Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2008 Chevrolet Impala submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 130 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.
The 25 most recent of 130, in the owner's own words
IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET TURNING LEFT , PEDAL STUCK BRAKES NOT WORKING AND HIT BY ON COMING CAR , FLIPPED IN AIR ABOUT A BLOCK , ROLLING OVER AGAIN AND AGAIN , NO AIR BAGS DEPLEATED, BROKEN RIBS, CONCUSSION, SKIN LACERATIONS , BRUISES,GLASS LOGGED IN PARTS OF BODY , FACE AND FEET
HAVE GONE THROUGH 2 ALTERNATORS, AND 2 BATTERIES, AIRBAGS SENSOR IS SOMETHING PROBLEMS, RATTLING WHILE DRIVING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE.
WHEN FIRST PURCHASED I HAD TO CHANGE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE SHOP I WAS TOLD THEY GET A LOT OF PEOPLE W IMPALAS SAME AS MY YEAR 2008 THAT NEEDED TO HAVE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL CHANGED EVERY SO OFTEN BECAUSE THEY WOULD GO OUT AND IT WOULD CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO GO ON AND OFF BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS SENDING THE WRONG SIGNALS.I WOULD DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY AND STREET IT WOULD CAUSE REDUCED ENGINE TO COME ON AND SLOW MY CAR DOWN ALMOST LEADING INTO ACCIDENTS BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW IT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. IT WOULD COME AND GO ON AS IT WANTED. THE ELECTRICAL PART OF THE CAR IS SOMETHING IN THE CAR CONTINUES TO DRAIN MY BATTERY. I'VE GOTTEN A NEW BATTERY AND IT STILL DRAINS CAUSING ME TO HAVE TO GET IT RECHARGED. THE SUSPENSION I WAS ALSO TOLD FOR THE YEAR OF MY CAR IS BAD. WHEN PURCHASED I FOUND OUT THAT AGAIN PEOPLE THAT PURCHASED THESE YEARS OF VEHICLES HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE CONTROL ARMS AND THAT I NOW HAVE TO TAKE IT TO GET FIXED BECAUSE ONE HIT TO A POT HOLE CAN CAUSE THE UNDER PART OF THE CAR TO BREAK AND CAUSE A BAD ACCIDENT. I DID NOT KNOW IMPALAS HAD THIS MANY PROBLEMS. I SEEN THE POLICE IMPALAS FOR 2008 WERE RECALLED FOR SUSPENSION, BUT THEY ALL SEEM TO SHARE THIS COMMON PROBLEM AS WELL AS THE ACTUATOR CONTINUOUSLY CLICKING. IT SEEMS TO BE AN EASY FIX, BUT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO FIX SOMETHING THAT IS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THE IMPALAS.
RANDOMLY I RECEIVE THE MESSAGE "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL - ENGINE POWER REDUCED" - THERE IS NO RHYME OR REASON. IT HAPPENS ON NICE DAYS, RAINY DAYS, WHETHER OR NOT I AM GOING UPHILL, DOWNHILL OR ON FLAT SURFACES. ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND I HAD TO COAST FROM LANE 2 TO THE SHOULDER. AFTER 20 MINUTES, IT RESTARTED. *TR
THE STABILITRAK IS MAKING THE CAR SHAKE AND ACT CRAZY. I'M BARELY IN CONTROL OF THE CAR. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF MORE PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. THE CAR REDUCES SPEED BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. MANY GROUPS AND BLOGS ONLINE ABOUT THIS. WHY HASN'T ANYTHING BEEN DONE ABOUT THIS? NO RECALLS OR ANYTHING.
THE CAR IS NOT DRIVING SMOOTH. THE CAR IS HAVING MULTIPLE PROBLEMS
ON INTERSTATE DRIVING APPROX. 60 MPH SUDDENLY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, AND REDUCE ENGINE SPEED LIGHT ON AND CAR DROPPED DRASTICALLY DOWN TO LITERALLY NO POWER. BARELY HAD TIME TO GET ON SHOULDER WITHOUT CAUSING ACCIDENT. WENT TO LOCAL MECHANIC AND HE SAID THAT THE ISSUE WAS THE THROTTLE PEDDLE.
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY MY CAR WILL REDUCE ENGINE SPEED IT WILL DROP FROM 65MPH TO 20MPH SOMETIMES IT SHUTS CLEAR DOWN . I HAVE SO FAR ALMOST BEEN IN TWO COLLISIONS BECAUSE OF THIS.
TAKATA RECALL. WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED A LOUD SCREECH HAPPEN EVERY TIME VEHICLE IS STARTED, ONCE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY, STREET, CITY.AND IN MOTION THE VEHICLE STARTS ALARMING AND LETTIMG ME KNOW IN THE INFORMATION WIDOW CHECK TIRE MONITORING SYSTEM WITH TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CONSISTENTLY ON THEN VEHICLE ALARMING SOUNDS AGAIN TO CHECK STABILITY TRAK AND THEN IT ALARM S AGAIN WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT THE VEHICLES ENGINE POWER HAS BEEN REDUCED AND VEHICLE IS NO LONGER ABLE TO PICK UP SPEED RIGHT AWAY THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SENSE I PURCHASED IT. ALSO WHEN IM MAKING TURNS THE VEHICLE WILL ALARM ABOUT HAVING STABILITY TRAK SERVICED
DRIVING ON HIGHWAY @ 60 MPH WHEN ENGINE DIES WITH NO WARNING. DASH SHOWS FOLLOWING MESSAGES: "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" "SERIVCE TRACTION CONTROL" "SERVICE STABILITRAX" POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES STOP WORKING. WHEN CAR KEY IS TURNED OFF AND CHECK ENGINE CODES ARE CLEARED, THE CAR STARTS UP FINE AND CONTINUES TO RUN SMOOTHLY. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY STOP THE CAR (ALBEIT ON THE MIDDLE OF A MAJOR HIGHWAY), TURN IT OFF, CLEAR THE CODES, AND START IT BACK UP TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. SAME PROBLEM HAPPENED IN JANUARY 2018. AFTER THIS I TOOK IT TO A CHEVY DEALER. THEY SAID CAR WAS COVERED UNDER "WARRANTY" FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY. ONE MONTH LATER SAME PROBLEM KEEPS OCCURRING. CAR RUNS FINE BUT THESE MESSAGES APPEAR ABOUT ONCE A MONTH. TYPICALLY THE ENGINE STAYS ON AND IS ONLY LIMITED IN POWER. HOWEVER, OCCASIONALLY THE CAR WILL DIE COMPLETELY WITHOUT WARNING, EVEN ON THE HIGHWAY. HAD CAR BROUGHT TO CHEVY DEALER. THEY SAID THEY CAN NOT FIX THE PROBLEM UNLESS IT IS CURRENTLY OCCURRING WITH THE CAR. THEY RECOMMENDED I TAKE THE CAR AND BRING IT BACK TO THEM WHEN THE PROBLEM HAPPENS AGAIN. HOWEVER, I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS CAR KNOWING THE ENGINE COULD JUST SHUT DOWN AT ANY MOMENT AND THE CHEVY SPECIALIST THEMSELVES DO NOT SEEM TO EVEN HAVE A CLUE ABOUT WHAT COULD BE CAUSING THIS.
VERY BAD KNOCKING NOISE ALSO ELECTRICAL FIRE COULD'VE CAUGHT ON FIRE
VEHICLE HESITATES THROTTLE BODY CAUSES CAR TO JERK CUT OFF NOT PICK UP SPEED ALWAYS IDLED UP SPEED SENSOR READS 107 MPH WHEN ONLY GOING 30MPH STALLS. ALMOST WAS REAR ENDED BECAUSE CAR SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING.I HAVE MY CAR REGULARLY SERVICED AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS STARTED HAPPENING. MY BLENDOOR ACULATER CAUSE MY HEAT NOT TO SOMETIMES COME ON AND IT MAKES THIS LOUD CLICKING NOISE. MOST IF NO ALL IMPALA HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND GM KNOWS ABOUT ALL THE THINGS I TOLD YOU ABOUT YET THEY DONT WANNA RECALL THE VEHICLE
WHILE I WAS DRIVING, THE CAR GAVE A NOTICE OF REDUCED ENGINE POWER, THEN A FEW MILES LATER, ANOTHER NOTICE CAME ON SERVICE THROTTLE DISABLING SERVICE. AND THE CAR SHUT OFF! WITH NO WARNING, AND NO WAY TO GET TO SAFETY. IF I WASN'T IN AN AREA THAT HAD A SHOULDER I COULD GET TO QUICKLY OR IF THERE WAS ANY TRAFFIC NEAR ME, I WOULD BE DEAD! THIS IS INCREDIBLY UNSAFE AND IS GOING TO GET SOMEONE KILLED, IF IT HASNT ALREADY! THAT HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF FLAW IN THE PROGRAMING. IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY, WHICH IS WHERE I NORMALLY AM AT THAT TIME OF DAY, I WOULD HAVE HAD NO TIME TO REACT AND GET TO A SAFE AREA BEFORE THE CAR SHUT DOWN ON ME. IT ALSO LOCKED UP THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKING SYSTEM SO I HAD NEXT TO NO POWER. IT WAS INCREDIBLY SCARY. I AM JUST GLAD THAT I WAS DRIVING THE CAR, INSTEAD OF MY ELDERLY MOTHER. SHE VERY WELL MAY HAVE HAD A HEART ATTACK FROM THE FEAR. IN NO WAY SHOULD A CAR JUST SHUT DOWN MID-DRIVE LIKE THAT! I CANT EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN THE AMOUNT OF WAYS HOW BADLY THAT COULD GO WRONG, AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH CHEVY VEHICLES AND THE THROTTLE BODY. EVEN IF THE THROTTLE BODY IS GOING BAD, IN NO WAY SHOULD YOUR CAR BE PROGRAMED TO JUST SHUT OFF MID-DRIVE, EVER. I REALLY HOPE THAT IS A PROGRAMING FLAW AND NOT INTENTIONAL, BECAUSE IF THAT IS INTENTIONAL, YOU ARE TRULY TRYING TO KILL PEOPLE. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE FOR CHEVY/GM TO GET THE ISSUE FIXED? HOW MANY PEOPLE GETTING KILLED IN UNNECESSARY ACCIDENTS IS IT GOING TO TAKE? I PRAY THAT MYSELF OR MY FAMILY ISN'T ONE OF THEM! PLEASE CHEVY/GM, GET THIS ISSUE FIXED ALREADY.
TL* THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF THE OWNER OF A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START AND THE REDUCED POWER WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. ADDITIONALLY, WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND FAULT CODE: P-2135 WAS RETRIEVED. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE ECM, THROTTLE BODY, ACCELERATOR PEDAL MECHANISM, AND THE WIRING HARNESS BETWEEN THE ECM AND THROTTLE BODY; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.
MY VEHICLE EXPERIENCES AN 'ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED' MESSAGE IN ADDITION TO LOSING CAPABILITY OF DRIVING FASTER THAN 40 MPH LIKELY AS A RESULT OF A COMMON FAULT BY THE MANUFACTURER.
TRACTION CONTROL AND THE STABILITY TRAC REDUCES THE ENGINE SPEED UNDER NORMAL WEATHER CONDITIONS DRASTICALLY WITHOUT ANY WARNINGS. BEEN ACTING UP FOR SOME TIME. DEALERS DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND DOESN'T GIVE A CODE. VERY DANGEROUS AND FRUSTRATING.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER AND THE SERVICE STABILITY CONTROL INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE DECELERATED. STATEN ISLAND BUICK GMC (1855 HYLAN BLVD, STATEN ISLAND, NY 10305) DIAGNOSED THAT SENSORS T2135: (THROTTLE BODY) AND P2138: (ACCELERATOR PEDAL ACTUATOR) FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED TO ASSIST WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF THE THROTTLE BODY, BUT NOT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,502.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE ENGINE POWER REDUCED WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE DECELERATED. THE CONTACT CONTINUED TO DEPRESS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE ABOVE 20 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND AN UNKNOWN SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WOULD START A CASE FILE AND SEND IT OVER TO THEIR TEAM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 138,000.
I WAS DRIVING ON ICY AND SNOWY ROADS AND MY ENGINE POWER REDUCED WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I DROVE SEVERAL MILES TO MY DESTINATION. MY CAR SAT FOR 6 HOURS. I GOT IN TO LEAVE AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON BUT NOT THE WARNING. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT TEN MILES MY ENGINE POWER REDUCED LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES FOUR YEARS AGO AND IT'S VERY FRUSTRATING TO HAVE IT HAPPENING AGAIN. IT SEEMS TO OCCUR MORE FREQUENTLY WHEN THE ROADWAY IS WET. AFTER READING ONLINE, IT SEEMS THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY OTHER CHEVROLET CARS ALSO.
THROTTLE PEDAL GONE BAD /SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING ?
FIRST, THE KEY WILL NOT COME OUT OF THE IGNITION WITHOUT PRESSING THE RELEASE KEY SWITCH LOCATED UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL. THEN THE CAR WON'T ACCELERATE OVER 20 MPH IN D WHILE DRIVING ANYWHERE, IT WON'T GO OVER 40 IN D3. NOT SURE WHY BUT THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE IMPALA.
ENGIME POWER REDUCED SEEVICE TRACTUON CONTROL. WHILE DRIVING POWER IS CUT TO NEAR NOTHING. ABOUT 20 MPH. AFTER SHUTTING THE CAR OFF AND STARTING A FEW HOURS LATER IT'S FINE. A COUPLE DAYS LATER IT HAPPENS AGAIN. FAULTY EQUIPMENT FROM GM.
ALL 4 DOORS LOCK AND UNLOCK INTERMITTENTLY WHEN PRESSING ON FOB OR BUTTON ON DOOR. HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR A FEW YEARS. NOTICED THIS IS A VERY COMMON ISSUE ON 2008 & 2009 IMPALA MODELS, VERY EXPENSIVE FIX
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE ENGINE REDUCED POWER INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO REDUCE IN SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE POSITIONING SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT IF A DIAGNOSTIC FEE WAS PAID, THE VEHICLE COULD BE COVERED UNDER A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE MONEY FOR A DIAGNOSTIC FEE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 34,000.
STARTED THE CAR AND IMMEDIATELY UPON PULLING OUT OF PARKING LOT THE SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL ERROR MESSAGE AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER MESSAGES APPEARED. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED ON THIS CAR. HAVE ENTERED PROBLEM REPORTS FOR THE 1ST 2 OCCURRENCES ON THIS SITE. REPLACED ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION PEDAL SENSOR. NONE OF THESE 3 OCCURRENCES WERE COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. IT WAS 14 MONTHS SINCE THE LAST OCCURRENCE AND WARRANTY WAS FOR 12 MONTHS.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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