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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

Exterior Lighting complaints

9 reports
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131,000 miles · Apr 21, 2020
Electrical SystemEngineExterior Lighting

WHILE DRIVING OIL PRESSURE LOW STOP ENGINE COMES ON IN MY DIC EVEN THOUGH MY OIL IS PERFECTLY FINE MY REAR TURNING SIGNAL IS NOT FLASHING BUT IS LIT AND WORKING FOR EVERYTHING ELSE MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHORTS OUT AT TIMES EVEN AFTER I REPLACED THE SENSOR PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF EVEN WITH PASSENGER INSIDE NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 16V507…

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WHILE DRIVING OIL PRESSURE LOW STOP ENGINE COMES ON IN MY DIC EVEN THOUGH MY OIL IS PERFECTLY FINE MY REAR TURNING SIGNAL IS NOT FLASHING BUT IS LIT AND WORKING FOR EVERYTHING ELSE MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHORTS OUT AT TIMES EVEN AFTER I REPLACED THE SENSOR PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF EVEN WITH PASSENGER INSIDE NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 16V507 NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 14V355 I BELIEVE THE TRUE PROBLEM IS THE BCM THE DOOR ACTUATORS ARE FAULTY

NHTSA ODI #11321868

212,000 miles · Mar 23, 2018
Exterior Lighting

THE DRIVER'S SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT BURNS OUT AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME (WITHIN A FEW DAYS UP TO LESS THAN A WEEK). I HAVE REPLACED THE BULB MULTIPLE TIMES WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD. ALSO, REPLACED THE WIRE HARNESS AND IT STILL BURNS OUT THE BULB.

NHTSA ODI #11081118

121,000 miles · Dec 24, 2017
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS QUIT WORKING DRIVING IN THE CITY , TRACTION CONTROL AND ENGINE LOSS OF POWER LIGHTS CAME ON AND CAR SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE DOING 70 MPH . DOOR LOCKS MALFUNCTION AND QUIT WORKING . THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY TIMES . AFFRAID TO LET THE WIFE DRIVE IT TO WORK BECAUSE IT HAS SHUT DOWN QUITE A F…

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LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS QUIT WORKING DRIVING IN THE CITY , TRACTION CONTROL AND ENGINE LOSS OF POWER LIGHTS CAME ON AND CAR SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE DOING 70 MPH . DOOR LOCKS MALFUNCTION AND QUIT WORKING . THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MANY TIMES . AFFRAID TO LET THE WIFE DRIVE IT TO WORK BECAUSE IT HAS SHUT DOWN QUITE A FEW TIMES .

NHTSA ODI #11056259

72,000 miles · Jul 29, 2016
Air BagsExterior LightingSeats

AIRBAG SERVICE MESSAGE AND AIRBAG LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF. PAID 269.36 4/22/2016 SO IT WOULD PASS STATE INSPECTION. LIGHT STAYED OFF FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS, NOW IT IS GIVING US THE SAME PROBLEM. RETURNED TO DEALER, SAID COST TO REPAIR WITH NEW HARNESS IN THE DRIVERS SEAT WOULD BE AROUND 250.00 MORE. THE GENERAL HAS A HUGE PROBLEM HE…

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AIRBAG SERVICE MESSAGE AND AIRBAG LIGHT GOES ON AND OFF. PAID 269.36 4/22/2016 SO IT WOULD PASS STATE INSPECTION. LIGHT STAYED OFF FOR ABOUT TWO MONTHS, NOW IT IS GIVING US THE SAME PROBLEM. RETURNED TO DEALER, SAID COST TO REPAIR WITH NEW HARNESS IN THE DRIVERS SEAT WOULD BE AROUND 250.00 MORE. THE GENERAL HAS A HUGE PROBLEM HERE.

NHTSA ODI #10891697

80,000 miles · Jun 8, 2016
Exterior LightingUnknown Or Other

TAKATA RECALL - DRIVER VANITY LIGHTS NO LONGER COME ON. SERVICE TIRE MONITOR SYSTEM MALFUNCTION AND CLICKING NOISE WHEN AC IS TURNED ON. CLICKING NOISE CONTINUE EVEN WHEN CAR IS OFF.

NHTSA ODI #10873214

36,000 miles · Sep 10, 2014
Exterior LightingLatches/locks/linkagesVisibility

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHENEVER THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, THE METAL LATCH PINCHED HER FINGER. THE REAR PASSENGER REAR WINDOW SQUEALED WHENEVER THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE WINDOW UPWARD OR DOWNWARD. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE SIGNAL BLINKER GENERATED FALSE COMMANDS INTE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHENEVER THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR, THE METAL LATCH PINCHED HER FINGER. THE REAR PASSENGER REAR WINDOW SQUEALED WHENEVER THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE WINDOW UPWARD OR DOWNWARD. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE SIGNAL BLINKER GENERATED FALSE COMMANDS INTERMITTENTLY. THE FAILURES OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

NHTSA ODI #10632124

37,614 miles · May 8, 2013
Exterior Lighting

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS FAILED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT A RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE TURN SIGNALS, HOWEVER, WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TURN SIGNALS FAILED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT A RATTLING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE TURN SIGNALS, HOWEVER, WERE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,614. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI #10511179

57,068 miles · Oct 9, 2012
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Exterior LightingPower TrainFire

I WAS TURNING LEFT INTO A DRIVEWAY GOING NO MORE THAN 7 MILES AN HOUR, BECAUSE I WAS FOLLOWING A CAR, WHEN I HEARD A LARGE GRIND THEN POP. I PARKED MY CAR AND KNEW IMMEDIATELY THE TRANSMISSION FAILED BY THE FLUID TRAIL AND PART LEFT BEHIND. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND LUCKILY IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. A WEEK A…

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I WAS TURNING LEFT INTO A DRIVEWAY GOING NO MORE THAN 7 MILES AN HOUR, BECAUSE I WAS FOLLOWING A CAR, WHEN I HEARD A LARGE GRIND THEN POP. I PARKED MY CAR AND KNEW IMMEDIATELY THE TRANSMISSION FAILED BY THE FLUID TRAIL AND PART LEFT BEHIND. I TOOK IT TO A DEALER AND LUCKILY IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. A WEEK AFTER RECEIVING MY VEHICLE BACK THE ALIGNMENT WAS OFF, DRIVER-SIDE HEADLIGHT SOCKET CAUGHT FIRE, I HAVE LABORED START UP, HAVE STALLED ON THE FREEWAY! AND HAVE STABILITRAK, AIRBAG, AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER ERROR CODES THAT RANDOMLY APPEAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10479321

Mileage unknown · Feb 3, 2009
Exterior Lighting

GM'S USE OF REVERSE LIGHTS AS "PERIMETER LIGHTING" IS EXTREMELY POORLY THOUGHT OUT. REVERSE LIGHTS INDICATE THAT A VEHICLE IS IN REVERSE MOTION. THEY SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE. USING THEM AS PERIMETER LIGHTING IS EXTREMELY CONFUSING TO OTHER MOTORISTS. PICTURE THIS. A VEHICLE PULLS INTO A PARKING SPACE. ONE …

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GM'S USE OF REVERSE LIGHTS AS "PERIMETER LIGHTING" IS EXTREMELY POORLY THOUGHT OUT. REVERSE LIGHTS INDICATE THAT A VEHICLE IS IN REVERSE MOTION. THEY SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE. USING THEM AS PERIMETER LIGHTING IS EXTREMELY CONFUSING TO OTHER MOTORISTS. PICTURE THIS. A VEHICLE PULLS INTO A PARKING SPACE. ONE PERSON EXISTS THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THE REVERSE LIGHTS COME ON. APPROACHING DRIVERS ARE GOING TO EXPECT THAT THE VEHICLE IS ABOUT TO BACK OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE, NOT THAT THE DRIVER HAS TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND IS WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO RETURN. THAT IS JUST ONE EXAMPLE BUT IT ILLUSTRATES THE POINT. USAGE OF REVERSE LIGHTS FOR ANY OTHER USE IS CONFUSING AND MAY POTENTIALLY LEAD TO AN ACCIDENT AS OTHER MOTORISTS AND EVEN PEDESTRIANS ARE CONFUSED. REMEMBER THAT REVERSE LIGHTS ARE ALSO A WARNING SIGNAL TO PEDESTRIANS THAT A VEHICLE IS IN REVERSE MOTION. I URGE NHTSA TO REVIEW THIS MATTER AND FORMALLY REQUEST THAT GM NOT ONLY CEASE INSTALLING THIS FEATURE IN NEW MODELS, BUT ALSO RECALL AND DISABLE IT FOR ALL PAST MODEL YEARS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10257276

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.