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2009 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

663 reports with mileage · 161 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.

  • Air Bags. Review the 232 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 224 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 179 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

43 crash reports9 fire reports34 injury reports

Equipment Adaptive/mobility complaints

3 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jul 10, 2014
Electrical SystemEquipment Adaptive/mobilityLatches/locks/linkages

MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK I HAVE TO MANUALLY LOCK AND UNLOCK WITH KEY.. AND NOW PASSENGER SIDE BACK SEAT WHERE MY 2 YRS OLD SETS., THE LOCK ON HER SIDE SOMETIMES DOESN'T LOCK AND SHE CAN OPEN THE DOOR.. ALSO WHEN IT DOES LOCK I HAFTA CRAWL THRU FRONT SEAT INTO BACK AND PULL THE LATCH UP TO UNLOCK DOOR... ALSO I HAVE TO U…

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MY DRIVERS SIDE DOOR LOCK I HAVE TO MANUALLY LOCK AND UNLOCK WITH KEY.. AND NOW PASSENGER SIDE BACK SEAT WHERE MY 2 YRS OLD SETS., THE LOCK ON HER SIDE SOMETIMES DOESN'T LOCK AND SHE CAN OPEN THE DOOR.. ALSO WHEN IT DOES LOCK I HAFTA CRAWL THRU FRONT SEAT INTO BACK AND PULL THE LATCH UP TO UNLOCK DOOR... ALSO I HAVE TO USE A SCREWDRIVER TO PUSH IN SOME SOLENOID ON MY SHIFTER TO GET MY CAR INTO GEAR.. IT SUCKS BIG TIME! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10609744

100,000 miles · Jun 19, 2014
Electrical SystemEquipment Adaptive/mobility

THERE IS A CONSTANT KNOCKING IN THE DASHBOARD, WHEN I ATTEMPT TO TURN ON THE AIR CONDITION OR THE HEATING SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE. THIS KNOCKING CAUSES THE HEAT TO BE PASSED THREW THE VEHICLE, IN THE SUMMER TIME I WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON, THEN KEEP ADJUSTING THE AIR CONTROL UNTIL THE AIR BEGAN TO BLOW. MAJORITY OF T…

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THERE IS A CONSTANT KNOCKING IN THE DASHBOARD, WHEN I ATTEMPT TO TURN ON THE AIR CONDITION OR THE HEATING SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE. THIS KNOCKING CAUSES THE HEAT TO BE PASSED THREW THE VEHICLE, IN THE SUMMER TIME I WOULD HAVE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON, THEN KEEP ADJUSTING THE AIR CONTROL UNTIL THE AIR BEGAN TO BLOW. MAJORITY OF THE TIME THE AIR DOES NOT COME ON, THERE IS JUST CONSTANT HEAT COMING FOR THE DASHBOARD AND THE FLOOR BOARD. I BEGIN TO NOTICE THAT THIS KNOCKING WOULD OCCUR WHILE I WAS NOT IN THE CAR, WHILE HITTING THE REMOTE FOR ENTRY INTO CAR AND WHILE THE CAR IS BEING DRIVEN. I HAD A NEIGHBOR WHOSE VEHICLE WAS DOING THE SAME THING. AS TIME WENT ON I COULD BE WALKING THREW A PARKING AND HEAR THAT SAME SOUNDS IN OTHER IMPALA MODELS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10604633

92,000 miles · May 21, 2014
Air BagsEquipment Adaptive/mobility

I HAVE OWNED THE CAR SINCE 9/2013. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT STARTED ILLUMINATING ON AND OFF. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS SERVICED. SHORTLY AFTER THAT IT CAME ON AGAIN. THEN BACK IN FEBRUARY THE CAR STARTED MAKING A VERY ANNOYING AND EMBARRASSING CLICKING SOUND THAT COMES FROM THE AC/HEATING UN…

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I HAVE OWNED THE CAR SINCE 9/2013. SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE AIRBAG SENSOR LIGHT STARTED ILLUMINATING ON AND OFF. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND IT WAS SERVICED. SHORTLY AFTER THAT IT CAME ON AGAIN. THEN BACK IN FEBRUARY THE CAR STARTED MAKING A VERY ANNOYING AND EMBARRASSING CLICKING SOUND THAT COMES FROM THE AC/HEATING UNIT. I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS COMMON IN THE IMPALA AND THAT IT IS THE ACTUATOR. IT HAS GOTTEN SO BAD THAT IT CLICKS EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS NOT RUNNING AND IS LOCKED. I KNOW AT LEAST 7 PEOPLE HERE LOCALLY THAT HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS LISTED ABOVE WITH THE SAME YEAR AND MODEL CAR. PLEASE TAKE A SURVEY OR DO SOMETHING BECAUSE THIS IS DEFINITELY A MANUFACTURING ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10593114

Official recalls

5

16V507000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification; Electrical System:wiring

Jul 5, 2016

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 25, 2008 through February 16, 2010. The front passenger seat frame may contact and damage the wires of the passenger presence sensor module.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the wires are damaged, the passenger presence sensory system may fail to recognize that the passenger seat is occupied, disabling the air bag. Damage may also cause the air bag fuse to short resulting in a loss of all air bags and seat belt pretensions. Both conditions increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will double wrap the wires with anti-abrasion tape and replace damaged wires as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 36110.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 25, 2008 through February 16, 2010. The front passenger seat frame may contact and damage the wires of the passenger presence sensor module.

Consequence: If the wires are damaged, the passenger presence sensory system may fail to recognize that the passenger seat is occupied, disabling the air bag. Damage may also cause the air bag fuse to short resulting in a loss of all air bags and seat belt pretensions. Both conditions increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will double wrap the wires with anti-abrasion tape and replace damaged wires as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 36110.

Electrical System:wiring

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 25, 2008 through February 16, 2010. The front passenger seat frame may contact and damage the wires of the passenger presence sensor module.

Consequence: If the wires are damaged, the passenger presence sensory system may fail to recognize that the passenger seat is occupied, disabling the air bag. Damage may also cause the air bag fuse to short resulting in a loss of all air bags and seat belt pretensions. Both conditions increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will double wrap the wires with anti-abrasion tape and replace damaged wires as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 36110.

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.

10V480000 · Seat Belts:front:anchorage

Oct 13, 2010

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009-2010 CHEVROLET IMPALAS FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 210, "SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY ANCHORAGES." THE FRONT SAFETY BELT WEBBING MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY SECURED TO THE LAP BELT ANCHOR PRETENSIONER MOUNTED TO THE SIDE OF THE SEAT NEAREST THE DOOR.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: THE SAFETY BELT MAY NOT RESTRAIN THE OCCUPANT AS INTENDED DURING A CRASH, WHICH COULD RESULT IN INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT BOTH FRONT SAFETY BELTS FOR PROPER INSTALLATION OF THE ANCHORS TO THE PRETENSIONERS AND, IF NECESSARY, REINSTALL THE ANCHORS. THIS SERVICE WILL BE PERFORMED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 5, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 OR AT THE OWNER CENTER AT WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM.

08V517000 · Air Bags:frontal

Oct 6, 2008

GM IS RECALLING 79 MY 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A PASSENGER-SIDE FRONT AIR BAG INFLATOR THAT COULD FRACTURE AT AN INFLATOR TUBE DURING A DEPLOYMENT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: DURING A PASSENGER-SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, PIECES OF THE INFLATOR TUBE COULD STRIKE AND INJURE VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AND THE AIR BAG CUSHION WOULD NOT INFLATE FULLY, REDUCING THE CAPABILITY OF THE BAG TO PROTECT THE PASSENGER.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW PASSENGER-SIDE FRONT AIR BAG. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 10, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438 OR THROUGH THEIR WEBSITE AT <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM>HTTP://WWW.GMOWNERCENTER.COM</A> .

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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.