2009 Chevrolet Impala Engine Problems

NHTSA component category: ENGINE · data through 07/12/2026

179Engine complaints

21.7%Of all 824 complaints

#3Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How engine ranks on this vehicle

AIR BAGS230 · 27.9%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM216 · 26.2%

ENGINE179 · 21.7%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL123 · 14.9%

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)108 · 13.1%

Share of the 824 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2009 Chevrolet Impala overview page.

What owners report

“PURCHASED VEHICLE ON 9/6/2012 USED WITH 27,479 MILES. ON 9/19/2012 WITH 27,960 MILES, I WAS ACCELERATING ON AN ONRAMP GETTING ON A HIGHWAY AND TWO…”NHTSA complaint 10482428 — filed 10/27/2012

“WHILE TRAVELING ON THE EXPRESSWAY A CHECK TRACTION SYSTEM WARNING APPEARED ALONG WITH REDUCED ENGINE POWER. AFTER APPROX. 10 MILES THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND…”NHTSA complaint 10481224 — filed 10/20/2012

“I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON THE FREEWAY THEN I NOTICED THAT MY CAR'S RPM STARTED BOUNCING UP AND DOWN FROM TWO AND A HALF…”NHTSA complaint 10464605 — filed 07/08/2012

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Engine complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2009 Chevrolet Impala have engine problems?

Engine is the #3 most-reported problem area on the 2009 Chevrolet Impala: 179 of 824 complaints on file (21.7%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2009 Chevrolet Impala have in total?

824 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/12/2026. Across all categories, 43 involved a crash, 9 involved a fire, 43 reported injuries, and 1 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's engine category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the ENGINE category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/12/2026.