2005 Chevrolet Impala Problems, Recalls & Reliability
811 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Chevrolet Impala, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 61/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Electrical leads the reports, typically around 79,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2005 sits among all Impala years
What owners report
“Security light on, will not start. While driving security light comes on all the time. If it starts flashing while driving the car will not start when cycled again. You have to wait almost 3hrs before it will start again. We are replacing the ignition switch to see if that helps.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Impala
“My 2005 chevrolet impala ls, when it had 235 miles on it had to be taken into the dealer because engine noise, "broken rocker pivot arm" got the car back, ran rough, vehicle stalled out at stop lite, restarted ok, rear window rubber trim coming off. Car now has 2300-miles on it.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Impala
“Tl- the contact owns a 2005 chevrolet impala. The contact was driving 30 when the steering wheel seized and became difficult to maneuver. The contact also stated that at engine startup, the smell of fuel emitted inside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to both a private mechanic and the dealer.…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Impala
“Traction control engages even on drive even surfaces. Abs also engage on smooth, even and dry surfaces.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Impala
“Transmission has hard shifting after engine warms up, only has 44,000 miles on it. Stop and go traffic seems to start the problem faster than highway driving.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Impala
“The car shuts off while driving. Loose power steering hazardous while turning at higher speeds... Dangerous for. Vehicles in front or back . The car also jumps or jolts when driving. And looses power causing severe loss of control especially when icy or snow road conditions.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 Impala
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 656 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 83,850 miles. Half of those reports fall between 50,000 and 120,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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.…
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.
Technical service bulletins
553 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2005 Chevrolet Impala. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2005 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 2005 Chevrolet Impala reliable?
The 2005 Chevrolet Impala drew 811 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 61/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2005 Chevrolet Impala problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Chevrolet Impala are electrical (389 complaints), engine (64), and steering (60).
At what mileage do 2005 Chevrolet Impala problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Chevrolet Impala problems around 83,850 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 50,000 and 120,000 miles.
Does the 2005 Chevrolet Impala have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2005 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.