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
2009 Chevrolet Impala
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Impala years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
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.
Wheels complaints
18 reportsA FRONT TIRE DEVELOPED A BUBBLE PROTRUDING FROM A SIDEWALL CRACK ON THE INSIDE OF MY GOODYEAR LS-2 TIRE. A SECOND LS-2 FAILED FROM A SIMILAR SIDEWALL CRACK AT JUST OVER 30,000 MILES. MY 3RD LS-2 IS CURRENTLY FAILING ON THE INTERIOR SIDEWALL WITH ABOUT 48,000 MILES ON THE CAR. THE TREAD WAS GOOD ON ALL TIRES REPLACED. *TR
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HWY WHEN THE MESSAGE APPEAR ON THE BOAR "ENGINE POWER REDUCE " I WAS SCARED BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER HAD THAT PROBLEM. I WHEN ONLINE AND SAW THAT PEOPLE WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. IT WAS WEIRD BECAUSE THEY ALL SEEN TO BE IN THE SAME MONTH LIKE IF IT WAS PROGRAM TO HAPPEN. SO I WANT AN EXPLANATION ON WHAT'S GO…
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I WAS DRIVING ON THE HWY WHEN THE MESSAGE APPEAR ON THE BOAR "ENGINE POWER REDUCE " I WAS SCARED BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER HAD THAT PROBLEM. I WHEN ONLINE AND SAW THAT PEOPLE WERE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. IT WAS WEIRD BECAUSE THEY ALL SEEN TO BE IN THE SAME MONTH LIKE IF IT WAS PROGRAM TO HAPPEN. SO I WANT AN EXPLANATION ON WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MY CAR? WHAT'S THE MESSAGE ABOUT? DO I HAVE TO CHANGE THE MOTOR ? I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE THIS CAR HAS A LOT OF PROBLEM I JUST WANT SOME ANSWERS . THANKS FOR READING. *TR
WAS DRIVING 35 MPH,IN A 40 MPH ZONE,STEERING LOCKED UP AND HIT A CURVE..COULD NOT STEER,THEN AFTER I HIT CURVE . STEERING WENT BACK TO NORMAL..I'M NOT GOING TO DRIVE A CAR THATS UNSAFE... *TR
HAD THE CAR IN FOR NORMAL INSPECTION AND WAS INFORMED I HAD UNEVEN REAR TIRE WEAR ON REAR TIRES.. THEY HAD TO GRIND THE REAR SPINDLE TO GET PROPER FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT 2011. 12 MONTHS LATE 2012 WAS INFORMED IN 2012 INSPECTION HAD TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRE AND FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND HAVE TWO REAR SPINDLE BOLT TO COMPLETE JOB. TH…
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HAD THE CAR IN FOR NORMAL INSPECTION AND WAS INFORMED I HAD UNEVEN REAR TIRE WEAR ON REAR TIRES.. THEY HAD TO GRIND THE REAR SPINDLE TO GET PROPER FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT 2011. 12 MONTHS LATE 2012 WAS INFORMED IN 2012 INSPECTION HAD TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRE AND FOUR WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND HAVE TWO REAR SPINDLE BOLT TO COMPLETE JOB. THERE WAS NEVER A MENTION OF THE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT OR IF THE DEALER WOULD STAND HIND THE PRODUCT AND WARRANTY THE WORK DONE. *TR
I NOTICED SOME TIME BACK THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THAT I WOULD GET A ROUGH VIBRATION, SUCH AS WITH BAD ROTORS. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER THAT I PURCHASED IT AT AND THEY LOOKED IT OVER AND STATED THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE. SINCE THEN EVERYTIME I HIT THE BRAKES THE VIBRATIONS HAVE ONLY GOTTEN WORSE, IT'S TO THE POINT NOW TH…
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I NOTICED SOME TIME BACK THAT WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THAT I WOULD GET A ROUGH VIBRATION, SUCH AS WITH BAD ROTORS. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER THAT I PURCHASED IT AT AND THEY LOOKED IT OVER AND STATED THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE. SINCE THEN EVERYTIME I HIT THE BRAKES THE VIBRATIONS HAVE ONLY GOTTEN WORSE, IT'S TO THE POINT NOW THAT IT VIOLENTLY SHAKES THE ENTIRE CAR AND FEELS AS IF IT'S GOING TO JERK THE STEERING WHEEL RIGHT OUT OF MY HANDS. SO I MADE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT FOR THIS ISSUE AND A NEW ONE; SOMETIMES MY DASH LIGHTS WILL FLICKER AND IT WILL TELL ME IT'S 102 OUTSIDE WHEN IT'S ONLY 70 AND AUTOMATIC TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR IS WAY, WAY OFF. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED RECENTLY THAT MY FRONT TIRES HAVE BECOME EXCESSIVELY WORN ON THE OUTER EDGES TO WHERE THERE IS ONLY TREAD IN THE CENTER AND THIS SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM WITH ONLY 21,500 MILES ON THE VEHICLE; I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET ABOUT TWICE THAT OUT OF THE FACTORY TIRES. AT MY LAST APPOINTMENT THEY HAVE STILL SAID THERE IS NO NOTABLE PROBLEMS WITH MY IMPALA. *TT
FRONT TIRES HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE TIRES ONLY. ORIGINAL GOODYEAR INTEGRITY TIRES ARE STILL ON THE CAR. REAR TIRES ARE FINE AND LOOK "NORMAL". AFTER READING ABOUT OTHER ISSUES LIKE THIS IT MAKES ME BELIEVE THERE IS SOME SORT OF ISSUE WITH THE ALIGNMENT OF THE CAR. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF M…
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FRONT TIRES HAVE EXCESSIVE WEAR ON THE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE TIRES ONLY. ORIGINAL GOODYEAR INTEGRITY TIRES ARE STILL ON THE CAR. REAR TIRES ARE FINE AND LOOK "NORMAL". AFTER READING ABOUT OTHER ISSUES LIKE THIS IT MAKES ME BELIEVE THERE IS SOME SORT OF ISSUE WITH THE ALIGNMENT OF THE CAR. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF MY VEHICLE. IT WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION AS IT IS. I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE THE TIRES BECAUSE THERE IS NO TREAD ON THEM EXCEPT FOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TIRES WHICH IS REALLY ODD. NOT SURE HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS MY SECOND IMPALA AND I'VE NEVER HAD THESE ISSUES BEFORE. I HAVEN'T CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP YET ABOUT THIS. I WILL SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. *TR
THIS IS A COPY OF A COMPLAIN THAT HAS BEEN SENT TO THE CHEVROLET DIV. OF GENERAL MOTORS. CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER PO BOX 33170 DETROIT, MI 48232-5170 [XXX] SEPT. 23, 2010 RE: WARRANTY DECEPTION ( VEHICLE 2009 IMPALA) THIS VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY WITH ODOMETER READING OF 27,000 MILES. A STU…
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THIS IS A COPY OF A COMPLAIN THAT HAS BEEN SENT TO THE CHEVROLET DIV. OF GENERAL MOTORS. CHEVROLET CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER PO BOX 33170 DETROIT, MI 48232-5170 [XXX] SEPT. 23, 2010 RE: WARRANTY DECEPTION ( VEHICLE 2009 IMPALA) THIS VEHICLE IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY WITH ODOMETER READING OF 27,000 MILES. A STUD BROKE OFF THE RT REAR WHEEL AND THE LARRY GREEN SERVICE DEPT.IN COTTONWOOD, ARIZONA REFUSED TO REPAIR IT UNDER THE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. THEY CLAIMED IT WAS SHEARED OFF BY WHOMEVER ROTATED THE TIRES LAST. MY CLAIM WAS THAT THE TIRES WERE NEVER ROTATED AND THE STUD BROKE. I ALSO CLAIM THAT IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE BECAUSE NO MATTER WHEN AND IF THE TIRES WERE ROTATED AT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE A STUD MAY BREAK BY ROAD IMPACT. IF IT CAN BE PROVEN THAT THE STUD IS DEFECTIVE IT MAY RESULT IN A MASSIVE RECALL. HOW MUCH TORQUE IS REQUIRED TO TWIST OFF A STUD WITH A STANDARD WRENCH? THEY ALSO CLAIM THAT THE STUD DIDN'T COME FROM THE FACTORY DEFECTIVE. THAT IS AN ASSUMPTION. ( OF COURSE WITHOUT TESTING THE STUD IT IS UNKNOWN.) WITH THAT LOGIC ANYTHING THAT BREAKS CAN BE EXCUSED AS AN EXISTING CAUSE. THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY IS DECEPTIVE. IF AUTOMOBILE PARTS NEVER BREAK THE JUNK YARDS WOULD BE EMPTY! GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS BEFORE THERE IS A FATALITY IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT OR NOT! WHAT LARRY GREEN HAS LOST IS THE GOOD WILL OF A KOREAN VET AND PERHAPS MANY OTHER VETS THAT MAY HEAR OF THIS. I HAVE SPENT MANY HOURS IN KOREA REMOVING BUSTED STUDS THAT, HOPEFULLY, ALSO DID NOT COME FROM THE GM FACTORY DEFECTIVE. [XXX] CC: LARRY GREEN CHEVORLET INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
Official recalls
516V507000 · 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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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