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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
160,000 miles · Jan 29, 2021
EngineUnknown Or Other

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.

NHTSA ODI #11390726

186,000 miles · Jan 18, 2021
Electrical SystemSteeringVehicle Speed ControlCrashFireInjury

IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET TURNING LEFT , PEDAL STUCK BRAKES NOT WORKING AND HIT BY ON COMING CAR , FLIPPED IN AIR ABOUT A BLOCK , ROLLING OVER AGAIN AND AGAIN , NO AIR BAGS DEPLEATED, BROKEN RIBS, CONCUSSION, SKIN LACERATIONS , BRUISES,GLASS LOGGED IN PARTS OF BODY , FACE AND FEET

NHTSA ODI #11388632

Mileage unknown · Nov 25, 2020
Electrical System

CAR WAS RUNNING FINE. PUT CAR IN PART TO RUN INTO THE STORE AND CAME BACK AND WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT CAR OUT OF PARK.

NHTSA ODI #11376350

142,000 miles · Nov 8, 2020
Steering

POWER STEERING PUMP JUST STARTED GROWLING WHEN MOVING THE STEERING. IT IS ALSO A LITTLE HARDER TO TURN. IN MOTION. WHEN EVER THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED.

NHTSA ODI #11373706

Mileage unknown · Oct 29, 2020
Engine

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

NHTSA ODI #11367022

171,300 miles · Aug 30, 2020
Air BagsElectrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)

HAVE GONE THROUGH 2 ALTERNATORS, AND 2 BATTERIES, AIRBAGS SENSOR IS SOMETHING PROBLEMS, RATTLING WHILE DRIVING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI #11352057

104,000 miles · Jul 5, 2020
Engine

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.

NHTSA ODI #11337503

156,466 miles · Jul 2, 2020
Electrical SystemSuspensionVehicle Speed Control

WHEN FIRST PURCHASED I HAD TO CHANGE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP I WAS TOLD THEY GET A LOT OF PEOPLE W IMPALAS SAME AS MY YEAR 2008 THAT NEEDED TO HAVE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CHANGED EVERY SO OFTEN BECAUSE THEY WOULD GO OUT AND IT WOULD CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO GO ON AND OFF BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS SENDIN…

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WHEN FIRST PURCHASED I HAD TO CHANGE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP I WAS TOLD THEY GET A LOT OF PEOPLE W IMPALAS SAME AS MY YEAR 2008 THAT NEEDED TO HAVE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CHANGED EVERY SO OFTEN BECAUSE THEY WOULD GO OUT AND IT WOULD CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO GO ON AND OFF BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS SENDING THE WRONG SIGNALS.I WOULD DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY AND STREET IT WOULD CAUSE REDUCED ENGINE TO COME ON AND SLOW MY CAR DOWN ALMOST LEADING INTO ACCIDENTS BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW IT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT WOULD COME AND GO ON AS IT WANTED. THE ELECTRICAL PART OF THE CAR IS SOMETHING IN THE CAR CONTINUES TO DRAIN MY BATTERY. I'VE GOTTEN A NEW BATTERY AND IT STILL DRAINS CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO GET IT RECHARGED. THE SUSPENSION I WAS ALSO TOLD FOR THE YEAR OF MY CAR IS BAD. WHEN PURCHASED I FOUND OUT THAT AGAIN PEOPLE THAT PURCHASED THESE YEARS OF VEHICLES HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CONTROL ARMS AND THAT I NOW HAVE TO TAKE IT TO GET FIXED BECAUSE ONE HIT TO A POT HOLE CAN CAUSE THE UNDER PART OF THE CAR TO BREAK AND CAUSE A BAD ACCIDENT. I DID NOT KNOW IMPALAS HAD THIS MANY PROBLEMS. I SEEN THE POLICE IMPALAS FOR 2008 WERE RECALLED FOR SUSPENSION, BUT THEY ALL SEEM TO SHARE THIS COMMON PROBLEM AS WELL AS THE ACTUATOR CONTINUOUSLY CLICKING. IT SEEMS TO BE AN EASY FIX, BUT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO FIX SOMETHING THAT IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE IMPALAS.

NHTSA ODI #11337216

150,000 miles · May 22, 2020
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

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

NHTSA ODI #11325516

169,000 miles · Mar 25, 2020
Electronic Stability Control (esc)SuspensionVehicle Speed Control

THE STABILITRAK IS MAKING THE CAR SHAKE AND ACT CRAZY. I'M BARELY IN CONTROL OF THE CAR. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF MORE PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CAR REDUCES SPEED BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. MANY GROUPS AND BLOGS ONLINE ABOUT THIS. WHY HASN'T ANYTHING BEEN DONE ABOUT THIS? NO RECALLS OR ANYTHING.

NHTSA ODI #11319253

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.