2013 Chevrolet IMPALA: complaints, problems and recalls

2013 CHEVROLET IMPALA RENTAL CAR. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SHIFT INDICATOR ISSUES *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED GM THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO REMOVE THE LETTERS FROM THE SHIFT INDICATOR CONSOLE BETWEEN THE TWO FRONT SEATS. INSTEAD, GM PUT THE SHIFT INDICATOR AT THE VERY BOTTOM OF THE SPEEDOMETER, DIRECTLY OVER THE STEERING WHEEL. WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL WAS TURNED LEFT OR RIGHT, THE SHIFT INDICATOR ON THE CONSOLE DASH WAS BLOCKED BY THE STEERING WHEEL. FURTHERMORE, THE HANDS OF THE DRIVER, WOULD ALSO BLOCK THE INDICATOR ON THE SPEEDOMETER.…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10480421 at NHTSA ↗

"SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" AND "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" WARNING DURING NORMAL DRIVING ON MY WAY TO WORK THIS MORNING. THE CAR SUDDENLY DECELERATED AND STARTED RUNNING TERRIBLY, CAUSING A POTENTIAL SAFETY ISSUE. I'VE ONLY HAD THE CAR FOR 2 MONTHS! APPARENTLY THIS HAS BEEN A COMMON PROBLEM WITH IMPALAS FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW THAT GM IS SEEMINGLY UNABLE TO FIX. HAD I KNOWN ABOUT THIS ISSUE I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED AN IMPALA. GM SOLD ME A LEMON. VERY DISAPPOINTED. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 4,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10522229 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO DECELERATE AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR VISIBLE DAMAGE TO EITHER VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE FAILURE RECURRED THREE TIMES WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 38,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10532342 at NHTSA ↗

I SEE TODAY THAT A RECALL HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED FOR IMPALAS UP TO 2010 BUILD YEAR. I HAVE A LOANER CAR FOR THE SATURN IGNITION SWITCH RECALL THAT IS A 2013 IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING MY 93 YEAR OLD MOTHER AROUND, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG WOULD NOT TURN ON. THIS HAPPENED EVERY TIME SHE RODE WITH ME. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 65,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10578153 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AND THE SYSTEM ENGAGED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 37,780.

Owner-reported narrative. 37,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10583078 at NHTSA ↗

I JUST PURCHASED MY 2013 CHEVROLET IMPALA LTZ IN THE LAST 30 DAYS. HAVE DRIVEN LESS THAN 1500 MILES. WHILE HIGHWAY DRIVING, I RECEIVED A SERVICE STABILITRAK AND A SLIGHT NOISE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING. GM CUSTOMER CARE WAS CLOSED AT THAT TIME, HOWEVER NEXT MORNING THE SERVICE WARNING WAS OFF...BUT I STILL FOLLOWED UP WITH GM. THE CUSTOMER CARE REPRESENTATIVE SAID MOST LIKELY IF THE SERVICE WARNING WENT OFF - IT WAS JUST A GLITCH. HOWEVER, I WAS ALSO ABLE TO CONFIRM AT THAT TIME THAT BECAUSE I HAVE THE BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY, IT IS A COVE…

Owner-reported narrative. 32,750 miles reported. Look up ODI 10583388 at NHTSA ↗

THE WIPERS HAD ICE ON THEM AS WELL AS THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD ON 01/25/14 A WEEK AFTER I BOUGHT MY CAR. THE DEFROSTER HAD BEEN ON ALL THE TIME DURING MY DRIVE HOME, ABOUT 1 HOUR. I HAD TO STOP A NUMBER OF TIMES TO KNOCK THE ICE OFF THE WIPERS AND SCRAPE THE WINDSHIELD. IT HAPPENED AGAIN ON 04/03/14 WHEN I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM THE MPLS AIRPORT. I HAD PUT ON NEW WIPERS AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, YET THESE WIPERS ICED UP AS WELL. I AGAIN HAD THE DEFROSTER ON, SOMETIMES IT WAS FULL BLAST. I TOOK PICTURES OF THE WIPER BLADES ON THE 4/3…

Owner-reported narrative. 21,900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10585817 at NHTSA ↗

TRACTION CONTROL ENGAGES AND LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF AND ENGINE REDUCES POWER AND ABS PUMP COMES ON ALL AT THE SAME TIME. OCCURS INTERMITTENT AND ONLY WHEN IT SITS FOR A DAY AND WHEN YOU BACK OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND THEN PUT IT IN FORWARD GEAR TO GO FORWARD. HAVEN'T HAD IT TO A DEALER YET BUT WAS TOLD THAT IF IT WASN'T SHOWING A CODE THAT THEY WOULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. CAR IS A 2013 CHEVY IMPALA LTZ WITH 32000 MILES. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 32,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10587333 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2014-06-23 (June 23, 2014)

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

Consequence: 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. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.