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2010 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

351 reports with mileage · 90 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.

  • Electrical System. Review the 132 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 102 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 88 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

18 crash reports3 fire reports10 injury reports

What owners actually said

441 reports
80,000 miles · Jun 18, 2014
Air BagsElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

GOOD MORNING I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY THIS IS MY SECOND VEHICLE FROM CHEVY BUT THIS VEHICLE HAS REALLY PLACED ME IN A BAD BIND. FIRST THE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF FOR THE PASSED MONTH, NEXT THE KEY BECOMES STUCK IN THE IGNITION THEN IT WENT OUT HAD TO REPLACE THAT. TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON COMES OVER BOARD WITH MESSA…

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GOOD MORNING I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY THIS IS MY SECOND VEHICLE FROM CHEVY BUT THIS VEHICLE HAS REALLY PLACED ME IN A BAD BIND. FIRST THE AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF FOR THE PASSED MONTH, NEXT THE KEY BECOMES STUCK IN THE IGNITION THEN IT WENT OUT HAD TO REPLACE THAT. TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON COMES OVER BOARD WITH MESSAGE SAYING," ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED THEN MESSAGE STATES CAR SHUTTING DOWN " IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING . THIS LAST TIME I HAD MY NEW BORN GRANDBABY IN THE CAR DRIVING ON EXPRESSWAY GOING 60SPEED LIMIT CAR JUST SHUT OFFCARS FLYING PASS ME I WAS REALLY TERRIFIED FOR MY SAFETY AND MY GRAND CHILD. THIS HAS OCCURRED OFF AND ON SINCE LAST YEAR. LAST YEAR I HAD TAKEN IT BACK TO ALL STAR CHEVY IN MISS.THEY STATED THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING COST ME A GOOD PENNY WHEN THEY STATED THAT THE WARRANTY WAS OUT. NOW THE CAR WILL NOT START. I HAVE BEEN REPLACING ALOT OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THIS CAR FOR THE LAST YEAR BUT THIS TIME IS THE LAST TIME MY GRAND BABY AND MYSELF COULD HAVE LOST OUR LIFE" NOW NO CAR TO GET BACK AND FORTH TO WORK I HAVE BEEN REALLY PATIENT WITH CHEVY WITH THIS CAR I STILL HAVE ALL MY RECEIPTS FROM AAA FIXING THIS CAR I REFUSED TO SPEND ANY MORE MONEY ON THIS CAR. I NEED TOKNOW IF THIS COMPANY WILL HELP ME BECAUSE A 2010 SHOULD NOT HAVE THIS MUCH PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10599094

Mileage unknown · Jun 17, 2014
Air BagsElectrical SystemPower Train

1) AIRBAG LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY HAS GONE ON AND OFF FOR MONTHS. I ASKED DEALER ABOUT IT, THEY SAID IT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE TO DIAGNOSE BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE TO TRACE THE WIRING HARNESS, REMOVING SEAT AND DASHBOARD. LABOR WOULD BE EXPENSIVE. I COMPLAINED TO GM ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS AND WAS GIVEN A CASE#. I WAS TOLD CAR IS OUT O…

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1) AIRBAG LIGHT INTERMITTENTLY HAS GONE ON AND OFF FOR MONTHS. I ASKED DEALER ABOUT IT, THEY SAID IT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE TO DIAGNOSE BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE TO TRACE THE WIRING HARNESS, REMOVING SEAT AND DASHBOARD. LABOR WOULD BE EXPENSIVE. I COMPLAINED TO GM ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS AND WAS GIVEN A CASE#. I WAS TOLD CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THEREFORE, IT WOULD BE MY EXPENSE TO HAVE THIS DIAGNOSED AND FIXED. DEALER SAID AIRBAG WOULD NOT DEPLOY IF LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED. THIS A MAJOR SAFETY DEFECT. FALL 2013. 2) THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER STOPPED WORKING LAST FALL 2013. I HAD TO PAY FOR TOTAL REPAIR AS IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THEY SAID IT WAS A WIRING ISSUE. IMPALA'S HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE ISSUE. OCT 2013. 3) THE GAS PEDAL FELL OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING. DEALER SAID THEY NEVER EXPERIENCED ANYTHING LIKE THAT BEFORE, BUT WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY. NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY, THEREFORE, ENTIRE COST WAS MINE. SAFETY ISSUE. SEPT 2013 4) THE EVAP VENT VALVE AND SOLENOID HAD TO BE REPLACED. SYSTEM LEAK PRESSURIZED EVAP WOULD NOT HOLD. APR 2012 OTHER ISSUES HAVE BEEN REPORTED/REPAIRED, HOWEVER, DO NOT HAVE PAPERWORK AT TIME OF THIS COMPLAINT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10598771

85,000 miles · Jun 13, 2014
Electronic Stability Control (esc)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2010 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SERVICE STABILITY TRACK LIGHT ILUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,000.

NHTSA ODI #10598131

111,111 miles · Jun 11, 2014
Engine

THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON, THEN YOU GET A MESSAGE SAYING THE ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED. THEN YOU GET A MESSAGE SAYING THE CAR IS SHUTTING DOWN. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, BUT NOW IT'S A LOT MORE FREQUENT. THIS SATURDAY I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 60 ON A THREE LANE HIGHWAY WITH NO SHOULDER/BREAK DOWN LAN…

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THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON, THEN YOU GET A MESSAGE SAYING THE ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED. THEN YOU GET A MESSAGE SAYING THE CAR IS SHUTTING DOWN. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, BUT NOW IT'S A LOT MORE FREQUENT. THIS SATURDAY I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 60 ON A THREE LANE HIGHWAY WITH NO SHOULDER/BREAK DOWN LANE. THE CAR SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS GOING UP A HILL. CARS WERE FLYING UP BEHIND ME AND SWERVING TO MISS ME. NORMALLY IT TAKES ABOUT 5 MINUTES AND YOU CAN RESTART THE CAR. THIS TIME IT WAS ALMOST 10 MINUTES. I HAD A PANIC ATTACK SITTING THERE. ONCE THE CAR FINALLY STARTED I DROVE ABOUT 50 FEET AND IT HAPPENED AGAIN. LUCKILY THERE WAS A DUNKIN DONUTS THERE AND I COASTED INTO THE PARKING LOT. I SAT THERE ABOUT 20 MINUTES SO I COULD CATCH MY BREATH, STOP CRYING AND COMPOSED MYSELF. WHEN I WENT TO THE DEALER ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO THEY SAID IT WAS MY GAS PEDAL, AND IT WAS GOING TO COST $164. HOWEVER WHEN YOU RESEARCH THIS ON THE WEB, YOU WILL SEE MOST PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE GAS PEDAL FIXED IT HAPPENS AGAIN. THERE SHOULD REALLY BE A RECALL ON THIS BECAUSE SOMEONE WILL GET INTO AN ACCIDENT AND PERHAPS GET KILLED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10597607

85,000 miles · Jun 6, 2014
Electrical System

I WAS TAKING A RIGHT TURN WITH MY CAR AND MY LEG BUMPED MY KEY CHAIN, WHICH IN TURN CAUSED THE IGNITION TO SHUT OFF. THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND RE-START THE CAR! *TR

NHTSA ODI #10596568

55,927 miles · May 31, 2014
Air BagsSeat Belts

POTENTIAL DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES CAUSING AIRBAG LIGHTS TO COME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE SEATS ARE MOVED FORWARD AND BACKWARDS. LOCAL REPAIR SHOP PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND THE CODE DISPLAYED LED THEM TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. WITHIN A DAY OF THE REPAIR THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON BUT WENT OFF AND HAS NOT I…

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POTENTIAL DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES CAUSING AIRBAG LIGHTS TO COME ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE SEATS ARE MOVED FORWARD AND BACKWARDS. LOCAL REPAIR SHOP PERFORMED DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND THE CODE DISPLAYED LED THEM TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG. WITHIN A DAY OF THE REPAIR THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON BUT WENT OFF AND HAS NOT ILLUMINATED SINCE. I HAVE CONTACTED GM (CASE # SR # 71-13111-46047) AND THEY HAVE REFUSED TO ASSIST STATING THERE ARE NO RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE FOR THE IMPALA AND WILL NOT REIMBURSE ME SINCE I USED A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND NOT A GM DEALERSHIP. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DEFECTIVE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY THAT GM HAS INSTALLED IN CHEVY IMPALA?S AND THEY REFUSE TO TAKE OWNERSHIP. THEIR TRACK RECORD WITH FAULTY PARTS AND FAILURE TO RECALL UNSAFE VEHICLES HAS BEEN PROVEN. I FEEL THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN AND I AM ASKING THE NTSB LOOK INTO THIS MATTER. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10595322

51,500 miles · May 28, 2014
Air Bags

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 51,500. UPDATED 08/19/14*LJ UPDATED 8/30/2017*CN

NHTSA ODI #10594604

86,748 miles · May 28, 2014
Engine And Engine Cooling

ON THIS DAY CAME OUT OF WORK, STARTED MY CAR AND STARTED HEARING A KNOCKING, TICKING NOISE COMING FROM WHAT APPEARED AS THE PASSENGER SIDE DASH. I HAVE YET TO GET IT CHECKED OUT BUT LOOKING ON THE INTERNET OTHERS DESCRIBE IT AS THE ACTUATOR. THERE WERE SO MANY OTHER IMPALA OWNERS THAT EXPERIENCE THE SAME, SO I CAME ON THIS SIT…

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ON THIS DAY CAME OUT OF WORK, STARTED MY CAR AND STARTED HEARING A KNOCKING, TICKING NOISE COMING FROM WHAT APPEARED AS THE PASSENGER SIDE DASH. I HAVE YET TO GET IT CHECKED OUT BUT LOOKING ON THE INTERNET OTHERS DESCRIBE IT AS THE ACTUATOR. THERE WERE SO MANY OTHER IMPALA OWNERS THAT EXPERIENCE THE SAME, SO I CAME ON THIS SITE JUST KNOWING IT WOULD BE SOME SORT OF RECALL BUT DIDN'T FIND ONE. IT AMAZES ME THAT SO MANY IMPALA OWNERS HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINT AND GM ISN'T FIXING/ LOOKING INTO THE ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10594455

76,964 miles · May 21, 2014
EngineEngine And Engine Cooling

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED AS THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE EVAPORATOR VENT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED AS THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE EVAPORATOR VENT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 76,964 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,968.

NHTSA ODI #10593179

72,000 miles · May 19, 2014
Engine

DRIVING TO WORK AND I GOT A DISPLAY MESSAGE THAT SAID SOMETHING SIMILAR TO "STABILITRACK REPAIR, ENGINE POWER REDUCED" AND THEN THE CAR SHUT DOWN. NO POWER STEERING, NOTHING. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO STOP, BUT I WASN'T ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND IT CAUSED A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I'VE READ ONLINE THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE …

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DRIVING TO WORK AND I GOT A DISPLAY MESSAGE THAT SAID SOMETHING SIMILAR TO "STABILITRACK REPAIR, ENGINE POWER REDUCED" AND THEN THE CAR SHUT DOWN. NO POWER STEERING, NOTHING. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO STOP, BUT I WASN'T ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND IT CAUSED A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I'VE READ ONLINE THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH IMPALA'S AND SOMETHING THAT IS A DESIGN FLAW, AS THE SHUTTING DOWN OF THE CAR IS NOT NEEDED. HAD I BEEN IN TRAFFIC, A LARGE CAR PILE UP WOULD HAVE RESULTED. *JS

NHTSA ODI #10592420

Official recalls

4

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.

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.