U.S. public vehicle records

2000 Chevrolet IMPALA problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

810 owner complaints analyzed

7 distinct recall campaigns

86,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2000 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 417 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 132 of 810 complaints (16.3%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	129	15.9%
Braking behavior	92	11.4%
Engine operation	84	10.4%
Electrical and battery issues	70	8.6%
Transmission and shifting	36	4.4%
Fuel system concerns	27	3.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Electrical System

132

Engine

Steering

Engine And Engine Cooling

Air Bags

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Electrical System	132
Engine	71
Steering	59
Engine And Engine Cooling	54
Air Bags	47
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	38
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	30
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	29

Electrical System: 132; Engine: 71; Steering: 59; Engine And Engine Cooling: 54; Air Bags: 47; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 38; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 30; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 29

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

105

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 33; 25,000 to 49,999: 68; 50,000 to 74,999: 71; 75,000 to 99,999: 72; 100,000 to 149,999: 105; 150,000 and above: 68

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (105). 393 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

103

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2000: 78; 2001: 80; 2002: 61; 2003: 103; 2004: 74; 2005: 53; 2006: 42; 2007: 22; 2008: 37; 2009: 51; 2010: 19; 2011: 21; 2012: 16; 2013: 9; 2014: 65; 2015: 32; 2016: 23; 2017: 12; 2018: 3; 2019: 5; 2020: 3; 2021: 1

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 129 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 92 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 84 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10001309 · 2002-12-20 (December 20, 2002)

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL THE VEHICLE WOULD STILL GO FORWARD AND CAUSE A DISTRACTION TO THE CONSUMER. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10001309 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10002574 · 2003-01-10 (January 10, 2003)

CONSUMER STATES EACH TIME SHE DRIVES HER AUTO SHE HEARS A KNOCKING NOISE. CONSUMER TOOK AUTO TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES, TWICE SHE WAS TOLD THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE NOISE, AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH THE AUTO. THE THIRD TIME THEY HEARD THE KNOCKING AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS HER STEERING SHAFT. SHE STATES THAT THIS NOISE STARTS WHILE SHE IS TURNING HER AUTO RIGHT OR LEFT, OR EVEN PARKING.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002574 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10010770 · 2003-03-19 (March 19, 2003)

THERE ARE TWO: ONE: A/C "OVERFLOW CATCH TRAP" COLLECTS WATER AND DOES NOT DRAIN, CAUSING MOLDY SMELL AND REQUIRES CLEANING OUT OF "TRAP" TWO: FRONT END BRAKES "WOBBLE" - TOOK IN 3 TIMES UNDER WARRANTY TO HAVE FIXED AND ONCE HAD TO PAY AT 12K MILES TO HAVE TO HAVE ROTORS REPLACED. OTHERWISE REPLIED TO AS "NORMAL". STILL WOBBLES (I WOULD NOT DESCRIBE AS THE EXPECTED "PULSING") - NEVER COMPLETELY SATISFIED AT ANY TIME REPORTED. NOW OF WARRANTY (OF COURSE) BUT WHO HAS TIME TO KEEP TAKING THE CAR BACK IN? *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10010770 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10011856 · 2003-03-27 (March 27, 2003)

THE A/C SYSTEM STINKS DUE TO WATER RETENTION IN THE HEATER WHICH CAUSED MOLD. THE DEALER COULD MASK THE ODOR BUT COULD NOT ELIMINATE IT. A LOUD BANG OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED IN COOL OR COLD WEATHER. THE DEALER INDICATED IT WAS DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL SPIKE. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE MERGING INTO TRAFFIC. THE BRAKES ROTORS HAVE FAILED THREE TIMES, EVERY 20000 MILES ON AVERAGE. *NLM *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10011856 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10011896 · 2003-03-17 (March 17, 2003)

THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 16,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10011896 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10017537 · 2003-04-24 (April 24, 2003)

THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING, AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10017537 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000289 · 2002-12-19 (December 19, 2002)

VEHICLE STARTS ONE TIME DAILY AS OWNERS MANUAL STATES ON STARTING VEHICLE. THERE AFTER IT REQUIRES TWO TO FOUR EFFORTS TO START THE CAR WITH MULTIPLE CRANKS OF THE ENGINE. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE WILL START THE FIRST TIME, AFTER THE CAR HAS FIRST BEEN STARTED, BUT MORE OFTEN IT WILL NOT. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER WHO COULD NOT FIND ANY ENGINE CODES BUT ADVISED ME THAT THE NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE WAS LOOSE AND THEREFORE NOT COMMUNICATING TO THE COMPUTER PROPERLY. VEHICLE DRIVEN FROM DEALERSHIP, STOPPED, AND THIRTY MINUTES LATER IN TRYING TO STA…

Owner-reported narrative. 44,438 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000289 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10031313 · 2003-07-29 (July 29, 2003)

CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED AND WITH NO WARNING TRANSMISSION WILL LOCK UP, LOCKING THE REAR TIRES, AND IT WILL BE HARD TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER WILL BE FORCED TO PULL OVER. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10031313 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10039110 · 2003-09-18 (September 18, 2003)

WHILE GRADUALLY ACCELERATING FROM 42 TO 43 MPH THE ENGINE SURGES AND THEN SETTLES BACK DOWN. DEALER STATES THEY FOUND CODES THAT INDICATE A SOLENOID PROBLEM IN THE TRANSMISSION. I ONLY HAVE 52,000 MILES ON THE CAR. DEALER ALSO STATES THAT THE TRANSMISSION COULD CHANGE TO ANY GEAR AT ANY TIME OR SPEED. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 49,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10039110 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10011666 · 2003-08-07 (August 7, 2003)

WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THERE WAS AN EXPLOSION AND THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE IGNITION COMPONENTS IN THE FIREWALL AREA OVERLOADED OR SHORTED OUT RAPIDLY WHICH CAUSED THE PLASTIC COVER AND PARTS AROUND IT TO INCINERATE. POSSIBLE FUEL LEAK, HOSES, OR SEALS DAMAGED BY EXPLOSION IGNITING FUEL. GENERAL MOTORS OFFERED TO REPLACE VEHICLE. INSTEAD SETTLED CLAIM. REPLACED NEW IMPALA. *JB *CB *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 34,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10011666 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10040840 · 2003-09-28 (September 28, 2003)

ENGINE STALLS AND CUTS OUT WHEN TURNING OR GOING STRAIT AFTERTHE ENGINE IS ABOVE 2000RPM AND FOOT IS RELEASED FROM THE GAS PEDA, SOMETIMES CAN SAVE IT IF I STEP ON GAS PEDAL BEFOR TACH REACHES 500RPMSL. HAVE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL AND RESTART TO AVOID ANY ACCIDENTS. AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AND WILL GO OFF AFTER DRIVING THE CAR FOR AWHILE. TURN SIGNAL WILL NOT WORK EVERYNOW AND THEN, HAVE TO RESTART THE CAR TO GET THEM TO WORK. ENGINE WILL NOT START RIGHT AWAY, 2ND CRANK WILL START POSSIBLE FAULTY FUEL PUMP. 58000 MILES. PROBLEMS STARTED JAN 2…

Owner-reported narrative. 48,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10040840 at NHTSA ↗