Menu

2011 Chevrolet ImpalaProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 505 owner complaints about the 2011 Chevrolet Impala, most often about the electronic stability control (esc). It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-355 the manufacturer reports only 62% of affected cars repaired.

2011 Chevrolet Impala
52
CarFlaw IndexSolid year9% below the Impala median · #12 of 24 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 62%Owner complaints50546 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage73kElectronic stability control (ESC), median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through August 31, 2024. Updated daily. Photo: Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2011 Chevrolet Impala has problems

505 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
Electronic stability control (ESC)1322
Engine1255
Electrical system954
Seats773
Vehicle speed control691
Power train641
Air bags3715
Steering354
Service brakes346
18 other systems13810

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

2 recalls

2011 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.

62%repaired · 2016 Q2

Electrical system: ignition

Recall 14V-355 · Jun 23, 2014 · 3,141,731 vehicles · 1,943,372 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

Control arm: lower arm

Recall 12V-377 · Aug 3, 2012 · 36,413 vehicles

Risk. A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

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 electronic stability control (esc) problems start?

73kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 124 electronic stability control (esc) complaints. 70% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
11under 30k miles87under 100k miles37100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2011 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

2011 Chevrolet Impala safety ratings

2011 Chevrolet Impala 4 DR FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Rollover: 4 stars (11.3% risk)
  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words

What Impala owners report

Recent electronic stability control (esc) complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATE WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED HESITATING. THE CONTACT WAS IN THE PROCESS OF MAKING A LEFT TURN WHEN HE HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT CHANGE THROTTLE BODY, SERVICE STABILITY TRAC…
Complaint 11372659 · Nov 2, 2020 · 127,068 miles
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MESSAGE CAME ACROSS SAYING REDUCING ENGINE POWER. THEN SAID TO SERVICE STABILIZER. IT THEN TURNED OFF TRACTION CONTROL. WE WERE DRIVING HOME FROM VACATION WHEN THIS HAPPENED. AFTER A BIT DRIVING THE WHOLE CAR SHIFT OFF WHILE DRIVING 60MPH ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. THE MESSAGE…
Complaint 11328750 · Jun 14, 2020 · 127,000 miles
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE, SERVICE STABILITRAK - REDUCED ENGINE POWER. THIS HAS COME UP A FEW TIMES. THIS TIME THOUGH WHILE STILL DRIVING MY ENGINE POWER WAS GREATLY REDUCED WITH THE ERROR, "STARTER DISABLED, SERVICE THROTTLE". THIS LED TO A DRASTIC DECREASE IN…
Complaint 11300986 · Jan 21, 2020 · 113,000 miles

Own a 2011 Impala?

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