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2001 Chevrolet ImpalaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 742 owner complaints about the 2001 Chevrolet Impala, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 7 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-400 the manufacturer reports only 22% of affected cars repaired.

40
CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.5× the Impala median · #4 of 24 years by complaints
Safety recalls7Lowest repair rate 22%Owner complaints742127 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage100kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 17, 2023. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 2001 Chevrolet Impala has problems

742 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Electrical system22518
Engine and engine cooling12322
Steering768
Exterior lighting732
Engine6827
Power train574
Service brakes, hydraulic562
Air bags4721
Fuel system, gasoline2813
20 other systems15220

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

7 recalls

2001 Chevrolet Impala recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

26%repaired · 2017 Q3

Engine and engine cooling: engine

Recall 15V-701 · Oct 26, 2015 · 1,003,556 vehicles · 265,197 repaired

Risk. Engine oil that drips onto the hot surface of the exhaust manifold may result in a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

22%repaired · 2016 Q2

Electrical system: ignition

Recall 14V-400 · Jul 3, 2014 · 5,877,718 vehicles · 1,318,487 repaired

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.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 09V-116 · Apr 8, 2009 · 1,497,516 vehicles

Risk. IF THE MANIFOLD IS HOT ENOUGH AND THE OIL RUNS BELOW THE HEAT SHIELD, IT MAY IGNITE INTO A SMALL FLAME AND MAY SPREAD TO THE PLASTIC SPARK PLUG WIRE CHANNEL…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 3 more recalls
–no report yet

Air bags: side/window

Recall 00V-371 · Nov 13, 2000 · 12 vehicles

Risk. IF THE INFLATOR SEPARATES, THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY PROPERLY DURING A CRASH AND OCCUPANT PROTECTION WOULD BE REDUCED.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Mileage at failure

When do electrical system problems start?

100kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 152 electrical system complaints. 47% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
9under 30k miles72under 100k miles80100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Electrical system

18 owners mentioned a cost

$475median

Middle half: $373 – $600

Engine and engine cooling

9 owners mentioned a cost

$749median

Middle half: $580 – $800

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2001 vs. every other Impala year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Impala median. How we score

'65'66'67'68'69'71'72'73'74'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'85'87'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2001 Chevrolet Impala safety ratings

2001 Chevrolet Impala 4-DR w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2001 Chevrolet Impala frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2001 Chevrolet Impala side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2001 Chevrolet Impala, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA02030 · closed Mar 9, 2004
    Led to recall 04V-090
  2. ALLEGED HEADLIGHT FAILUREPE06017 · closed Oct 25, 2006
    No recall
In owners' words

What Impala owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

after car not used for two days, turning ignition on and attempted to start the engine a extremely load explosion came from engine compartment! Upon looking at the engine the PLASTIC intake manifold was blown to pieces. no warning a explosion was to occur, car was running normal prior to explosion.
Complaint 11440988 · Nov 19, 2021
I have a 2001 Chevy impala and it has an instrument cluster issue with faulty warning lights and locking the radio and not wanting to start
Complaint 11419132 · May 31, 2021
MY CAR SHUTS OFF WHEN DRIVING. THE SECURITY LIGHT COMED ON. SOMETIMES NO POWER TO START SO I SEITCH KEYD. THERE BEEN A RECALL BUT WAS NOT PROPERLY FIXED. MY LIFE IS IN DANGER DRIVING AND I REPLACED SO MANY PARTS THAT WAS NEVER THE PROBLEM.
Complaint 11352471 · Sep 1, 2020 · 149,000 miles

Own a 2001 Impala?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.