2011 Chevrolet Impala

Typical pattern

9.7% of complaints about the 2011 Chevrolet Impala came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2011 vehicle — around the middle of the 203 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 4.3 yr in service. The most-reported system is electronic stability control (esc) (132 complaints), typically at 5.6 yr or about 73,433 miles.

Complaints: 844
Median age at failure: 4.3 yr
Median mileage: 65,000 n=694
Crash / fire / tow: 7.1% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Electronic stability control (esc)

132 reports · 73,433 mi

5.6 yr

1.5%

Engine

125 reports · 77,000 mi

4.3 yr

4.8%

Electrical system

97 reports · 78,000 mi

4.3 yr

5.2%

Seats

80 reports · 2,000 mi

11 mo

3.8%

Speed control

70 reports · 64,613 mi

4.4 yr

1.4%

Power train

64 reports · 70,600 mi

5.5 yr

6.2%

Air bags

37 reports · 82,300 mi

5.3 yr

43.2%

Steering

35 reports · 60,450 mi

4.8 yr

11.4%

Service brakes

34 reports · 73,433 mi

5.7 yr

17.6%

Other

31 reports · 81,000 mi

6.7 yr

6.5%

Visibility

24 reports · 434 mi

10 mo

4.2%

Traction control system

18 reports · 50,865 mi

3.6 yr

11.1%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

14V355000 2014-06-23

Electrical system:ignition

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may caus

If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

12V377000 2012-08-03

Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Chevrolet Impala police vehicles because the front lower control arms may fracture. This safety recall does not include non-police Chevrolet Impala vehicles.

A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

In owners’ own words

Seats 11 mi 0 mo in service

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY SPEED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE THROUGH THE REAR WINDOW DUE TO THE REAR SEAT HEAD RESTS BLOCKING HER VIEW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING TO STANDARDS AND COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 11. UPDATED 12/30/10*LJ UPDATED 01/04/11

Seats mileage not reported 3 mo in service

2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA LT. CONSUMER STATES THAT REAR HEAD RESTRAINTS ARE EXCESSIVELY HIGH *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED HIS REAR VIEW VISION OF TRAFFIC WAS OBSTRUCTED. *JB

Seats 2,100 mi 2 mo in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA LST. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING IN REVERSE APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WHEN THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR SEATS HEAD REST WERE TOO TALL AND MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR THE DRIVER TO SEE THE REAR VIEW WINDOW. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND A COMPLAINT WAS FILLED BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE DEALER WAS ALSO CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO TO CORRECT THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,200 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,100. UPDTATED 2/17/11 *CN UPDATED 03/03/11

Visibility 200 mi 4 mo in service

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THE THREE OF THE HEADREST LOCATED IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE BLOCKED 75% OF HER VIEW. THE FAILURE MADE IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE VEHICLE BEHIND HER AND TO CHANGE LANES. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT ADJUST THE REAR HEADREST, BECAUSE IT WOULD MAKE THEM LIABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 200. UPDATED 03/11/11*LJ UPDATED 12/30/11 *CN

Other Impala model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.