2002 Chevrolet Impala Exterior Lighting Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated May 6, 2026 · 123 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 123 complaints with NHTSA about exterior lighting problems on the 2002 Chevrolet Impala, 15% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 77,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “turn signals” (16% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Turn signals: mentioned in 20 of 123 complaints (16%)
  • High beam: mentioned in 18 of 123 complaints (15%)
  • Dimmer switch: mentioned in 16 of 123 complaints (13%)
  • Multi function: mentioned in 8 of 123 complaints (7%)

How much does it cost to fix?

Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical exterior lighting repair on the 2002 Chevrolet Impala at $770, and half of them between $700 and $930.

Based on 17 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2005–2011), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.

At what mileage do exterior lighting problems happen?

Based on 97 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles4 · 4%
10k–25k miles2 · 2%
25k–50k miles18 · 19%
50k–75k miles22 · 23%
75k–100k miles21 · 22%
100k–150k miles24 · 25%
150k+ miles6 · 6%

How serious are the reports?

Of 123 complaints, 2 mention a crash.

Chevrolet Impala exterior lighting complaints by model year

Peak: 2002, with 123 complaints
1995: 119951996: 12000: 6720002001: 732002: 12320021232003: 1032004: 10420042005: 492006: 1120062007: 152008: 420082009: 92010: 620102011: 52012: 820122013: 52014: 4420142015: 222016: 720162017: 62018: 420182019: 12020: 12020

n = 669 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearExterior Lighting complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2020 Impala17%40,433
2019 Impala14%42,000
2018 Impala47%48,500
2017 Impala65%85
2016 Impala76%30,000
2015 Impala227%24,300
2014 Impala447%15,000
2013 Impala52%19,165
2012 Impala83%60,300
2011 Impala51%41,908
2010 Impala61%99,000
2009 Impala91%76,000
2008 Impala40%149,000
2007 Impala152%72,021
2006 Impala112%93,000
2005 Impala498%75,500
2004 Impala10410%85,096
2003 Impala10315%77,524
2002 Impala12315%77,000
2001 Impala7310%73,020
2000 Impala678%93,500
1996 Impala11%—
1995 Impala12%—

When owners reported it

Peak: 2006, with 19 complaints
2002: 3200232003: 772004: 3200432005: 992006: 192006192007: 17172008: 162008162009: 13132010: 122010122011: 662012: 6201262013: 112014: 8201482015: 112016: 1201612020: 11

n = 123 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (0)

No safety recall lists exterior lighting for the 2002 Chevrolet Impala. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

High beam switch has been broken, very common problem when google searching. No one fixes it as it is prohibitively expensive. Cannot use high beams and many people adjust the low beams higher as a solution, which is bad for everyone. Should be a recall?

Received Jul 18, 2020 · NHTSA complaint 11340188

My back lights and dashboard does not work

Received Apr 1, 2016 · NHTSA complaint 10852980

This particular issue occurs at random times and conditions. As i'm traveling at night and i pull back the dimmer switch lever, the headlights will go out and leave me totally in the dark. The only way that i can get the headlights to come on again is to continue to manipulate the dimmer/turn…

Received Mar 19, 2015 · NHTSA complaint 10695393
Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Impala (2014–2020) in Stuttgart. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently asked questions

Do all 2002 Chevrolet Impalas have exterior lighting problems?

No. NHTSA has 123 owner complaints about exterior lighting for the 2002 Chevrolet Impala (15% of the 795 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.

Was there a recall on the 2002 Chevrolet Impala exterior lighting?

No recall currently lists exterior lighting for this vehicle.

At what mileage do exterior lighting problems start?

The median reported mileage is 77,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

How much does it cost to fix exterior lighting problems on the 2002 Chevrolet Impala?

Owners report a typical cost of $770 (half paid between $700 and $930), from 17 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.

What do owners say about exterior lighting problems on the 2002 Chevrolet Impala?

The most frequent phrase is “turn signals”, in 20 of 123 complaints, followed by “high beam” (18).

Other 2002 Chevrolet Impala problems

See all 2002 Chevrolet Impala problems or exterior lighting problems across all Impala years.