STARTED FORWARD FROM FULL STOP AT A TRAFFIC SIGNAL HEARD LOUD BANG CAR REVERSED DIRECTION AND IMPACTED CAR BEHIND IT
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.
Power Train complaints
91 reportsIGNITION IS MESSING UP AND THE POWER WILL GO DOWN
WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP, THE CAR WILL SOMETIMES INITIALLY MOVE FORWARD SLOWLY AND THEN SUDDENLY LAUNCH FORWARD ABOUT 3-5 SECONDS AFTER APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR. IT IS ALSO GIVING A TRACTION LOST INDICATOR WHEN I MAKE SHARP TURNS FROM A STOP AND IT SOUNDS AS IF THERE IS SLIPPING FROM THE FRONT END. REMEDY FOR THIS IS TO BACK OF…
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WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP, THE CAR WILL SOMETIMES INITIALLY MOVE FORWARD SLOWLY AND THEN SUDDENLY LAUNCH FORWARD ABOUT 3-5 SECONDS AFTER APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR. IT IS ALSO GIVING A TRACTION LOST INDICATOR WHEN I MAKE SHARP TURNS FROM A STOP AND IT SOUNDS AS IF THERE IS SLIPPING FROM THE FRONT END. REMEDY FOR THIS IS TO BACK OFF THE SHARP TURN SLIGHTLY AND ONCE THE CAR IS ROLLING TURN THE WHEEL MORE SHARPLY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, IT BECAME STUCK IN THE NEUTRAL GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 214,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE GEAR SHIFTER WOULD INDEPENDENTLY SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND STARTED TO JERK. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE BUT THE SHIFT LEVER FAILED TO MOVE FROM THE PARK POSITION WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE GEAR SHIFTER WOULD INDEPENDENTLY SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND STARTED TO JERK. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE BUT THE SHIFT LEVER FAILED TO MOVE FROM THE PARK POSITION WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE GEAR SHIFT WIRING WAS FRACTURED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 210,000.
MY CAR STOPPED ON 630. IT SAID DISABLED FULL THROTTLE. I HAD TO SIT FOR 15 MINUTES BEFORE IT WOULD START. I THEN HEAR A CLICKING NOISE THAT STARTED AT 830AM AND STOPPED AT 832AM. I'VE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. DO NOT BUY ANY IMPALA, UNLESS YOU HAVE A LIFETIME OF FIXABLE RECALLS. IT'S HOT IN ARKANSAS AND TO STALL FO…
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MY CAR STOPPED ON 630. IT SAID DISABLED FULL THROTTLE. I HAD TO SIT FOR 15 MINUTES BEFORE IT WOULD START. I THEN HEAR A CLICKING NOISE THAT STARTED AT 830AM AND STOPPED AT 832AM. I'VE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR. DO NOT BUY ANY IMPALA, UNLESS YOU HAVE A LIFETIME OF FIXABLE RECALLS. IT'S HOT IN ARKANSAS AND TO STALL FOR 15 MINUTES WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR IS UNACCEPTABLE. WHEN YOU CALL CHEVY CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY CAN NOT HELP YOU WITH ANYTHING. THEY JUST TAKE YOUR VIN NUMBER AND STATE OH I DON'T SEE A RECALL FOR YOUR VEHICLE, ALTHOUGH YOU READ 5598 PROBLEMS/SAME ISSUE YOU ARE HAVING WITH YOUR CAR. ERRATIC TRANSMISSION IS THE WHOLE PROBLEM. SO TO CHEVROLET AND COMPANY PLEASE THINK ABOUT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SALE A NEW CAR WITH USED PRODUCTS. IT'S NOT COOL AND THE SAD PART IS YOU WILL NOT FIX IT. WARRANT MY BEHIND CHEVY NEED A LIFETIME OF RECALLS FOR EVERYONE ON ALL CARS. MAY JESUS BE WITH YOUR COMPANY. SINCERELY A MOTHER OF 3 BOYS. *TR
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN GAS PETAL AND THROTTLE BODY BREAKS DOWN CAUSING VEHICLE TO DISPLAY REDUCED ENGINE POWER CAUSING VEHICLE TO SLOW TO 20 TO 30 MPH INSTANTLY. HAPPEN ON HIGHWAY ALMOST CAUSING ACCIDENT DUE TO SLOWDOWN. SHOULD BE SAFETY RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE OR MYSELF GETS KILLED.
WHILE DRIVING MY CAR FOR ONLY TWO MINUTES, THE REDUCED POWER SENSOR CAME ON AND TRACTION CONTROL CAME ON ALSO. MY CAR WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 20 MPH. WENT BACK TO NORMAL AFTER AN HOUR. VERY CONCERNING IF I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THIS HAPPENED.WAS ON A BACK COUNTRY HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED.
WHILE DRIVING MY CAR MY CAR STALLED AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL. I STOPPED AND TRIED TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. I TRIED REVERSE AND THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE. IT CRAKES UP BUT THERE ARE NO SHIFTING OF GEARS. I HAD TO REPLACE MY GAS TANK AS WELL AS MY PEDALS FOR THIS CAR. PLEASE HELP.
I STARTED SEE A WARNING LIGHT ON IN MY CAR THAT READ "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" SO I SENT GM AN EMAIL REGARDING THIS AND MAYBE A MONTH OR SO LATER I RECEIVED A NOTICE THAT SAID THE GAS THROTTLE SENSOR WILL CAUSE THIS TO APPEAR WHEN IT IS BAD. THEY ADVISED IF I FELT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM I COULD TAKE IT TO…
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I STARTED SEE A WARNING LIGHT ON IN MY CAR THAT READ "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" SO I SENT GM AN EMAIL REGARDING THIS AND MAYBE A MONTH OR SO LATER I RECEIVED A NOTICE THAT SAID THE GAS THROTTLE SENSOR WILL CAUSE THIS TO APPEAR WHEN IT IS BAD. THEY ADVISED IF I FELT THIS WAS THE PROBLEM I COULD TAKE IT TO A GM DEALER AND HAVE IT CHECK, BUT IF IT WASN'T THEY WOULD NOT COVER IT AND I WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF THE DIAGNOSTICS TEST. I TOOK MY CAR AND TOOK MY CAR , ALONG WITH THE NOTICE TO SUNRISE PONTIAC ON 12/31/15. I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED A THERMOSTAT A GAS PRESSURE SENSOR. THE COST TO REPAIR THESE ITEMS WOULD RUN ME ALMOST $900 AND I COULD NOT AFFORD THAT T THIS TIME. I ASKED THE TECHNICIAN, WHICH COULD I GET AWAY WITH NOT FIXING RIGHT NOW AND HE SAID I NEEDED TO GO AHEAD AND REPLACE THE THERMOSTAT TO GET THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OFF. I HAD THAT WORK DONE AND THE LIGHT STILL WAS ON, AS WELL AS, THE WARNING LIGHTS. SO I CONTACTED GM AGAIN AND ADVISED THEM OF THE SITUATION. THEY PAID FOR ME TO GO TO SERRA CHEVROLET TO GET ANOTHER DIAGNOSTIC DONE. THIS TIME I WAS TOLD I NEEDED AN APP SENSOR, GAS PRESSURE SENSOR, THERMOSTAT (WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN REPLACED), AND A TEMPERATURE SENSOR, ALL OF WHICH WOULD RUN ME $1300. I TOLD THEM I COULD NOT AFFORD THAT AND LEFT. I CONTACTED GM ONCE AGAIN AND EXPLAINED WHAT WAS TOLD TO ME AND ASKED WHY THE SENSORS WOULD NOT BE COVERED WHEN THEY WERE APART OF THE GAS THROTTLE BODY? NOW I'M GETTING A WARNING THAT SAYS "STARTING DISABLED SERVICE THROTTLE " AND MY CAR IS LITERALLY CUTTING OFF WHILE I'M DRIVING. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A MATTER THAT GM SHOULD BE WILLING TO REPAIR FOR THEIR CONSUMERS TO PREVENT ACCIDENT OR DEATH. I 'VE READ ON GOOGLE THAT SEVERAL IMPALA OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING. ALSO, WHILE I'M DRIVING MY GEAR CONTROL IS POPPING OUT. THIS IS MY ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION.
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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