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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

Structure complaints

19 reports
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47,000 miles · Aug 12, 2015
StructureInjury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CHECK THE OIL LEVEL, THE HOOD LID WAS OPEN AND INADVERTENTLY CRASHED DOWN ONTO THE CONTACT'S HEAD WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHERE THE TECHNICIAN EXPER…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CHECK THE OIL LEVEL, THE HOOD LID WAS OPEN AND INADVERTENTLY CRASHED DOWN ONTO THE CONTACT'S HEAD WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHERE THE TECHNICIAN EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE AND REPLACED THE HINGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 47,000.

NHTSA ODI #10748119

78,000 miles · Mar 19, 2015
Air BagsService BrakesStructureCrash

I BEGAN MAKING A LEFT TURN, WHEN THE VEHICLE LOST CONTROL. THE ACCELERATION PICKED UP AND I LOST CONTROL OF THE ABILITY TO STEER. THE BRAKE WOULD NOT PRESS DOWN AND THE VEHICLE PICKED UP SPEED FASTER BEFORE HITTING A TREE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10695472

71,407 miles · Dec 16, 2014
Air BagsEngineStructureCrashInjury

I WAS INVOLVED IN A VIOLENT, JARRING COLLISION ON JUNE 26, 2014 WITH AN SUV IN LAS VEGAS, NV. I WAS REAR-ENDED BY A TOYOTA RAV 4. I SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES, & MY CAR SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, WHICH RESULTED IN MY VEHICLE BEING DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE ENGINE AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF & THE VEHICLE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY B…

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I WAS INVOLVED IN A VIOLENT, JARRING COLLISION ON JUNE 26, 2014 WITH AN SUV IN LAS VEGAS, NV. I WAS REAR-ENDED BY A TOYOTA RAV 4. I SUSTAINED SIGNIFICANT INJURIES, & MY CAR SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE, WHICH RESULTED IN MY VEHICLE BEING DEEMED A TOTAL LOSS. THE ENGINE AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF & THE VEHICLE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY BECAUSE THE IGNITION SWITCH MOVED OUT OF THE RUN POSITION, TURNING OFF THE ENGINE. THE GM PROVIDED REMEDY WAS NOT MADE AVAILABLE UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2014. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10664474

Mileage unknown · Nov 5, 2014
Air BagsStructure

DASHBOARD KNOCKS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10652913

83,000 miles · Aug 12, 2014
Structure

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE NEAR THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AFTER THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS OPENED. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE NOISE INCREASED AND SUDDENLY STOPPED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE DOOR ACTUATOR NEEDED …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE NEAR THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE AFTER THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS OPENED. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE NOISE INCREASED AND SUDDENLY STOPPED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE DOOR ACTUATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

NHTSA ODI #10621697

82,463 miles · May 20, 2014
Electrical SystemStructure

I HAVE OWNED MY IMPALA SINCE MARCH 2010 AND WHILE IT IS AN ATTRACTIVE CAR, I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT ISSUES. FIRST MONTH A SENSOR GOES OUT IN THE ACCELERATION, $230 TO REPLACE, IN THE LAST 2 YEARS WE HAVE HAD AN ANNOYING TICKING NOISE WHEN YOU TURN THE CAR ON SOMETHING HAVING TO DO WITH THE AC/HEATER. SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE SAYS THAT …

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I HAVE OWNED MY IMPALA SINCE MARCH 2010 AND WHILE IT IS AN ATTRACTIVE CAR, I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT ISSUES. FIRST MONTH A SENSOR GOES OUT IN THE ACCELERATION, $230 TO REPLACE, IN THE LAST 2 YEARS WE HAVE HAD AN ANNOYING TICKING NOISE WHEN YOU TURN THE CAR ON SOMETHING HAVING TO DO WITH THE AC/HEATER. SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE SAYS THAT IT IS COMMON IN IMPALAS BUT YET I HAVE NOT SEEN A RECALL. I DON'T HAVE THE $450 TO FIX AND IT IS RATHER EMBARRASSING WHEN YOU CAR POOL AS IT IS VERY LOUD AND LAST APPROXIMATELY 30SECONDS TO 45 SECONDS. I HAVE ALSO HAD LEAKS EVERY TIME IT RAINS OR WE GO TO THE CAR WASH. WATER SEEMS TO BE COMING IN FROM THE FRAME BY THE WINDSHIELD ON BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER ROOF AREA. IT RUNS DOWN AND COMES OUT BY THE BRAKE ON DRIVER SIDE AND FUSE BOX ON PASSENGER SIDE. I THOUGHT THIS WATER WAS AFFECTING MY POWER LOCKS AS IT SEEMS LIKE WE HAVE HAD ISSUE WITH OUR DOOR LOCKS NOT OPENING. THEY TAKE TURNS, NOT UNLOCKING BUT AFTER READING COMMENTS ON THIS WEB PAGE SEEMS LIKE OTHERS ARE ALSO HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE WITH LOCKS, YET NO RECALL. I HAVE TAKEN IT DOWN TO BE LOOKED AT BUT THEY SAY THEY DON'T SEE ANY ISSUES THEY CAN PIN POINT. DON'T HAVE ANY MORE MONEY TO PUT INTO THIS VEHICLE. I LIKE MY CAR BUT IT HAS ISSUES. I WILL DO MY HOME WORK BEFORE I PURCHASE MY NEXT CAR. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10592794

38,500 miles · Oct 25, 2013
Electrical SystemStructureInjury

THE REAR POWER DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS HAVE FAILED. THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR LOCK FAILED FIRST, THEN A FEW THOUSAND MILES LATER THE DRIVER SIDE ACTUATOR FAILED. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT BUT WITH A 90%+ OCCURRENCE OF FAILURE. ONE OR BOTH WILL FAIL FOR WEEKS AT A TIME, BUT MAY OCCASIONALLY SURPRISE YOU AND WORK ONCE OR TWICE. TH…

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THE REAR POWER DOOR LOCK ACTUATORS HAVE FAILED. THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR LOCK FAILED FIRST, THEN A FEW THOUSAND MILES LATER THE DRIVER SIDE ACTUATOR FAILED. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT BUT WITH A 90%+ OCCURRENCE OF FAILURE. ONE OR BOTH WILL FAIL FOR WEEKS AT A TIME, BUT MAY OCCASIONALLY SURPRISE YOU AND WORK ONCE OR TWICE. THE FAILURE IS IN BOTH THE LOCK AND UNLOCK MODES. THE FAILURE IS UNRELATED TO USING KEYLESS ENTRY OR THE MANUAL SWITCH OR HAVING CHILD SAFETY LOCKS ON OR OFF. IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO REACH THE REAR DOOR TOP MANUAL LATCH POST FROM THE FRONT SEAT. ON ONE OCCASION I WAS TRYING TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR FROM THE FRONT SEAT. MY HEAD/NECK BECAME TRAPPED BETWEEN THE SIDE OF THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND THE DOOR PILLAR. I WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE MY NECK UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO REACH THE SEAT ADJUSTING MECHANISM AND MOVE THE SEAT FORWARD. IN THE PROCESS OF THAT I AGGRAVATED A CHRONIC BACK CONDITION PULLING A MUSCLE IN MY BACK. AN INTERNET SEARCH OR DISCUSSION WITH REPAIR SHOPS WILL QUICKLY REVEAL THAT THIS IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE FOR MANY 2008-2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA, TAHOE, MALIBU AND SILVERADO OWNERS. DUE TO THE APPROXIMATE $365 PER DOOR REPAIR COST, THE DEFECTIVE LATCHES ARE NOT BEING REPLACED BY MANY OWNERS. CHEVROLET IS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND OFFERS NO REPAIR ASSISTANCE. IN A CRASH SITUATION THE CRASH COMPUTER SEQUENCE CANNOT BE RELIED ON ACTUATE THE DEFECTIVE LOCK ACTUATORS. THE POSITION OF THE MANUAL LOCK POST DOES NOT FACILITATE MANUAL OPERATION WITHOUT EXTREME CONTORTION OF THE BODY. IN A FIRE, CRASH OR EMERGENCY IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO ACCESS CHILDREN OR PASSENGERS FROM THE REAR SEAT FOR EXTRACTION. MY SON HAS TOLD ME THAT IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT THE REAR DOORS ON THIS GENRE OF VEHICLE ARE COMMONLY UNLOCKED AND A TARGET OF THIEVES AND POTENTIALLY CARJACKERS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10549460

Mileage unknown · Sep 12, 2010
Parking BrakeService Brakes, HydraulicStructure

I PURCHASED A 2009 CHEVY IMPALA FROM A LOCAL DEALERSHIP ON 05/12/10 THE CAR WAS SOLD AS NEW 32 MI. ON 05/20/10 CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO DEALERSHIP FOR DRIVEABILITY PROBLEMS, A REAR SWAY BAR WAS INSTALLED AT FIRST OIL CHANGE I WAS ALERTED BY SERVICE ATTENDANT THAT CAR HAD SEVERE RUST AND CORROSION PROBLEMS ON UNDERSIDE OF CAR…

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I PURCHASED A 2009 CHEVY IMPALA FROM A LOCAL DEALERSHIP ON 05/12/10 THE CAR WAS SOLD AS NEW 32 MI. ON 05/20/10 CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO DEALERSHIP FOR DRIVEABILITY PROBLEMS, A REAR SWAY BAR WAS INSTALLED AT FIRST OIL CHANGE I WAS ALERTED BY SERVICE ATTENDANT THAT CAR HAD SEVERE RUST AND CORROSION PROBLEMS ON UNDERSIDE OF CAR I HAD ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC INSPECT CAR, HE SAID BRAKE LINES AND OTHER PARTS WERE SO EATEN AWAY BY CORROSION THAT HE CONSIDERED THIS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE I RETURNED CAR TO DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO INSPECT PROBLEM, WAS TOLD CAR HAS LOTS OF WARRANTY LEFT AND IF BRAKE FAILURE OCCURS THEY WILL LOOK AT IT THEN I THEN TOOK CAR TO ANOTHER INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND WE MADE VIDEO ---DVD--- OF UNDERSIDE OF CAR AND GOT A STATEMENT FROM MECHANIC TO VERIFY PROBLEM I AM TAKING CAR TO ANOTHER CAR DEALERSHIP IN ROCKINGHAM NC TO GET ANOTHER OPINION AND VERIFY I CAN FURNISH YOU WITH A COPY OF DVD AND STATEMENTS FROM MECHANICS TO VERIFY PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHERE TO MAIL SUMMARY--- I THOUGHT THAT I WAS GETTING A GOOD CAR FROM A REPUTABLE MANUFACTURE AND DEALERSHIP---WHAT I GOT WAS A BUCKET OF RUST AND CORROSION AND POTENTIAL SAFETY CONCERNS TO WORRY ABOUT----THIS IS A NEW CAR 3611 MI. ON ODOMETER NOW---HAVE YOU HAD ANY OTHER SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON NEW 2009 CHEVY IMPALAS?---RUST AND CORROSION IN ALL ON UNDER CARRIAGE FROM BUMPER TO BUMPER------------------THANK YOU *TR

NHTSA ODI #10355057

8,165 miles · Dec 24, 2009
Latches/locks/linkagesStructure

A DEAD BATTERY AT THE AIRPORT PARKING LOT IN A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A PROBLEM, HOWEVER THERE IS NO MECHANICAL TRUNK RELEASE FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND MY BACK SEAT DOESN'T FOLD DOWN, SO I COULDN'T CRAWL INTO THE TRUNK TO TRIP THE EMERGENCY RELEASE, I WAS UNABLE TO GET TO MY JUMPER CABLES. THEN WHEN I TRIED TO…

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A DEAD BATTERY AT THE AIRPORT PARKING LOT IN A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA MAY NOT SEEM LIKE A PROBLEM, HOWEVER THERE IS NO MECHANICAL TRUNK RELEASE FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND MY BACK SEAT DOESN'T FOLD DOWN, SO I COULDN'T CRAWL INTO THE TRUNK TO TRIP THE EMERGENCY RELEASE, I WAS UNABLE TO GET TO MY JUMPER CABLES. THEN WHEN I TRIED TO GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION TO LOCK THE CAR TO GO MAKE A CALL. GUESS WHAT WITH THE BATTERY DEAD I COULDN'T GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION EITHER. A HUGE CONCERN OF MINE IS THIS; IF THAT CAR WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, WHERE THE BATTERY WAS DESTROYED, THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY MEANS TO ACCESS THE TRUNK WHERE EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT IS STORED, SUCH AS FIRST AID KITS, FIRE EXTINGUISHERS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10296889

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.