2009 Chevrolet Impala Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jun 8, 2026 · 824 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Impala years
Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 26 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 824 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Chevrolet Impala. That ranks 2nd out of 26 Impala model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (232 complaints, 28%), typically at around 78,000 miles. Complaints mention 43 crashes, 9 fires, 43 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year.

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.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2009 Chevrolet Impala problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Air Bags232 · ~78,000 mi
Electrical System224 · ~82,559 mi
Engine179 · ~89,000 mi
Vehicle Speed Control130 · ~90,776 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)108 · ~87,300 mi
Power Train68 · ~97,000 mi
Steering57 · ~55,200 mi
Traction Control System46 · ~72,735 mi
Unknown or Other44 · ~87,891 mi
Service Brakes39 · ~76,953 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Air Bags problems23228%78,000“air bag” (56%)$900
Electrical System problems22427%82,559“traction control” (17%)—
Engine problems17922%89,000“engine power” (56%)—
Vehicle Speed Control problems13016%90,776“traction control” (65%)—
Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems10813%87,300“traction control” (67%)—
Power Train problems688%97,000“traction control” (35%)—
Steering problems577%55,200“engine power” (21%)—
Traction Control System466%72,735——
Unknown or Other445%87,891——
Service Brakes395%76,953——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic354%19,408——
Suspension253%39,312——
Latches/locks/linkages223%41,000——
Engine and Engine Cooling213%70,000——
Seat Belts213%50,000——
Structure192%80,500——
Wheels182%68,989——
Fuel/propulsion System172%99,500——
Tires142%20,671——
Seats121%56,000——
Visibility111%54,500——
Exterior Lighting91%76,000——
Equipment Adaptive/mobility30%96,000——
Visibility/wiper30%52,665——
Fuel System, Gasoline20%75,388——
Equipment10%5,712——
Forward Collision Avoidance10%———
Parking Brake10%———
Service Brakes, Electric10%40,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2014, with 204 complaints
2009: 9200992010: 31312011: 332011332012: 37372013: 782013782014: 2042042015: 12920151292016: 1051052017: 462017462018: 47472019: 332019332020: 23232021: 182021182022: 552023: 112023112024: 992025: 4202542026: 22

n = 824 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2009 Chevrolet Impala recalls (5)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:sensor:occupant classification; electrical system:wiringJul 5, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V507000 · 289,254 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 25, 2008 through February 16, 2010. The front passenger seat frame may contact and damage the wires of the passenger presence sensor module.

Risk: If the wires are damaged, the passenger presence sensory system may fail to recognize that the passenger seat is occupied, disabling the air bag. Damage may also cause the air bag fuse to short resulting in a loss of all air bags and seat belt pretensions. Both conditions increase the risk of injury during a crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will double wrap the wires with anti-abrasion tape and replace damaged wires as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 36110.

Electrical system:ignitionJun 23, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V355000 · 3,141,731 vehicles

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 armAug 3, 2012 · NHTSA campaign 12V377000 · 36,413 vehicles

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.

Seat belts:front:anchorageOct 13, 2010 · NHTSA campaign 10V480000 · 303,100 vehicles

Problem: Gm is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 chevrolet impalas for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages." the front safety belt webbing may not have been properly secured to the lap belt anchor pretensioner mounted to the side of the seat nearest the door.

Risk: The safety belt may not restrain the occupant as intended during a crash, which could result in injury to the occupant.

Fix: Dealers will inspect both front safety belts for proper installation of the anchors to the pretensioners and, if necessary, reinstall the anchors. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on november 5, 2010. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

Air bags:frontalOct 6, 2008 · NHTSA campaign 08V517000 · 79 vehicles

Problem: Gm is recalling 79 my 2009 chevrolet impala vehicles. Some of these vehicles have a passenger-side front air bag inflator that could fracture at an inflator tube during a deployment.

Risk: During a passenger-side air bag deployment, pieces of the inflator tube could strike and injure vehicle occupants and the air bag cushion would not inflate fully, reducing the capability of the bag to protect the passenger.

Fix: Dealers will install a new passenger-side front air bag. The recall began on october 10, 2008. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438 or through their website at <a href=http://www.gmownercenter.com>http://www.gmownercenter.com</a> .

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.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

For the last 2 years, the car willl come up saying airbag system issues. There airbag sensor under the passenger side seat will randomly throw a code for the erorr and then turn off. It does not have to be a bump, move the seat, Just goes off. We have had it professionally scanned and it is always…

Air Bags · received Jun 8, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11742721

I believe the passenger seat occupant sensing and airbag issues from recall 16V507 have not been fixed. I am still having issues related to it, even though I had it fixed.

Air Bags · received Mar 27, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11727490

Smelled an odor of burning wires when using rear defroster. Defroster then stopped working. After further troubleshooting I observed the wire pigtail under the front passenger door was charred and burned. The pin inside the harness that was burned was the rear defroster. After further research I…

Electrical System · received Sep 30, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11690540

Transmission

Engine · received Mar 9, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11647219

The contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately…

Air Bags · received Feb 27, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11645235

Other Chevrolet Impala years

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Chevrolet Impala?

Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, engine problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 232 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2009 Chevrolet Impala?

Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2009 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 2009 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.