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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 6
Injuries / Deaths:
3 / 0
Average Mileage:
67,749 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.

2008 Chevrolet Impala electrical problems

electrical problem

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2008 Chevrolet Impala Owner Comments (Page 10 of 11)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #32

May 022013

Impala

  • 92,146 miles

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

Right rear door lock would operate intermittently at first and finally will not unlock at all with auto door lock or key fob. It is also starting to do the same thing on the left rear door lock so I know it will only be a matter of time before it will not unlock either.

- Paducah, KY, USA

problem #31

Feb 242013

Impala 6-cyl

  • 92,334 miles
The right rear door lock works intermittently with my power door lock system on my 2008 Chevy Impala. Also the right front passenger door lock worked intermittently at first and now it does not respond. I have done some research online and I know I am not the only owner of a 2008 Chevrolet Impala with this problem. Pleas help. Is there any way a recall can be issued to get this issue fixed? it is impossible to unlock the right rear door from the outside with a key because there is no key hole. There is only one key hole on to unlock a door with the car key and it is on the driver side door only.

- Irving , TX, USA

problem #30

Mar 142013

Impala 6-cyl

  • 92,578 miles
On March 14, 2013, we were accelerating from a complete stop when the service engine light came on and a message appeared in the message console that read "engine power reduced." It was difficult to get the vehicle to accelerate at first, but it then responded after a few seconds. The 'service engine" light stayed on. We took it to an automobile parts store so they could pull the code with a code reader. The vehicle parts store was able to pull a code reading P2138 which is for the throttle position sensor. Later on that night, I went online and did some research and discovered that there are many owners of 2008 Chevy Impala with the same problem. In the past year, there have been several occasions when my 2008 Chevy Impala tends to buckle and jerk or hesitate when accelerating from a complete stop making difficult to nearly impossible to navigate out of the way of traffic. Is there any way a recall can be issued for the throttle position sensor and the gas pedal so this issue can be resolve for all owners of 2008 Chevrolet Impala? please help.

- Irving , TX, USA

problem #29

Mar 082013

Impala 6-cyl

  • 132,678 miles

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

Gear shift stuck in park position. Would not shift into any other position. Chevrolet mechanic found electrical problem and made following comments on the repair order. Found that shift lock control solenoid inop. Found that green wire melted about 12 inches from shifter and also connector for shift lock control had high resistance.. repair commented: Replaced connector and repaired wire working as designed at this time. Mechanic stated that this was not uncommon. Also found numerous internet forum comments about this problem.. very serious fire hazard. GM seems to be aware since above repair implies a reworking design of wire working.: evidence of burned wire inside a vehicle should be considered a serious fire hazard.

- Woodbridge, VA, USA

problem #28

Apr 132012

Impala 6-cyl

  • 62,000 miles
2008 Chevy Impala. Right rear door lock began working intermittently. Right front followed suit shortly afterwards. Now, some 5 months later, the driver door is behaving the same way. It makes transporting my children difficult and unsafe. If there were to be an accident, the children in the back seat are not likely to have the mental capacity to remember to unlock the door which could lead to further injury or death. Wiring harness in the center console is poorly designed and located in such a way that the wiring breaks and making it so electrical safety devices do not disengage thus not letting the key be removed, the vehicle not being able to shift from park, and other failures yet to be identified.

- Cleona, PA, USA

problem #27

Mar 062013

Impala 6-cyl

  • 150,000 miles
I was driving on the highway leading into an overpass. As L entered onto the overpass my service traction control, engine power reduced, and service throttle body disabled flash across my dash board, killing the power to my vehicle and locking my steering wheel. While I was stopped unable to move my vehicle, cars flew me and I was almost hit. At one point another vehicle was almost ran off the road due to oncoming traffic trying to Dodge me. This was the worst experience of my life. I have never feared for my life like I did at this time. After doing my research online, I have found many others have been in my situation. I was told that my accelerator pedal sensor has gone bad. I feel that GM should be held responsible and needs to remedy the situation before someone is killed.

- Garland,Tx, TX, USA

problem #26

Jan 102013

Impala 6-cyl

  • 90,000 miles

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

Key gets stuck in ignition and will not turn to lock position. The battery runs down after sitting for awhile. I "googled" complaints of this happening and there were hundreds of complaints. The problem lies in the center console of automatic transmission cars. Chevrolet designed the wiring harness to drag across the floor while moving the shifter lever from gear to gear. This eventually causes the wires to break. Depending on which of the five wires break causes problems with the ignition switch (car won't start, transmission won't shift, steering wheel won't lock, key won't come out are some of the problems). As I stated there are hundreds of complaints and feel to issue a recall by Chevrolet would be inline.

- Alliance, NE, USA

problem #25

Nov 012011

Impala 6-cyl

  • miles
We are getting ready to have to replace our third set of tires. We bought our Impala new and replaced our first set of tires at Feb. 2010 (38,000 miles). Replaced again at 54,000 miles Dec. 2011. Replaced again at 65,000 Nov. Of 2012 and it is in need ot new rear tires again at 72,000. Car shakes and back end slides in bad weather. Service department states that it needs a cambor kit. Research has shown that Chevrolet produced a faulty suspension rod and recalled "police owned" vehicles but not consumer vehicles. Do not feel safe in vehicle or allowing my 16 year old to drive it. My car is aligned and tires rotated and serviced frequently! tires wear down to metal sticking out of tires and inner wear is incredible. Left tire behind the driver is the quickest to have problems and begin to cause car to shake. Secondly, rear door automatic door locks quite working after 2 years of owning car. How do I become part of the class action law suit.

- Stockbridge, GA, USA

problem #24

Jan 292013

Impala 8-cyl

  • 148,000 miles
I was starting the car up and the engine was going in and out. I noticed that the check engine light was on and it stayed on. The stabili-trac light also came on. The panel also said that the engine was losing power. This happened 2 times within the last 8 days. I stopped the vehicle and turned it off. Cranked it back up and the check engine light was still on. Took it to the car dealer and they said that it was the throttle position sensor.

- Orangeburg, SC, USA

problem #23

Aug 052011

Impala

  • miles
Noise is being made sounds like in the dashboard.

- Northport, AL, USA

problem #22

Dec 012011

Impala

  • 55,000 miles

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

I purchased my '08 Impala lt used, vehicle was in perfect condition, older owner and was a seasonal vehicle as we live in South Florida this owner was a snow bird and only used the vehicle 4 months out of the year. I had the car about 7 months and then I noticed a problem with the locks, they would sometimes not lock/or unlock while using the fob, the interior lock still worked for a few more months and then everything eventually ceased. Now nothing works, unless you manually lock/unlock it yourself. Problem is.....I have children, small children and when doing 8 other things while getting out of the car, or parking the car and getting out it is such a pain in the a** that I have to go through this with a somewhat newer vehicle!!! I tried replacing the fuse, that didn't work. I can hear the locks click, but nothing happens. Well.....I had some work done to the vehicle, new tires and an alignment and had them look into it further, they did and told me the actuators need to be replaced, $1200!!! I almost passed out right there!! for something that was not the direct cause by me how irresponsible of Chevrolet to allow these parts to go bad, I did a great amount of research and found this problem with quite a few owners of this very same vehicle, this and the air flow thing that makes a horrible noise, like banging!!! that will be my next complaint!! I found that apparently, the grease from one of the components that is next to actuator is eating away at the part causing it to default!! Chevy needs to have this recalled, asap!!! people with small children, who keep them in the back seat could have some serious problems if they are unable to get to their kids.....especially since the locks are all the way towards the rear of the door you cant even reach it from the front seat. This is supposed to me considered a full size sedan, a family car!!!

- Naples, FL, USA

problem #21

Oct 172012

Impala 6-cyl

  • miles
The left rear door actuator failed and the remote opener and the driver's and passenger's electric locks would not open or lock the left rear door from the inside. I was advised by local GM dealer that this problem does not constitute a safety recall, even though it involved passengers who would be riding in the back seat of the vehicle.

- Enid, OK, USA

problem #20

Sep 082012

Impala

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while parked, the gear shifter became locked and the contact was unable to shift into drive. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where it was confirmed that the electrical system failed. The electrical system was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure and current mileages were 90,000. The VIN was not available.

- Montgomery, TX, USA

problem #19

Jun 012011

Impala 6-cyl

  • 54,000 miles
Power door locks stopped working. I can open the drivers door with the key, but the other power locks do not open. It started with the rear locks and now includes all locks. This is dangerous because we carry our small grandchildren in their car seats in the back. The only way to unlock the doors is to roll down the power window and reach in to unlock. I have discussed this with Chevrolet but they say they have no reports of others having this problem. This is hard to believe since there are so many reports of this on the internet forums. I believe this is a very serious safety issue. In an accident, the rear windows may not function and we would have to break out the rear windows to free our grandchildren.

- Maylene, AL, USA

problem #18

Jul 202012

Impala 6-cyl

  • 48,000 miles
Both rear power door locks have failed. They are inoperable from inside the vehicle. This has caused an unsafe condition for the passengers in the rear seats of the vehicle. This in a very common problem with the 2008 Impala. Chevrolet is aware of the issue, but has not started a recall to address the issue.

- Vallejo, CA, USA

problem #17

Jul 092012

Impala 6-cyl

  • 46,221 miles
The rear lock on the passenger side door will not unlock when the car is switched out of gear or when using the button on the key control. Based on information in the internet it is caused by a type of grease that bleeds into the latch actuator and happens frequently to the 2008 Chevy Impala. This represents a very serious situation in an emergency situation where a baby, child or adult may not be able to exit the vehicle quickly. Hopefully this can be categorized as an emergency recall where Chevy will quickly repair this defect at no cost to the owner. ## VIN passed ## Chevy, Impala, 2008 ##.

- Aberdeen, MD, USA

problem #16

Jun 182012

Impala 6-cyl

  • 51,142 miles
The power door lock for the rear driver side door will not operate. It can only be locked or unlocked manually. This becomes a real problem when I have my grandchildren in the back seat.

- Romeo, MI, USA

problem #15

May 312012

Impala

  • 83,300 miles
I was traveling on a highway near to my home, and for about a month now the vehicle has come up with an error stating "reduced engine power". suddenly, the vehicle simply stalled itself, coming up with a message that stated "starting disabled/service throttle". I was traveling uphill at 40mph, now with no power brakes, no power steering, and the engine completely shut off and unable to restart. Luckily I was able to pull over and disconnect the battery and reconnect it to restart it. What if this had happened on a highway on or off ramp" or on a corner? or with a vehicle traveling behind me" I believe any vehicle that will just randomly turn itself off due to a part that has had hundreds of complaints that I've just read online is unsafe to be driven on America's highways. I read online that this was a prevalent problem with these vehicles, and I hope I get injured because of it so I can sue GM.

- Shakopee, MN, USA

problem #14

Feb 152012

Impala 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 71,000 miles
The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that he was unable to unlock the doors by using the automatic key fob. The contact mentioned that the only way to unlock the door was by crawling over the rear seat and manually unlocking the doors from the inside. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who did not diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 71,000 and the current mileage 73,600. Updated 04/25/12

- Destin , FL, USA

problem #13

Aug 032009

Impala

  • 40,000 miles
I am getting my fourth set of tires on my 2008 Impala, with 70,000 miles I have been told everything from not rotating my tire which I do every 6,000 miles to alignment which has been done three times, , I also have no power steering randomly at low speeds, also rear door locks don't work any more, also when I step on the gas the traction control light comes on and I can't go forward and then it all of a sudden will move, that's on dry pavement.

- Tea, SD, USA

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