WHEN I START MY CAR UP FROM A COLD START, I HERE A RATTLING NOISE, AND AFTER IT GETS WARM IT GOES AWAY. ITS BEEN DOING THAT EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR. AS THE MILES GOT ON THE CAR I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I HAVE 200,000 MILES PLUS
2012 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
204 reports with mileage · 54 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 58 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electronic Stability Control (esc). Review the 54 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 49 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
258 reportsOPENING DRIVER DOOR TICKING SOUND LASTS ABOUT 1 MINUTE AND QUITS TICKING. KEY IS NOT IN IGNITION. SOUND IS COMING FROM DASHBOARD
HELLO, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE FOLLOWING LIGHTS COMING ON SINCE I HAVE RECEIVED MY IMPALA WITH 60,000 MILES ON IT. IT TELLS ME TO SERVICE STABLE LINK, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, THE ABS SLIT STAYS ON AND I HAVE REPLACED BOTH HUBS ON THE FRONT. WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO UNLESS I REWIRE EVERYTHING. THIS ALL HAPPENS WHEN I FIRST…
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HELLO, I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE FOLLOWING LIGHTS COMING ON SINCE I HAVE RECEIVED MY IMPALA WITH 60,000 MILES ON IT. IT TELLS ME TO SERVICE STABLE LINK, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, THE ABS SLIT STAYS ON AND I HAVE REPLACED BOTH HUBS ON THE FRONT. WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO UNLESS I REWIRE EVERYTHING. THIS ALL HAPPENS WHEN I FIRST MOVE THE VEHICLE AND DURING MY TRIP.
I HAVE ABOUT 72,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND THE SERVICE STABILITRAK, SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST AND SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL MESSAGES COME ON AND THE ABS AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT ALSO ARE ON. IT HAPPENS WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT AND ALSO THE ABS KICK IN AND EFFECTS THE STEERING. I HAVE REPLACED THE RIGHT AND LEFT HUB ASSEMB…
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I HAVE ABOUT 72,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND THE SERVICE STABILITRAK, SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST AND SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL MESSAGES COME ON AND THE ABS AND ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL LIGHT ALSO ARE ON. IT HAPPENS WHEN TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT AND ALSO THE ABS KICK IN AND EFFECTS THE STEERING. I HAVE REPLACED THE RIGHT AND LEFT HUB ASSEMBLIES AND IT HAS NOT HELPED NO CODES ARE FOUND WHEN VEHICLE IS SCANNED. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. THIS WILL ALL HAPPEN IN DRIVE WAY AND ON CITY ROADS/HIGHWAYS.
MY TY ROD BROKE AND ANOTHER PART INSIDE THE TY ROD BROKE I AM WONDERING IF IT HAD A RECALL ON MY CAR CHEVROLET IMPALA XL 2012
I WAS GOING SLOW (20 MPH OR LESS), EXPECTING TO STOP WITH MY FOOT ON THE BREAK. A CAR SLAMMED IN BACK OF ME. ON IMPACT, I PUSHED THE BREAK ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR, WITHOUT ANY RESISTANCE. JUST PRIOR TO THAT, THE BREAKS WERE SLOWING-DOWN THE CAR AS EXPECTED. MY CAR SLAMMED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WERE NO BREA…
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I WAS GOING SLOW (20 MPH OR LESS), EXPECTING TO STOP WITH MY FOOT ON THE BREAK. A CAR SLAMMED IN BACK OF ME. ON IMPACT, I PUSHED THE BREAK ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FLOOR, WITHOUT ANY RESISTANCE. JUST PRIOR TO THAT, THE BREAKS WERE SLOWING-DOWN THE CAR AS EXPECTED. MY CAR SLAMMED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THERE WERE NO BREAK MARKS ON THE HIGHWAY AS ONE WOULD EXPECT IF THE BREAKS WERE WORKING. THE BREAKS SIMPLY FAILED. AFTER RELEASING THE BREAKS, SHOUTING OFF THE ENGINE AND LATER STARTING IT UP, THE BREAKS ARE CURRENTLY WORKING AS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT.
INTERMITTENTLY, THE DIC WILL SOUND AN ALARM AND DISPLAY THE FOLLOWING MESSAGES:SERVICE STABILITRAK, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL. WHEN THIS HAPPENS I SOMETIMES NOTICE A DECREASE IN ENGINE POWER AND/OR GRINDING NOISES FROM THE FRONT END WHEN I MAKE TURNS. THIS HAS OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND/OR RESIDENTIAL SPEEDS AND DOES NOT COI…
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INTERMITTENTLY, THE DIC WILL SOUND AN ALARM AND DISPLAY THE FOLLOWING MESSAGES:SERVICE STABILITRAK, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL. WHEN THIS HAPPENS I SOMETIMES NOTICE A DECREASE IN ENGINE POWER AND/OR GRINDING NOISES FROM THE FRONT END WHEN I MAKE TURNS. THIS HAS OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND/OR RESIDENTIAL SPEEDS AND DOES NOT COINCIDE WITH ANY ROUGH OR UNUSUAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. IT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CAUSES IT UNLESS IT IS SOME KIND OF ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUITING. I CAN TURN THE STABILITRAK OFF AND THE MESSAGES AND DIMINISHED MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE WILL STOP, BUT MAY RE-APPEAR WEEKS LATER. ACCORDING TO THE REPORTS I HAVE READ ON-LINE, THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG IMPALA OWNERS WITH CARS OF SIMILAR YEARS AND MILEAGE. MY CAR HAS ONLY 40,000 MILES. IN AN EFFORT TO FIX THE ISSUE, OTHER OWNERS HAVE REPORTEDLY REPLACED SENSORS, WIRES, WIRE HARNESSES, HUB ASSEMBLIES, THROTTLE BODIES, AND BRAKE COMPONENTS. GENERAL MOTORS NEEDS TO RECALL OUR CARS IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM. NONE OF THESE MECHANICAL COMPONENTS SHOULD BE FAILING SO SOON. LOSS OF ENGINE POWER AND BRAKING ABILITY WHILE DRIVING IS A POTENTIALLY DEADLY PROBLEM, AND ANY MECHANICAL ISSUE THIS WIDESPREAD AMONG CAR OWNERS SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO AN OFFICIAL RECALL AND SHOULD BE REMEDIED BY THE AUTOMAKER AT NO CHARGE TO THE PUBLIC.
ABS/TRACTION CONTROL FAILURE. BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT WIRE HARNESSES HAD TO BE REPLACED TI TO WIRE RUBBING IN FRAME AND GOING TO GROUND. GM HAS FOUR TSB'S ON THIS KNOWN PROBLEM. ABS/TRACTION CONTROL OR FEDERALLY REQUIRED SAFETY FEATURES. THIS NEED TO BE A FULL RECALL.
GRINDING NOISE IN FRONT LEFT WHEEL. ELECTRONIC STABALIZER FLASHES ON AND OFF AND ON AND OFF. GOING FROM REVERSE TO FORWARD THE CAR LOSES POWER AND THEN JUST DIES RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. HAD WHEEL HUB SENSOR REPLACED. GOOD FOR TWO MONTHS. NOW SAME PROBLEM. CAR HAS 48000 MILES
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR SERVICE, THE DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE REB WAVE PLATE WAS FRACTURED INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE RE-BUILT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VEHIC…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN FOR SERVICE, THE DEALER DISCOVERED THAT THE REB WAVE PLATE WAS FRACTURED INSIDE THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AND THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE RE-BUILT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST AND THE SPECIALIST STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION PART WERE JOINT TOGETHER WITH THE FORD AND CHEVROLET, THE SPECIALIST ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE FORD PART WAS GOOD BUT THE CHEVROLET PART FAILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER SPEAKING TO THE MANUFACTURER A CASE NUMBER WAS NOT PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 153,973.
Official recalls
314V355000 · 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.
11V398000 · Steering:hydraulic Power Assist:hose, Piping, And Connections
Aug 5, 2011
GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 19, 2011, THROUGH JULY 29, 2011. THE UPPER POWER STEERING HOSE MAY HAVE BEEN MISROUTED SO THAT IT CAN COME IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO AND/OR CONTACT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WITH THE ENGINE ON, HEAT FROM THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER MAY MELT THE POWER STEERING HOSE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: POWER STEERING FLUID COULD FLOW ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE COULD OCCUR.
Remedy: GM DEALERS WILL INSPECT TO ENSURE THAT THE UPPER POWER STEERING HOSE IS ROUTED CORRECTLY AND MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.
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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