RoadVitals

1996 Chevrolet Impala Fuel system Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the fuel system system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Fuel system reportsComplaints 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.
9
Latest Oct 12, 2006
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
10%
of 88 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1996 Chevrolet Impala submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming fuel system

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Fuel system
Filed Oct 12, 2006

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

NHTSA ID
10170692
Incident
Oct 8, 2006
Mileage
83,439 mi
ElectricalFuel system
Filed Jun 30, 2004

(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

NHTSA ID
10079043
Incident
Jun 22, 2004
Mileage
92,500 mi
Fuel system
Filed Aug 26, 2000

ON 7/2/2000 I WAS RETURNING HOME FROM A TRIP AND MY CAR WENT DEAD WHILE I WAS DRIVING ALONG AT ABOUT 35 MPH. I WAS ABOUT 5 MILES FROM HOME WHEN THIS HAPPENED SO I GOT THE CAR OFF THE ROAD AND CONTACTED MODERN CHEVROLET IN WINSTON SALEM NC ON MONDAY MORNING AND HAD THEM PICK THE CAR UP FOR REPAIR. WHEN THEY CONTACTED ME THE SAME DAY THEY TOLD ME THE FUEL PUMP FUSE HAD BLOWN OUT AND MY CAR WAS READY TO PICK UP. WHEN I PICKED THE CAR UP THEY TOLD ME IF THE FUSE BLEW OUT AGAIN THAT I MAY NEED TO HAVE THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED. THIS REPAIR COST ME $150.00. ON AUGUST THE 20TH, 2000 I WAS ON THE WAY HOME FROM A TRIP WITH MY COUSIN AND WE WERE ABOUT 150 MILES FROM HOME TRAVELING EAST ON I-40 AT ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN THE CAR WENT DEAD AGAIN. I MANAGED TO GET THE CAR OFF THE ROAD AND GET ASSISTANCE TO GET IT HOME. I LEFT IT AT MODERN CHEVROLET AGAIN FOR REPAIR. THAY CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND SAID THE FUEL PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED SO I TOLD THEM TO GO AHEAD. AS IT WENT THE FUEL PUMP AND THE SENDING UNIT BOTH NEEDED REPLACING. I TOLD THEM I WANTED THE PARTS WHEN THEY FINISHED. WHEN IT WAS ALL OVER THIS COST ME $1050.00 IN REPAIR AND TOWING. WHEN I RECEIVED THE FUEL PUMP AND SENDING UNIT WHICH I HAD TO ASK FOR AS THEY DIDN'T LEAVE IT WITH THE VEHICLE I FOUND THE WIRING TO THE PUMP HAD SHORTED OUT SOME HOW AND THE WARE WAS BARE FOR ABOUT AN INCH AND HAD SHORTED AGAINST ANOTHER WIRE. THIS WAS AN IN TANK FUEL PUMP AND SENDING UNIT AND I FEEL I WAS LUCKY THE VEHICLE DIDN'T CATCH ON FIRE. I HAVE THE FUEL PUMP AND SENDING UNIT IF IT IS NEEDED.

NHTSA ID
729204
Incident
Aug 20, 2000
Fuel system
Filed Apr 6, 2000

GMC IN RECENT YEARS HAS REPLACED MOST OF THE FUEL LINES ON ITS VEHICLES WITH A FLEXABLE NYLON FUEL LINE. THIS WAS DONE TO SAVE MONEY AND MAKE INSTALLATION EASIER. THE METAL END FITTING ARE JUST ATTACTED TO THE LINES BY SHIRNK RAPPING THE NYLON LINE TO THE FITTINGS. AS PER GM'S OWN SERVICE MANUAL THESE NYLON FUEL LINES ARE VERY VULNERABLE TO DAMAGE FROM CHAFFING, SHARP OBJECTS, HEAT. THE SERVICE MANUAL STATES THAT THESE FUEL LINES MUST NOT BE EXPOSED TO TEMPERATURES ABOVE 190 DEGREES F. FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR, OR 235 DEGRESS AT ANY TIME. THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT ENVIRONMENT OF THIS VEHICLE CAN FAR EXCEED 235 DEGREES F. I HAVE SEEN THE LINES SOFTEN FROM EXPOSURE TO HEAT AND THE SHRINK RAP AT THE METAL END FITTINGS RELAX. THESE LINES ARE USED BEFORE THE FUEL PRESSURE REGULATOR AND ARE EXPOSED TO THE FULL FUEL PRESSURE THAT THE FUEL PUMP CAN GENERATE. THIS CAN BLOW THE ENDS RIGHT OFF THE NYLON LINES WHEN THEY ARE EXPOSED TO HEAT ABOVE 200 DEGREES F. THIS CAN CAUSE A MAJOR ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE SINCE THERE ARE SEVERAL IGNITION SOURCES (ELECTRICAL SPARK AND AUTO IGNITION FROM HEAT)

NHTSA ID
721113
Fuel system
Filed Aug 3, 1999

I FOUND TWO VEHICLES THAT HAD THE FUEL PUMP HARNESS WITH MELTED WIRES. I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO THE NTSA BECAUSE OF POSSIBLE FIRE HAZARD

NHTSA ID
709538
Incident
Jul 31, 1999
Fuel system
Filed Jul 23, 1999

THE FUEL GAUGE WAS READING FULL WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS ON EMPTY DUE TO A SHORT THAT HAD WELDED WIRES TOGETHER INSIDE OF THE TANK. DEALER HAS REPAIRED VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID
843245
ElectricalFuel systemSteering
Filed Dec 5, 1997

FUEL GAUGE FAILURE DUE TO INTERNAL SHORT IN FUEL SENDER.

NHTSA ID
525843
Incident
Dec 13, 1996
ElectricalFuel systemSteering
Filed Aug 19, 1997

FUEL METER ASSEMBLY (SENDER) FAILED.

NHTSA ID
521159
Incident
Dec 13, 1996
ElectricalEngineFuel system+1 more
Filed May 20, 1997

DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SHORT, THE FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT WORK.

NHTSA ID
517296
Incident
Dec 13, 1996

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .