IllustrationBOUGHT THE CAR USED 141,000 MILES DAY AFTER I BOUGHT IT THE TRANSMISSION JERKS REALLY HARD WHEN TAKING OFF. I HEARD IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM BUT IT WILL COST $700 OR MORE TO FIX.
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
What owners actually said
609 reportsTRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD AND JERKS UPON TAKE OFF INTERMITTENTLY.
THE GAS GAUGE, THE SPEED GAUGE AND THE GAUGE FOR THE HEATING AND WATER COOLING HAS MALFUNCTIONED. IT ALSO JUST STALLS CAUSING THE CAR TO STOP.
THE STEPPER MOTORS THAT CONTROL DASH INSTRUMENTS. SPEEDOMETER WILL NOT RESET TO 0 MPH AFTER COMING TO A FULL STOP. ALSO, STEPPER MOTOR CONTROLLING FUEL GAUGE. INACCURATE FUEL AVAILABLE READING AND I MUST RELY ON TRIP METER TO ESTIMATE WHAT FUEL IS REMAINING.
2005 CHEVROLET IMPALA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THERE WERE TIMES, WHEN THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND THERE WERE TIMES, WHERE IT WOULD TAKE HOURS FOR IT TO START. *JB
HAD TO RECENTLY REPLACE FUEL EJECTION AND OTHER PART FOR FUEL LEAKING AND FUMES OVERCOMING IN CAR. NOW THE SPEEDOMETER, FUEL AND TACK GAUGE STOPPED WORKING. GM HAS NOT RECALLED THIS ON THE IMPALA AND THEY ARE AWARE THIS IS A PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD FOR MY DAUGHTER …
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HAD TO RECENTLY REPLACE FUEL EJECTION AND OTHER PART FOR FUEL LEAKING AND FUMES OVERCOMING IN CAR. NOW THE SPEEDOMETER, FUEL AND TACK GAUGE STOPPED WORKING. GM HAS NOT RECALLED THIS ON THE IMPALA AND THEY ARE AWARE THIS IS A PROBLEM BUT WILL NOT TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD FOR MY DAUGHTER AND CANNOT DRIVE THE CAR. EVERY CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND PARTS STORES THINK THERE IS A RECALL UNTIL THEY LOOK IT UP. THATS HOW MUCH THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUES. ONCE AGAIN ILL HAVE TO PAY APPROX. 300.00 JUST FOR THE PART. DORMAN OE SOLUTIONS INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. HOW CAN WE STOP GM FROM GETTING AWAY WITH THIS! WE NEED HELP!
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.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED LEFT OR RIGHT, IT MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, WHEN THE IGNITION KEY WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, A BURNING ODOR EMITTED INSIDE THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANU…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED LEFT OR RIGHT, IT MADE AN ABNORMAL NOISE. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, WHEN THE IGNITION KEY WAS TURNED TO THE ON POSITION, A BURNING ODOR EMITTED INSIDE THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
FUEL, TACHOMETER, SPEEDOMETER, ODOMETER FAILED / NO LONGER WORKING.
INTERMITTENT NO CRANK, NO START. PROBLEM IS KNOWN PROBLEM WITH IGNITION SWITCH, TUMBLER, AND DEFECTIVE "PASSLOCK SYSTEM". DEALERS CHARGE EXCESSIVE PROCES FOR REPAIRS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT ACTUALLY FIX THE PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO BE A BAD DESIGN ISSUE, AND IS RELATED TO THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION RECALLS. THERE IS A FAIRLY EXTENSIVE COMP…
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INTERMITTENT NO CRANK, NO START. PROBLEM IS KNOWN PROBLEM WITH IGNITION SWITCH, TUMBLER, AND DEFECTIVE "PASSLOCK SYSTEM". DEALERS CHARGE EXCESSIVE PROCES FOR REPAIRS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT ACTUALLY FIX THE PROBLEM. IT SEEMS TO BE A BAD DESIGN ISSUE, AND IS RELATED TO THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION RECALLS. THERE IS A FAIRLY EXTENSIVE COMPLAINT LIST, AND THE MFR CERTAINLY HAS DATA REFLECTING THAT THE PROBLEM COVERS MULTI MODEL AND YEARS OF GM CARS AND TRUCKS.
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.