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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
0 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1996 Chevrolet Impala drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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1996 Chevrolet Impala Owner Comments

problem #5

Jan 291999

(reported on)

Impala

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Starting in the 1990 model year, GM has been improperly installing differential cover gaskets that do not have the lubricating holes!! if you do not change this gasket to one that has the proper holes, your outer axle bearings, as well as the axles themselves, will be destroyed by around 70K miles. The damaged (under lubricated) bearings will wear grooves in the axle shafts, requiring that they also be replaced. If this is left unchecked, the metal bits from the damaged outer bearings and axles will also damage the inner bearings, pinion bearings, as well as cause the spider gears to wear into the differential carrier. GM has been made aware of this problem, but currently has done nothing about it. Even the new vehicles still come with the improper gaskets. Factory replacement gaskets also lack the lubricating holes. GM does not acknowledge that the rear axle gasket has a problem. As a side note, GM full-size light-duty pickups also suffer from this proglem. I feel this problem should be corrected at no expense to the owners. I would assume that should you be traveling at highway speeds and the rear end/axle goes, someone/thing is going to get hurt, not to mention the high expense of the repairs to the vehicle.

- Sierra Vista, AZ, USA

problem #4

Jan 061999

Impala

  • miles
Starting in the 1990 model year, GM has been improperly installing diffrential cover gaskets that do not have the lubricating holes!!! if you do not change this gasket to one that has the proper holes, your outer axle bearings, as well as the axles themselves, will be destroyed ty around 70K miles. The damaged (under lubricated) bearings will wear grooves in the axle shafts, requiring that they also be replaced. If this is left unchecked, the metal bits from the damaged outer bearings and axles will also damage the inner bearings, pinion bearings, as well as cause the spider gears to wear into the differential carrier. GM has been made aware of this problem, but currently has done nothing about it, and even the new vehicles still come with the improper gaskets. Factory replacement gaskets also lack the lubricating holes. GM does not acknowledge that the rear axle gasket has a problem. As a side note, GM full-size light-duty pickups also suffer from this problem. I feel this problem should be corrected at no expense to the owners. I would assume that should you be traveling at a highway speeds and the rear end/axle goes, someone or something is going to get hurt not to mention the high expense of correcting the problem if you have to have the rear end replaced.

- Sierra Vista, AZ, USA

problem #3

Dec 191997

(reported on)

Impala

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
General Motors have been improperly installing differential cover gaskets that do not have lubricating holes.

- Port Tobacco, MD, USA

problem #2

Dec 311996

Impala

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Transmission differential noise.

- Etiwanda, CA, USA

problem #1

Jul 171996

(reported on)

Impala

  • miles
Grinding gear sound in rear end-causing auto to pull and jerk.

- Carson, CA, USA

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