Major Problems with 2003 Chevrolet Impala Derived from Complaints & Recalls
Custom-fit Add-ons
Worst 3 complaints of 2003 Chevrolet Impala
2003 Chevrolet Impala
SERVICE BRAKES
Victims: 2
Mileage: 100000 miles
2003 Chevrolet Impala
SEATS
Victims: 2
2003 Chevrolet Impala
FRONTAL
Victims: 2
Mileage: 85000 miles
Browse 2003 Chevrolet Impala complaints by category
Problems with ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE and EXTERIOR LIGHTING are the most frequent issues recorded by the NHTSA from Chevrolet Impala owners.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM inferior low grade "designed to fail" electrical switches in chevrolet impala's yr 2000. specifically: hazard "flasher" switch compromises "turn signals"... |
228
~ 88130 miles |
| ENGINE tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph the vehicle stalled. the... |
80
~ 77853 miles |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. while driving various speeds at night the exterior lighting failed sporadically and the... |
56
~ 90605 miles |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING while driving at various speeds vehicle intermittently stalled. consumer towed the vehicle to the dealer technician could not duplicate or |
40
~ 48206 miles |
| AIR BAGS dt*: the contact stated while driving the driver side air bag light illuminated and would not go off. the vehicle... |
27
~ 105679 miles |
| HEADLIGHTS > EXTERIOR LIGHTING the driver's side headlight has a considerable amount of condensation inside the lens. the dealer and the manufacturer have been |
27
~ 42959 miles |
| STEERING while driving the consumer noticed there was too much play in the steering wheel. also the transmission was not working... |
23
~ 55435 miles |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC all four brakes wore out prematurely. dealership was notified but did not resolve the problem.*ak... |
21
~ 29479 miles |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER vehicle was on an incline at a complete stop when the gas pedal was depressed vehicle rolled backward. *tt... |
21
~ 83247 miles |
| ROTOR > DISC > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS when driving at different speeds and applying the brakes there was a severe vibration in the steering wheel. the consumer... |
20
~ 27199 miles |
| ENGINE > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING while driving with three passengers in my 2003 chevrolet impala ls at 35 mph the engine shut-off without warning... |
18
~ 70611 miles |
| SERVICE BRAKES tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. while parked the contact noticed the abs check traction system and trac... |
17
~ 111309 miles |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL i have a 2003 chevrolet impala with a 3.8 liter v-6. the car radio quit working and i had to... |
17
~ 79915 miles |
| TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM i have a 2003 chevrolet impala with a 3.8 liter v-6. the car radio quit working and i had to... |
15
~ 49490 miles |
| AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN i was driving on the interstate anf as i was slowing down the car began downshifting rough. as i increased... |
15
~ 34818 miles |
| POWER TRAIN security light intermittently coming on. vehicle will not start for 10 minutes after initial attempt to drive. transmission kicks terribly... |
13
~ 91692 miles |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL i have a 2003 chevy impala. my car cranks fine in the morning. after being driven after a while i... |
12
~ 95110 miles |
| FRONTAL > AIR BAGS both frontal air bags deployed prematurely while driving at 50 mph. he vehicle was not involved in an accident. *ak... |
12
~ 46672 miles |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM fuel system problem cant fill vehicle fuel tank pump shuts off and gas sprays out of fill tube possible fire |
10
~ 106448 miles |
| SWITCH > IGNITION > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM in january 2004 we purchased a pre-owned 2003 chevrolet impala from larry puckett chevrolet's program car fleet [xxx]. the warranty... |
10
~ 89155 miles |
| STRUCTURE consumer experienced extreme static electricity when entering the vehicle. the dealer stated that this is common during cool dry conditions. |
10
~ 11547 miles |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE dt: the consumer states after driving the vehicle she got out and smelled gasoline. she thought it was a different... |
9
~ 60717 miles |
| HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH > HEADLIGHTS > EXTERIOR LIGHTING the headlights would come back on by jiggling the dimmer lever arm. several malfunctions were noticed between the first malfunction |
9
~ 46298 miles |
| ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC while driving down a steep incline i could feel the pulsating of the abs along with diminished braking power. afterwards... |
9
~ 20464 miles |
| IGNITION > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM while driving at new york freeway at normal speed and with no warning vehicle got shut off. causing consumer to |
9
~ 82435 miles |
| COOLING SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING $688 to replace the upper engine plenum due to anti-freeze leak from engine.... |
9
~ 53630 miles |
| SUSPENSION while driving the consumer noticed there was too much play in the steering wheel. also the transmission was not working... |
9
~ 81540 miles |
| CONTROL MODULE > ANTI-THEFT > IGNITION theft system had to be disabled because car would not start 3 times and had to be towed. remote car |
7
~ 61114 miles |
| MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE > EXHAUST SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING consumer stated that dashboard light was flashing indicating that there was a problem. consumer's son in law had the vehicle... |
7
~ 43497 miles |
| LATCH > DOORS > LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES consumer states of vehicle not having a child lock system. manufacture has remove this from the vehicle. ts consumer states |
7
~ 5276 miles |
| INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. while driving various speeds at night the instrumental panel lights headlights and turn... |
6
~ 54485 miles |
| EQUIPMENT during our vacation about 200 miles from our home without warning our 2003 impala ls with 114k miles started running... |
5
~ 117499 miles |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES while driving with children buckled in child safety seat and with seat belts on the children were able to unlock |
5
~ 67980 miles |
| WHEELS the lug nuts on my vehicle seem to somehow loosen themselves. the front driver tire will make noise then i... |
4
~ 79191 miles |
| BODY > STRUCTURE plastic door handle on both back doors have broken off many other owners of like impalas have had this same |
4
~ 97750 miles |
| EXHAUST SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING my impala began to have issues with the thermostat reading going from cool to hot extremely quick and the red... |
4
~ 89776 miles |
| SWITCH > HEADLIGHTS > EXTERIOR LIGHTING dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds at night there was a complete loss of the headlights without warning.... |
4
~ 52798 miles |
| DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM > VISIBILITY vehicle will not defrost without letting into the outside fumes. during winter months the defrosted will let the outside air... |
4
~ 50000 miles |
| SEATS leather on front lower seats streached out of shape able to pinch leather together and lift off cushion.poor padding or |
4
~ 125 miles |
| INTERIOR LIGHTING 2003 chevy impala. passlock stystem thinks the car is being stolen disabling the ignition for up to 30 minutes at... |
3
~ 36667 miles |
| SEAT BELTS driver's side shoulder harness is fraying. *tr... |
3
~ 115083 miles |
| VISIBILITY driving my 2003 impala at night. rear seat passenger rolled down window causing the head lights to shut off. was... |
3
~ 127667 miles |
| TIRES i bought 4 new tires at sears in wlilmington n.c. last may i have put less than 12 000 miles... |
3
~ 31921 miles |
| SWITCH > HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS > EXTERIOR LIGHTING turning signals stopped working i had to manually move my signal up and down to turn corners get over two |
3
~ 44016 miles |
| ABS WARNING LIGHT > ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC i have a 2003 chevrolet impala that keeps showing a service traction system alarm. when this occurs the anti lock... |
3
~ 39000 miles |
| HEATER CORE > DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM > VISIBILITY heater quit working then car started overheating. turning off heater/defroster causes it to stop overheating so much but temperature still... |
3
~ 64425 miles |
| CATALYTIC CONVERTOR > EMISSION CONTROL > EXHAUST SYSTEM failure of the catalytic converter on a 2003 chevy impala 3.4.l. *jb... |
3
~ 31667 miles |
| 12V/24V/48V BATTERY > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM a 2003 chevrolet impala with 25 500 miles the battery corroded through at the positive terminal. acid leaked from the... |
3
~ 19833 miles |
| MECHANICAL > EQUIPMENT took car to have a simple oil change i get a phone call informing that i need major work done.... |
3
~ 59333 miles |
| REAR WINDOW > DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM > VISIBILITY while stooped at a red light the rear window defrost coil popped shattering the rear window. the wires from the... |
3
~ 17080 miles |
| SHAFT SECTOR > GEAR BOX > STEERING while turning at any speed consumer heard a knocking noise coming from the front end. dealership was notified but did |
3
~ 27965 miles |
| WINDSHIELD > VISIBILITY windshield leaked water inside of dashboard. dealer inspected the vehicle. however dealer could not find the cause of problem. *ak... |
3
~ 42731 miles |
| TURN SIGNAL > EXTERIOR LIGHTING while driving on the highway hazard warning light and turn signal light malfunctioned. the lights came on but wouldn't flash. |
3
~ 89349 miles |
| CALIPER > DISC > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS while applying the brakes a squeaking noise was heard coming from the rear wheel. the driver took the vehicle to... |
3
|
| WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER > VISIBILITY chve impala windshield wiper fluid tends to freeze easily. *ak... |
3
~ 13667 miles |
| SIDEWALL > TIRES my 2003 chevy impala has a feature for showing low tire pressure. 1st time my tire was below 20 lbs... |
2
|
| PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS > TIRES my 2003 chevy impala has a feature for showing low tire pressure. 1st time my tire was below 20 lbs... |
2
|
| CHILD SEAT dt*: the contact stated the straps that tightened the harness on the child safety seat were wearing on the edges. |
2
~ 102000 miles |
| STRAP/WEBBING > HARNESS > CHILD SEAT dt*: the contact stated the straps that tightened the harness on the child safety seat were wearing on the edges. |
2
~ 102000 miles |
| WIRING > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM dt*: the contact stated the abs and traction control intermittently stop working. the abs and traction control lamps illuminated before... |
2
~ 90700 miles |
| WHEEL BEARING > FRONT > SUSPENSION our 2003 impala ls @ 50k miles had a vibration when the brakes were applied that greatly increased with harder... |
2
~ 83500 miles |
| CRUISE CONTROL > VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL cruise control disengages itself when climbing moderate rises in road. *jb... |
2
~ 58000 miles |
| RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. > ELECTRICAL > EQUIPMENT radio has very bad reception. have taken care to dealership and they have replaced new radio with reconditioned radios twice.... |
2
~ 38500 miles |
| FOG LIGHTS > EXTERIOR LIGHTING radio has very bad reception. have taken care to dealership and they have replaced new radio with reconditioned radios twice.... |
2
~ 14000 miles |
| ACCELERATOR PEDAL > VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL while driving the consumer's foot slipped off the gas pedal because the gas pedal was too short. the dealer was... |
2
~ 27500 miles |
| GASOLINE > ENGINE > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING consumer states engine shuts off while driving and pulling out in the road. consumer feels this is a safety hazard. |
2
~ 30000 miles |
| FAN > COOLING SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING there was a bad odor within the cabin of the vehicle. the odor did not occur when the air conditioner... |
2
~ 38629 miles |
| FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. the contact noticed white smoke coming from the engine and smelled a... |
1
~ 200000 miles |
| AXLE HUBS > POWER TRAIN tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. while attempting to accelerate from a stop the traction and brake warning... |
1
~ 80300 miles |
| HUB > FRONT > SUSPENSION tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. while the vehicle was parked the contact noticed the abs and the... |
1
~ 150000 miles |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER tl* the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the windshield wipers failed to operate normally and... |
1
~ 124000 miles |
| SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC 2003 chevy impala brakes failure while driving. this has been happening four times since 11/17. i am experiencing this everytime... |
1
~ 58750 miles |
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER i own a 2003 chevy impala. about once a week for the last month the vehicle fails to start. the... |
1
~ 100900 miles |
| ANTI-THEFT DEVICES > ELECTRICAL > EQUIPMENT i have a 2003 chevy impala and the security light keeps going on when i drive or a few minutes... |
1
|
| VALVE > TIRES i bought 4 new tires at sears in wlilmington n.c. last may i have put less than 12 000 miles... |
1
~ 58000 miles |
| LINKAGE AND CABLE > MECHANICAL > CONVENTIONAL the emergency brake on my car failed to release rendering the car inoperable. i believe this to be a direct |
1
|
| MOTOR > WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER > VISIBILITY wipers work intermittently. can cause accident when they are not working. have not yet been able to determine cause of... |
1
~ 100000 miles |
| TAIL LIGHTS > EXTERIOR LIGHTING purchased a second chevrolet impala with same defect with tail light compartment. holds water indefinitely not just condensation. i now... |
1
|
| BACK UP LIGHTS > EXTERIOR LIGHTING purchased a second chevrolet impala with same defect with tail light compartment. holds water indefinitely not just condensation. i now... |
1
|
| OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL > OTHER > EQUIPMENT 2003 chevrolet impala. contact states that the defogger failed. a mechanic determined that the breaker for the defogger did not |
1
|
| DELIVERY > FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE fuel system gasoline delivery : fuel pressure regulator was leaking on my 2003 chevrolet impala 3.4 liter engine. the car... |
1
~ 41000 miles |
| POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS > VISIBILITY dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds at night with the low beam headlights engaged the headlights intermittently failed... |
1
~ 85000 miles |
| INFLATOR MODULE > DRIVER SIDE > FRONTAL dt*: the contact stated the srs light is illuminated. the dealer replaced the sir coil and then determined the air... |
1
~ 61000 miles |
| AIR CONDITIONER > APPLIANCE > EQUIPMENT pungent smell coming from the a/c when on cold. filters have been replaced several times. *nm... |
1
~ 30000 miles |
| TREAD/BELT > TIRES my battery has failed three times in less than three years and has had to be replaced. i have been... |
1
~ 34000 miles |
| FOUNDATION COMPONENTS > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC the consumer has two vehicles a 2002 chevrolet suburban and 2003 chevrolet impala both are experiencing problems with the brake... |
1
|
| PADS > DISC > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS i own a 2003 impala. at 16000 miles i had to replace all four rotors and brake pads.*ak... |
1
~ 16000 miles |
| FRONT > SUSPENSION while turning at any speed consumer heard a knocking noise coming from the front end. dealership was notified but did |
1
~ 3700 miles |
| LOCK > TRUNK LID > LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES dt: the consumer stated that the trunk latch on 2003 chevrolet impala was designed incorrectly. when he put a suit... |
1
~ 1807 miles |
| FRONT > SEAT BELTS while driving passenger's seat belt began retracted and tightened. vehicle was pulled off the road and the seat belt had |
1
~ 21910 miles |
| HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM > STEERING while driving at low speeds vehicle lost power steering. dealership was notified but did not resolve the problem. *ak... |
1
~ 30000 miles |
| FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS > WIRING > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM power door locks fail with use of keyless remote entry. when testing circuit amperage draw finds a 19 amp electrical... |
1
~ 10000 miles |
| HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS > EXTERIOR LIGHTING while driving on the highway hazard warning light and turn signal light malfunctioned. the lights came on but wouldn't flash. |
1
~ 13000 miles |
| HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS > DOOR > BODY dt: the dash was caving in the windshield was off level and there was knocking in the steering the underneath... |
1
~ 28194 miles |
| FRAME AND MEMBERS > STRUCTURE dt: the dash was caving in the windshield was off level and there was knocking in the steering the underneath... |
1
~ 28194 miles |
| RADIATOR ASSEMBLY > COOLING SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING consumer stated that dashboard light was flashing indicating that there was a problem. consumer's son in law had the vehicle... |
1
|
| SEAT HEATER/COOLER > FRONT ASSEMBLY > SEATS tl*the contact owns a 2003 chevrolet impala. 3 000 miles after she purchased the vehicle she had brake failure. on... |
1
~ 3239 miles |
| COLUMN > STEERING dt: the consumer states that the steering column squeals and klunks. when the consumer turns the steering wheel it klunks.... |
1
~ 2500 miles |
| PARKING BRAKE when accelerating to enter the freeway at about 45+ miles an hour the car would not stop accelerating. i tried... |
1
|
| INTERIOR/UNDER DASH > WIRING > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM while driving at an undetermined speed a red warning light on the dashboard flashed on. consumer was unsure of the |
1
~ 3200 miles |
| TANK ASSEMBLY > STORAGE > FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE when the brake pedal was depressed there was a banging noise in the gas tank. the cause of the noise... |
1
~ 100 miles |
| BRAKE LIGHTS > EXTERIOR LIGHTING consumer called complaining about having problems with rear brake lights. also the way brake lights were designed was bad. manufacturer |
1
|
| HORN > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM the consumer had to use excessive force to activate the horn. *ak the dealer found nothing wrong with the horn |
1
|
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