IllustrationOn XXX in [XXX], while at a complete stop, without cause or prior warning, airbags violently deployed causing property damage to the entire instrument panel and windshield, and bodily injuries. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2005 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
410–25K
8625–50K
11150–75K
9675–100K
113100–150K
52150K+
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
Unknown Or Other complaints
14 reportsThe car shuts off while driving. Loose power steering hazardous while turning at higher speeds... dangerous for. Vehicles in front or back . The car also jumps or jolts when driving. And looses power causing severe loss of control especially when icy or snow road conditions.
INTERNAL SECURITY SYSTEM FAILS WITHOUT NOTICE, CAR WONT START. SECURITY LIGHT STAYS ON OR FLASHES. CAR STILL WONT START. IT CAN BE HOURS OR EVEN DAYS BEFORE THIS PROBLEM RESETS AND CAR STARTS AND WORKS. BUT THEN WILL SOON FAIL AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF. HAS COASTED ME SEVERAL JOBS, LOSS WORK HOURS, AND EXTRA MONEY I SP…
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INTERNAL SECURITY SYSTEM FAILS WITHOUT NOTICE, CAR WONT START. SECURITY LIGHT STAYS ON OR FLASHES. CAR STILL WONT START. IT CAN BE HOURS OR EVEN DAYS BEFORE THIS PROBLEM RESETS AND CAR STARTS AND WORKS. BUT THEN WILL SOON FAIL AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE IS SHUT OFF. HAS COASTED ME SEVERAL JOBS, LOSS WORK HOURS, AND EXTRA MONEY I SPENT ON STARTER, BUT CAME TO FIND OUT IT WAS THE SECURITY FEATURE CHEVY PUT IN, I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS BEEN HAVING THIS PROBLEM.
WONT GO INTO PARK, KEY STUCK IN IGNITION WHILE TRYING TO PARK
I TRIED TO START MY CAR AND SMELLED SMOKE. SOMETHING UNDER THE HOOD OF MY CAR MUST HAVE BEEN BURNING BECAUSE THERE WAS A DISTINCT SMELL OF SMOKE WHEN I OPENED THE HOOD. WHEN THE ROAD SERVICE ATTENDANT TRIED TO JUMP THE VEHICLE THE NEXT DAY, SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE FUSE BOX AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START.
WHEN THE CAR IS SITTING AT A STOPLIGHT, OR PRESSING ON THE BRAKE FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME, IT SHAKES LIGHTLY AND IT SHUTS DOWN. IT STARTS UP AGAIN AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR. THIS HAPPENS FREQUENTLY.
CAR WOULDN'T START AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS BATTERY SO WENT AND BOUGHT NEW BATTERY.. BUT THAT DIDN'T WORK EITHER.. SO CALLED A MECHANIC FRIEND AND ''HE TOLD US TO RUN A WIRE TO THE SMALL SCREW AND LARGE SCREW ON STARTER, AND IT STARTED!! BUT THERE'S A RECALL ON THESE IGNITIONS AND OURS NEEDS TO BE FIXED AS ITS OUR ONLY VECHILE..
I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN 2006. ONE YEAR LATER I NOTICED MY SPEEDOMETER WAS NOT WORKING. I SEARCHED ON LINE AND FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SPEEDOMETER FAILING TO WORK. RIGHT AFTER THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND THE FUEL INDICATOR STOPPED WORKING. I WENT ON LINE AND FOUND THAT CHEVY TRUCKS HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR CLUSTER FAILURES…
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I BOUGHT THIS CAR IN 2006. ONE YEAR LATER I NOTICED MY SPEEDOMETER WAS NOT WORKING. I SEARCHED ON LINE AND FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SPEEDOMETER FAILING TO WORK. RIGHT AFTER THAT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND THE FUEL INDICATOR STOPPED WORKING. I WENT ON LINE AND FOUND THAT CHEVY TRUCKS HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR CLUSTER FAILURES. I TOOK MY CAR IN TO A CHEVY DEALER AND WAS TOLD I'D HAVE TO PAY $700+ FOR THE REPAIR. THE CLUSTER HASN'T WORKED ALL THESE YEARS AND I'VE HAD SEVERAL INSTANCES OF THE CAR ALMOST OVERHEATING, THE CAR RUNNING OUT OF GAS, AND BEING PULLED OVER FOR EXCEEDING THE SPEED LIMIT BECAUSE THE CLUSTER DIDN'T WORK. HOW CAN GM & CHEVY SAY THEY STAND BY THEIR PRODUCTS AND NOT RECOGNIZE DEFICIENCIES IN THEIR OWN PRODUCTS UNLESS IT MAKES NATIONAL NEWS. I'VE HELD ONTO THIS CAR AND HAVE MAINTAINED WELL SO I CAN BRAG ABOUT LONGEVITY BECAUSE OF THE CARE I TAKE. I CANNOT BRAG ABOUT GM/CHEVROLET CUSTOMER SERVICE OR RESPONSIVENESS, OR CUSTOMER LOYALTY. AFTER YEARS OF BUYING WELL MADE JAPANESE CARS I BOUGHT AMERICAN. NOW I WONDER WHY.
THIS CAR HAS BEEN DOWN NOW SINCE MAY WITHOUT BEING DRIVEN BECAUSE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH WENT OUT AND KEPT US STRANDED. WE HAD TO HAVE THIS REPLACED WHICH WAS 450.00 IN OCTOBER AND NOW WE ARE WAITING FOR THE KEY FROM G.M. TO EVEN START THE CAR AND THAT WAS 2 MONTHS AGO AND WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR THE KEY AND IT'S NOW DECEMBER. …
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THIS CAR HAS BEEN DOWN NOW SINCE MAY WITHOUT BEING DRIVEN BECAUSE OF THE IGNITION SWITCH WENT OUT AND KEPT US STRANDED. WE HAD TO HAVE THIS REPLACED WHICH WAS 450.00 IN OCTOBER AND NOW WE ARE WAITING FOR THE KEY FROM G.M. TO EVEN START THE CAR AND THAT WAS 2 MONTHS AGO AND WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR THE KEY AND IT'S NOW DECEMBER. G.M. SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS IGNITION SWITCH AND THE MONTHS THAT WE HAD PAID FOR THE INSURANCE ON THIS CAR WITHOUT DRIVING IT. *TR
TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGES EVEN ON DRIVE EVEN SURFACES. ABS ALSO ENGAGE ON SMOOTH, EVEN AND DRY SURFACES.
Official recalls
114V400000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.