RoadVitals

1994 Chevrolet Impala

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
15
Latest Mar 9, 2009
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Mar 23, 2006
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
1
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
1

Overview

Our database contains 15 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1994 Chevrolet Impala, most frequently naming the electrical, fuel system and driver assistance categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; 1 NHTSA investigation names it; and 5 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical529.4%
  • Fuel system423.5%
  • Driver assistance317.6%
  • Engine211.8%
  • Airbags15.9%
  • Interior & seats15.9%
  • Other / unspecified15.9%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
06E026000

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

Mar 23, 2006
61,944 units potentially affected
The defect: CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
The risk: WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
The remedy: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
PRO-A MOTORS, INC.View on NHTSA.gov

Safety investigations

NHTSA inquiries naming this vehicle. An investigation is not a finding of a defect.

EA99003ClosedEngineering Analysis

COOLANT FIRES

Opened Jan 13, 1999
Closed Aug 17, 2000

There is no summary currently available

VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

View all 15
Electrical
Filed Mar 9, 2009

INSTRUMENT PANEL KEEPS GOING OUT (SPEEDOMETER,TACH,GAS,HEAT) READS 150 MPH WHILE I AM AT A COMPLETE STOP. I HAVE TO TURN OFF THE ENGINE AND TURN THE KEY ON AND OFF TILL IT COMES BACK DOWN. AND EVEN THIS DOES NOT ALWAYS WORK. NOW THE GAUGE FOR THE TEMP. OF THE CAR IS READING THAT IT IS OVERHEATING AS SOON AS I START DRIVING. I HAVE HAD TO TAKE IT IN TO GET IT CHECKED FOR SEVERAL THINGS. THE CAR HAS ONLY 42,000 MILES ON IT. THIS HAS BE GOING ON FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND IS GETTING WORSE!! *TR

NHTSA ID
10261340
Incident
May 4, 2008
Mileage
22,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Oct 6, 2008

SPEEDOMETER AND ODOMETER ACT ERRATICALLY AT TIMES WITH NO WARNING NOR SYMPTOMS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10244548
Incident
Jun 2, 2006
Mileage
45,000 mi
Fuel system
Filed Jun 1, 2004

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT THE CONNECTOR FOR THE FUEL PUMP. VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH A HARNESS TO THE FUEL PUMP WHICH BURNT. THE WIRES BECAME HOT AND MELTED THE PLASTIC INSULATION, CAUSING THE PUMP NOT TO WORK. *AK

NHTSA ID
10075497
Incident
May 17, 2004
Mileage
129,500 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 10, 2002
Crash reported

VEHICLE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY, CAUSING A COLLISION. DEALER WILL BE CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

NHTSA ID
8013589
Fuel system
Filed Mar 6, 2001

WINDSHIELD WIRES INSIDE FUEL TANK THAT MAKES PUMP WORK, HAS SOME WIRES IN IT THAT BURN OUT WHILE VEHICLE IS RUNNING. CHEVROLET HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED.*AK

NHTSA ID
882189
Interior & seats
Filed Jun 4, 2000

DRIVERS SIDE SEATBACK FAILURE ON ACCELERATION FROM STOP NEARLY CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF VEHICLE. PARTS THAT FAILED WERE TWO SMALL VERY INADEQUATE BOLTS USED TO ATTACH SEATBACK TO SEAT BASE.

NHTSA ID
723548
Incident
Jun 3, 2000
ElectricalEngine
Filed Feb 29, 2000

COMPONENT 1 - EXHAUST MANIFOLD THE BOLTS THAT SECURE THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD BREAK FROM THE HEAT CYCLING ONF THE MANIFOLD. THE SOLUTION IS TO REPLACE THEM WITH STRONGER BOLTS THAT WERE SUPPLIED BY GM. THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT THERE IS AN EXTREME DANGER OF EXHAUST GASES LEAKING INTO THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF POOR FITTING MANIFOLDS. A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION AND PRESENTLY NOT COVERED BY GM WARRANTIES. COMPONENT 2 - STEERING WHEEL HORN. THIS HORN HAS A NICKNAME OF THE "SLEDGEHAMMER HORN" SINCE IT TAKES CONSIDERABLE FORCE TO SOUND THE HORN. ONCE AGAIN, GM RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM AND HAS A NEW HORN ASSEMBLY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS DOES NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM FOR CURRENT OWNERS, UNLESS AT CONSIDERABLE EXPENSE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING WHEEL ASSEMBLY. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION SINCE DEPRESSING THE HORN SWITCH MAY NOT SOUND THE HORN QUICK ENOUGH, IF AT ALL, IN CAS OF AN EMERGENCY. IT SIMPLY TAKES TOO LONG TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE HORN IS NOT SOUNDED UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE. COMPONENT 3 - AUXILLIARY POWER STUD. THERE IS A POWER STUD UNDER THE HOOD THAT ACTS AS A DISTRIBUTION POINT FOR MUCH OF THE POWER REQUIREMENTS. THE COMPOSITION OF THE THIS STUD WAS AN ALLOY THAT DID NOT STAND UP WELL UNDER USAGE, AND AS IT HEATED UP, THE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY BECOMES DEFORMED. IN THE PROCESS, ALL POWER IS LOST, AND IN SOME DOCUMENTED CASES, FIRES HAVE STARTED. IN MY PARTICULAR CASE, I LOST ALL POWER WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY IN THE RAIN. I WAS VERY LUCKY TO HAVE SURVIVED WITHOUT ANY SERIOUS INJURY. ONCE AGAIN, GM HAS A SOLUTION FOR THE PROBLEM. THEY NOW USE A STUD WHOSE MATERIAL CONTENT IS BRASS. IT IS QUITE SECURE AND CAUSES NOT FURTHER PROBLEMS. ONCE AGAIN --- A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY CONDITION RECOGNIZED BY GM. IN ALL OF THESE CASES GM RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM AS SERIOUS, DEVELOPED A SOLUTION AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC, BUT FAILED TO MOVE TO A RECALL LEVEL. THIS IS IN SPITE OF THE OBVIOUS SAFETY HAZARD.

NHTSA ID
719453
ElectricalEngineFuel system
Filed Feb 2, 2000

VEHICLE STALLS WITHOUT INDICATION. GAS CAP WAS REPLACED. THEN FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACE. ALSO, NOTICED WIRES WERE BURNING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATON. *AK

NHTSA ID
856015

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

130089009

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)

Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules

9709016114B

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

EXPERIENCING ENGINE NOISE. *YC

776513

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

WATER IN AIR PUMP AND/OR DTC P0410, P0412, P1415, P1416, P0100, P0101, P0102 AND DTC 48 (INSTALL AIR PUMP SERVICE KIT). *TW

676114A

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

ENGINE NOISE (INSTALL VALVE STEM OIL SEAL). *TW

533403

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

REAR WHEEL/TIRE POSITION IN WHEEL WELL OPENING. *TW

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet Impala by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2020150049.1
2019281052.7
2018591045.3
20171160039.1
20161110041.3
20152993050.3
201463112257.3
20132701038.4
20122583051.6
20115052045.1
20104414048.6
20098245050.4
20088102151.8
20076273051.8
20065242156.2
20056094051.9
20041,0727052.8
20036948157.9
20027957260.4
200174210262.8
200081810263.4
1999400—
1998200—
1997100—
1996881244.9
1995441143.5
1994Viewing151142.6
1993210—
1992010—
1991010—
1987100—
1985111—
1984001—
1983320—
1982230—
1981220—
1980030—
1979230—
1978030—
1977131—
1976010—
1974030—
1973010—
1972020—
1971040—
1969240—
1968020—
1967220—
1966320—
1965030—
1963100—
1958100—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.