2009 Chevrolet Impala Electrical System Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jun 8, 2026 · 224 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 224 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Impala, 27% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 82,559 miles. The words owners use most often: “traction control” (17% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Traction control: mentioned in 37 of 224 complaints (17%)
  • Engine power: mentioned in 33 of 224 complaints (15%)
  • Ignition switch: mentioned in 13 of 224 complaints (6%)

At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?

Based on 160 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles8 · 5%
10k–25k miles2 · 1%
25k–50k miles19 · 12%
50k–75k miles42 · 26%
75k–100k miles34 · 21%
100k–150k miles43 · 27%
150k+ miles12 · 8%

How serious are the reports?

Of 224 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 6 an injury.

Chevrolet Impala electrical system complaints by model year

Peak: 2004, with 681 complaints
1995: 619951996: 112000: 18720002001: 2252002: 30520022003: 2642004: 68120046812005: 3312006: 12420062007: 1282008: 22120082009: 2242010: 13220102011: 952012: 5820122013: 522014: 22120142015: 962016: 3020162017: 152018: 1120182019: 92020: 32020

n = 3,429 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearElectrical System complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2020 Impala320%—
2019 Impala932%35,700
2018 Impala1119%51,300
2017 Impala1513%42,000
2016 Impala3027%45,691
2015 Impala9632%59,523
2014 Impala22135%66,000
2013 Impala5219%60,000
2012 Impala5822%55,000
2011 Impala9519%78,000
2010 Impala13230%78,000
2009 Impala22427%82,559
2008 Impala22127%85,000
2007 Impala12820%84,200
2006 Impala12424%85,000
2005 Impala33154%80,000
2004 Impala68163%68,750
2003 Impala26438%98,740
2002 Impala30538%82,162
2001 Impala22530%100,000
2000 Impala18723%98,000
1996 Impala1113%92,500
1995 Impala614%—

When owners reported it

Peak: 2014, with 79 complaints
2009: 2200922010: 112011: 3201132012: 662013: 182013182014: 79792015: 252015252016: 32322017: 112017112018: 11112019: 132019132020: 772021: 6202162022: 112023: 4202342024: 332025: 1202512026: 11

n = 224 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (2)

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.

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

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.

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…

Received Sep 30, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11690540

I have a 2009 with 77000 miles 0n it I have fix the knocking noise under dash 3 times now it is a actuator there are 2 of them. I have also found by spraying Carburetor cleaner in the throttle body just remove the the big air hose and spray all around in side this stops the the speed reduction…

Received Dec 31, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11633331
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.

Frequently asked questions

Do all 2009 Chevrolet Impalas have electrical system problems?

No. NHTSA has 224 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2009 Chevrolet Impala (27% of the 824 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 2009 Chevrolet Impala electrical system?

Yes: 2 safety recalls list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.

At what mileage do electrical system problems start?

The median reported mileage is 82,559 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Impala?

The most frequent phrase is “traction control”, in 37 of 224 complaints, followed by “engine power” (33).

Other 2009 Chevrolet Impala problems

See all 2009 Chevrolet Impala problems or electrical system problems across all Impala years.