2003 Chevrolet Impala Problems, Recalls & Reliability
935 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2003 Chevrolet Impala, alongside 8 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 69/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 92,500 miles.
Below average
Where 2003 sits among all Impala years
What owners report
“Chevy impala lights don't work at night daytime lights work off and on high beams at night only.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Impala
“"security" warning on message display. Engine does not start, have to wait minutes then car will start.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Impala
“My air bag lights are on all the time, i have to change my brakes ever 2 months bc they start to lock up and go through brake pads like nothing. I also have electronical problems my blinkers work when they want to an when it starts to not work my lights dim if the radio is on it turns down it's…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Impala
“The security system locks and will not let me start the vehicle every couple times the vehicle is started.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Impala
“Driving on the freeway at night no traffic. My airbags deploy destroying the inside of my car. No crash took place. Made a claim with gm my claim was denied. I am afraid to fix this car and drive it any longer. I did have the engine fire recall fixed 5 days prior to this happening.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Impala
“Turn signals work intermittently for 6 years. Transmission makes squeak upon starting from dead stop after changing fluid and filter for 2nd time. Abs went out 6 years ago.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2003 Impala
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 668 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 90,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 52,000 and 130,207 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (8)
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.
ON CERTAIN MINI VANS, PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE A DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG THAT MAY NOT DEPLOY AS DESIGNED. IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG INFLATOR COULD RUPTURE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT, AND IF NECESSARY, INSTALL A NEW DRIVER'S AIR BAG. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON MARCH 11, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON…
CERTAIN PASSENGER, MINI VANS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES HAVE AN AIR BAG INFLATOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE THAT COULD FRACTURE AT A WELD DURING A DEPLOYMENT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT, AND REPLACE, IF NECESSARY, THE AIR BAG MODULE ASSEMBLY ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN AUGUST 15, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER…
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
477 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2003 Chevrolet Impala. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2003 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 2003 Chevrolet Impala reliable?
The 2003 Chevrolet Impala drew 935 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 69/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2003 Chevrolet Impala problems?
The top reported problems for the 2003 Chevrolet Impala are electrical (383 complaints), engine (174), and brakes & stability (79).
At what mileage do 2003 Chevrolet Impala problems show up?
Owners most often report 2003 Chevrolet Impala problems around 90,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 52,000 and 130,207 miles.
Does the 2003 Chevrolet Impala have recalls?
8 recall campaigns apply to the 2003 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.