Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
Data refreshed
Our database holds 88 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1996 Chevrolet Impala. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 88 · page 1 of 4
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND CRASHED INTO A DITCH. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
BACK IN NOVEMBER 1995 I PURCHASED A NEW 1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO MY HOME AND DID A COMPLETE VEHICLE INSPECTION. WHAT I FOUND WAS THE DEALERSHIP LANAN CHEVROLET OF WOBURN MASSACHUSETTS DID A POOR JOB PREPPING THE VEHICLE FOR DELIVERY. WHAT I FOUND WAS THE LUG NUTS FOR THE WHEELS, ALL WERE LOOSE. I GOT MY TORQUE WRENCH AND TORQUED THE WHEEL NUTS TO THE 100FT LBS. I ALSO FOUND THE FRONT END COMPONENTS WERE NOT GREASED. I CALLED UP THE DEALERSHIP AND TOLD THEM THEY DID A LOUSY JOB.. TODAY 2014 SINCE GM HAS 30 MILLION RECALLS I THOUGHT I WOULD CHECK MY VEHICLES FOR ANY RECALLS . WHAT I FOUND WAS , THE LOOSE LUG NUTS ARE LISTED AS AN INCOMPLETE RECALL ON THIS VEHICLE. SINCE NOV 1995 THESE LUG NUTS HAVE BEEN REMOVED AND RE TORQUED ABOUT 50 TIMES. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO CLEAR THIS RECALL FROM THE GM DATA BASE AND THE SERVICE GUY SAYS YOU HAVE TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN ..THIS IS STUPID ! *TR
FUEL PUMP FUSE BLOW OUT. THE CAR CUTS OFF AND STOPS WHILE DRIVING, BLOWING OUT THE FUSE. WHEN A NEW FUSE IS INSTALLED AND THE ENGINE IS STARTED, IT BLOWS OUT AGAIN. THE PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY A FAULTY WIRING HARNESS TO THE FUEL PUMP ASSEMBLY. THE WIRING ON THE FUEL PUMP SENDER UNIT MELTS AND PEELS BACK THE INSULATION, CAUSING THE BARE WIRES TO TOUCH AND SHORT AGAINST THEMSELVES OR GROUND OUT AGAINST THE CAR. THIS OCCURS RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE FUEL PUMP TANK ON THE SENDER ASSEMBLY OR JUST INSIDE THE TANK. THE FUEL PUMP WIRING HARNESSES ON THESE VEHICLES ARE PROBLEMATIC AND DEFECTIVE, POTENTIALLY CAUSING A FIRE IN THE FUEL TANK AND EVENTUALLY A CATASTROPHIC EXPLOSION. A NEW FUEL PUMP SENDER (OEM PART NO. 25028955) WAS REPLACED IN ADDITION TO A NEW ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP, AND NEW FUEL FILTER. *JB
CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP WILL NOT HONOR THE RECALLS YOU HAVE PLACED ON THE CAPRICE CAR I HAVE. *AK
THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT WHEN IT RAINED, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FLOOR WAS SOAKED DUE TO A LEAK INSIDE THE VEHICLE. *AK *SC *JB
(1) WHILE TRAVELING THRU LAUGHLIN, NV TRAVELING WEST ON HWY 163, CAR ABRUPTLY QUITS. FUEL PUMP FUSE BLOWN. SUSPECT DYING FUEL PUMP. INSTALL NEW FUSE, TRAVEL ANOTHER 30 MILES UP HWY 95...CAR DIES AGAIN. THIS TIME, NO BLOWN FUSE. FUEL PUMP WILL NOT RUN. TOW VEHICLE TO FINAL DESTINATION (LAS VEGAS). (2) PULLED THE TANK, REMOVED THE SENDING UNIT FOR PUMP REPLACEMENT. QUICKLY NOTICED THE PROBLEM. THE FUEL PUMP WIRING INSIDE THE TANK HAD SHORTED OUT. INSULATION BURNT COMPLETELY OFF OF THE PRIMARY PUMP POWER WIRE AND SHORTED INTO THE FUEL QUANTITY GROUND WIRE. CONNECTOR AT TOP OF SENDING UNIT MELTED. (3) REPLACE SENDING UNIT, FUEL PUMP, STRAINER AND FUEL FILTER. *AK
INABILITY TO CONTROL THE STEERING ON ROUGH ROADS. STEERING IS VERY LOOSE WHILE DRIVING AT ALL SPEEDS. ALSO, VEHICLE DARTS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS WHILE BRAKING. *AK
POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY LOCKS UP DURING TURNS AT LOW SPEEDS. THIS SAME THING HAPPENED 3 YEARS AGO. CHEVROLET DEALERS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE BOTH DENY ANY EVIDENCE OF A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH IMPALAS ALTHOUGH THE NHTSA WEB SITE AND AN IMPALA OWNERS' WEB SITE BOTH LIST NUMEROUS OCCURRENCES OF THIS MALFUNCTION. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT RENDERS THE CAR TEMPORARILY OUT OF CONTROL. *AK
REAR VISION IS IMPARED WHEN LOOKING THROUGH BACK GLASS.THE DE-ICER/DEFROSTER HAS TURNED ( FOGGY) .THIS IS A REAL SAFETY CONCERN AT NIGHT ESPECIALLY.
STEERING ASSIST STOPS WHEN TURNING. NOT ALL THE TIME BUT IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES.ITS VERY SCARY WHEN IN TRAFFIC.SO FAR NO ACCIDENTS, BUT ITS JUST A MATTER OF TIME WHEN .
1996 CHEVROLET IMPALA CAUGHT FIRE WHILE IN MOTION.*MR *CB *JB
THE LOWER BALL JOINT EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE AS STATED IN THE RECALL, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. *JB
WHEN THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FROM A STOP,THERE WAS A KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM VEHICLE'S UNDER BODY. CONSUMER BELIEVED THE LOWER CONTROL ARM WAS DEFECTIVE. *JB
HEATER CORE IN MY 1996 IMPALA IS CONSTANTLY CLOGGING, THEREFORE NO HEAT AND NO DEFROSTERS. COOLING SYSTEM FLUSHED 2 TIMES BY CHEVROLET GARAGE. THEY HAVE NO WAY TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM IS NATION WIDE AND NOT A LOCAL ISSUE. *JB
CONSUMER WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION, AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY.*JB
I BOUGHT MY 1996 IMPALA SS BRAND NEW, AND EVERY YEAR SINCE THEN IN THE WINTER TIME I LOOSE THE HEAT. THE DEALER, WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, WOULD FLUSH THE HEATER CORE AND SOMETIMES REPLACE IT YEARLY. THE PROBLEM STILL IS NOT FIXED, AND I HAVE LOST THE HEAT IN THE CAR AGAIN AND THE DEALER WILL NO LONGER FIX THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY CLAIM IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE ALL OF THE SERVICE RECORDS SHOWING THE HISTORY OF THE PROBLEM. I THINK THIS IS TOTALLY UNFAIR TO THE OWNER, AND I HAVE TALKED TO MANY CAPRICE/IMPALA SS OWNERS OF THIS YEAR WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THE SAME PROBLEM. CHEVY KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM BUT DOES NOTHING TO CORRECT IT, AND NOW THE OWNERS ARE LEFT WITH THE BILL AND IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE THEM FIX IT YOU DRIVE IN A COLD CAR. IF THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THIS PROBLEM, THEN CHEVY/DEALERSHIP SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FLUSHING OR REPLACING MY HEATER CORE(WHATEVER IS NEEDED TO RESTORE THE HEAT) FOR AS LONG AS I OWN THE CAR. I NEED SOME HELP WITH THIS, I AM ONLY A SMALL GUY FIGHTING A GIANT. ANY ASSISTANCE YOU CAN PROVIDE WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. THANKS KJB. TS
FRONT SEAT BELT RETRACTOR AND MOTION LOOK-UP DEVICE FAILLED WITHOUT WARNING. UPON REPLACEMENT FOUND THAT THE RETRACTION SPRING HAD WORN THROUGH THE PLASTIC SIDE COVER. FALURE OCCURRED WHEN I LEANED FORWARD AND APPLIED FORCE TO THE SEAT BELT SHOULDER HARNESS. IF IT HAD OCCURRED IN AN ACCIDENT, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RESTRAINED.
THE DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT WAS INOPERATIVE. WHEN SEATBELT WAS EXTENDED OUTWARD, IT WOULD NOT RETRACT. BY ASSUMPTION, CONSUMER TESTED THE BELTS BY SLAMMING ON BRAKES, AND THEY DIDN'T RETRACT. TS CONSUMER ALSO REMOVED THE MOLDING AND FOUND THE RECOIL SPRING WAS PROTRUDING OUT OF HOLE ON THE COVER. *TT *JB
ODOMETER DISPLAY GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY-DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS INDICATED THE ONLY WAY TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM IS TO REPLACE THE DASH. SOUNDS EXCESSIVE FOR A VEHICLE WITH LESS THAN 42,000 MILES. THE WATER PUMP LEAKING CREATES MORE OF A SAFETY HAZARD. IT LEAKS ONTO THE POWER STEERING BELT, CAUSING THE BELT TO SLIP, CAUSING THE POWER STEERING TO GO OUT INTERMITTENTLY. THERE IS NO WARNING WHEN THIS HAPPENS. AGAIN, THIS PART FAILING WITH LESS THAN 42,000 MILES ON A CAR SEEMS OUT OF LINE. MR
THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I WANTED TO TURN LEFT INTO A SHOPPING CENTER. I SLOWED DOWN TO TURN LEFT AND THE STEERING WAS TO DIFFICULT TO TURN, I HAD TO RUN OVER A CURB AND OVER A PATCH OF GRASS TO AVOID HITTING A CAR. I STOPPED THE CAR, PUT IT IN PARK AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT TO NO AVAIL. I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND STARTED IT BACK UP AGAIN, PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE AND THE STEERING WHEEL TURNED, BUT NOT WITH EASE. THIS ALSO OCCURRED ON MY WAY HOME INTO MY DRIVEWAY. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURED ABOUT FIFTEEN TIMES. THIS IS A "SAFETY HAZARD" AND COULD BE LIFE THREATENING. *AK
ALL 3 BATTERIES HAVE LEAKED ACID OUT. HAD A PUDDLE OF ACID ON GARAGE FLOOR, THAT MY 6 YEAR OLD SON ALMOST STEPPED IN BARE FOOTED.*AK
MANUFACTURER USED A PLASTIC TANK ON TOP OF RADIATOR INSTEAD OF METAL. PLASTIC TANK BECAME SPLIT, AND ANTIFREEZE POURED OUT, COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE A FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD GASKET IS CAUSING ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AND COOLANT LEAKAGE, CONSEQUENTLY CREATING A POTENTIAL ENGINE FIRE. PRIOR ENGINE COOLANT LEAKAGE CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE WATER PUMP, POWER STEERING ASSEMBLY, AND POSSIBLY THE CURRENT HEAD GASKET DEFECT. PRIOR COOLANT LEAKAGE ONTO THE POWER STEERING BELT CAUSED POWER STEERING FAILURE THAT REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF THE POWER STEERING BELT AND ENGINE SERPENTINE BELT. POWER STEERING BELT AND ENGINE SERPENTINE BELT WERE REPLACED SEPT. 1999. WATER PUMP WAS REPLACED NOV. 2000.
IDLER ARM HAS WORN, CAUSING VEHICLE TO DRIFT FROM LEFT TO RIGHT WHEN DRIVING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
COOLENT DEX COOL FAILED AT HALF ITS WARRANTY AND CAR DAMAGINGLY OVERHEATED. THIS FAILURE CAUSED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE COOLANT RESERVOIR, RADIATOR, THERMOSTAT, WATER PUMP. IT ALSO REQUIRED DAYS OF FLUSHING OUT THE HEATER CORE AND THE COOLING SYSTEM. IT MAY HAVE PERMANENTLY DAMAGED AN EXPENSIVE HIGH PERFORMANCE ENGINE.
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.
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