Problems · by component
2008 Chevrolet Impala engine and engine cooling problems
26 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2008 Chevrolet Impala cite engine and engine cooling, 3% of all 810 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
26
3% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine and engine cooling
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT OIL WAS LEAKING UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE VALVE COVER GASKET WAS LEAKING OIL ONTO THE MANIFOLD. AS A RESULT, THE VALVE COVER GASKET NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. UPDATED 04/08/16*LJ”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE JERKED SEVERELY. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKES WERE UNRESPONSIVE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED RECONNECTING A VACUUM HOSE AFTER OBSERVING THAT IT WAS DISCONNECTED FROM THE POWER BOOSTER. AFTERWARDS, THE BRAKES BECAME RESPONSIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER ONCE MORE WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000. UPDATED 03/04/16*LJ *TR”
“WHILE DRIVING MY CAR THE SPEED REDUCED ITSELF FROM 40MPH TO 5 MPH AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH REDUCED ENGINE POWER ACROSS MY DASHBOARD. THE CAR STARTED SHAKING AND JERKING. IT THEN SHUT OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT. I HAD IT TOWED THE NEXT DAY TO THE REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID A SENSOR WAS BAD IN THE GAS PEDAL AND REPLACED THE WHOLE PEDAL. 4 DAYS LATER IT DID THE SAME THING. AGAIN IT STARTED SHAKING AND JERKING THEN SHUT ITSELF OFF. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE REPAIR SHOP BUT BY THE TIME THEY COULD READ THE CODES THE CAR HAD BEEN SHUT OFF LONG ENOUGH THAT THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING. THEY CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY AND GAVE IT BACK. THE NEXT DAY IT DID THE SAME THING. I AGAIN TOOK IT BACK AND DID NOT SHUT IT OFF TIL THEY READ THE CODES. IT READ THE THROTTLE BODY WAS BAD. THEY REPLACED IT AND GAVE THE CAR BACK. 30 MILES LATER, IT STARTED ALL OVER AGAIN. I HAVE SPOKE TO GENERAL MOTORS AND THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS ISSUE EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE SEVERAL FORUMS ON THE WEB WITH IMPALAS DATING BACK TO 2005 HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE. THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND HURT/KILL PEOPLE IF ITS NOT ADDRESSED SOON. *TR”
“LETTER FROM CONSTITUENT WHO EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH HER 2008 IMPALA, SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIRS SHE BELIEVES WERE ALL PART OF A RECALL. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED ON APRIL 1, 2014, SHE HAD JUST EXITED THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, WHEN SUDDENLY THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RE-START AND A MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DASH THAT READ THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE STATION. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED. ON APRIL 19, 2014. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS SHE WAS DRIVING. SHE PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT, AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE DID NOT RE-START, ONCE AGAIN, THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED. THE POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE HAD TO BE REPLACED AND THE COMPUTER WAS RE-PROGRAMMED.*JB”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. UPON RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO OPERATE NORMALLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FIVE TIMES. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE POWER CONTROL MODULE WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 27,000. UPDATED 11/20/14*LJ UPDATED 01/13/15”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE RACK AND PINION, BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS, AND THE INTAKE MANIFOLD NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000.”
Showing 6 of 26 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.