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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

Traction Control System complaints

46 reports
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79,905 miles · Jan 9, 2014
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Traction Control SystemCrash

I WAS DRIVING DOWN HWY 50 ON A CLEAR DRY DAY AND THE ENGINE LITE COMES ON WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING, SAYING ENGINE POWER REDUCED. THEN THE POWER SHUT OFF INCLUDING THE STEERING CAUSING ME TO PULL THE CAR OFF INTO THE DIRT OFF THE FREEWAY. DUE TO THIS MY FRONT BUMPER GOT CRACKED. THIS PROBLEM IS NOW A RE-OCCURRING PROBLE…

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I WAS DRIVING DOWN HWY 50 ON A CLEAR DRY DAY AND THE ENGINE LITE COMES ON WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING, SAYING ENGINE POWER REDUCED. THEN THE POWER SHUT OFF INCLUDING THE STEERING CAUSING ME TO PULL THE CAR OFF INTO THE DIRT OFF THE FREEWAY. DUE TO THIS MY FRONT BUMPER GOT CRACKED. THIS PROBLEM IS NOW A RE-OCCURRING PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10559155

65 miles · Dec 30, 2013
Electronic Stability Control (esc)Traction Control SystemVehicle Speed Control

DRIVING 65 ON FREEWAY CAR SLOWS DOWN TO 40 CHECK ENGINE LIGHT SAYS SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10557679

91,038 miles · Dec 5, 2013
Engine And Engine CoolingTraction Control SystemWheels

I STARTED MY CAR AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS BOTH CAME ON. MY BACK TIRES THEN BEGAN TO SPIN WHEN DRIVING AND THE CAR MADE A SCARY NOISE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10554884

106,000 miles · Oct 14, 2013
Traction Control SystemUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

I WAS AT A STOP SIGN AND THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER, CHECK TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS CAME ON. THE CODE CAME UP I HAD IT CHECKED IT IS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR THIS CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE .NHTSA PLEASE LOOK AT THESE COMPLAINTS IT IS A 75 DOLLAR PART AND LABOR OF 4 HOURS.IM PAYING FOR PART AND DOING MYSELF I N…

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I WAS AT A STOP SIGN AND THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER, CHECK TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS CAME ON. THE CODE CAME UP I HAD IT CHECKED IT IS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR THIS CAN BE A VERY DANGEROUS OCCURRENCE .NHTSA PLEASE LOOK AT THESE COMPLAINTS IT IS A 75 DOLLAR PART AND LABOR OF 4 HOURS.IM PAYING FOR PART AND DOING MYSELF I NEED SOME REIMBURSEMENT OR PAYMENT OF THIS TO SHOP. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10547880

128,000 miles · Oct 10, 2013
EngineTraction Control System

THIS IS THE 1ST TIME I AM FILING A COMPLAINT, BUT THIS COMPLAINT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES! MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR! MY CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON. THE DASH ALTERNATES BETWEEN "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" AND "REDUCED ENGINE POWER." THIS IS REALLY FRIGHTENING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE ENGINE BE…

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THIS IS THE 1ST TIME I AM FILING A COMPLAINT, BUT THIS COMPLAINT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES! MY WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR! MY CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON. THE DASH ALTERNATES BETWEEN "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" AND "REDUCED ENGINE POWER." THIS IS REALLY FRIGHTENING ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE ENGINE BEGINS TO REDUCE POWER AND YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY FAST MOVING VEHICLES. THE FAULT HAS BEEN CHECKED MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT THE DIAGNOSTIC CHECK REVEALS BOGUS FAULTS UNRELATED TO THE TRACTION CONTROL FAULT. I HAVE LEARNED THAT WHEN THIS HAPPENS, I NEED TO PULL OFF THE ROAD, TURN OFF THE IGNITION, OPEN THE DOOR AND WAIT FOR THE DOME LIGHT TO GO OFF. THEN I CAN RESTART AND GO ON MY WAY. THIS HAPPENS ABOUT ONCE PER MONTH AND HAS DONE IT FOR 2 YEARS. CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I CAN AFFORD TO BUY A DIFFERENT VEHICLE. I HAVE TALKED WITH OTHER CHEVROLET OWNERS AND THEY EXPERIENCE THIS SAME FAULT, BUT NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10547478

70,400 miles · Sep 13, 2013
EnginePower TrainTraction Control System

I WAS DRIVING ON CITY STREETS AND MY CHECK ENGINE AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. THE DASH ALTERNATED BETWEEN "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" AND "REDUCED ENGINE POWER." YES THE ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED BUT I WAS STILL ABLE TO DRIVE IN THE CITY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10543410

36,766 miles · Aug 25, 2013
Service BrakesTraction Control SystemVehicle Speed Control

I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A HILLY/ CURVY AREA OF ROAD WHEN MY REDUCED ENGINE POWER, TRACTION CONTROL, AND THROTTLE BODY DISABLED MESSAGE POPPED UP. JUST THEN I HAVE NO POWER, NO BRAKES AND NO STEERING,AT ALL! I ALMOST CRASHED WITH MY TWO KIDS IN THE CAR! UPON LOOKING UP THIS ISSUE I FIND THAT IT IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE IN IMPALAS. SO…

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I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A HILLY/ CURVY AREA OF ROAD WHEN MY REDUCED ENGINE POWER, TRACTION CONTROL, AND THROTTLE BODY DISABLED MESSAGE POPPED UP. JUST THEN I HAVE NO POWER, NO BRAKES AND NO STEERING,AT ALL! I ALMOST CRASHED WITH MY TWO KIDS IN THE CAR! UPON LOOKING UP THIS ISSUE I FIND THAT IT IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE IN IMPALAS. SOME PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE WHILE PASSING CARS, OR THE FREEWAYS AND MORE. TO ME THIS IS QUITE A SAFETY CONCERN SINCE YOU HAVE NO POWER TO DO ANYTHING...NOTHING AT ALL. I DON'T SEE HOW THERE IS STILL NO RECALL ON THIS ISSUE WHEN THERE ARE SO MANY REPORTED PROBLEMS AND A HUGE SAFETY RISK!! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10537118

62,000 miles · Aug 1, 2013
Traction Control System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TURNING, THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY DECELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

NHTSA ODI #10533101

56,000 miles · May 16, 2013
EngineService BrakesTraction Control System

ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO MY SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH. BEING THE PERSON THAT I AM I WAS VERY CONCERNED WITH THIS ISSUE AND TOOK IT TO HAVE IT CHECKED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS WILL OCCASIONALLY COME ON WITH THE AMOUNT OF RAIN WE HAD IN OUR AREA.THEY SAID WHEN IT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DRY OUT I…

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ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO MY SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH. BEING THE PERSON THAT I AM I WAS VERY CONCERNED WITH THIS ISSUE AND TOOK IT TO HAVE IT CHECKED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS WILL OCCASIONALLY COME ON WITH THE AMOUNT OF RAIN WE HAD IN OUR AREA.THEY SAID WHEN IT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DRY OUT IT WILL GO OFF. WELL TO DATE IT HAS NOT GONE OFF BUT STAYS ON THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME. NOW IT IS HAVING FUN WITH THE REDUCE POWER LIGHT WHICH BASICALLY SLOWS DOWN THE CAR. NOT ONLY ARE THE FLIP FLOPPING BUT WHEN I PUSH THE BRAKES IT SOMETIMES ACTS AS IF IT WILL CATCH BUT THEN LET GO AND CATCH AGAIN. HOW SCARY IS THIS WHEN YOU FEEL YOUR BRAKES WILL NOT STOP THE CAR? THIS IS NOT A GOOD FEELING. CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO GET AN APPOINTMENT AND IT WILL COST ME $85 TO $100 TO HAVE THIS PUT ON A MACHINE TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. AND GET THIS JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE THIS IS NOT A COVERED PROBLEM. MY QUESTION IS WHY? I HAVE TRIED VERY HARD TO STICK WITH CHEVROLET PRODUCTS BUT THIS IS REALLY MAKING ME RETHINK MY DECISION. EVERYONE SEEMS TO BE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES WITH THESE ALERTS AND SENSORS. I AM NOT ONE TO SINK A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY INTO A CAR WITH REPAIRS, I WILL GET RID OF IT IMMEDIATELY. I MAINTAIN MY CAR ON A REGULAR BASIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10512474

62,000 miles · Apr 9, 2013
EngineTraction Control System

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE TRAVELING 65 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,000. *TR UPDATED 06/17/13 *BF

NHTSA ODI #10505616

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.