What breaks most · 1993 to 2018 model years
Chevrolet Impala problems by year
Owners have filed 9,144 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Chevrolet Impala across model years 1993 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2004 for electrical system complaints, 2000 for electrical system complaints and 2002 for electrical system complaints. The quietest years are 1997, 1993 and 1998.
- Years to check closely: 2004, 2000, 2002
- Fewest complaints: 1997, 1993, 1998
- Complaints on file
- 91441993 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 20041054 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 501294 fires · 474 injuries · 7 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 70kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 88Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Powertrain and transmission (2) | |
| 15 | 1 | 1 | Electrical system (5) | |
| 44 | 1 | 1 | Brakes (hydraulic) (8) | |
| 88 | 2 | 1 | Visibility (13) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Tires (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Steering (2) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 811 | 48 | 10 | Electrical system (184) | |
| 729 | 33 | 10 | Electrical system (220) | |
| 779 | 36 | 7 | Electrical system (297) | |
| 673 | 31 | 8 | Electrical system (259) | |
| 1054 | 43 | 7 | Electrical system (675) | |
| 594 | 38 | 4 | Electrical system (326) | |
| 502 | 53 | 2 | Steering (133) | |
| 596 | 46 | 3 | Electrical system (118) | |
| 759 | 48 | 2 | Electrical system (207) | |
| 729 | 39 | 5 | Electrical system (195) | |
| 382 | 15 | 4 | Electrical system (117) | |
| 444 | 18 | 2 | Stability control (125) | |
| 205 | 16 | 3 | Electrical system (47) | |
| 221 | 8 | 1 | Stability control (92) | |
| 318 | 13 | 12 | Electrical system (99) | |
| 120 | 7 | 3 | Electrical system (34) | |
| 30 | 3 | 0 | Electrical system (9) | |
| 35 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (7) | |
| 8 | 1 | 1 | Unknown or other (5) |
What fails on the 2004 Chevrolet Impala
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 64% |
675 | 8 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2004 Chevrolet Impala |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 10% |
104 | 1 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2004 Chevrolet Impala |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 6% |
65 | 2 | Shop engine parts for the 2004 Chevrolet Impala |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 6% |
60 | 11 | Shop steering parts for the 2004 Chevrolet Impala |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 5% |
51 | 6 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2004 Chevrolet Impala |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 4% |
44 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2004 Chevrolet Impala |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 4% |
40 | 3 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2004 Chevrolet Impala |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 3% |
35 | 2 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2004 Chevrolet Impala |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Turn signals do not opera rate all the time, when they fail hitting the hazard lights button seams to make them operate.
-
Car been having coolant leaks, & electrical problems , windows stop working then start working again , & overheating even after repairs, car won't start now it shut off while in motion
-
You put the key in the ignition and it doesnt turn. The steering wheel is free there is nothing else wrong. You have to sit there forever moving the key in every which way. To hopefully find the right combination to get the car to start.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Chevrolet Impala years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2004, 2000, 2002 carry the most filings on the Chevrolet Impala. The 2004 alone has 1054 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Chevrolet Impala problem?
On the 2004 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 675 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Chevrolet Impala problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Chevrolet Impala complaints that include mileage is about 70,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.