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CarComplaints.com Notes: Top complaints for the 2006 Chevy Impala include how the transmission slips, clunks and fails. Or how the power steering knocks and squeals. In other words, this car is a noisy bucket of eventual failure points.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
86,064 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.

2006 Chevrolet Impala drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2006 Chevrolet Impala Owner Comments (Page 2 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #58

Aug 062015

Impala

  • 140,000 miles

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

I was driving my vehicle when it suddenly cut off with an "engine power reduced" sign and the car ultimately shut off completely. The car would not come back on. It had to be towed home and then towed to a Chevy dealership in frankfort, il. The Chevy dealership could not depict the problem and held my car for almost two weeks. The dealership said that it may be something intermittent but failed to fix the issue. The dealership released my car to me and the engine power reduced returned the next day. The car is currently out of commission.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #57

May 202015

Impala

  • 130,100 miles
The transmission on my 2006 Chevrolet Impala skips, it started skipping at 130,000 miles. It is a safety hazard when I am stopped at a intersection and the light turns green I press the gas and the engine takes a few seconds to react, it has happen to me several times and has caused me to get in several close collisions. Also when I start the car and try to back up from my car space the same thing happens I press the gas to back up the engine takes a few seconds to catch and then dangerously jerks in reverse

- Fairfield, CA, USA

problem #56

Mar 182015

Impala

  • miles
As I was driving on the expressway car slowed down only driving 5 mph... leaving me stranded on the side on the expressway. I just put a engine in the car so I know thats not the problem I always had the transmission worked on in the past.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #55

Jan 172015

Impala

  • 70,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Impala. While depressing the accelerator pedal from a stop, the vehicle jerked and lost power before moving forward. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 70,000.

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #54

Mar 042013

Impala

  • 80,000 miles
While driving home from work received engine reduce power and service traction control light. I was on the freeway going 65mph when this message came on and lost power to my car. I was nearly hit by cars behind me. Apparently my throttle body was at fault. About a year later had the exact same thing happen while coming home from work. Throttle went bad and was nearly struck by traffic again. Google Chevy Impala throttle body and you will see all the problems. Not sure how this has not been recalled yet. When I took the vehicle in for service I was told that they do at least 3-4 of these a week. How is this allowed to be put on cars when at any random point this could quit. They said it has an issue related to oil corroding the wires which would also explain why I go through 3-4 qts of oil every 3,000 miles. The oil does not drip anywhere but GM said this was standard and common.

- Greenfield, WI, USA

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problem #53

Feb 052015

Impala 8-cyl

  • 152 miles
Was driving and car just lost power and cut off. Started back up and couldn't go over 5mph.

- Vadnais Hts , MN, USA

problem #52

Dec 202011

Impala

  • 89,000 miles

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

In Dec 2011/transmission failed at 88900 miles on my Impala that I purchased brand new, car was out of warranty, I paid half and GM paid half, to rebuild transmission- so I thought, Nov 2013- 25000 miles later, trans started to fail again, I called GM, opened another case, no results or response, once again, Dec 2014, I contacted GM again, transmission gone in car approx. 30,000 miles later, from when they initially rebuilt the trans, and the dealer now wants 2200 to put a trans in the car, I paid almost 2000 before in Dec.2011/jan2012 for that trans to be rebuilt, here it is 30000 mile later and the trans is going...they should have re-called the transmissions in that car, because everyone has same horror story about the 2006/2007/2008's transmissions/ I have 3 separate case #'s with GM, regarding that trans on my car. I also own a 2013 Malibu, so the 2006 Impala had not been driven enough for the trans to be gone on it again.

- Eastpointe, MI, USA

problem #51

Dec 122014

Impala 6-cyl

  • 85,000 miles
My gear shifter locked in the park mode after engine would start unable to shift into drive.

- Berlin, NJ, USA

problem #50

Sep 232009

Impala 8-cyl

  • 101,000 miles
I purchased my 2006 Impala ss brand new in 2006. I've been a loyal GM customer my whole life. At 99,000 started experiencing transmission issues, slipping, and hard shifting... at 101,000 miles I was driving down the highway and my transmission stopped working. I refinanced my car to rebuild the transmission for $2,200. After the rebuild transmission was working ok. Then at 122,000 miles it stopped working again... it was snowing and I was stranded in the turn lane of a road with a speed limit of 55mph... I turned off my car let the engine cool down and back on at least 20 times... my car moved about 200 feet each time... an hour later I got back to my house that was 5miles from the failure. I cant afford to fix it now and I am still paying for the car. Its been sitting in my yard for 10 months. This issue is very dangerous and needs to be resolved. I also received a recall for my power steering hose, got it fixed and the brackets came loose from my frame causing my steering to get very hard. I pulled over and checked my power steering fluid at walmart and it was empty. I filled it and everything was working. The next morning I had no power steering again... my hose had rubbed on my frame making a hole. I went to the store and bought more power steering fluid but after I put it in my steering was making a loud sound and didn't turn well. I think it was damaged due to the leak. I too have a loud clicking sound coming from my dashboard when I turn on my car. I was told by the dealership it was the vent flap motor... $750 dollars to repair... part is only $65 the rest is labor... also when I first bought my car I had to get all 4door windows replaced (under warranty) due to improper window guide adjustment. And my automatic trunk release works off and on, my keyless entry only works 5 feet from my car with new batteries, and all tire pressure sens. Went bad$100 each help.

- Dinwiddie, VA, USA

problem #49

Feb 032014

Impala

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that the key failed to remain in the ignition. Once the vehicle was started, the transmission failed to switch gears. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the ignition failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 14V355000 (electrical system). The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

- Benton Harbor, MI, USA

problem #48

Sep 122014

Impala 6-cyl

  • 60,000 miles

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

First of all, I use my car to travel back and forth from school. I have noticed since I came home, stopping at stop lights, my car would cut off and then cut back on. Also, my radio has changed stations by itself. Then, my check engine light has been on. When I turn on my air or heat a knocking noise comes from my air vents and it last for about 5 minutes, I actually thought my car was about to blow up because I was not sure what was causing that. I hope this problem is resolved quickly.

- Maywood , IL, USA

problem #47

Aug 012014

Impala

  • 72,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Impala. While driving approximately 20 mph, the contact heard a loud abnormal noise and the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The failure occurred on multiple occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

- Dequincy, LA, USA

problem #46

Jul 152012

Impala

  • 162,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Impala. While driving 30 mph, the vehicle jerked violently. Immediately following the initial failure, fuel spewed out of the fuel pump. An independent mechanic stated that the engine needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 162,000.

- Martin, TN, USA

problem #45

Feb 012014

Impala

  • 168,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving in reverse approximately 3 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that the computerized system needed to be replaced. In addition, the transmission had been replaced three times, including the oil pan gasket. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 168,000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #44

Jul 122014

Impala

  • 130,000 miles
I was stopped at a stoplight and tried to accelerate only to find out I was not moving much. I determined there was another issue with the transmission not shifting into gear. The light turned green and I was almost rear ended in a multiple vehicle accident until I slowly down shifted out of drive to 1st gear. I was finally able to up shift through 1st, 2nd, 3rd gears up to road speed and then shift into drive. This has been a regular occurrence since this time. I have issues with hard shifting when I back out of my driveway, from a full stop and even when the transmission tries to shift up when I am driving in town or highway speeds. This creates a very dangerous situation for me and other drivers. Please research this issue and bring this to the attention of General Motors. I think for as many impacted cars as are on the road there should be a safety recall issued. I don't think there needs to be deaths with people driving these cars before the manufacturer should make design changes. When I purchased this car I thought it would be safe and have just normal wear and tear issues. This has not been the case with my 2006 Chevrolet Impala. I have had numerous issues crop up that I see other car owners have endured as well from the online posts about said such issues. I am happy for youtube and others that had gone through the same issue. At least I was able to figure out how to resolve some issues when the local GM dealership garage and mechanics could not isolate and trouble shoot my issues. As I report yet another issue today I received a recall notice about the ignition today.

- Cedar Rapids, IA, USA

problem #43

Jun 152007

Impala 6-cyl

  • 31,000 miles
I had just purchased this car in January of 2007 and I had noticed the transmission having issues when shifting gears. I first noticed this issue when backing out of my driveway and pulling the car into gear (drive) there would be a hesitation and a "clunk" noise. I was not sure what the issue was at first so I waited until it happened again and called the local Chevy dealer to inspect it, as it was under warranty. The mechanic could not replicate the problem and told me there was no issue. The transmission had continued to have issues over the past 6-7 years. I also had the transmission act up when I would be driving in town from a stop up to highway speeds. At a full stop the car would hesitate to shift into gear almost causing multiple accidents. Many times I would need to down shift to first gear and up shift in order to get my vehicle going. In the past three years I have personally almost been in about 12 or more potential accident situations because of the transmission issue. I have read in many online forums that this is a serious and known issue with the Chevy Impala transmission. This is an issue that needs to be researched and resolved with a recall campaign. From what I have researched online there is an issue with a module with the transmission. Please research this issue as I will be contacting GM as well over this faulty part/design of transmission.

- Cedar Rapids, IA, USA

problem #42

Apr 012014

Impala 6-cyl

  • 1,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated the drive shift gear would seize when maneuvering between gears. The independent mechanic was not able to be diagnosed the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware. The approximate failure mileage was 1,000. Updated 10/03/14 the consumer was involved in an accident on June 5, 2014 where she crashed into a mailbox and trees. The consumer and her husband were hospitalized for 3 days. They received some broken bones, cuts, and scratches. Updated 7/20/2015

- Amherst, VA, USA

problem #41

Dec 202012

Impala

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle decreased in acceleration and the transmission shifted. In addition, the engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled after the accelerator pedal was applied. The failure occurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 131,000. The VIN was not available.

- Fort Washignton, MD, USA

problem #40

Apr 102014

Impala 8-cyl

  • 43,265 miles
While driving home from work traveling at a speed of 70 mph I suddenly received a notification of reduced power and to service my traction control had the problem diagnosed as a faulty engine control module still having this problem.

- Detroit, MI, USA

problem #39

Jan 172014

Impala 6-cyl

  • 90,000 miles
From the day I purchased this car I've had nothing but trouble out of it, about the second to third week of me driving this car I notice a slight slip as I would take off from a dead stop it felt like as if there were banana peals under the wheels as I would begin to take off at first it was slightly... now it will stutter vary badly then it will find the gear then take off!! from this occurring I've almost been in three accidents thank god that no cars hit me I've done numerous research on this car and everyone has the same problem transmission failure and the issues that I'm having seem like this is the beginning before the end, there's seriously needs to be a recall on the Chevrolet Impala transmissions everyone is having the same issue it's not safe and it's unfair to consumers I still can't believe that there hasn't been a recall on them, I hope no one has to die before it's noticed please do an investigation on this issue.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

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