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2017 Chevrolet Impala: engine and transmission complaints

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
37%
34 of 92 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

37% of relevant owner complaints on the 2017 Chevrolet Impala are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 59% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 24 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 29%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
34
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
116
this model year
Fires reported
0
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
0
4 crashes · 9 injuries

Complaints by component

UNKNOWN OR OTHER31 · 27%
ENGINE21 · 18%
AIR BAGS17 · 15%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM15 · 13%
POWER TRAIN12 · 10%
STEERING10 · 9%

The years either side

2010
46%
156 of 441
2011
41%
194 of 505
2012
34%
77 of 258
2013
24%
60 of 272
2014
17%
92 of 634
2015
17%
41 of 300
2016
54%
455 of 897
2017
37%
34 of 116
2018
33%
17 of 59
2019
36%
8 of 28
2020
too few complaints
2021
no data
2022
no data
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other full-size sedans with no elevated signal in 2017

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

POWER TRAIN10/07/20231 INJURED
The Transmission failed, yes it is available for inspection upon request The car was jerking extremely hard from 1st to second gear. Doing damage to my back. The car has been confirmed by a dealership. The vehicle is set to be inspected by the manufacturer on 10-16-2023 There was leaking from the transmission coolant l…
ENGINE05/14/20211 INJURED
THE CONTACT'S WIFE OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, SHE WOULD SMELL AN ABNORMAL, EXHAUST ODOR INSIDE THE VEHICLE'S CABIN WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT THEN STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, HE HAD HEARD A LOUD NOISE EMIT FROM THE ENGINE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTAC…
POWER TRAIN03/30/2026
The car will not or is slow to shift into gear. The transmission will not shift into gear..

Three of 34 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Before you buy a 2017 Chevrolet Impala

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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.