There are 35 owner-reported steering complaints for the 2011 Chevrolet Impalain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Service stabilitrak warning, followed by reduced engine power, then car starts jerking.
Brake assist, traction control, stablitrack, and ABS lights continually coming on. When breaking while making a turn the breaks slip or give and then suddenly grab hold causing a grinding sound. Car wobbles while these lights are on causing a noticeable change in stability and control.
ON MY FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS THE BRACKET THAT ATTACHES TO THE FRAME AND THE CONTROL ARM ITSELF HAS SNAPPED COMPLETELY OFF ON MY FRONT PASSENGER SIDE AND YOU CAN TELL THAT THE WELD THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY HOLDING IT ONTO THE FRAME ITSELF WAS A WEAK POINT IN THE WHOLE CROSS MEMBER FRONT K FRAME AND I FOUND IT VERY DANGEROUS I HAVE NO CLUE ON HOW TO FIX THIS AND WAS WONDERING IF YOU GUYS HAD A RECALL ON IT AND ARE WILLING TO FIX IT THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM AND VERY DANGEROUS I KNOW THAT I CANNOT HAVE IT REWELDED ON I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO AND ALMOST KILLED ME AS I WAS DRIVING.
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. MESSAGE CAME ACROSS SAYING REDUCING ENGINE POWER. THEN SAID TO SERVICE STABILIZER. IT THEN TURNED OFF TRACTION CONTROL. WE WERE DRIVING HOME FROM VACATION WHEN THIS HAPPENED. AFTER A BIT DRIVING THE WHOLE CAR SHIFT OFF WHILE DRIVING 60MPH ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. THE MESSAGE ON DASH SAID IT DISABLED OUR STARTER. WE ALMOST DID NOT GET OFF THE ROAD SAFELY WE WERE IN THE LEFT LANE AND COULD NOT GET TO THE SHOULDER. MY HUSBAND HAD TO MAKE THE DECISION TO PASS ACROSS INTO ONCOMING BECAUSE THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO ONE COMING. *TR
Grinding from turning. Numerous Radiators, Transmission problems over and over. Jerking not pulling. Stalling in the road.Control Arm needed again. Brakes and Rotors grinding.
I WAS DRIVING MY CAR AND SUDDENLY IT FLASHED ACROSS THE SCREEN SERVICE STABILITRAK, THEN SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM, THEN REDUCED ENGINE SPEED. THIS CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO SLOW WAY DOWN OUT OF NO WHERE FROM 70 TO LESS THAN 30, AND MADE STEERING NEAR IMPOSSIBLE. I HAVE MY TWO CHILDREN I DROVE AROUND AND I'M AFRAID TO EVEN DRIVE BECAUSE IF THERE'S AN ACCIDENT WITH THEM IN THE CAR BECAUSE MY CARS SLOWING UNEXPECTEDLY SOMEONE WILL BE PAYING FOR THIS. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AND I SEE ALL OVER IT IS AND IT NEEDS TO BE FIXED!
TAKATA RECALL I KEEP HAVING THE ABS LIGHT ALONG WITH TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT TURN ON EVERY OTHER DAY AND IN MORNINGS IT DISAPPEARS AS I DRIVE. CAR HAS 60129 MILES ON IT AND I HAVE READ ON IMPALA FORUMS IT IS COMMON BUT NO RECALLS ISSUED YET.
'TAKATA RECALL' WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, MY VEHICLE WILL LOSE POWER, WHICH CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SHUT DOWN. ON THE DASHBOARD, SERVICE AIRBAG APPEARS AS WELL AS THE ABS LIGHT AND LOCK MODE COMES ON. THE VEHICLE KEY WILL NOT TURN TO OFF MODE UNTIL A FEW SECONDS. THEN ONCE THE VEHICLE ALLOWS THE KEY TO TURN TO OFF MODE, U HAVE TO WAIT A FEW SECONDS THEN THE CAR WILL START WITH NO PROBLEM AND THE ABS AND LOCK SIGNAL ON DASHBOARD GOES OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES IN ONE TRIP ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS NOT SAFE AT ALL BECAUSE THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO GET STIFF AND THE TRACTION CONTROL COMES ON THE DASHBOARD AS WELL. WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT THIS? SHOULD I TAKE MY VEHICLE IN TO THE DEALERSHIP? THE LAST TIME THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED TO ME WAS MARCH 14, 2019
LOSS OF POWER STEERING AT STARTUP, BECOMES INTERMITTENT AFTER DRIVING FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN SERVICE STABILITRACK NOTIFICATION COMES ON SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING. THE STABILITRACK NOTIFICATION WILL COME ON WHILE MAKING A TURN, DOESN'T MATTER IF IT IS A RIGHT OR LEFT TURN.
WHEN BRAKING THE POWER STEERING FAILS AND IS VERY HARD TO STEER WHEN TURNING
HAD THE VEHICLE ALIGNED ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO DUE TO IT PULLING TO THE RIGHT. THE STEERING WAS STILL SLOPPY AND CONTINUED TO DRIFT TO THE RIGHT. WELL COME TO FIND OUT THAT THE TIE ROD ON DRIVERS SIDE WAS FROZEN AND COULD NOT BE ADJUSTED. SO A YEAR LATER I DECIDED TO HAVE THE TIE ROD REPLACED SO IT WOULD DRIVE STRAIGHT AND TRUE. AFTER FURTHER INSPECTION IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE STEERING KNUCKLE HAD A CRACK ALMOST COMPLETELY THROUGH. I HAVE NEVER HIT ANYTHING IN THAT VEHICLE TO CAUSE A CRACK IN THE STEERING KNUCKLE. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY HAS 37000 MILES ON IT. I KNOW THE POLICE EDITION HAS A RECALL FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. CHEVROLET SHOULD HAVE RECALLED ALL IMPALAS FROM 2011 TO AT LEAST INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR THIS ISSUE. IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED TO FIND OUT HOW MANY 2011 IMPALAS HAD THIS SAME DEFECT.
MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE HOME FROM A TRIP AND STOPPED AT A STORE. WHEN SHE RETURNED TO THE VEHICLE IT WOULD NOT MOVE. WE HAD TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED AND HAD TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND REPLACE THE STEERING GEAR ON THIS VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 55,500 MILES ON IT. I DON'T FEEL THIS IS A REPAIR THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN NECESSARY WITH THIS FEW MILES. WE ARE THE ORIGINAL OWNERS ON THE VEHICLE AND TOOK POSSESSION FROM THE DEALERSHIP ON 2/2/11. I DO HAVE THE REPAIR BILLS. WORK WAS PERFORMED ON 6/9/17.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT ABOUT 65MPH MY CAR SUDDENLY ALERTED "SERVICE STABILTRAK, SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, ENGINE POWER REDUCED" AND I WAS NOT ABLE TO UTILIZE CRUISE CONTROL ANYMORE AND IT STARTED TO SLOW DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 40MPH. THEN MY VEHICLE STARTED TO JERKILY MOVE & THEN IT ALERTED "STARTER DISABLED SERVICE THROTTLE" AND MY CAR SHUT DOWN (STEERING ALTERED & CAR SHUT OFF). I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD & TRIED TO RESTART MY CAR (UNSUCCESSFULLY FOR APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES). DID I MENTION I HAD MY 2 CHILDREN IN THE CAR WITH ME WHEN THIS HAPPENED? THIS WAS TERRIFYING AS MY CAR JUST STOPPED-I HAD MINIMAL WARNING & WHEN TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE IT COULD'VE BEEN A LOT WORSE. AFTER READING HOW FREQUENTLY THIS HAPPENS, WHY HASN'T IT BEEN RECALLED?
SERVICE STABILITRAK SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL ABS
TRAVELING A STATE HIGHWAY AT THE LEGAL SPEED OF 70 MPH, HAD TO BREAK VERY HARD. AS THE CAR SLOWED DOWN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND POWER STEERING FAILED.
TAKATA RECALL THIS ISSUE IS THIS: I BOUGHT THE CAR IN DECEMBER 2015 FIRST MY ENGEN LIGHT COMES ON, THAN MY TRACTION CONTROLE LIGHT, THAN MY CAR TELLS ME TO SERVICE TRACTION CONTROLE, ENGEN POWER IS REDUCED, SERVICE STABIL TRACK, THE ENGEN CUTS I LOOSE POWER STEERING, AND I HAVE TO PULL OVER FOR 15 MIN WAITING FOR THE CAR TO REBOOT. I HAVE HAD THE CAR TO THE GM SHOP EVERY 2500-3000 MILES. THE SHOP REPLACED ALL THE FACTORY COVERED PARTS AND NOW WILL START GUESSING. THE FIRST FIX IS REPLACING SOME WIRES THAT ANOTHER SHOP REPLACED IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIX THIS SAME PROBLEM. NO ONE WILL FIX THIS DEATH TRAP. I WILL NOT DRIVE IT.
TODAY OUR 2011 IMPALA DISPLAYED MSGS FOR "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL, SERVICE STABILITRACK, ENGINE POWER REDUCED". WE STARTED TO PULL OVER AS IT DRAMATICALLY SLOWED. THE ENGINE THEN DIED. WE WERE ON A 6 LANE HIGHWAY GOING 45. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. WE RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER FOR THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR. THE DEALER DID NOT REPAIR IT BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT REPRODUCE THE ERROR.
I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY GOING 70MPH WHEN MY SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND A MESSAGE STATING THE STABLITRAK IS ON AND THE ENGINE IS REDUCING SPEED! ACCELERATION PEDAL WOULDN'T DO ITS JOB
2/17/2015 WAS THE SECOND EVENT. I WAS DRIVING APPROX- 65 MPH UP A MOUNTAIN WHEN MY ELECTRONIC DISPLAY PANEL SHOWED STABILITRACK/SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL/VEHICLE IN REDUCED POWER. AS THE POWER SUDDENLY REDUCED I LOST POWER STEERING CONTROL AND BRAKE FUNCTION. SINCE I WAS TRAVELING AT A UP HILL GRADE, I WAS BARELY ABLE TO JERK THE STEERING WHEEL ENOUGH TO ROLL ACROSS THE LANE OF TRAFFIC BESIDE ME TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I WASN'T ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE ROAD COMPLETELY AND WAS ALMOST HIT BY A LOGGING TRUCK. AFTER REMOVING THE KEYS FROM THE IGNITION FOR A FEW MINUTES, I RESTARTED THE CAR WITHOUT ANY HESITATION. THE ENGINE LIGHT STILL REMAINS ON AT THIS TIME. I DID CONTACT ONSTAR AND HAVE THEM RUN A DIAGNOSTIC TEST WHICH REVEALED A PROBLEM WITH SUPPOSED FUEL SYSTEM. I HAVE NOT TAKEN IT TO A DEALERSHIP YET. AFTER SO MANY COMPLAINTS ON VARIOUS SITES THAT I HAVE REVIEWED, LOOKS LIKE GM WOULD DO A RECALL AND INVESTIGATE THE PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE LOSES THEIR LIFE. *TR
DRIVING AT APPROX 35 MPH, MY CAR SHOWED SERVICE STABILITRACK / SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL / VEHICLE IN REDUCED POWER. I DID HAVE REDUCED POWER, COULD NOT GO ANY FASTER THAN 15 OR 20 MPH. I CONTINUED DOWN THE ROAD ANOTHER BLOCK AND WITHOUT WARNING, THE CAR SHUTS DOWN WHILE GOING DOWN A SLIGHT GRADE,, WHICH CAUSE STEERING TO BECOME VERY HARD TO USE ALONG WITH LITTLE TO NO BRAKING, I ENDED UP GOING THRU A STOP SIGN AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GRADE BECAUSE OF LACK OF BRAKING POWER, LUCKILY NO VEHICLES WERE COMING, I GOT THE VEHICLE STOPPED, AND LOOKED AT THE DISPLAY, IT SAID IGNITION DISABLED, SERVICE THROTTLE. BY THE VEHICLE SHUTTING DOWN THAT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, THE VEHICLE SHOULD NEVER SHUT DOWN MAKING STEERING AND BRAKING ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE, IF IT FINDS AN ISSUE WITH THE THROTTLE, IT SHOULD JUST DISABLE THE THROTTLE SO I CAN STEER AND BRAKE WITHOUT PROBLEM. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE A FEW TIMES WITHOUT SUCCESS, THE 4TH TIME I TRIED THE VEHICLE DID START BACK UP AND WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO WORK, BUT WAS DID NOT SEEM TO BE RUNNING RIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 35 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026