2006 Chevrolet Impala Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Impala years
- More complaints than other years 11th of 26 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 524 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Chevrolet Impala. That ranks 11th out of 26 Impala model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (135 complaints, 26%), typically at around 58,152 miles. Complaints mention 58 crashes, 22 fires, 46 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 524owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 58complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 Chevrolet Impala problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering problems | 135 | 26% | 58,152 | “rack pinion” (7%) | $680 |
| Electrical System problems | 124 | 24% | 85,000 | “engine power” (6%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 108 | 21% | 80,000 | “transmission slipping” (12%) | — |
| Engine problems | 59 | 11% | 112,500 | “engine power” (39%) | — |
| Air Bags | 47 | 9% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 41 | 8% | 92,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 27 | 5% | 44,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 26 | 5% | 33,124 | — | — |
| Structure | 25 | 5% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 24 | 5% | 65,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 22 | 4% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 19 | 4% | 26,525 | — | — |
| Suspension | 18 | 3% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 17 | 3% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 14 | 3% | 122,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 13 | 2% | 126,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 11 | 2% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 10 | 2% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 10 | 2% | 64,900 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 9 | 2% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 9 | 2% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 8 | 2% | 28,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 5 | 1% | 97,088 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 4 | 1% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 3 | 1% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 55,541 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 25,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 Chevrolet Impala recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:ignition
Problem: 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 cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Risk: 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.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Power steering fluid leaks - fires (PE09025) — opened May 13, 2009, closed Oct 2, 2009.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal burning odor in the interior of the vehicle. In addition, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the…
Filed one complaint already about my car malfunctioning now on May 15 2025 I was.involved in a car accident and my airbags DID NOT DEPLOY!!!it was a front crash hit the front right side of the car and no airbag deployment
First battery needed replaced every year then few weeks ago with no warning light or messages that battery was dieing the battery died again it was replaced then it started reving up and down on its own while driving so it goes faster then slower on its own when it feels like it.. TPS wont show…
While I was driving I had to stop on a hill and when I pushed the gas to accelerate it wouldnât move the engine just revved up and hasnât moved since just when you push on the gas and the rpmâs go up to 5-6 and it will move maybe a foot or so. There was no warning or messages that appeared…
I was driving and powersteering fluid drained and I lost control of the steering, and guide the car against the side walk. Had a mechanic change the powers steering fluid line. But now it's shooting up instead leaking down, it clogged all my spark plugs ,plus cause my cam shaft and crank…
Other Chevrolet Impala years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 Impala | 15 | 0 |
| 2019 Impala | 28 | 1 |
| 2018 Impala | 59 | 1 |
| 2017 Impala | 117 | 0 |
| 2016 Impala | 111 | 0 |
| 2015 Impala | 300 | 3 |
| 2014 Impala | 636 | 12 |
| 2013 Impala | 272 | 1 |
| 2012 Impala | 258 | 3 |
| 2011 Impala | 505 | 2 |
| 2010 Impala | 442 | 4 |
| 2009 Impala | 824 | 5 |
| 2008 Impala | 810 | 2 |
| 2007 Impala | 627 | 2 |
| 2006 | 524 | 1 |
| 2005 Impala | 609 | 1 |
| 2004 Impala | 1,073 | 4 |
| 2003 Impala | 695 | 5 |
| 2002 Impala | 795 | 4 |
| 2001 Impala | 742 | 7 |
| 2000 Impala | 818 | 7 |
| 1999 Impala | 4 | 0 |
| 1998 Impala | 2 | 0 |
| 1997 Impala | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 Impala | 88 | 0 |
| 1995 Impala | 44 | 0 |
See all Chevrolet Impala problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2006 Chevrolet Impala?
Owners most often report steering, electrical system, power train problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 135 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 Chevrolet Impala?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 Chevrolet Impala a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Impala model years, the 2006 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.