATION. PRIOR TO THIS FAILURE THE HIGH BEAM HEADLAMPS WERE NOT IN OPERATION FOR ANY LONG PERIODS OF TIME. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING COULD LEAD TO THE PROBABILITY OF AN ACCIDENT. THIS ELECTRICAL HEADLAMP PROBLEM SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AS A VEHICLE SAFETY RECALL. I HAVE CHECKED ON-LINE RESOURCES ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS OF THE SAME OR SIMILAR ISSUES WITH CHEVROLET IMPALAS FROM THE 2000-2005 MODEL YEARS.

NHTSA ODI #10809675

169,000 miles · Sep 18, 2015
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

THE HI BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED, WHICH MADE THE LO BEAM HEADLIGHTS GO OUT WHEN THE HI BEAM WAS ENGAGED. REPAIR SERVICE FOUND A CORRODED "PIN" IN A MULTI-PIN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION.THIS IS A "PROTECTED" CONNECTION, IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, IT HAS BEEN CORRODED FOR A VERY LONG TIME ACCORDING TO THE ELECTRIC SERVICEMAN. HE INFORMED …

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THE HI BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED, WHICH MADE THE LO BEAM HEADLIGHTS GO OUT WHEN THE HI BEAM WAS ENGAGED. REPAIR SERVICE FOUND A CORRODED "PIN" IN A MULTI-PIN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION.THIS IS A "PROTECTED" CONNECTION, IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, IT HAS BEEN CORRODED FOR A VERY LONG TIME ACCORDING TO THE ELECTRIC SERVICEMAN. HE INFORMED ME THE OTHER "PINS" WILL FAIL ALSO EFFECTING THE WIPERS AND OTHER "NECESSARY" SAFETY COMPONENTS, BECAUSE OF THE CONDITION OF THIS CONNECTOR.

NHTSA ODI #10765234

100,000 miles · Mar 7, 2015
Electrical SystemExterior LightingVehicle Speed Control

WHILE DRIVING HORN SOUND WEAK AND STOPPED WORKING I HAD TO TAKE OUT FUSE FOR THE HORN BECAUSE IT WAS JUST SOUNDING OFF. ANOTHER IMPORTANT ISSUE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING IN THE DARK. THIS CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS WRECK ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ON THE HIGHWAY AND COULD KILL SOMEONE. VERY DA…

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WHILE DRIVING HORN SOUND WEAK AND STOPPED WORKING I HAD TO TAKE OUT FUSE FOR THE HORN BECAUSE IT WAS JUST SOUNDING OFF. ANOTHER IMPORTANT ISSUE WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WILL TURN OFF WHILE DRIVING IN THE DARK. THIS CAN CAUSE A SERIOUS WRECK ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ON THE HIGHWAY AND COULD KILL SOMEONE. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SAME THING WITH THE HORN, SOMEONE CAN PULL OUT IN FRONT OF YOU AND YOU CANNOT BLOW YOUR HORN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10692712

120,000 miles · Oct 24, 2014
Exterior Lighting

DRIVING AT NIGHT, I TURNED ON MY HIGH BEAMS AND MY HEADLIGHTS WENT COMPLETELY OUT. AFTER DRIVING IN THE DARK FOR A WHILE, I SWITCHED THE HEADLIGHTS BACK TO LOW BEAM AND THE LIGHTS BEGAN TO WORK ON LOW BEAM. THE HIGH BEAMS DO NOT WORK AT ALL AT THIS POINT, AND THE HEAD LIGHTS GO OUT WHEN I SWITCH TO HIGH BEAMS, WHICH IS A VERY D…

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DRIVING AT NIGHT, I TURNED ON MY HIGH BEAMS AND MY HEADLIGHTS WENT COMPLETELY OUT. AFTER DRIVING IN THE DARK FOR A WHILE, I SWITCHED THE HEADLIGHTS BACK TO LOW BEAM AND THE LIGHTS BEGAN TO WORK ON LOW BEAM. THE HIGH BEAMS DO NOT WORK AT ALL AT THIS POINT, AND THE HEAD LIGHTS GO OUT WHEN I SWITCH TO HIGH BEAMS, WHICH IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10649616

120,000 miles · Sep 16, 2014
Exterior Lighting

WE WERE DRIVING ON A RURAL BLACKTOP AFTER DARK AND THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. THEY WOULD COME BACK ON FOR A MOMENT THAN GO BACK OUT. WE DROVE MOST OF THE 20+ MILES HOME WITH JUST THE FLASHERS ON. WE HAD THE SWITCH REPLACED AND THOUGHT THAT TOOK CARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HERE IN THE LAST MONTH (AUGUST 2014) IT HAS STARTED TO DO TH…

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WE WERE DRIVING ON A RURAL BLACKTOP AFTER DARK AND THE HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT. THEY WOULD COME BACK ON FOR A MOMENT THAN GO BACK OUT. WE DROVE MOST OF THE 20+ MILES HOME WITH JUST THE FLASHERS ON. WE HAD THE SWITCH REPLACED AND THOUGHT THAT TOOK CARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT HERE IN THE LAST MONTH (AUGUST 2014) IT HAS STARTED TO DO THE SAME THING AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10633475

104,000 miles · Aug 18, 2014
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

I WAS MERGING AND EXITING OFF THE EXPRESSWAY ON MY WAY TO WORK AND WENT TO USE MY TURN SIGNAL AND IT QUIT WORKING. UPON ARRIVING AT WORK I TRIED IT AGAIN AND NOTHING...I THEN TRIED MY OTHER TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD LIGHT ALSO AND THEY DIDN'T WORK EITHER. I DO ALOT OF EXPRESSWAY DRIVING TO DIFFERENT CITIES DUE TO MY JOB OF WHICH …

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I WAS MERGING AND EXITING OFF THE EXPRESSWAY ON MY WAY TO WORK AND WENT TO USE MY TURN SIGNAL AND IT QUIT WORKING. UPON ARRIVING AT WORK I TRIED IT AGAIN AND NOTHING...I THEN TRIED MY OTHER TURN SIGNAL AND HAZARD LIGHT ALSO AND THEY DIDN'T WORK EITHER. I DO ALOT OF EXPRESSWAY DRIVING TO DIFFERENT CITIES DUE TO MY JOB OF WHICH I HAVE TO CHANGE LANES AND MERGE AND TURN QUITE FREQUENTLY SO THIS IS A MAJOR CONCERN WITH MY TURN SIGNALS AND FLASHER NOT WORKING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10626054

77,990 miles · Jul 23, 2014
Exterior Lighting

RIGHT HAND BLINKER -- HAS STARTED FLICKERING..VERY FAST, WHEN I PUT MY RIGHT HAND BLINKER TO TURN.....IT STARTED EARLY JUNE....BUT THEN SUDDENLY WENT BACK TO NORMAL. JUST LAST WEEK/JULY14---IT STARTED FLICKERING VERY FAST AGAIN. IS THERE A PART THAT I CAN PURCHASE AND REPLACE MYSELF....I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN, WOULD APPRECIATE …

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RIGHT HAND BLINKER -- HAS STARTED FLICKERING..VERY FAST, WHEN I PUT MY RIGHT HAND BLINKER TO TURN.....IT STARTED EARLY JUNE....BUT THEN SUDDENLY WENT BACK TO NORMAL. JUST LAST WEEK/JULY14---IT STARTED FLICKERING VERY FAST AGAIN. IS THERE A PART THAT I CAN PURCHASE AND REPLACE MYSELF....I AM A SENIOR CITIZEN, WOULD APPRECIATE THE ASSISTANCE....I PURCHASED THIS CAR ON DECEMBER 2004. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10615572

70,000 miles · Jun 23, 2014
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

TL ' THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE SECURITY WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE LOCK SYSTEM RESET ITSELF AUTOMATICALLY. ADDITIONALLY, THE HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT T…

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TL ' THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE SECURITY WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE LOCK SYSTEM RESET ITSELF AUTOMATICALLY. ADDITIONALLY, THE HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE IGNITION WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. JCC

NHTSA ODI #10605187

70,000 miles · Apr 2, 2014
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

DRIVING ON GRANDE BLVD TYLER TX, ON MY WAY TO WORK, HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF COMPLETELY, TURNED THE HIGH BEAMS ON AND THE HEADLIGHTS CAME BACK ON. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10576608

Official recalls

1

14V400000 · Electrical System:ignition

Jul 3, 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) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or 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.

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 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.