2012 Chevrolet Impala Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 58 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Impala, 22% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 55,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “traction control” (19% of reports).
- 58electrical system complaints
- 55,000median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 26%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.
- Traction control: mentioned in 11 of 58 complaints (19%)
- Service stabilitrak: mentioned in 5 of 58 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 39 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 58 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 3 an injury.
Chevrolet Impala electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Impala | 3 | 20% | — |
| 2019 Impala | 9 | 32% | 35,700 |
| 2018 Impala | 11 | 19% | 51,300 |
| 2017 Impala | 15 | 13% | 42,000 |
| 2016 Impala | 30 | 27% | 45,691 |
| 2015 Impala | 96 | 32% | 59,523 |
| 2014 Impala | 221 | 35% | 66,000 |
| 2013 Impala | 52 | 19% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Impala | 58 | 22% | 55,000 |
| 2011 Impala | 95 | 19% | 78,000 |
| 2010 Impala | 132 | 30% | 78,000 |
| 2009 Impala | 224 | 27% | 82,559 |
| 2008 Impala | 221 | 27% | 85,000 |
| 2007 Impala | 128 | 20% | 84,200 |
| 2006 Impala | 124 | 24% | 85,000 |
| 2005 Impala | 331 | 54% | 80,000 |
| 2004 Impala | 681 | 63% | 68,750 |
| 2003 Impala | 264 | 38% | 98,740 |
| 2002 Impala | 305 | 38% | 82,162 |
| 2001 Impala | 225 | 30% | 100,000 |
| 2000 Impala | 187 | 23% | 98,000 |
| 1996 Impala | 11 | 13% | 92,500 |
| 1995 Impala | 6 | 14% | — |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I have about 08/1825 had the throttle body replaced on my vehicle which assisted with the problem temporarily. Then the problem started again 09/20/25 the car act like itâs stalling while driving and canât see what hear the vehicle is in. The car is not getting any signal to the engine as I…
The actuators in the air vents are faulty and I've had to have them repla ed multiple times now. They still continue to make clicking noise sounds and blow cold air in winter/hot air in summer. The trunk deck lid paint is bad. The clear coat has been coming off. Paint all over the car's clear coat…
I put my car in reverse and the car turned off and have turn back on. When I try to start it, I donât hear any fix or crank. Before this happened, my car was slow to change gear or it would will change so fast that my car will lose control and I did not feel safe at all.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Chevrolet Impalas have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 58 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2012 Chevrolet Impala (22% of the 258 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 2012 Chevrolet Impala electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall 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 55,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Impala?
The most frequent phrase is “traction control”, in 11 of 58 complaints, followed by “service stabilitrak” (5).
Other 2012 Chevrolet Impala problems
See all 2012 Chevrolet Impala problems or electrical system problems across all Impala years.