Chevrolet · NHTSA safety record
Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 111 safety complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Impala with the US government. Of those, 8 describe a crash, 4 mention a fire, 10 people were injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 30 complaints, 27% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 55,461 miles, the median across the 74 complaints that gave an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers June 2016 to August 2026 · How this is counted
111
Complaints
8
Describe a crash
4
Mention fire
10
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 111.
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2020 at 30.
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2016 Chevrolet IMPALA, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.
| Test | 4 DR FWD |
|---|---|
| Overall | |
| Frontal crash | |
| Frontal, driver | |
| Frontal, passenger | |
| Side crash | |
| Side barrier | |
| Side pole | |
| Rollover | |
| Chance of rollover | 12.1% |
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.
2 injured · crash · towed · 11,740 miles
DRIVING ALONG A FOUR-LANE DIVIDED HIGHWAY WITH A 50 MPH LIMIT WHEN WITHOUT WARNING AN ONCOMING VEHICLE TURNED LEFT INTO ME AT AN INTERSECTION. MY ESTIMATED IMPACT SPEED WAS 35 MPH. THE AIRBAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE OTHER CAR'S AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. I WONDER IF THE AIRBAGS IN THE CHEVROLET WERE EVEN INSTALLED. IT MAKES NO SENSE TO ME WHY THEY DID NOT DEPLOY. *TR
NHTSA complaint 10936840. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
2 injured · crash · towed
I WAS GOING UP THE HIGHWAY AND A MAN HIT ME FLYING OUT AN PARKING LOT AND THE AIRBAGS NEVER WENT OFF AND I WAS GOING 35 TO 40 MPH, AND HIT AN SUV. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS CAME OUT. SO NOW I HAVE HERNIATED DISK IN MY BCK AMD ALSO LENDONS OUT OF PLACE EVERYWHERE.
NHTSA complaint 11010802. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
1 injured · crash · towed · 3,021 miles
ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2016 AT APPROXIMATELY 5:20 A.M. I WAS PARKING MY CAR IN A CENTER CITY PARKING GARAGE. I WAS APPROXIMATELY 2 CAR LENGTHS FROM THE PARKING SPOT. I WAS BACKING MY CAR INTO THE SPOT. THE CAR WAS STOPPED AND I REMOVED MY SAFETY BELT AND LOWERED THE WINDOW. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO PROCEED INTO THE LINED PARKING SPOT. THE CAR PROCEEDED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED INTO A CONCRETE WALL. THERE WERE NO OBSTRUCTIONS AND THE ACCELERATOR WAS NOT FULLY DEPRESSED WHEN THIS OCCURRED. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE ACCELERATOR AND HIT THE BRAKE BUT THE BRAKE DID NOT RESPOND SINCE THIS ALL OCCURRED IN ROUGHLY IN SECONDS AND APPROXIMATELY 20 FEET IN
NHTSA complaint 10927144, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
1 injured · crash · towed · 56,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph and attempting to avoid an accident, the driver lost control of the vehicle and crashed into an embankment. During the crash, the front end of the vehicle was severely damaged but the air bags did not deploy. During the crash, the contact sustained left wrist, left shoulder, and neck injuries. No medical treatment was provided. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. In addition, the contact indicated that the braking system was faulty and previously had
NHTSA complaint 11485154, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
fire · towed · 200,000 miles
The contact owned a 2016 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH and turning into a parking lot, the vehicle lost power and there was black smoke coming from the right side of the engine compartment. The contact then parked the vehicle and opened the hood, and there were flames coming from the engine compartment. The Fire Department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. A Police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
NHTSA complaint 11756028. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
towed · 115,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact noticed an abnormal sound and the vehicle stopped. The contact stated that the instrument cluster displayed a blank screen. The contact attempted to shift the gear shifter, however the gear shifter failed to shift as intended. The contact stated after several attempts, the gear shifter shifted as intended. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was taken where it was diagnosed with a failed transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be
NHTSA complaint 11741316, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
Between 25mph and 35mph transmission will " lose " gearing and start revving when I'm stuck in traffic, causing a safety concern/risk. Have to stop the car completely and let her cool down below half operating temp for the transmission to rekick into gear. Happens Everytime after driving through cities, ATF has a slight gray tinge to it but no burning smell
NHTSA complaint 11696147. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
My vin should have been included in this: N182186881-01 - Special Coverage Evaporator Core Icing, Leak Revised Warranty section I have had the issue for many years due to not receiving the notice. The car leaks, hisses, smokes and does not cool at all. I was told I must only take it to them for 250 diagnostic but they also said it was a havoc reprogramming that cost the 2,500 to fix. I have a estimate from a triple a recommended mechanic that says its the evaporator coil. My miles just hit 80,000 but its been going on for years because I haven't had the money to fix it and make payments. Chevy arbitrator states the miles are low and the dealer i bought it from, Conly in Brighton Michigan,
NHTSA complaint 11639809, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
I was driving and entering [XXX] at [XXX] when my power steering went completely out! I was unable to steer my vehicle at all and was on a windy road with my children in the vehicle! I pulled to the side of the road! Shut my car off waited a couple minutes and turned it back on and the problem went away! This has happened twice now. My power steering is due to it being electrical and not a fluid issue. This is extremely dangerous as you are unable to steer the vehicle at all when this happens! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11627748. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
Transmission failure 2nd time in car at 101,000 miles
NHTSA complaint 11627156. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 28 | 1 | — |
| 2018 | 59 | 1 | — |
| 2017 | 116 | 0 | — |
| 2015 | 300 | 3 | — |
| 2014 | 636 | 12 | — |
| 2013 | 272 | 1 | — |
| 2012 | 258 | 3 | — |
| 2011 | 505 | 2 | — |
| 2010 | 441 | 4 | — |
Complaints on file, same model year.
Every Chevrolet on this site — 304 vehicles.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
Compiled and maintained by guarledes
Independent developer and analyst