2008 Chevrolet Impala Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Impala years
- Far more complaints than other years 4th of 26 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 810 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Chevrolet Impala. That ranks 4th out of 26 Impala model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (221 complaints, 27%), typically at around 85,000 miles. Complaints mention 51 crashes, 10 fires, 44 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 810owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 51complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 221 | 27% | 85,000 | “engine power” (10%) | — |
| Engine problems | 134 | 17% | 98,660 | “engine power” (48%) | — |
| Suspension problems | 117 | 14% | 42,665 | “rear tires” (37%) | — |
| Steering problems | 94 | 12% | 64,469 | “became difficult” (7%) | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 92 | 11% | 98,000 | “engine power” (62%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 91 | 11% | 80,500 | “engine power” (20%) | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems | 58 | 7% | 98,000 | “traction control” (45%) | — |
| Air Bags problems | 50 | 6% | 94,000 | “air bag” (30%) | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 48 | 6% | 56,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 41 | 5% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 36 | 4% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 31 | 4% | 65,858 | — | — |
| Wheels | 31 | 4% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 26 | 3% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 22 | 3% | 24,900 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 20 | 2% | 76,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 17 | 2% | 74,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 12 | 1% | 113,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 10 | 1% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 10 | 1% | 97,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 10 | 1% | 61,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 7 | 1% | 101,194 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 0% | 149,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 4 | 0% | 40,831 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 0% | 500 | — | — |
| Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 33,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 Chevrolet Impala recalls (2)
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.
Suspension:front:control arm:lower arm
Problem: 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.
Risk: A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower control arms, free of charge. The safety recall began on August 21, 2012. Owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546.
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
- Passenger Air Bag OCS Algorithm (DP14001) — opened Jul 22, 2014, closed Mar 7, 2017.
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 owned a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH while in cruise control, a group of birds flew out from under a ditch which caused the contact to swerve and lose control of the vehicle. As a result of the incident, the contact crashed into the ditch. The…
This is 1 of 2 car seats that we have, both with the same issue. The pull strap that is used to tighten the shoulder straps to secure the child in appropriately is not functioning properly. You can not pull the shoulder straps to the tightness that is required for the child to be secured properly…
Starfire Solarus AS All-Season 225/60R16 98H- Car started shaking violently while I was driving it- seemed to be coming from rear tire. Limped it home, removed driver side rear tire, and noticed substantial bulge where tread was separating. Replaced tire with another brand. Several months later…
The key gets stuck and I can't remove the key; I can't take the key out and then the battery drains and car is dead.
Dash cover crumbled and falling apart. Even though I have kept it cool and covered with a condition. It's falling down into my car fan for heating and cooling
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 | 810 | 2 |
| 2007 Impala | 627 | 2 |
| 2006 Impala | 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 2008 Chevrolet Impala?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine, suspension problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 221 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Chevrolet Impala?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 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 2008 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.