Chevrolet Impala
Problems & Worst Years
Every reported problem for the Chevrolet Impala, model year by model year — ranked from 440 federal NHTSA complaints across 2010–2017.
Buyers weighing a used Chevrolet Impala will find the complaint data splits cleanly by era, and it favors the later cars. The 2010 model year is the heaviest file: 264 total complaint occurrences, 17 distinct problems, and four at safety severity. Airbag system failure leads (33 reports), followed by reduced engine power tied to stability and traction control faults (29, at safety severity), and a cluster of electrical complaints — dashboard gauges malfunctioning, stability control system failures, and check engine lights with no fault found (21 reports each). Recall campaign 14V355 applies to this year, and confirming it was completed belongs on any 2010 shopping checklist.
The 2015 file is the second largest at 179 occurrences, but its character is different: complaints scatter across 28 problems, and none reaches safety severity. The theme is driver-assist and body electronics — blind spot detection failures (23 reports), general electrical system issues (22), and side detection system failures (8) — with smaller counts for brake issues (12) and power steering malfunction (9). Annoying, and worth testing every sensor-driven feature on a drive, but a lower-stakes profile than 2010.
By 2016 and 2017 the totals drop to 50 and 44 occurrences respectively — a fraction of the earlier years. The 2016 file lists power steering failure (8), sensor-triggered check engine lights (7), and transmission complaints of stalling and jerking (6); 2017's most-reported item is an evaporator core failure affecting the air conditioning (11), with airbag malfunction (8), headlight issues (7), and catalytic converter failure (6) behind it. Neither year has a recall campaign listed in this data.
Those later years look comparatively clean, but hold the conclusion loosely: complaint counts reflect what owners filed with NHTSA, not measured failure rates, and newer cars have had less time to accumulate reports. Across any of these years, a pre-purchase inspection and a documented service history will separate a good Impala from a bad one far more reliably than the badge on the trunk lid.
Chevrolet Impala problems by year
Complaint volume by model year (bar = relative to the worst year). Theworst yearsare the most-complained-about, weighted by safety-risk problems.
| Year | Complaint volume | Problems | Safety / High | Most common problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010worst | 217 | 17 | 4/3 | Air bag system failure Electrical · 33 complaints |
| 2015worst | 135 | 28 | 0/11 | Blind Spot Detection System Failure Electrical · 23 complaints |
| 2016 | 45 | 9 | 0/3 | Power steering failure Steering · 8 complaints |
| 2017worst | 43 | 8 | 1/4 | Evaporator Core Failure Other · 11 complaints |
Data source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) owner complaints and recalls, 2010–2017. Problem clustering and year rankings are derived from the complaint record; complaint volume reflects reports filed, not total incidence or fault rate. Vehicle image is illustrative.