Problems · by component

2009 Chevrolet Impala power train problems

68 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2009 Chevrolet Impala cite power train, 8% of all 824 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
68
8% of all complaints
Crashes
3
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the power train

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“A piece broke off and had fallen off of transmission when stopped at a redlight when put in gear car didn't want to move had to manually shift to get off the road and towed it home. The piece that broke fell into pan when changing transmission fluid. Believe it's off flywheel possibly forward band.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 20, 2024Power trainCrash reportedODI 11620832
“CAR CONTINUOUSLY GETS A REDUCED POWER MESSAGE AND GOES DOWN TO 25 MPH. IN MID JANUARY DID THE SAME THING, BUT STALLED ON I90 OHIO TURNPIKE. ALMOST HIT BY A SEMI TRUCK. HAVE HAD THE CAR IN THE SHOP NO LESS THAN 5 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. AT GM AND NON GM REPAIR SHOPS. WE HAVE HAD THIS SAME REDUCED POWER ON CITY ROADS, AND THE HIGHWAY, IT SEEMS ALWAYS WHEN IT IS WET, RAINY OR SLUSHY. IT REALLY APPEARS TO BE A WATER CAUSES THE PROBLEM. WE HAVE PAID FOR TWO SETS OF THROTTLE BODY, SPEED CONTROL SENSOR AND HARNESSES. THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO PERSIST AND APPEARS TO BE DANGEROUS.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 4, 2021Power train, Electrical system, EngineODI 11399081
“JUST KEEPS SHOWING WARNING SIGNALS A TRACTION CONTROL. THE FRONT LEFT STRUT COVER IS CORRODED WHICH WAS TOLD TO ME EVENTUALLY THE STRUT WILL COME THROUGH THERE. SHOWING NO SIGNS OF THE FAN WORKING TO COOL THE CAR DOWN WHICH THEN READS ENGINE TOO HOT TURN OFF AC. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 12, 2020Suspension, Power train, EngineODI 11324252
“WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR IN MOTION IT COMPLETELY LOSES POWER. HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS WHILE ON HIGHWAY, INTERSTATE, AND IN TOWN ROADS. SO PROBLEM OCCURS AT ANY SPEED, AND RESULTS IN VEHICLE COASTING TO A STOP AS THE STEERING AND BRAKES STOP WORKING TOO. HAS HAPPENED TO ME HUNDREDS OF TIMES AS WE CAN NOT PIN POINT PROBLEM, AND HAS REPLACED NUMEROUS DIFFERENT PARTS TRYING TO SOLVE IT. WHEN POWER LOSS OCCURS THERE IS VERY LITTLE TO NO TIME AT ALL FOR DRIVER TO COAST & STEER VEHICLE & OCCUPANTS TO SAFETY AREA ON SIDE OF ROAD. THE DASHBOARD INFORMATION CENTER WILL STATE "STARTING DISABLED, SERVICE THROTTLE" ALSO ENGINE POWER REDUCED" AND "SERVICE STABLITRAK." A NEW THROTTLE HAS BEEN PUT IN VEHICLE AND STILL DOES SAME THING. OVER THE YEAR IVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS ISSUE IVE NOTICED IT DOES IT MORE IN WARM WEATHER. AFTER VEHICLE COAST TO A STOP AND IS PUT IN PARK AND TURNED OFF, WAIT 5 TO 10 MINUTES THEN VEHICLE WILL START UP AND NO INFORMATION OR LIGHTS DISPLAY IN DASH CENTER, LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 4, 2020Power train, Electronic stability control (esc), EngineODI 11323282
“DROVE MY VEHICLE TO ATTEND CHURCH ON A SUNDAY MORNING. AFTER CHURCH, RETURN TO MY VEHICLE TO GO HOME. I STARTED MY VEHICLE AND PUT IT IN DRIVE GEAR. THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T MOVE. I SHIFTED IT TO 2ND GEAR AND IT MOVED SLOWLY AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME. I GOT NO PRIOR WARNING OF ANY PROBLEM BEFORE PARKING. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND IT SCARED ME BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE OCCURRED WHILE I WAS ON THE BUSY INTERSTATE. I HAVE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED BECAUSE THE PROBLEM CAN'T BE ISOLATED BY THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOPS BECAUSE THERE IS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED FINE PRIOR TO THIS. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 117,000 MILES.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 22, 2019Power trainODI 11281764
“I PLACED MY CAR IN PARK, WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL RUNNING. WHEN I GOT BACK IN, AND TRIED TO PUT IT INTO GEAR, THE CONSOLE SHIFTER SEEMED LIKE IT WAS LOCKED IN PLACE, AND WOULDN'T LET ME PUT THE CAR IN GEAR. THERE IS APPARENTLY A SWITCH UNDER THE CONSOLE COVER THAT ALLOWS ME TO TEMPORARILY FIX THIS ISSUE, BUT I HAVE TO DO SO EVERY TIME I WANT TO PUT MY CAR INTO GEAR FROM PARK. ONLY HAPPENS WHEN MY CAR IS IN PARK. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A RECALL ISSUE OR NOT. BUT ANY REPLY ON THIS ISSUE, AS WELL AS WHAT I NEED TO DO TO GET IT FIXED WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 1, 2019Power trainODI 11164402

Showing 6 of 68 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.