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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

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

92 reports
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111,690 miles · Mar 20, 2014
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed ControlInjury

WHILE ACCELERATING THE CAR LOST THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE ACCELERATING ALL AT ONCE WHICH CAUSED A JERKING MOTION OF THE CAR CAUSING ME(THE DRIVER) TO BE THROWN FORWARD HITTING MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. IT ALL HAPPENED VERY FAST AND THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER AND TRACTION CONTROL MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DASH BOARD AND IS STILL …

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WHILE ACCELERATING THE CAR LOST THE ABILITY TO CONTINUE ACCELERATING ALL AT ONCE WHICH CAUSED A JERKING MOTION OF THE CAR CAUSING ME(THE DRIVER) TO BE THROWN FORWARD HITTING MY HEAD ON THE STEERING WHEEL. IT ALL HAPPENED VERY FAST AND THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER AND TRACTION CONTROL MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DASH BOARD AND IS STILL ON THE DASH BOARD. AS I SAID IT ALL HAPPENED VERY FAST BUT I WAS ABLE TO BRACE MYSELF SLIGHTLY WHICH IS THE ONLY REASON I WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED. THIS ISSUE WHICH NOW AFTER SPEAKING TO MY CAR MECHANIC AND ME SEEING MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AFTER DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE IS A DEATH SENTENCE TO SOMEONE. SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE FROM THE CAR LOSING THE ABILITY TO ACCELERATE ALL AT ONCE ALONG WITH A JERKING MOTION THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO HAVE A FOOT ON THE GAS AND A FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO BE ABLE TO STOP SHOULD THE CAR TAKE OFF ON IT OWN. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10573779

60,000 miles · Mar 13, 2014
Electrical SystemSteeringVehicle Speed Control

IGNITION FAILURE AND ASSOCIATED POWER LOSS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON A CROWDED EXPRESSWAY AFTER HITTING A BUMP IN THE LEFT LANE. A VERY HEAVY KEY CHAIN WAS IN THE IGNITION AT THE TIME. WITH NO SIGNALS, FLASHERS, OR POWER STEERING, USING ONLY RAPIDLY FADING INERTIA FOR POWER, I HAD TO MAKE MY WAY OVER TO THE RIGHT LANE AND ON T…

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IGNITION FAILURE AND ASSOCIATED POWER LOSS OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON A CROWDED EXPRESSWAY AFTER HITTING A BUMP IN THE LEFT LANE. A VERY HEAVY KEY CHAIN WAS IN THE IGNITION AT THE TIME. WITH NO SIGNALS, FLASHERS, OR POWER STEERING, USING ONLY RAPIDLY FADING INERTIA FOR POWER, I HAD TO MAKE MY WAY OVER TO THE RIGHT LANE AND ON TO THE SHOULDER THROUGH THICK, UNYIELDING 70 MPH TRAFFIC. TERRIFYING; COLLISION NARROWLY MISSED.

NHTSA ODI #10569004

98,000 miles · Dec 24, 2013
Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineVehicle Speed Control

I HAVE A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA LTZ. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL OCCASIONS NOW WHEN MY CAR HAS STARTED FLASHING "SERVICE STABILITRAK" "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" "SERVICE AIRBAGS" AND THEN ALL THE CORRESPONDING LIGHTS COME ON. ONE OF THE TIMES THE VEHICLE FLASHED ALL OF THOSE WARNINGS, THE LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE CAR DIED, WHILE I WAS DRIVING.…

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I HAVE A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA LTZ. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL OCCASIONS NOW WHEN MY CAR HAS STARTED FLASHING "SERVICE STABILITRAK" "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" "SERVICE AIRBAGS" AND THEN ALL THE CORRESPONDING LIGHTS COME ON. ONE OF THE TIMES THE VEHICLE FLASHED ALL OF THOSE WARNINGS, THE LIGHTS CAME ON AND THE CAR DIED, WHILE I WAS DRIVING. IT LOST ALL POWER AND IT TOOK EVERYTHING I HAD TO STEER THE VEHICLE OFF THE ROAD. I HAD MY [XXX] YEAR OLD WITH ME THAT TIME AND WAS SCARED I WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET US TO A SAFE SPOT TO SIT AND WAIT FOR HELP. THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT HAPPENED LAST EVENING ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK. I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY GOING ABOUT 75MPH, THE WARNINGS FLASHED AND THEN MY CAR LOST POWER AND FELT AS THOUGH IT WAS NOT HANDLING THE ROAD AS WELL AS IT SHOULD. I LIVE IN MN AND WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER NOW. I NEED MY CAR TO BE SAFE AND I RELY ON THIS CAR TO GET MY SON AND I TO WHERE WE NEED TO GO SAFELY! THIS IS THE ONLY VEHICLE I HAVE AND CANNOT AFFORD FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN TO IT. I HAVE BEEN READING SEVERAL FORUMS ABOUT OTHERS THAT THIS IS HAPPENING TO AND CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING MORE TO THE SITUATION. I WOULD FEEL HORRIBLE IF SOMETHING EVER HAPPENED TO MY FAMILY OR ANYONE ELSE BECAUSE OF MY FAULTY VEHICLE!! THIS NEEDS TO BE FIGURED OUT AND TAKEN CARE OF. *TR *DL PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI #10557171

102,348 miles · Dec 17, 2013
Vehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION POWER AS THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION POWER AS THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,348. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10556411

108,000 miles · Dec 9, 2013
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

IN JUNE 2012 I HAD THIS PROBLEM ERROR MESSAGE READ: "ENGINE POWER REDUCED " AS I WAS DRIVING 55 MPH ON HIGHWAY MPH FELL BELOW TO 40 I HAD TO GET OFF HIGHWAY. I HAD THIS PROBLEM FIXED SO I THOUGHT IT COST ME ABOUT 360 DOLLARS. SAME EXACT RECURRING PROBLEM SAME ERROR MESSAGE TODAY 12/09/13. THIS IS RIDICULOUS GM HAS TO KNOW THI…

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IN JUNE 2012 I HAD THIS PROBLEM ERROR MESSAGE READ: "ENGINE POWER REDUCED " AS I WAS DRIVING 55 MPH ON HIGHWAY MPH FELL BELOW TO 40 I HAD TO GET OFF HIGHWAY. I HAD THIS PROBLEM FIXED SO I THOUGHT IT COST ME ABOUT 360 DOLLARS. SAME EXACT RECURRING PROBLEM SAME ERROR MESSAGE TODAY 12/09/13. THIS IS RIDICULOUS GM HAS TO KNOW THIS IS NOT SAFE. DEALERSHIP WILL NOT REPAIR AGAIN AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE. TOO MUCH MONEY FOR ME TO CONTINUE PAYING OVER N OVER AGAIN. THEY NEED TO RECALL THIS CAR IT'S OUTRAGEOUS! CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP US?! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10555375

Mileage unknown · Aug 15, 2013
Vehicle Speed Control

MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, I TOOK IT TO AUTO ZONE TO DIAGNOSE, IT'S MY ACCELERATED PEDAL POSITION, I JUST HAD THIS REPLACED MAYBE 2 YEARS AGO BECAUSE IT DID THE SAME THING, NOW THIS I DON'T THINK SHOULD BE A COMMON THING BUT IT IS, AND AS DANGEROUS AS THIS IS I THINK IT'S MORE OF A DEFECT ON GM'S SIDE. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOM…

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MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, I TOOK IT TO AUTO ZONE TO DIAGNOSE, IT'S MY ACCELERATED PEDAL POSITION, I JUST HAD THIS REPLACED MAYBE 2 YEARS AGO BECAUSE IT DID THE SAME THING, NOW THIS I DON'T THINK SHOULD BE A COMMON THING BUT IT IS, AND AS DANGEROUS AS THIS IS I THINK IT'S MORE OF A DEFECT ON GM'S SIDE. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME TYPE OF RECALL OR REPLACEMENT FOR FREE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10535456

40,000 miles · Aug 9, 2013
Vehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THERE WAS A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF. UPON RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED WITHOUT THE ILLUMINATION OF…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 75 MPH, THERE WAS A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF. UPON RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED WITHOUT THE ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING INDICATOR. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY WHENEVER DRIVING UPHILL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.

NHTSA ODI #10534492

139,423 miles · Jul 31, 2013
EngineVehicle Speed Control

I WAS JUST DRIVING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT POPPED ON. IN THE MESSAGE BOX IT SAID ENGINE POWER REDUCED, AND THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT ALSO CAME ON. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON. I COULDN'T PICK UP SPEED, WHEN I TRIED TO IT WOULD JERK. I'VE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS OUT OF MY CAR UNTIL NOW. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10532943

55,000 miles · Jul 15, 2013
Electronic Stability Control (esc)EngineVehicle Speed Control

A FEW MONTHS AGO, WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE THE SERVICE STABILITRAK WARNING CAME ON AND ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED CAUSING A SAFETY HAZARD ON A BUSY ROAD. FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS FROM GM, MY MECHANIC CLEANED CONNECTIONS ON THE PEDAL RELAY. THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED THIS PAST SATURDAY WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, NEARLY CAUSING A CO…

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A FEW MONTHS AGO, WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE THE SERVICE STABILITRAK WARNING CAME ON AND ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED CAUSING A SAFETY HAZARD ON A BUSY ROAD. FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS FROM GM, MY MECHANIC CLEANED CONNECTIONS ON THE PEDAL RELAY. THE SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED THIS PAST SATURDAY WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, NEARLY CAUSING A COLLISION. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THE REPAIRS TO FIX THIS ISSUE WILL RUN CLOSE TO $1,000. I HAVE ALSO READ MANY FORUMS ON THE INTERNET INDICATING THIS IS A CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH IMPALA'S. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THIS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED WITH A SAFETY RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10524817

70,000 miles · Jun 25, 2013
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Vehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND P…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND POWER REDUCTION WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AS THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10521702

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.