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2008 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

665 reports with mileage · 145 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 221 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 134 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Suspension. Review the 117 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

51 crash reports10 fire reports36 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

221 reports
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65,000 miles · Jul 21, 2014
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

TH ENGINE OF MY 2008 IMPALA COMPLETELY SHUT OFF ON TWO OCCASIONS APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AGO AFTER HITTING A RELATIVELY LARGE POT HOLE. IN THE FIRST INCIDENT, I WAS TRAVELING WEST BOUND ON SNELL ROAD (OAKLAND TOWNSHIP, MI) BETWEEN ORION AND ROCHESTER ROAD AND HIT A LARGE POT HOLE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES PER HOUR AND THE…

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TH ENGINE OF MY 2008 IMPALA COMPLETELY SHUT OFF ON TWO OCCASIONS APPROXIMATELY TWO YEARS AGO AFTER HITTING A RELATIVELY LARGE POT HOLE. IN THE FIRST INCIDENT, I WAS TRAVELING WEST BOUND ON SNELL ROAD (OAKLAND TOWNSHIP, MI) BETWEEN ORION AND ROCHESTER ROAD AND HIT A LARGE POT HOLE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES PER HOUR AND THE VEHICLE ENGINE AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. AS I RECALL, I STEERED THE VEHICLE (MANUALLY) TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK, AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. NO OTHER CARS WERE COMING EITHER WAY. A SIMILAR INCIDENT HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY 3 MONTHS LATER AS I WAS HEADING EASTBOUND ON SNELL ROAD BETWEEN MT. VERNON AND ROCHESTER ROAD. WHEN THE GM IGNITION RECALLS STARTED, I DID NOT CORRELATE THESE INCIDENTS WITH THE RECALL. HOWEVER, WHEN I READ A NEWSPAPER ACCOUNT RECENTLY OF A GM EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCING THE SAME SITUATION WITH HER 2006 IMPALA, I REALIZED IT MUST HAVE BEEN AN IGNITION ISSUE AS WELL. I ASSUMED THE 2008 IMPALA WOULD BE RECALLED LIKE THE 2006 IMPALA BUT TO DATE, I THE 2008 IMPALA HAS NOT YET BEEN RECALLED. PLEASE CONTACT ME WITH ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.

NHTSA ODI #10615472

118,000 miles · Jul 18, 2014
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION WHEN THE IGNITION WAS IN THE ON POSITION. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,0…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY COULD BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION WHEN THE IGNITION WAS IN THE ON POSITION. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 118,000.

NHTSA ODI #10614513

100,000 miles · Jul 10, 2014
Electrical SystemEngine

I WAS DRIVING WHEN VEHICLE LOST POWER AND CAR SHUT OFF. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE MOTOR AND THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A FEW OCCASIONS. MORE RECENTLY, AT TIMES CAR WILL NOT TURN OVER OR CRANK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THEN SUDDENLY THE CAR CRANKS AND AFTER SOME TIME HAS PASSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHUTS O…

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I WAS DRIVING WHEN VEHICLE LOST POWER AND CAR SHUT OFF. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE MOTOR AND THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A FEW OCCASIONS. MORE RECENTLY, AT TIMES CAR WILL NOT TURN OVER OR CRANK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THEN SUDDENLY THE CAR CRANKS AND AFTER SOME TIME HAS PASSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHUTS OFF. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE BATTERY. I REPLACED THE BATTERY AT THE DEALERSHIP BUT IT STILL DOES THE SAME THING. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. SO I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME IT WAS THE IGNITION 1 SWITCH CIRCUIT 2 (CODE P1682). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10609743

100,000 miles · Jul 10, 2014
Electrical SystemEngine

I WAS DRIVING WHEN VEHICLE LOST POWER AND CAR SHUT OFF. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE MOTOR AND THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A FEW OCCASIONS. MORE RECENTLY, AT TIMES CAR WILL NOT TURN OVER OR CRANK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THEN SUDDENLY THE CAR CRANKS AND AFTER SOME TIME HAS PASSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHUTS O…

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I WAS DRIVING WHEN VEHICLE LOST POWER AND CAR SHUT OFF. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE MOTOR AND THIS HAS HAPPENED ON A FEW OCCASIONS. MORE RECENTLY, AT TIMES CAR WILL NOT TURN OVER OR CRANK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THEN SUDDENLY THE CAR CRANKS AND AFTER SOME TIME HAS PASSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SHUTS OFF. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE BATTERY. I REPLACED THE BATTERY AT THE DEALERSHIP BUT IT STILL DOES THE SAME THING. I TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. SO I TOOK THE CAR TO ANOTHER MECHANIC AND HE TOLD ME IT WAS THE IGNITION 1 SWITCH CIRCUIT 2 (CODE P1682). *TR

NHTSA ODI #10609740

75,000 miles · Jul 7, 2014
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

WHILE DRIVING 65MPH VEHICLE JUST DIED. WAS NOT ABLE TO START FOR ABOUT 15 MINS. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES NEARLY CAUSING SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY HAS REDUCED ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING AND JERKS FROM A COMPLETE STOP SOMETIMES. NOW THE OIL ENGINE PRESSURE/TURN OFF ENGINE LIGHT AND ALARM GO OFF ALL T…

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WHILE DRIVING 65MPH VEHICLE JUST DIED. WAS NOT ABLE TO START FOR ABOUT 15 MINS. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES NEARLY CAUSING SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. THE VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY HAS REDUCED ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING AND JERKS FROM A COMPLETE STOP SOMETIMES. NOW THE OIL ENGINE PRESSURE/TURN OFF ENGINE LIGHT AND ALARM GO OFF ALL THE TIME. REPLACE THE SENSOR, BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE LOUD KNOCKING SOUND FROM THE DASH IS UTTERLY ANNOYING. I THINK THE FACT THAT ONLY THE POLICE CARS GOT RECALLED IS INSANE, NO MATTER WHAT THE RECALL WAS. I'M SURE ONCE THEY TOOK THOSE VEHICLES IN; ALL THE OTHER ISSUES I HAVE MENTIONED WERE ALSO FIXED. ALSO THE REAR DRIVER SIDE POWER LOCK IS FAULTY AND UNSAFE WHEN TRAVELING WITH YOUNG CHILDREN. I HONESTLY BELIEVE WITH SO MANY CONSUMERS HAVING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS, GM SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL ON THESE VEHICLES BEFORE SEVERAL TRAGEDIES OCCUR AND WE THEN JUST BECOME STATISTICS. PLEASE HELP. THERE ARE SO MANY OF US OUT HERE WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUES ON THESE IMPALAS WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THE REPAIR OF SOMETHING THAT APPARENTLY SHOULD BE RECALLED BY GM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. *TR UPDATED 2/18/2015 *JS

NHTSA ODI #10608612

58,000 miles · Jul 3, 2014
Electrical System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. THERE WAS A RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, TH…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RESUMED NORMALLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. THERE WAS A RECALL RELATED TO THE FAILURE UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.

NHTSA ODI #10608015

54,000 miles · Jun 30, 2014
Electrical SystemEngine

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ON 29 MAY 2014 I HIT A SMALL POTHOLE. THE POTHOLE IS 10" ACROSS, 3-4" DEEP, AND I HIT IT HEAD ON. THIS CAUSED MY CAR TO SHUT OFF, WHICH I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL I TRIED TO ACCELERATE. I THEN REALIZED I HAD NO POWER STEERING OR BREAKS AND HAD TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO RESTART THE CAR. LUCKILY TH…

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WHILE DRIVING TO WORK ON 29 MAY 2014 I HIT A SMALL POTHOLE. THE POTHOLE IS 10" ACROSS, 3-4" DEEP, AND I HIT IT HEAD ON. THIS CAUSED MY CAR TO SHUT OFF, WHICH I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL I TRIED TO ACCELERATE. I THEN REALIZED I HAD NO POWER STEERING OR BREAKS AND HAD TO PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO RESTART THE CAR. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO CARS BEHIND ME, SO OTHER THAN HAVING TO PULL OFF THE ROAD ON A CURVE I WAS LUCKY. I CALLED BOTH MY LOCAL GM DEALER (RESSLER OF BOZEMAN, MT) AND GM CUSTOMER SUPPORT TO TELL THEM ABOUT THE ISSUE. THE LOCAL DEALER TOLD ME THERE WAS NO ISSUE WITH THE CAR, NO RECALLS, AND NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. THE TECHNICIAN TOLD ME TO "AVOID HITTING POTHOLES". GIVEN THE STATE OF THE ROADS THAT MAY BE HARD TO DO. THE GM SUPPORT TOLD ME THERE WAS NO RECALL AT THE MOMENT BUT THERE MIGHT BE ONE DOWN THE ROAD AND TO WATCH THE NEWS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10607174

60,000 miles · Jun 19, 2014
Electrical SystemLatches/locks/linkages

PICKING UP GRAND CHILDREN AT CURBSIDE FROM SCHOOL THE DOORS FAIL TO UNLOCK CAUSING ME TO GO OUT IN TRAFFIC GET IN THE CAR AND START IT IN ORDER TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS SO THAT THE KIDS CAN UNLOCK THE DOORS MANUALLY THAT IS IF THEY ARE NOT DISTRACTED BY SOMETHING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT A 4, 6 AND 7 Y…

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PICKING UP GRAND CHILDREN AT CURBSIDE FROM SCHOOL THE DOORS FAIL TO UNLOCK CAUSING ME TO GO OUT IN TRAFFIC GET IN THE CAR AND START IT IN ORDER TO ROLL DOWN THE WINDOWS SO THAT THE KIDS CAN UNLOCK THE DOORS MANUALLY THAT IS IF THEY ARE NOT DISTRACTED BY SOMETHING. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT A 4, 6 AND 7 YEAR OLD WILL DO. ALSO THE CHILD SAFETY LOCK FEATURE DOESN'T WORK WHEN CAR IS PUT IN DRIVE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10604638

Mileage unknown · Jun 17, 2014
Electrical SystemLatches/locks/linkages

I TOO AM VERY UPSET WITH THE ISSUE WITH THE DOOR LOCK ISSUE. THE BACK PASSENGER DRIVERS SIDE DOOR DOES NOT UNLOCK WITH THE FOB OR THE DOOR UNLOCK CONTROL. THE ONLY WAY TO PHYSICALLY UNLOCK THE DOOR IS TO RECLINE THE DRIVERS SEAT AND REACH BACK AND UNLOCK THE DOOR MANUALLY. IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY THIS IS B.S. I HAVE DONE MU…

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I TOO AM VERY UPSET WITH THE ISSUE WITH THE DOOR LOCK ISSUE. THE BACK PASSENGER DRIVERS SIDE DOOR DOES NOT UNLOCK WITH THE FOB OR THE DOOR UNLOCK CONTROL. THE ONLY WAY TO PHYSICALLY UNLOCK THE DOOR IS TO RECLINE THE DRIVERS SEAT AND REACH BACK AND UNLOCK THE DOOR MANUALLY. IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY THIS IS B.S. I HAVE DONE MUCH RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET ON THIS SUBJECT AND WAS OVERWHELMED BY THE NUMBER OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. THIS IS SO DISTURBING! I WISH CHEVROLET WOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND MAKE IT RIGHT TO ITS CUSTOMERS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10599010

Mileage unknown · Jun 17, 2014
Electrical System

2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALLS AND FAULTY PARTS ON VEHICLE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION IN ENGINE POWER CONTINUOUSLY, WHICH RESULTED IN THE VEHICLE STALLING, IN TRAFFIC. *JB

NHTSA ODI #10597182

Official recalls

2

14V355000 · Electrical System:ignition

Jun 23, 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) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and 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. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

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 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.

12V377000 · Suspension:front:control Arm:lower Arm

Aug 3, 2012

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Chevrolet Impala police vehicles because the front lower control arms may fracture. This safety recall does not include non-police Chevrolet Impala vehicles.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower control arms, free of charge. The safety recall began on August 21, 2012. Owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546.

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

1

DP14001 · Passenger Air Bag Ocs Algorithm

Opened Jul 22, 2014 · Closed Mar 7, 2017

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags; Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

The Agency received a petition on November 14, 2013 requesting an investigation into the operation of the passenger air bag Occupant Classification System (OCS) software logic and algorithm.The petitioner states that due to this alleged defect, the passenger air bag may be suppressed at point of impact and not provided the occupant protection as needed in a crash.On July 22, 2014, NHTSA opened DP14-001 to further review the crash event and perform a more comprehensive search and analysis of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).The Agency also collected manufacturers reports on the alleged OCS issue on the subject Impala vehicles and other GM and non-GM peer vehicles.After examination of the petition and available data relating to the subject vehicle's OCS and the specific crash incident where the OCS allegedly failed to operate properly, NHTSA did not identify an issue with the MY2008 Impala involved in the subject crash, nor has it identified a safety-related defect trend existing in the OCS used in the MY 2006-2008 Impala vehicles, in GM peer vehicles or in other non-GM peer vehicles.NHTSA has concluded that further expenditure of the agency's investigative resources is not warranted. The agency accordingly has denied the petition.However, the agency will take further action if warranted by changing future circumstances. The official petition denial, as published in the Federal Register, is available in the document file for this defect petition.The single complaint and crash noted in the Failure Report above is the petitioner's VOQ (10568388) and can be reviewed online at https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=10568388.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

The Agency received a petition on November 14, 2013 requesting an investigation into the operation of the passenger air bag Occupant Classification System (OCS) software logic and algorithm.The petitioner states that due to this alleged defect, the passenger air bag may be suppressed at point of impact and not provided the occupant protection as needed in a crash.On July 22, 2014, NHTSA opened DP14-001 to further review the crash event and perform a more comprehensive search and analysis of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).The Agency also collected manufacturers reports on the alleged OCS issue on the subject Impala vehicles and other GM and non-GM peer vehicles.After examination of the petition and available data relating to the subject vehicle's OCS and the specific crash incident where the OCS allegedly failed to operate properly, NHTSA did not identify an issue with the MY2008 Impala involved in the subject crash, nor has it identified a safety-related defect trend existing in the OCS used in the MY 2006-2008 Impala vehicles, in GM peer vehicles or in other non-GM peer vehicles.NHTSA has concluded that further expenditure of the agency's investigative resources is not warranted. The agency accordingly has denied the petition.However, the agency will take further action if warranted by changing future circumstances. The official petition denial, as published in the Federal Register, is available in the document file for this defect petition.The single complaint and crash noted in the Failure Report above is the petitioner's VOQ (10568388) and can be reviewed online at https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=10568388.

Air Bags

The Agency received a petition on November 14, 2013 requesting an investigation into the operation of the passenger air bag Occupant Classification System (OCS) software logic and algorithm.The petitioner states that due to this alleged defect, the passenger air bag may be suppressed at point of impact and not provided the occupant protection as needed in a crash.On July 22, 2014, NHTSA opened DP14-001 to further review the crash event and perform a more comprehensive search and analysis of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).The Agency also collected manufacturers reports on the alleged OCS issue on the subject Impala vehicles and other GM and non-GM peer vehicles.After examination of the petition and available data relating to the subject vehicle's OCS and the specific crash incident where the OCS allegedly failed to operate properly, NHTSA did not identify an issue with the MY2008 Impala involved in the subject crash, nor has it identified a safety-related defect trend existing in the OCS used in the MY 2006-2008 Impala vehicles, in GM peer vehicles or in other non-GM peer vehicles.NHTSA has concluded that further expenditure of the agency's investigative resources is not warranted. The agency accordingly has denied the petition.However, the agency will take further action if warranted by changing future circumstances. The official petition denial, as published in the Federal Register, is available in the document file for this defect petition.The single complaint and crash noted in the Failure Report above is the petitioner's VOQ (10568388) and can be reviewed online at https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=10568388.