2011 Chevrolet IMPALA

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2011 Chevrolet IMPALA has 844 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 10.6x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (16% of all complaints), specifically: my impala will not heat in idle position,no early morn defrosts for me! took to dealer ( 10/18/11) he found a leak, replaced a hose. it was good for a while, now doing again, (10/28/11), going back in shop on 11/3/11. also car will not heat when remote starter is used,comes up to temp everytime ju. ⚠️ 7 fire reports filed.

7 fire reports 17 crash reports 23 injuries

844

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

10.6x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

134 complaints

16%

• MY IMPALA WILL NOT HEAT IN IDLE POSITION,NO EARLY MORN DEFROSTS FOR ME! TOOK TO DEALER ( 10/18/11) HE FOUND A LEAK, REPLACED A HOSE. IT WAS GOOD FOR A WHILE, NOW DOING AGAIN, (10/28/11), GOING BACK IN SHOP ON 11/3/11. ALSO CAR WILL NOT HEAT WHEN REMOTE STARTER IS USED,COMES UP TO TEMP EVERYTIME JU
• I HAVE A CHEVY IMPALA, 2011, AND A MONTH OR SO AFTER BUYING IT THE "SERVICE STABILITRAK" LIGHT CAME ON. BEFORE I COULD GET IT INTO A SHOP, IT WENT OFF. IT CAME ON AGAIN YESTERDAY AND MY ENGINE POWER ALL BUT SHUT DOWN, I WAS TRYING TO GET THROUGH AN INTERSECTION AND THOUGHT I WOULDN'T MAKE IT. AFTER
• I HAVE 42,000 ON MY 2011 CHEVY IMPALA AND THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL AND THEN REDUCE ENGINE POWER AS WELL AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ONE. I HAVE READ IT IS THE THROTTLE BODY AND NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT NUMEROUS PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SAME EXACT THING A

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“MY IMPALA WILL NOT HEAT IN IDLE POSITION,NO EARLY MORN DEFROSTS FOR ME! TOOK TO DEALER ( 10/18/11) HE FOUND A LEAK, REPLACED A HOSE. IT WAS GOOD FOR A WHILE, NOW DOING AGAIN, (10/28/11), GOING BACK IN SHOP ON 11/3/11. ALSO CAR WILL NOT HEAT WHEN REMOTE STARTER IS USED,COMES UP TO TEMP EVERYTIME JU”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS

132 complaints

16%

• ON 5/11/12, THE "SERVICE STABILITRAK" LIGHT CAME ON; THEN A NOTICE THAT THE ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AND HE SAID I COULD BRING IT IN ON 5/14. I ASKED IF IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IN THE MEANTIME AND HE SAID NO. I WAS DRIVING ON 5/12 AND WAS STOPPED IN
• WHILE DRIVING ON CITY BELTWAY, I WAS CHANGING LANES AT 50 -55MPH WHEN MY CAR EXPERIENCE SHUDDER AND THE MESSAGES THAT CAME ON SCREEN WAS ENGINE REDUCING POWER, CHECK STABILITY CONTROL, CHECK TRACTION CONTROL LIGHTS FLASH AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE ROUGH IDLING. THE NEXT INCIDENT HAPPEN OFF AND ON FOR
• MY 2011 IMPALA IS READING "SERVICE THROTTLE. REDUCE ENGINE POWER" AND THEN PROCEEDS TO SHUT DOWN. EVEN AFTER REPLACING ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR, VEHICLE IS STILL READING SAME ERRORS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE THERE IS NO LIMITATIONS TO WHEN THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF. AFTER EXTENSIVE RES

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports

“ON 5/11/12, THE "SERVICE STABILITRAK" LIGHT CAME ON; THEN A NOTICE THAT THE ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AND HE SAID I COULD BRING IT IN ON 5/14. I ASKED IF IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IN THE MEANTIME AND HE SAID NO. I WAS DRIVING ON 5/12 AND WAS STOPPED IN ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

97 complaints

11%

• I OWN A 2011 CHEVY IMPALA AND FOR THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS ON 6 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AS I AM DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY MY ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED AND "SERVICE STABILITRAK" LIGHT APPEARS. AS I HAVE RESEARCHED AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON AND VERY UNSAFE PROBLEM AMONG GM VEHICLES. I HAVE ALSO FOUN
• DRIVER SIDE WINDOW SWITCH WOULD NOT OPERATE ( INTERMITTENT) AT TIMES. THE SWITCH WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALERSHIP (YOUNG CHEVROLET). DURING THE PAST MONTH (6/13) THE SAME TYPE OF CONDITION HAS OCCURRED. THIS PROBLEM SOUNDS MUCH LIKE WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH NHTSA ID - 13V248. *TR
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A KNOCKING NOISE HEARD FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING ORATOR HAD FAILED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 4 crashes

“I OWN A 2011 CHEVY IMPALA AND FOR THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS ON 6 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AS I AM DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY MY ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED AND "SERVICE STABILITRAK" LIGHT APPEARS. AS I HAVE RESEARCHED AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON AND VERY UNSAFE PROBLEM AMONG GM VEHICLES. I HAVE ALSO FOUN”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SEATS/RESTRAINTS

86 complaints

10%

• TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE THROUGH THE REAR WINDOW DUE TO THE REAR SEAT HEAD RESTS BLOCKING HER VIEW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OP
• I OWN A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA WHICH HAS A SERIOUS TRAFFIC HAZARD INVOLVING THE THREE REAR HEAD RESTS AFFIXED/SEWN - WHICH MAKES THEM NON-ADJUSTABLE. THE PROBLEM IS AGGRAVATED BY THE FACT THAT THE HEAD RESTS ARE HIGHER THAN MOST VEHICLES. THE FIXED POSITION OF THESE HEAD RESTS BLOCK THE DRIVER'S V
• 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA LT. CONSUMER STATES THAT REAR HEAD RESTRAINTS ARE EXCESSIVELY HIGH *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HIS REAR VIEW VISION OF TRAFFIC WAS OBSTRUCTED. *JB

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 4 crashes

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE THROUGH THE REAR WINDOW DUE TO THE REAR SEAT HEAD RESTS BLOCKING HER VIEW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OP”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

70 complaints

• MY FIRST ISSUE WAS WITH THE CENTER HEAD RESTRAINT IN THE BACK WHICH TOTALLY BLOCKS VISION USING THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. I ASKED THE DEALER TO REMOVE IT AND I WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT. BACKING UP IS IMPOSSIBLE EXCEPT WITH THE SIDE MIRRORS AND TRAFFIC IMMEDIATELY BEHIND IS BLOCKED WHEN DRIVING. THIS IS A
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING DOWN AN INCLINE APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DRIFT UP TO 65 MPH. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP UPON ENGAGING THE BRAKES AND RESUMED AS NORMAL. THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NO
• I HAVE 42,000 ON MY 2011 CHEVY IMPALA AND THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL AND THEN REDUCE ENGINE POWER AS WELL AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ONE. I HAVE READ IT IS THE THROTTLE BODY AND NOT COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, BUT NUMEROUS PEOPLE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE SAME EXACT THING A

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports

“MY FIRST ISSUE WAS WITH THE CENTER HEAD RESTRAINT IN THE BACK WHICH TOTALLY BLOCKS VISION USING THE REAR VIEW MIRROR. I ASKED THE DEALER TO REMOVE IT AND I WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT. BACKING UP IS IMPOSSIBLE EXCEPT WITH THE SIDE MIRRORS AND TRAFFIC IMMEDIATELY BEHIND IS BLOCKED WHEN DRIVING. THIS IS A”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

SEATS/RESTRAINTS(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 844 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: MY IMPALA WILL NOT HEAT IN IDLE POSITION,NO EARLY MORN DEFROSTS FOR ME! TOOK TO DEALER ( 10/18/11) HE FOUND A LEAK, REPLACED A HOSE. IT WAS GOOD FOR A WHILE, NOW DOING AGAIN, (10/28/11), GOING BACK IN SHOP ON 11/3/11. ALSO CAR WILL NOT HEAT WHEN REMOTE STARTER IS USED,COMES UP TO TEMP EVERYTIME JU
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS: ON 5/11/12, THE "SERVICE STABILITRAK" LIGHT CAME ON; THEN A NOTICE THAT THE ENGINE POWER WAS REDUCED CAME ON. I CALLED THE DEALER FOR SERVICE AND HE SAID I COULD BRING IT IN ON 5/14. I ASKED IF IT WAS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IN THE MEANTIME AND HE SAID NO. I WAS DRIVING ON 5/12 AND WAS STOPPED IN
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: I OWN A 2011 CHEVY IMPALA AND FOR THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS ON 6 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AS I AM DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY MY ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED AND "SERVICE STABILITRAK" LIGHT APPEARS. AS I HAVE RESEARCHED AND HAVE FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON AND VERY UNSAFE PROBLEM AMONG GM VEHICLES. I HAVE ALSO FOUN
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
SEATS/RESTRAINTS: TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE THROUGH THE REAR WINDOW DUE TO THE REAR SEAT HEAD RESTS BLOCKING HER VIEW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OP
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)