The Chevrolet Impala has 39 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 1981–2019. On average a defect was admitted 5.19 years after the car was built, the slowest took 25 years. The most recalled system is Air Bags (8 campaigns). Owners also filed 8,466 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Chevrolet Impala
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Air Bags 8 Read
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 15, 2013, to June 19, 2015, equipped with front vented-heated passenger seats. Accordingly, the Automatic Occupant Sensing (AOS) system may fail to suppress the front passenger air bag if a child seat is in the front passenger seat. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk. If the front passenger air bag deploys with a child seat in the front passenger seat, it increases the risk of injury to the child
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will correct the calibration-learning error by preconditioning the empty seat, and also resetting the ECU to a seat zero-value, free of charge. The recall began on August 25, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15400
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured April 11, 2013, to June 27, 2013, and 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured May 13, 2013, to November 5, 2013. The affected vehicles may have left the factory with the sensing and diagnostic module (SDM) set to "manufacturing mode."
Risk. In manufacturing mode, the vehicle's air bags will not deploy in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of occupant injury
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers are to reprogram the SDM to the correct mode, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in September 2014. Owners may contact Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 14532
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 15, 2013, to June 19, 2015, equipped with front vented-heated passenger seats. Accordingly, the Automatic Occupant Sensing (AOS) system may fail to suppress the front passenger air bag if a child seat is in the front passenger seat. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk. If the front passenger air bag deploys with a child seat in the front passenger seat, it increases the risk of injury to the child
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will correct the calibration-learning error by preconditioning the empty seat, and also resetting the ECU to a seat zero-value, free of charge. The recall began on August 25, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15400
Steering 5 Read
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Regal, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro and Chevrolet Impala vehicles. Improperly torqued fasteners may cause the steering intermediate shaft and the steering gear and/or the lower control arm and the lower ball joint to separate
Risk. If any of the components separate, the vehicle may have a loss of steering, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. GM began to notify owners on June 27, 2014, and dealers will inspect the fasteners for correct torque, correcting them as necessary, free of charge. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac) or 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14378
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured November 5, 2012, to December 20, 2013. Due to a poor electrical ground connection to the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM), the affected vehicles may have a loss of power steering assist during start up or while driving
Risk. If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will clean paint from behind the ground stud nut and update the PSCM software, free of charge. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. The recall began on August 21, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14330
What's wrong. 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
Risk. Power steering fluid could flow onto the catalytic converter, and an engine compartment fire could occur
Fix. 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
Fuel System, Gasoline 5 Read
What's wrong. On certain vehicles, the fuel tank is missing the adhesive layer that bonds the barrier layer to the outer shell of the fuel tank
Risk. With this condition, fuel and/or fuel vapors could seep out between the layers, increasing the risk of a fire
Fix. Dealers will inspect the serial number on the fuel tank and replace the fuel tank if necessary. The recall began on november 13, 2006. Owners may contact buick at 1-866-608-8080, chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, or pontiac at 1-800-620-7668
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with a 3.4l engine and non-antilock braking system (ABS). These vehicles fail to comply with requirements of fmvss no. 301, "fuel system integrity." a fuel return line can become severed in a frontal collision, resulting in fuel spillage
Risk. If an ignition source was present, a fire could occur
Fix. Dealers will install a brake master cylinder bracket that will maintain positioning of the fuel line in a frontal crash. Owner notification began june 29, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should…
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles equipped with a 3.4l engine and non-antilock braking system (ABS). These vehicles fail to comply with requirements of fmvss no. 301, "fuel system integrity." a fuel return line can become severed in a frontal collision, resulting in fuel spillage
Risk. If an ignition source was present, a fire could occur
Fix. Dealers will install a brake master cylinder bracket that will maintain positioning of the fuel line in a frontal crash. Owner notification began june 29, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should…
Electrical System 4 Read
What's wrong. 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
Risk. 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
Fix. 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…
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Cadillac CTS, Escalade, Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Yukon XL, and 2014 Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Express, Impala, Silverado HD, Traverse, GMC Acadia, Savana, and Sierra HD vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the chassis electronic module may be internally contaminated, resulting in an electrical short
Risk. If the module experiences an electrical short, the vehicle could stall, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the chassis electronic module, free of charge. The recall began on December 26, 2014. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), and 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GMs number for this recall is 14515
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala; and 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles. Originally, in May 2013, GM recalled 1,627 model year 2013 Cadillac ATS and model year 2013 Cadillac XTS; and model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles. In October 2013, GM informed the agency that it was adding model year 2013 Chevrolet Sonic vehicles to this campaign , representing an additional 8,050 units. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 9,677. On the affected vehicles, the brake lamps may intermittently flash without the brakes being applied and the cruise control may disengage. Thus, these…
Risk. If the brake lamps flash when the vehicle is not slowing, a following driver may not adjust vehicle speed when the vehicle is in fact braking, and the brake lamps are illuminating as intended, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the body control module. The recall began on June 13, 2013. Owner's may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or Cadillac at 1-866-982-2339. GM's recall number is 13158
Service Brakes, Hydraulic 3 Read
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance
Risk. A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782.…
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance
Risk. A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782.…
What's wrong. Certain passenger vehicles were produced with lower than specified torque on both front brake caliper to steering knuckle attachment bolts. With improper torque, the clamp load at the joint may not be adequate to prevent movement between the caliper bracket and knuckle
Risk. Depending on whether one or both bolts backs out or fractures, the result can be locking of the affected wheel during braking and an abrupt steering input in the direction of the locked wheel, reduced braking and noise from the affected wheel, or severing of a brake hose, increased brake pedal travel, and reduced…
Fix. Dealers are to tighten both bolts to the specified torque. Owner notification began on june 28, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet 1-800-630-2438 or pontiac 1-800-620-7668
Parking Brake 3 Read
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Cadillac XTS vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to August 22, 2014, and 2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured November 5, 2012, to September 2, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the electronic parking brake piston actuation arm may not fully retract causing the brake pads to stay partially engaged
Risk. Brake pads that remain partially engaged with the rotors may cause excessive brake heat that may result in a fire
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic parking brake software, free of charge. The recall began on October 28, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 14471
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured November 15, 2012, to May 30, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the electronic parking brake piston actuation arm may not fully retract causing the brake pads to stay partially engaged. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Systems (FMVSS) No. 135 "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk. Brake pads that remain partially engaged with the rotors may cause excessive brake heat that may result in a fire
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the electronic parking brake control module with new software, free of charge. The recall began March 5, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 15100. Note: This recall covers a limited…
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured March 22, 2013, to May 22, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the electronic parking brake piston actuation arm may not fully retract causing the brake pads to stay partially engaged. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Systems (FMVSS) No. 135 "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk. Brake pads that remain partially engaged with the rotors may cause excessive brake heat that may result in a fire
Fix. GM has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the electronic parking brake control module with new software, free of charge. The recall began on May 6, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15259. Note: The vehicles covered by this campaign were…
Engine And Engine Cooling 3 Read
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold
Risk. Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire
Fix. The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will…
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 2, 2015, that they are is recalling certain model year 2004 Buick Regal vehicles manufactured April 9, 2003, to June 1, 2003, 2004 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 8, 2003, to June 23, 2003, and 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles manufactured April 7, 2003, to June 23, 2003. On May 18, 2015, GM expanded the recall to cover an additional 49,751 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles manufactured January 6, 2003, to June 25, 2004. In the affected vehicles, the valve cover gasket may leak
Risk. The leaking engine oil can drip onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold, increasing the risk of a fire
Fix. GM will notify owners, and dealers will remove the plastic cover and plastic oil fill tube extension and replace the front valve cover and gasket. These repairs will be done free of charge. The recall began on April 24, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Pontiac customer service at…
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold
Risk. Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire
Fix. The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engines front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will…
Seat Belts 2 Read
What's wrong. 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
Risk. The safety belt may not restrain the occupant as intended during a crash, which could result in injury to the occupant
Fix. 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…
What's wrong. 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
Risk. The safety belt may not restrain the occupant as intended during a crash, which could result in injury to the occupant
Fix. 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…
What's wrong. Vehicle description: passenger vehicles, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and mini vans equipped with trw seat belt buckle assemblies. The buckle base of these seat belt assemblies were not properly heat treated and therefore do not pass the load bearing requirement of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 209, "seat belt assemblies."
Risk. In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant may not be properly restrained
Fix. Dealers will inspect the vehicle's safety belt buckle assembly date codes and, if necessary, will replace any safety belt buckle assembly
Structure 1 Read
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured May 7, 2014, to July 28, 2014. In the event of an accident, the center storage console may not stay latched. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 201, "Occupant Protection In Interior Impact."
Risk. The storage compartment door may not remain closed in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of occupant injury
Fix. Parts to remedy this condition are not currently available. GM will send owners an interim notification in early October 2014, and will send a second letter when parts are available. At that time dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the console storage compartment door inertia latch, free of charge. Owners…
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured May 7, 2014, to July 28, 2014. In the event of an accident, the center storage console may not stay latched. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 201, "Occupant Protection In Interior Impact."
Risk. The storage compartment door may not remain closed in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of occupant injury
Fix. Parts to remedy this condition are not currently available. GM will send owners an interim notification in early October 2014, and will send a second letter when parts are available. At that time dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the console storage compartment door inertia latch, free of charge. Owners…
Power Train 1 Read
What's wrong. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Regal, LaCrosse, Verano, and Enclave, and Chevrolet Impala, Malibu, Cruze, and Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjuster may disengage from the transmission shift lever. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." They also fail to conform to FMVSS number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk. If a vehicle's shift cable disengages from the transmission shift lever, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the…
Fix. General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any affected transmission shift cable adjusters, free of charge. The recall began on April 10, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Buick owners at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC owners at 1-800-462-8782. General Motors'…
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 5.19 years |
| Slowest campaign | 25 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 45.7% |
| Campaigns on record | 39 |
Which Impala years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2018 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2015 | Structure | |
| 2014 | Electrical System | |
| 2013 | Electrical System | |
| 2012 | Steering | |
| 2011 | Suspension | |
| 2010 | Seat Belts | |
| 2009 | Air Bags | |
| 2008 | Suspension | |
| 2007 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 2006 | Steering | |
| 2005 | Fuel System, Other | |
| 2004 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic | |
| 2003 | Air Bags | |
| 2002 | Air Bags | |
| 2001 | Seat Belts | |
| 2000 | Seat Belts | |
| 1985 | Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| 1983 | Equipment | |
| 1982 | Equipment | |
| 1981 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Impala have?
39 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 1981–2019. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my Impala still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 5.19 years, and the slowest campaign came 25 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.