Chevrolet Impala Reliability
15,190 NHTSA complaints (1981–2020). Complaint rate: 544.6 per 1,000 vehicles.
Which Years to Buy & Avoid
Years auto-clustered by complaint volume relative to this model's median.
Bottom line: Avoid the 2000–2011 Chevrolet Impala (774 crash-related complaints). The 2016–2020 models had significantly fewer reported issues. Most common issue across all years: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Avoid These Years
Average
Better Years
A model's reputation is just the start.
Even within the “good” years, individual cars can have hidden accidents, title issues, or odometer rollbacks. Check the actual VIN before you buy — full history report for $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
Complaints by Model Year
NHTSA complaint count per model year
Common Chevrolet Impala Problems
Most reported component complaints to NHTSA
| Component | Complaints | Crash % |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2,785 | 2.8% |
| ENGINE | 1,261 | 3.3% |
| STEERING | 993 | 8.9% |
| AIR BAGS | 832 | 31.2% |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 763 | 2.4% |
| POWER TRAIN | 678 | 3.7% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 607 | 5.9% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 566 | 3.2% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 457 | 14.0% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 377 | 2.9% |
Year-by-Year Breakdown
NHTSA complaint count per model year — click any year for full problems & recalls breakdown.
| Year | Generation | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | 2 | View 1981View→ |
| 1982GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 1982View→ |
| 1983GOOD | — | 3 | 0 | — | View 1983View→ |
| 1993GOOD | — | 6 | 0 | 5 | View 1993View→ |
| 1994GOOD | — | 19 | 1 | — | View 1994View→ |
| 1995GOOD | — | 64 | 1 | 1 | View 1995View→ |
| 1996GOOD | — | 120 | 2 | 2 | View 1996View→ |
| 1997GOOD | — | 2 | 0 | — | View 1997View→ |
| 1998GOOD | — | 4 | 0 | 1 | View 1998View→ |
| 1999GOOD | — | 4 | 0 | — | View 1999View→ |
| 2000AVOID | — | 1,128 | 73 | 95 | View 2000View→ |
| 2001AVOID | — | 959 | 55 | 87 | View 2001View→ |
| 2002AVOID | — | 1,076 | 51 | 42 | View 2002View→ |
| 2003AVOID | — | 935 | 44 | 45 | View 2003View→ |
| 2004AVOID | — | 1,375 | 80 | 34 | View 2004View→ |
| 2005AVOID | — | 809 | 62 | 20 | View 2005View→ |
| 2006AVOID | — | 803 | 91 | 36 | View 2006View→ |
| 2007AVOID | — | 930 | 80 | 15 | View 2007View→ |
| 2008AVOID | — | 1,203 | 80 | 15 | View 2008View→ |
| 2009AVOID | — | 1,367 | 89 | 15 | View 2009View→ |
| 2010AVOID | — | 737 | 30 | 5 | View 2010View→ |
| 2011AVOID | — | 844 | 39 | 8 | View 2011View→ |
| 2012 | — | 422 | 40 | 6 | View 2012View→ |
| 2013 | — | 466 | 31 | — | View 2013View→ |
| 2014AVOID | — | 1,016 | 31 | 15 | View 2014View→ |
| 2015 | — | 430 | 13 | 17 | View 2015View→ |
| 2016GOOD | — | 176 | 15 | 7 | View 2016View→ |
| 2017GOOD | — | 137 | 6 | — | View 2017View→ |
| 2018GOOD | — | 87 | 7 | — | View 2018View→ |
| 2019GOOD | — | 39 | 6 | 1 | View 2019View→ |
| 2020GOOD | — | 23 | 2 | — | View 2020View→ |
See also: Chevrolet Impalaaccident & safety statistics from our vehicle history database.
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