2003 Chevrolet Impala Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 80 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala, 12% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 69,764 miles. The words owners use most often: “intake manifold” (21% of reports).
- 80engine and engine cooling complaints
- 69,764median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- $1,350typical repair cost reported by owners
- 23%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Intake manifold: mentioned in 17 of 80 complaints (21%)
- Catalytic converter: mentioned in 6 of 80 complaints (8%)
- Water pump: mentioned in 5 of 80 complaints (6%)
- Consumer writes regards: mentioned in 5 of 80 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala at $1,350, and half of them between $1,100 and $2,100.
Based on 10 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2003–2008), 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 engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 55 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 80 complaints, 7 a fire.
Chevrolet Impala engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Impala | 2 | 0% | 7,325 |
| 2013 Impala | 2 | 1% | 68,183 |
| 2012 Impala | 3 | 1% | 25,300 |
| 2011 Impala | 9 | 2% | 60,450 |
| 2010 Impala | 6 | 1% | 76,964 |
| 2009 Impala | 21 | 3% | 70,000 |
| 2008 Impala | 26 | 3% | 60,000 |
| 2007 Impala | 30 | 5% | 58,000 |
| 2006 Impala | 27 | 5% | 44,000 |
| 2005 Impala | 31 | 5% | 63,018 |
| 2004 Impala | 36 | 3% | 78,500 |
| 2003 Impala | 80 | 12% | 69,764 |
| 2002 Impala | 106 | 13% | 75,000 |
| 2001 Impala | 123 | 17% | 75,495 |
| 2000 Impala | 159 | 19% | 74,900 |
| 1996 Impala | 10 | 11% | — |
| 1995 Impala | 2 | 5% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (2)
Engine and engine cooling:exhaust system:manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe; engine and engine cooling:engine
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were previously repaired under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 to address the possibility that engine oil may drip onto the hot exhaust manifold.
Risk: Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.
Fix: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engineÂs front valve cover and gasket. Vehicles that are covered by recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, or 15V-201 that have not yet received the original remedy will instead receive the improved remedy under the original recall number. The recall began on February 19, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Oldsmobile customer service at 1-800-442-6537 and Pontiac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is 15757. Note: Until the improved remedy has been applied, owners are advised to park their vehicle outside since the fire risk exists even when the vehicle is unattended.
Engine and engine cooling
Problem: General motors is recalling 1,497,516 my 1997-2003 buick regal, my 1998-2003 chevrolet lumina, monte carlo and impala, my 1998-1999 oldsmobile intrigue, my 1997-2003 pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 naturally aspirated engine. Some of these vehicles have a condition in which drops of engine oil may be deposited on the exhaust manifold through hard braking.
Risk: If the manifold is hot enough and the oil runs below the heat shield, it may ignite into a small flame and may spread to the plastic spark plug wire channel and beyond increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the engineâs front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engineâs plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during may 2016. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537, and pontiac at 1-800-620-7668 or http://www.pontiac.com or http:www.gmownercenter.com.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
2003 chevrolet impala. Consumer requests reimbursement for fluid leakage onto exhaust manifold recall notice. *smd the consumer stated the vehicle required the manifold to be repaired under recall which could not be completed until another failure was repaired. The consumer stated the repair was a…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 15v701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. The contact received notification for the engine and engine cooling. The parts were not available within a reasonable time frame so the contact was unable to determine when the vehicle would be repaired. The manufacturer was unable to determine when the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Chevrolet Impalas have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 80 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2003 Chevrolet Impala (12% of the 695 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 2003 Chevrolet Impala engine and engine cooling?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list engine and engine cooling. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 69,764 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,350 (half paid between $1,100 and $2,100), from 10 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala?
The most frequent phrase is “intake manifold”, in 17 of 80 complaints, followed by “catalytic converter” (6).
Other 2003 Chevrolet Impala problems
See all 2003 Chevrolet Impala problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Impala years.