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What 258 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Impala

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (258)Crash / fire / injury (27)Electrical system (58)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (54)Steering (49)Engine (40)Brakes (33)Transmission & drivetrain (27)Suspension (22)Airbags (20)Wheels (19)Fuel system (18)

4 of 258 complaints match · Electronic Stability Control (esc) · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Oct 16, 2017Electrical systemAirbagsElectronic Stability Control (esc)Crash2 injuries

I OWN A CHEVY IMPALA THAT HAD AN IGNITION SWITCH RECALL AND AN AIRBAG RECALL. THE 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA THAT I OWN CAUSED ME TO HAVE A SEVERE ACCIDENT THAT CAUSED ME TO SUFFER MAJOR INJURIES BECAUSE THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 14V355000 RECALL DATE: 2014-06-23 SUMMARY 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. SPECS / REVIEWSFOR SALE SAFETY 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA 2012 SAFETY 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA RECALLS FEATURES RATING RECALLS NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID: 14V355000 RECALL DATE: 2014-06-23 SUMMARY THIS DEFECT CAN AFFECT THE SAFE OPERATION OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. CONSEQUENCES 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. REMEDY 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. COMPONENT AFFECTED ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION NOTES GENERAL MOTORS LLC

NHTSA ODI 11033957

Mar 7, 2017Electrical systemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Fire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL AND STABILITY CONTROL WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSED THE DASHBOARD, CENTER CONSOLE BY THE SHIFTER LEVER, AND FRONT BUCKET SEATS TO MELT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO NOTICED VISIBLE SMOKE IN THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT A REPRESENTATIVE WOULD BE SENT TO INVESTIGATE AND DIAGNOSE THE VEHICLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,000.

NHTSA ODI 10959143

Jun 10, 2016WheelsElectronic Stability Control (esc)Crash

THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP AFTER APPLYING BRAKES MADE AWFUL NOISE AND I REAR ENDED A CAR. IT WAS CLEAR, DRY AND SUNNY AT THE TIME AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO STOP. I BELIEVE THE STABILITRAK SYSTEM IS FAULTY. THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSOR HAS NOW STARTED COMING ON SINCE THE CAR ACCIDENT. THE DEALER THAT THE BODY SHOP TOOK THE CAR TO AFTER IT FIXED THE FRONT BUMPER SAID IT'S NOT THE TIRE SENSOR THAT'S BAD.

NHTSA ODI 10873680

Aug 19, 2015SteeringElectronic Stability Control (esc)BrakesCrash

WHEN DRIVING AFTER EVERY ATTEMPT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN,MY SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST, & ABS LIGHT ALL POP ON. SINCE THEN IT HAS WENT ON AND OFF FOR MANY DAYS UNTIL IT JUST FINALLY STAYED ON PERMANENTLY. ALSO MESSAGE: "STABILITRAK SERVICE AND TRACTION CONTROL , BRAKE ASSIST " FINALLY TOOK IT TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP IN CULVER CITY,CA IN MAY 2013 & WAS TOLD THEY TESTED THE FRONT ABS CONNECTOR AND TRACTION AND FOUND NOTHING WRONG AND NO CODE ERRORS. RESET THE SENSORS ANYWAYS AND ADJUSTED THE TIMING. AS SOON AS I DROVE OUT THE DEALER,SAME ERROR MESSAGES AND LIGHTS RETURNED. TOOK CAR AGAIN TO SAME DEALER &WASTOLD "I MUST HAVE DROVE THROUGH WATER OR OILY SURFACE AND LIGHTS WOULD GO OFF AFTER I DROVE 20 OR SO MILES".LIGHTS & ERRORS DID NOT GO AWAY.RETURNED TO THE SAME DEALER AGAIN,THIS TIME AGAIN FOUND NO ERRORS BUT THEY PROCEED TO REPLACE THE TIRE SENSORS AND RESET THE SENSOR ID. LIGHTS&CODES WENT OFF FOR ABOUT A WEEK THEN RETURNED WITH A GRINDING NOISE WHEN LEFT TURN, LOOSE ENGINE POWER &STEERING POWER, LIGHT &CODES CONTINUE TO STAY ON,& STALLS FOR A FEW SECONDS WHEN LEFT TURN. I HAVE BEEN AT A LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKING A TURN WHEN THE CAR WILL STALL & NOT LET ME TAKE OFF.BRAKES APPEAR TO LOCK UP.JUST MISSED A FEW CAR ACCIDENTS DUE TO STALL. HAS LEFT ME IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS AS I HAVE ALMOST BEEN HIT HEAD ON & WAS HIT FROM BEHIND BECAUSE I COULD NOT ACCELERATE AND GOT STUCK ON THE TURN. CANNOT ACCELERATE IN A TIMELY FASHION IS A HUGE PROBLEM. BECAUSE THE DEALER OBVIOUSLY COULD NOT RESOLVE THE ISSUE HAD TIRE AND BRAKE EXPERT SHOPS LOOK AT THE PROBLEM A FEW TIMES. ALSO NOT FINDING THE PROBLEM. FINALLY DECIDED TO JUST TRY &IGNORE IT BUT AFTER SO MANY CLOSE CALLS OF ACCIDENTS& ENDAGERING MY FAMILIES LIFE IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE FOR ME TO JUST DEAL WITH IT ANYMORE OR TO CONTINUE TO SPEND MONEY TO TRY & FIND PROBLEM.FORUMS PROVE OTHERS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 10749861

Working with the data? Download all 258 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Chevrolet Impala verdict →