TRS/ENGINE REDUCE POWER WILL DISPLAY. CAR HAS STOPPED WHILE DRIVING OVER 75 MPH ON HIGHWAY. WHILE VIEWING WEB PAGE EDMUND.COM IT APPEARS THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ON OVER A DOZEN CHEVY IMPALAS. DOES NOT APPEAR TO AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. GM NEED TO RECALL THE CARS,BEFORE SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED. *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.
What owners actually said
824 reportsI-40 EAST BOUND; 60 MPH; COMING DOWN A 4 TO 7% GRADE THROUGH THE SMOKEY MOUNTAINS, NORTH CAROLINA SIDE; 1ST ERROR: "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, REDUCED ENGINE POWER, SERVICE ENGINE. APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES LATER 2ND ERROR: "STARTING DISABLE,SERVICE THROTTLE" LOST ALL POWER TO VEHICLE. A VERY DANGEROUS AND FRIGHTENING EVENT H…
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I-40 EAST BOUND; 60 MPH; COMING DOWN A 4 TO 7% GRADE THROUGH THE SMOKEY MOUNTAINS, NORTH CAROLINA SIDE; 1ST ERROR: "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, REDUCED ENGINE POWER, SERVICE ENGINE. APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES LATER 2ND ERROR: "STARTING DISABLE,SERVICE THROTTLE" LOST ALL POWER TO VEHICLE. A VERY DANGEROUS AND FRIGHTENING EVENT HAVING NO CONTROL OF YOUR SPEED, STEERING, AND BRAKING TRYING TO GET OFF TO THE SIDE OF I-40 WITH THE TYPE OF GRADE, TRACTOR TRAILER TRUCKS THAT CAN NOT SLOW DOWN FAST ENOUGH TO LET YOU OVER. WE WERE VERY.... VERY FORTUNATE WITH OUR OUTCOME. HAD TO BE TOWED TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP. RAN DIAGNOSTIC; ERROR CODES P2122, P2138. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE COMPONENT: ELECTRONIC ACCELERATOR PEDAL
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED TO THE SHOULDER WHERE THE CONTACT TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTED, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESET. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ATTEMPTED TO DUPLICATE THE FAI…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED TO THE SHOULDER WHERE THE CONTACT TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTARTED, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESET. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ATTEMPTED TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE TO NO AVAIL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED WHO TOLD THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.
ALL CHEVROLET IMPALAS DATING BACK TO 2002-2009 HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEMS. THE ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED AND THE VEHICLE SLOWS IMMEDIATELY. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN IGNORED BY CHEVROLET SINCE 2002. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE HAS BEEN KILLED. CHEVROLET DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM, OR SIMPLY CHOOSES TO IGNORE I…
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ALL CHEVROLET IMPALAS DATING BACK TO 2002-2009 HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEMS. THE ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED AND THE VEHICLE SLOWS IMMEDIATELY. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN IGNORED BY CHEVROLET SINCE 2002. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE HAS BEEN KILLED. CHEVROLET DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM, OR SIMPLY CHOOSES TO IGNORE IT. HOWEVER BY SIMPLY READING COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS A WIDE-SPREAD PROBLEM AND A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ONE. PUBLIC SAFETY SHOULD REQUIRE THE GOVERNMENT TO DISCIPLINE CHEVROLET FOR INTENTIONALLY REFUSING TO ADDRESS A POTENTIALLY LETHAL FLAW IN IT'S CHEVROLET IMPALA LINE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHERE THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDAT…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHERE THE RACK AND PINION WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. UPDATED 05/16/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED SHE WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. IT BEGAN LOCKING UP, AS SHE WAS ATTEMPTING TO PARK. UPDATED 05/22/12
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT FAILED TO RETAIN THE DRIVER. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10V480000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE) AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED.…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A CRASH AND THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT FAILED TO RETAIN THE DRIVER. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED THE RECALL ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 10V480000 (SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE) AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE HEAD DURING THE CRASH. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 40,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE TRACTION CONTROL, ENGINE AND THE THROTTLE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED BEFORE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE ENGINE OFF FOR A MOMENT AND ONCE RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE RETURNED TO NORMAL FUNCTION…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE TRACTION CONTROL, ENGINE AND THE THROTTLE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED BEFORE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE ENGINE OFF FOR A MOMENT AND ONCE RESTARTED, THE VEHICLE RETURNED TO NORMAL FUNCTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO HAVE THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 67,000.
THERE APPEARS TO BE MANY ISSUES RELATED TO BRAKES AND SUSPENSION FOR THE CHEVY IMPALA. AFTER ONLY 10K MILES, THE BRAKES BEGAN TO PULSATE. THE DEALERSHIP RESURFACED THEM. THEY WERE FINE FOR A BIT LONGER BUT THEN THE ISSUE REOCCURED. I AM NOT SURE IF ITS A OVERHEATING ISSUE OR WHAT BUT IT HAS HAD OTHER BRAKE AND SUSPENSION ISSUES …
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THERE APPEARS TO BE MANY ISSUES RELATED TO BRAKES AND SUSPENSION FOR THE CHEVY IMPALA. AFTER ONLY 10K MILES, THE BRAKES BEGAN TO PULSATE. THE DEALERSHIP RESURFACED THEM. THEY WERE FINE FOR A BIT LONGER BUT THEN THE ISSUE REOCCURED. I AM NOT SURE IF ITS A OVERHEATING ISSUE OR WHAT BUT IT HAS HAD OTHER BRAKE AND SUSPENSION ISSUES AS WELL. THERE IS UNDER 30K MILES ON THE CAR AND IT HAS ALREADY HAD: LEFT FRONT TENSIONER REPLACED, REAR LEFT SWAY BAR REMOVED/REINSTALLED, ROTORS REFINISH, AND A WHOLE NEW SET OF TIRES NOW. WE HAVE HAD MANY OTHER GM VEHICLES OVER THE YEARS FROM BOTH CHEVY AND BUICK. NO OTHER VEHICLE HAS GIVEN US AS MANY ISSUES IN SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF OWNERSHIP THAT THIS CAR HAS. IT ALL APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION. BASED ON ONLINE SEARCHES, WE ARE NOT ALONE AS MANY IMPALA OWNERS HAVE HAD SIMILAR BRAKE RELATED ISSUES/COMPLAINTS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY AT ANY TIME. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE VEHICLE STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY AT ANY TIME. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILES WERE 73,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE DOORS REMAINED LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE LOCKED OR OPENED MANUALLY, ONLY BY USING THE ELECTRONIC KEY REMOTE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR ALL FOUR DOORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE V…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL OF THE DOORS REMAINED LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE LOCKED OR OPENED MANUALLY, ONLY BY USING THE ELECTRONIC KEY REMOTE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FOR ALL FOUR DOORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 6,700.
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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