2001 Chevrolet Impala Problems, Recalls & Reliability
959 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2001 Chevrolet Impala, alongside 10 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 81/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 90,750 miles.
Below average
Where 2001 sits among all Impala years
What owners report
“Key turns in ignition but car will not crank.sometimes wait 10 minutes and it will start some times it won't.security light comes on while driving.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Impala
“We were trying to jump start the car, and when trying to start the engine there was a loud explosion, and the intake manifold destroyed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Impala
“Consumer states that while driving and no warning there is a loud noise coming from the steering wheel causing a distraction to the consumer. Dealer notified. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Impala
“Defective rotors. Warp every 10,000 to 15,000 miles could cause brake failure leading to accident. Ts”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Impala
“I was driving along and the car suddenly shut the engine off. This was due to ignition switch problems please see case number 2:16-cv-00111-wkw-wc,smith v. Cedar crest nursing home et.al.,. The car was on a city street or highway in the city of montgomery,alabama.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Impala
“Consumer states vehicle has excessive rollback on inclines when accelerating from a stopped position. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 2001 Impala
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 611 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 81,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 45,300 and 130,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (10)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. The affected vehicles were…
Fix: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engine’s front valve cover and gasket.…
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.…
Fix: 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 9, 2014.…
GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING 1,497,516 MY 1997-2003 BUICK REGAL, MY 1998-2003 CHEVROLET LUMINA, MONTE CARLO AND IMPALA, MY 1998-1999 OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE, MY 1997-2003 PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 3.8L V6 NATURALLY ASPIRATED ENGINE. SOME OF…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE’S FRONT VALVE COVER AND FRONT-VALVE-COVER GASKET WITH NEW PARTS OF AN IMPROVED DESIGN AND REMOVE THE ENGINE’S PLASTIC COVER AND PLASTIC OIL-FILL-TUBE EXTENSION, FREE…
DORMAN IS RECALLING 979 STEERING KNUCKLES, DORMAN P/NOS. 697-902 AND 697-903, SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS<SUP>TM</SUP>" BRAND NAME, AND NAPA P/NOS. 7-8502 AND 7-8503 WHICH WERE SOLD FOR REPLACEMENT USE ON THE VARIOUS VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. A POTENTIAL…
Fix: DORMAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE STEERING KNUCKLES FREE OF CHARGE AND REIMBURSE THE REPAIR FACILITY OR OWNER FOR LABOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT…
DORMAN PRODUCTS IS RECALLING 3,900 INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFTS DORMAN PART NOS. 425-151, 425-152, AND 425-153, (SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS" BRAND NAME), BALKAMP #'S 7-3057, 7-3058, 7-3059 (SOLD UNDER THE "NAPA" BRAND NAME), AND PLATINUM PARTS #'S…
Fix: DORMAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE STEERING SHAFTS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 16, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DORMAN TOLL FREE AT 1-800-523-2492.
CERTAIN DELPHI FUEL PRESSURE REGULATORS, P/NOS. FP10020-11B1, FP10026-11B1, AND FP10027-11B1, SOLD AFTER JANUARY 9, 2007, AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE UNIVERSAL PRESSURE REGULATORS (UPR) WERE PRODUCED WITHOUT AN…
Fix: DELPHI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE UPR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 23, 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT DELPHI AT 877-411-8770.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 3.4L ENGINE AND NON-ANTILOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS). THESE VEHICLES FAIL TO COMPLY WITH REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM INTEGRITY." A FUEL RETURN LINE CAN BECOME SEVERED IN A FRONTAL…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER BRACKET THAT WILL MAINTAIN POSITIONING OF THE FUEL LINE IN A FRONTAL CRASH. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 29, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. SOME OF THESE VEHICLES EXHIBIT A CONDITION IN WHICH THE DRIVER SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG INFLATOR SEPARATES FROM THE AIR BAG MODULE DURING DEPLOYMENT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SIDE IMPACT AIR BAG MODULE.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THE AIR BAG SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULES (SDM) COULD EXPERIENCE A MEMORY ERROR RESULTING IN THE AIR BAGS NOT DEPLOYING IN A CRASH SITUATION.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SENSING AND DIAGNOSTIC MODULE.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES, LIGHT DUTY TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MINI VANS EQUIPPED WITH TRW SEAT BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLIES. THE BUCKLE BASE OF THESE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLIES WERE NOT PROPERLY HEAT TREATED AND THEREFORE DO NOT PASS THE LOAD…
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLE'S SAFETY BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY DATE CODES AND, IF NECESSARY, WILL REPLACE ANY SAFETY BELT BUCKLE ASSEMBLY.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 04V090000.
Technical service bulletins
454 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2001 Chevrolet Impala. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2001 Impala TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2001 Chevrolet Impala reliable?
The 2001 Chevrolet Impala drew 959 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 81/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2001 Chevrolet Impala problems?
The top reported problems for the 2001 Chevrolet Impala are electrical (319 complaints), engine (192), and steering (77).
At what mileage do 2001 Chevrolet Impala problems show up?
Owners most often report 2001 Chevrolet Impala problems around 81,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 45,300 and 130,000 miles.
Does the 2001 Chevrolet Impala have recalls?
10 recall campaigns apply to the 2001 Chevrolet Impala. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.