Problems · by component
2001 Chevrolet Impala service brakes, hydraulic problems
57 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Chevrolet Impala cite service brakes, hydraulic, 8% of all 747 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
57
8% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the service brakes, hydraulic
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I HAVE CONTACTED GM ABOUT MY IMPALA. MY ABS LIGHTS ON MY DASH KEEP GOING OFF AND MY SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM KEEPS SHOWING UP IN MY MESSAGE BOX. WHEN I AM PULLING OUT FROM ANYWHERE THAT INVOLVES ME TURNING MY WHEEL IS WHEN ALL OF THE LIGHTS GO OFF. YOU HEAR A NOISE THAT SOUNDS LIKE MY BRAKES GRINDING. ONCE THE LIGHTS GO OFF, MY BRAKES ARE HARD TO SLOW DOWN MY CAR. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW INCIDENTS WHEN MY KIDS WERE IN THE CAR AND I THOUGHT WE WEREN'T STOPPING. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS AND EVEN GM TOLD ME IT WAS A KNOWN ISSUE. PEOPLE HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TRYING TO FIX THEIRS AND STILL HAVEN'T FOUND AN ANSWER. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY CHEVY WON'T FIX IT OR MAKE IT A RECALL. THIS WILL BE THE LAST GM PRODUCT I BUY SINCE THEY DON'T STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS. IF YOU LOOK ON THE SAFECAR.GOV WEB PAGE THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE FILED ABOUT THE SAME COMPLAINT. IT IS DANGEROUS. I TALKED TO THE MECHANIC AT MY LOCAL CHEVY DEALER AND HE SAID HE HAS HAD MULTIPLE IMPALA'S IN THE SHOP WITH THE SAME PROBLEM AND AFTER REPLACING MANY PARTS, THEY STILL COULDN'T FIND THE ANSWER. DOES SOMEONE NEED TO GET KILLED FOR CHEVY TO WAKE UP?”
“THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE BRAKES FREEZE UP AND GRINDS AND IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I FIRST STARTED HAVING THESE PROBLEMS IN 2008 AND I'VE REPLACED BOTH HUBS ,ROTORS, HARNESS,AND SENSOR. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM THAT INTERFERES WITH BOTH STOPPING AND ACCERATING BECAUSE IT MAKES THE CAR STALL . I HAVE TO KIDS AND THIS ACTION TERRIFIES THEM WHENEVER IT HAPPENS. I 'VE SEEN ALOT OF THE SAME COMPLAINTS FROM COMSUMERS AND I THINK TIMES TIME FOR GMC TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BEFORE IT CAUSES A FATAL ACCIDENT. I'VE COME VERY CLOSE TO BEING IN AN ACCIDENT DO TO THIS PROBLEM AND I'VE TRIED EVERYTHING TO FIX IT AND I'M GETTING THE SAME RESULTS.SOMEONE NEEDS TO CALL A RECALL ON THE 2001 IMPALA ABS SYSTEM AND SOON. *TR”
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM WOULD SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING AND THE ABS WOULD FAIL. THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE HUB WAS REPLACED TWO TIMES, ALONG WITH THE WIRING HARNESS, SENSOR, AND THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE HUB. NONE OF THE REPAIRS REMEDIED THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT UNLESS THE VEHICLE PROVIDED ERROR CODES, THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. THE DIAGNOSTIC PRODUCED ERROR CODES, WHICH INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A SHORT IN THE SENSOR AND EXCESSIVE SPEED IN THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OPENER. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT ASSIST SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 63,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.”
“MY DAUGHTER WAS IN THE FAST LANE ON I71 HEADING FROM COLUMBUS, OHIO TO CLEVELAND, OHIO. SHE SET THE CRUISE CONTROL AT 75 MPH AND WENT TO BRAKE BECAUSE TRAFFIC WAS SLOWING DOWN. WHEN SHE HIT THE BRAKE THEY DID NOTHING! SHE IMMEDIATELY PANICKED AND MOVED OVER 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE BERM NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. SHE QUICKLY THREW THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND IT STOPPED. I CALLED A CHEVROLET DEALER AFTER SHE CALLED ME FRIGHTENED TO DRIVE THE CAR. THEY ASKED IF THE CAR MATS POSSIBLY BLOCKED THE BRAKE AND MY DAUGHTER SAID NO, SHE REACHED DOWN AND PULLED IT OUT AND THE CAR WOULD STILL NOT SLOW DOWN. SHE EVEN STATED BOTH FEET WERE PUSHING DOWN ON THE BREAK PEDAL AND NOTHING WAS SLOWING DOWN THE CAR. I JUST HAD A FRONT HUB REPLACED AT AUTO PLUS (WHERE I TAKE MY CARS FOR SERVICE) IN ORIENT, OHIO. MY DAUGHTER AND HER FRIEND COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED BECAUSE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL. *TR”
“I HAVE ROTATED MY FRONT ROTORS AND CHANGED BRAKE PADS 2. I ALSO HAVE REPLACED THEM AND 6 MONTHS LATER I HAVE TO TURN THE NEW ONES. THEY HAVE WARPED AND MY CAR VIBRATES VERY BAD. *TR”
“SERVICE TRACTION SYSTEM, ABS LIGHT CONTINUE TO COME ON. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO GET SERVICED FOR THIS PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED IT. IT HAD ONE OF THE BEARINGS REPLACED WHILE UNDER WARRANTY, BUT I'VE HAD TO REPLACE THE OTHER BEARING, AND HUB SENSORS AT MY EXPENSE. THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM ACTIVATES FOR NO REASON AND CREATES A VIBRATION AND INABILITY TO BRAKE ON TIME. THE CAR ALSO HAS A SECURITY LIGHT COME ON INTERMITTENTLY AND THE CAR SOMETIMES DOESN'T START FOR NO APPARENT REASON. USUALLY IF WE WAIT ABOUT 30 MIN. IT WILL TURN BACK ON, BUT I HAVE HAD IT TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP WHEN NOTHING WOULD TURN IT ON. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND WAS FIRST TOLD IT WAS THE EGR VALVE THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, BUT NOW AM BEING TOLD IT NEEDS A NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTER. I'VE TAKEN IT TO A CERTIFIED DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 5 TIMES A YEAR SINCE 2006 AND THESE PROBLEMS ARE NEVER CORRECTED. *TR”
Showing 6 of 57 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.