Worst 2002 Chevrolet Impala Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Electrical Faults
Engine Problems
Headlight/Taillight Failures
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All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2002 Chevrolet Impala.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Faults | 247 | 7 | 5 | 95,885 mi | |
| Engine Problems | 75 | — | 20 | 136,082 mi | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 48 | 2 | — | 95,277 mi | |
| Engine & Cooling | 45 | — | 4 | 93,328 mi | |
| Exterior Lighting:Headlights | 38 | — | — | 62,439 mi | |
| Steering Defects | 37 | 1 | — | 62,508 mi | |
| Airbags | 27 | 12 | — | 96,844 mi | |
| Hydraulic Brakes | 26 | — | — | 63,885 mi | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Cooling System | 24 | — | — | 78,442 mi | |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Anti-Theft:Control Module | 22 | — | — | 64,936 mi | |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor | 20 | — | — | 26,493 mi | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 17 | 1 | — | 118,139 mi | |
| Automatic Transmission | 16 | — | — | 56,608 mi | |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 15 | 6 | — | 62,387 mi | |
| Electrical System:Ignition | 14 | — | — | 91,600 mi | |
| Fuel System | 14 | — | 3 | 111,656 mi | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 14 | 1 | — | 139,438 mi | |
| Traction Control System | 14 | 1 | — | 105,468 mi | |
| Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal | 13 | — | — | 64,374 mi | |
| Other Equipment | 12 | 1 | — | 92,608 mi | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine | 11 | — | — | 75,398 mi | |
| Exterior Lighting:Headlights:High/Low Beam Dimmer Switch | 11 | — | — | 67,498 mi | |
| Brakes | 11 | 1 | — | 131,725 mi | |
| Steering:Column | 11 | 1 | — | 43,867 mi | |
| Engine And Engine Cooling:Exhaust System:Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe | 10 | — | — | 78,813 mi | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 10 | 1 | — | 99,599 mi | |
| Electrical System:Ignition:Switch | 9 | — | — | 100,021 mi | |
| Gasoline Fuel System | 9 | — | 1 | 88,228 mi | |
| Visibility:Windshield | 9 | — | — | 40,000 mi |
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2002 Chevrolet Impala. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Recalls for 2002 Chevrolet Impala
2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting ~6,881,274 vehicles.
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.
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) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Other Chevrolet Impala Years
2002 Chevrolet Impala — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2002 Chevrolet Impala reliable?
What are common problems with the 2002 Chevrolet Impala?
At what mileage do problems start on the 2002 Chevrolet Impala?
How safe is the 2002 Chevrolet Impala?
Does the 2002 Chevrolet Impala have any recalls?
Should I buy a 2002 Chevrolet Impala?
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinItel.
Wider context: See the full Chevrolet Impala reliability report with year-by-year comparison and generation analysis.
Check Your Specific 2002 Chevrolet Impala
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud.
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