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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

What owners actually said

810 reports
Mileage unknown · Jan 18, 2023
Steering

My sway bar is broken and needs to be fixed. Like all the rest of Impalas . I'm on social security and I need someone to help please! Martin Montney

NHTSA ODI #11502385

Mileage unknown · Nov 25, 2022
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion System

While driving at highway speeds the car will act up and the engine will shut off, I get the message on the odometer display that reads, Engine power is reduced, service throttle, starter disabled. This is not a good thing to have happen while driving.

NHTSA ODI #11494886

Mileage unknown · Jun 19, 2022
Structure

The back driver’s side door of my 2008 Impala is not locked, but it cannot be opened. I’ve read online that this happens on other Impalas. Because this is a major safety issue, as well as a major inconvenience, these vehicles should be recalled and repaired at no cost to the owners. People should be able to enter and exit throug…

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The back driver’s side door of my 2008 Impala is not locked, but it cannot be opened. I’ve read online that this happens on other Impalas. Because this is a major safety issue, as well as a major inconvenience, these vehicles should be recalled and repaired at no cost to the owners. People should be able to enter and exit through all doors of a vehicle, especially during an emergency. Because of this defect, Impalas should be recalled and repaired at no cost to the owner.

NHTSA ODI #11469944

Mileage unknown · Apr 25, 2022
Unknown Or Other

On these cars the blend doors open when your driving and fogs windows to were you can't see mostly in the winter or colder temperatures. They start to click because of the bad design of them and sometimes the clicking goes away and sometimes it doesnt and the safety risk is when the doors malfunction it fogs windows and you can'…

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On these cars the blend doors open when your driving and fogs windows to were you can't see mostly in the winter or colder temperatures. They start to click because of the bad design of them and sometimes the clicking goes away and sometimes it doesnt and the safety risk is when the doors malfunction it fogs windows and you can't see. Car was taking to auto shop and they confirm that's the problem and the parts for the car are under $100 but over $1200 for labor

NHTSA ODI #11461998

Mileage unknown · Jan 12, 2022
Electrical System

Heating and air conditioning actuators and/or blen door getting stuck so the air will not switch from cold to hot or hot to cold without pulling the glove box out and manually turning them by hand. Heater will blow hot air and then randomly switch to cold air. When it's cold outside, I cannot defrost my windows cause it gets st…

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Heating and air conditioning actuators and/or blen door getting stuck so the air will not switch from cold to hot or hot to cold without pulling the glove box out and manually turning them by hand. Heater will blow hot air and then randomly switch to cold air. When it's cold outside, I cannot defrost my windows cause it gets stuck on cold air which impairs visibility.

NHTSA ODI #11447196

Mileage unknown · Oct 20, 2021
SteeringSuspension

Q-What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A-Suspension and steering effective. Any time I drive and make turns it makes like a clunking noise. You can actually feel it in the floor board. It's worse when you are driving down a not so smooth road. You can look at it as s…

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Q-What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A-Suspension and steering effective. Any time I drive and make turns it makes like a clunking noise. You can actually feel it in the floor board. It's worse when you are driving down a not so smooth road. You can look at it as soon as possible. Q-How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A-Control arm might SNAP causing you to lose control of my vehicle and crash into other drivers. Q-Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? A-Firestone has inspected my car. Q-Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? A-No my vehicle has not. Q-Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? A-No warning signs of any kind. This started within the last month or two.

NHTSA ODI #11437500

218,000 miles · Oct 14, 2021
Suspension

The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle was vibrating and jumping. The contact drove to his brother's residence to inspect the vehicle. The contact removed the front passenger’s side tire and wheel and upon removing the hub, the engine moved. The contac…

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The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle was vibrating and jumping. The contact drove to his brother's residence to inspect the vehicle. The contact removed the front passenger’s side tire and wheel and upon removing the hub, the engine moved. The contact was self-diagnosed that the front lower control arm was fractured. The contact was able to drive to his residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 218,000.

NHTSA ODI #11436758

Mileage unknown · May 26, 2021
EnginePower TrainUnknown Or Other

car shuts off while in traffic and it says engine power reduced service traction control

NHTSA ODI #11418636

78,000 miles · Mar 31, 2021
EngineSteering

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 …

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11405806

120,000 miles · Feb 9, 2021
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

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!

NHTSA ODI #11395348

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.