2011 Chevrolet Impala: engine and transmission complaints
HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
41%
194 of 468 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
41% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2011 Chevrolet Impala are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.
Better than 51% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 37 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 38%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
ENGINE11/12/2020FIRE2 INJURED
I WAS DRIVING AND A PART IN MY A/C BEGAN CLICKING LOUDLY, THEN THE AIR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY AND STARTED SMOKING. A LOUD NOISE CAME FROM WHERE THE A/C BLOWER MOTOR IS AND WITHIN MOMENTS THE ENTIRE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES.
AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE05/09/2016CRASH1 INJURED
G.M. REPLACED MY INGINTION SWITCH ON A NATIONAL RECALL. I WAS HIT IN LEFT REAR QTR. PANEL. I LOST ALL POWER AND COULD NOT STOP OR STEER THE CAR. I CAREENED ACROSS HIGHWAY AND RAN INTO A HOUSE. NO AIR BAGS DEPLOYED EITHER. G.M. SENT A TEAM TO RECOVER COMPUTER INFO AND HAS NOW TOLD ME THERE IS NO PROBLEM.
AIR BAGS,ENGINE09/29/2014CRASH1 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO AN EMBANKMENT. THE DRIVER SIDE FRONTAL AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE HEAD, ARM, AND CHEST. MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS RECEIVED. THE …
Three of 194 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (2)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
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 …
SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Chevrolet Impala police vehicles because the front lower control arms may fracture. This safety recall does…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2011 Chevrolet Impala
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
2 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
