car shuts off while in traffic and it says engine power reduced service traction control
2008 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
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.
Engine complaints
134 reportsTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH AND DRIVING OVER A POTHOLE, THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER, STALLED, AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH AND DRIVING OVER A POTHOLE, THE VEHICLE LOSS MOTIVE POWER, STALLED, AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS NO WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 78,000.
WHILE WIFE WAS DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE MANY TIMES OVER LAST FEW MONTHS CAUSING ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR CODES.WE HAVE SINCE CHANGED THIS PEDAL SENSOR 6 TIMES AND SAME ISSUE AND CODES POP UP. WE ALSO CHANGED THROTTLE BODY W SENSOR AND CONNECTOR PIGTAIL.I THINK THERE IS CORROSION IN ECM AND ALL THESE ITEMS …
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WHILE WIFE WAS DRIVING AT NORMAL SPEED CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE MANY TIMES OVER LAST FEW MONTHS CAUSING ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR CODES.WE HAVE SINCE CHANGED THIS PEDAL SENSOR 6 TIMES AND SAME ISSUE AND CODES POP UP. WE ALSO CHANGED THROTTLE BODY W SENSOR AND CONNECTOR PIGTAIL.I THINK THERE IS CORROSION IN ECM AND ALL THESE ITEMS HAVE FAILED. THESE ITEMS SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECALLED AS MANUFACTURER DEFECTS IN MY OPINION.WE ARE STILL HAVING PROBLEMS SAME CODES AND IM NOT THE ONLY ONE!
I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE DASH LIT UP SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM AND ENGINE POWER REDUCED. I WAS CURRENTLY USING CRUISE CONTROL SO IT SHOCKED ME WHEN MY CAR WENT FROM 75 TO 40 QUICK. I WAS IN FIVE O'CLOCK TRAFFIC AND ALMOST REAR ENDED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL. I'M PLANNING ON GETTING IT LOOKED AT.
THE CAR NEEDS AND BURNS TOO MUCH OIL AND IT'S A COMMON PROBLEM THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT PLEASE HELP I HAVE TO CHANGE OIL EVERY 2 MONTHS AND THERE'S NO LEAKS OR ANYTHING JUST THAT IT BURNS OIL TOO QUICK
THIS COOLANT CROSSOVER PIPE GASKET LEAK HAS BEEN A REPEATED AND MULTIPLE VEHICLE PROBLEM WITH THE 3.9L AND 3.5L AND GM ONLY CAME UP WITH 2 TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS; THE LAST ONE WAS #07-06-02-006E: COOLANT LEAKING FROM ENGINE (REPLACE COOLANT CROSSOVER PIPE GASKETS) - (MAR 5, 2012). HOWEVER, THE NEW GASKET DESIGN PRESUMABLY R…
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THIS COOLANT CROSSOVER PIPE GASKET LEAK HAS BEEN A REPEATED AND MULTIPLE VEHICLE PROBLEM WITH THE 3.9L AND 3.5L AND GM ONLY CAME UP WITH 2 TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS; THE LAST ONE WAS #07-06-02-006E: COOLANT LEAKING FROM ENGINE (REPLACE COOLANT CROSSOVER PIPE GASKETS) - (MAR 5, 2012). HOWEVER, THE NEW GASKET DESIGN PRESUMABLY REPAIRED THE LEAK. HOWEVER, IT DID NOT. I HAVE SEEN THIS ISSUE DISCUSSED ON SEVERAL WEB SITES WITH ALL COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SAME UNRESOLVED ISSUE. MY 2008 IMPALA WITH THE 3.9L V-6 HAS BEEN REPAIRED FOR THIS ISSUE ON THE FOLLOWING DATES, EACH TIME I WAS ASSURED IT WAS SATISFACTORILY REPAIRED: 02/09/2019 ' DIY DUE TO DEALERSHIP COST. REPAIRED PER GM TSB/GM TECHNICAL SERVICE MANUAL. 11/30/2016 ' DEALERSHIP. 03/10/2014 ' DEALERSHIP. 01/11/2013 ' DEALERSHIP. AND NOW, IT'S LEAKING AGAIN! I CHATTED WITH CHEVROLET ONLINE ON 10 APR 2020 AND CECIL SAID THAT WARRANTY HAD REPAIRED IT ONCE, BUT THE ISSUE HAS BEEN AND STILL CONTINUES. GM WOULD NO LONGER REPAIR THE LEAK. THIS IS WHAT I WAS TOLD: CECIL AT 15:40, APR 10, 2020: UNFORTUNATELY, ONCE THE DECISION IS FINAL THAT IT CANNOT BE CHANGED ANYMORE. BUT HERE IS WHAT WE SUGGEST, YOU CAN TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED GM DEALERSHIP ABOUT THIS TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED AND IT MIGHT THE SAME SYMPTOM BUT DIFFERENT ROOT CAUSE. WE CANNOT PERFORM DIAGNOSIS OVER CHAT. CECIL AT 15:41, APR 10: AND FOR ASSISTANCE, I HIGHLY SUGGEST THAT YOU SPEAK WITH THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE MANAGER OR CEM AT THE DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER, THE DEALERSHIP IS THE ONE WHO TOLD ME THAT IT COULD NO LONGER BE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY! THIS ISSUE IS SOMETHING GM SHOULD HAVE LONG RESOLVED WITH A BETTER SOLUTION. THIS LEAK IS A CONTINUAL PROBLEM AND GM DOESN'T OFFER ANY BETTER REPAIR OPTIONS AND WILL NOT REPAIR THE LEAK AGAIN.
RANDOMLY I RECEIVE THE MESSAGE "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL - ENGINE POWER REDUCED" - THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON. IT HAPPENS ON NICE DAYS, RAINY DAYS, WHETHER OR NOT I AM GOING UPHILL, DOWNHILL OR ON FLAT SURFACES. ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND I HAD TO COAST FROM LANE 2 TO THE SHOU…
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RANDOMLY I RECEIVE THE MESSAGE "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL - ENGINE POWER REDUCED" - THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON. IT HAPPENS ON NICE DAYS, RAINY DAYS, WHETHER OR NOT I AM GOING UPHILL, DOWNHILL OR ON FLAT SURFACES. ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND I HAD TO COAST FROM LANE 2 TO THE SHOULDER. AFTER 20 MINUTES, IT RESTARTED. *TR
THE CAR IS NOT DRIVING SMOOTH. THE CAR IS HAVING MULTIPLE PROBLEMS
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REDUCE POWER INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY, THROTTLE BODY SENSOR, AND FUEL PEDAL SENSOR NEEDED …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REDUCE POWER INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY, THROTTLE BODY SENSOR, AND FUEL PEDAL SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE MASS AIR FLOW SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FIVE TIMES FOR THE SAME FAILURE. THE MECHANIC ALSO STATED THAT THE SPARK PLUGS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 205,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
ON INTERSTATE DRIVING APPROX. 60 MPH SUDDENLY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND REDUCE ENGINE SPEED LIGHT ON AND CAR DROPPED DRASTICALLY DOWN TO LITERALLY NO POWER. BARELY HAD TIME TO GET ON SHOULDER WITHOUT CAUSING ACCIDENT. WENT TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT THE ISSUE WAS THE THROTTLE PEDDLE.
Official recalls
214V355000 · 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
1DP14001 · 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.
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