2003 Chevrolet Impala Engine Problems
Owners have filed 88 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala, 13% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 120,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “engine cooling” (33% of reports).
- 88engine complaints
- 120,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 2related recalls
- 33%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.
- Engine cooling: mentioned in 29 of 88 complaints (33%)
- Caught fire: mentioned in 8 of 88 complaints (9%)
- Oil leaking: mentioned in 6 of 88 complaints (7%)
- Head gasket: mentioned in 5 of 88 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 55 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 88 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 20 a fire, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet Impala engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Impala | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2019 Impala | 2 | 7% | 2,800 |
| 2018 Impala | 7 | 12% | 29,410 |
| 2017 Impala | 21 | 18% | 46,000 |
| 2016 Impala | 21 | 19% | 70,000 |
| 2015 Impala | 19 | 6% | 71,000 |
| 2014 Impala | 56 | 9% | 60,000 |
| 2013 Impala | 30 | 11% | 48,000 |
| 2012 Impala | 40 | 16% | 40,000 |
| 2011 Impala | 125 | 25% | 77,000 |
| 2010 Impala | 88 | 20% | 77,500 |
| 2009 Impala | 179 | 22% | 89,000 |
| 2008 Impala | 134 | 17% | 98,660 |
| 2007 Impala | 77 | 12% | 100,000 |
| 2006 Impala | 59 | 11% | 112,500 |
| 2005 Impala | 30 | 5% | 128,550 |
| 2004 Impala | 71 | 7% | 120,784 |
| 2003 Impala | 88 | 13% | 120,000 |
| 2002 Impala | 75 | 9% | 134,000 |
| 2001 Impala | 68 | 9% | 138,000 |
| 2000 Impala | 71 | 9% | 146,852 |
| 1999 Impala | 1 | 25% | 200,000 |
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.
Fuel line leaking gas under engine.
Hey my name is [XXX] I recently took my Chevy impala for repairs they told me I need more repairs done Iâm like cool my bottom of my car is rusted n my struts are bad n my oil pump n other stuff is not working as well Iâm when I gave Chevy a call ball they took my they manager not to bring the…
Vehicle shuts off when moving,turning or stopped at a traffic light. By switching to neutral, the engine may start after 1 or more tries. So far the failures have been on city streets and highways. But not interstates. The failures are many but unpredictable.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Chevrolet Impalas have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 88 owner complaints about engine for the 2003 Chevrolet Impala (13% 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?
Yes: 2 safety recalls list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 120,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala?
The most frequent phrase is “engine cooling”, in 29 of 88 complaints, followed by “caught fire” (8).
Other 2003 Chevrolet Impala problems
See all 2003 Chevrolet Impala problems or engine problems across all Impala years.