Problems · by component
2012 Chevrolet Impala service brakes problems
32 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2012 Chevrolet Impala cite service brakes, 12% of all 258 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
32
12% of all complaints
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
Reported by owners
What owners say about the service brakes
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Stability control light comes on which puts the engine in restricted power ABS and brake light comes on front driver side brake continuously holds on when trying to accelerate”
“The car has been in the shop twice within 6 months having it. It was towed twice, once for transmission issues and having no power to it at all then it back in the shop for warning lights. I also had it in the shop for about an hour to have a new tire put on it after loosing air. It had to be towed back home for all the brakes being shot and I'm now having an issue with the rear left caliper having a slow leak, the rear left sway bar is also broken in half. The whole entire car has issues and the leasing company and dealership refuse to do anything to help along with not helping me get the payment down. After one thing gets fixed, another thing happens. The suspension is getting bad and has been like that since my fiance and i got the car. The dealership said everything was new and fixed. We had 2 kids in the car and their safety was put at risk as well as others that got in the car. The car is getting to be a death trap for me. the warning lights that were coming on were Service Stabilitrak, Service Brake Assist, Service Trac Control and Service Brake System. These were coming on after I had the car in the shop for the transmission issue. Those lights are now…”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED CAUSING THE STEERING TO LOCK AND THE BRAKES TO FAIL. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO STREET SIGN CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO FALL INTO A DITCH. THE CONTACT STATED THE ABS AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED.THERE WERE NO INJURIES SUSTAINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND WAS TOWED TO AN IMPOUND LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED AS OF YET. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 176,000.”
“CLUNKING , GRINDING NOISE SERVICE STABILITRAK, SERVICE ABS LIGHTS COME ON LOSE POWER WHEN REVERSING OR MAKING A LEFT TURN. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING HARNESS GOING TO THE SENSORS IN THE WHEELS. MANY PEOPLE ARE HAVING THIS VERY SAME PROBLEM ACROSS MANY YEARS OF THIS VEHICLE. PEOPLE ARE SPENDING MONEY UNNECESSARILY ON PARTS SUCH AS WHEEL HUBS AND BEARINGS WITHOUT FIXING SAID PROBLEM. MANY PEOPLE ARE ALSO REPORTING CARS TURNING OFF AS A RESULT OF THIS. *TR”
“THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM IS CONSTANTLY ON EVEN WHEN MY CAR IS STATIONARY MY ANTILOCK BRAKE SYSTEM LIGHT IS ALSO ALWAYS ON. SOME TIMES I LOSE POWER WHEN I START TO DRIVE. I HAD IT CHECKED AND HAD THE SENSOR REPLACED ,BUT THE PROBLEMS WERE NOT SOLVED.”
“SINCE 2017, UPON STARTING MY CAR I GET ALL OF THE FOLLOWING ALERT MSGS "SERVICE STABILITRAK", *SERVICE BRAKE ASSIST" AND "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL" ON MY DASHBOARD. I'VE HAD THE CAR INTO LES SCHWAB AND ERROR CODE DIAGNOSTICS DONE BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER BOTH FRONT HUB ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED. THE SAME SERVICE MESSAGES STILL CONTINUE TO APPEAR ON THE DASH. LES SCHWAB HAS CHECKED THE HUB SENSOR WIRES REPEATEDLY AND ALL ERROR CODES AND FIND THEM TO BE OK. THEY FIND THE CAR TO STILL HAVE A CRUNCHING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE CAR, MOST MARKEDLY WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT, BUT CAN ALSO BE HEARD WHEN THERE IS A DROP IN ELEVATION, AS WHEN EXISTING A PARKING LOT INTO A SLIGHTLY LOWER ROADWAY. ON JUNE 14,2019, WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION AND TURNING RIGHT AT A STOPLIGHT, THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED AS HAS WHEN I MAKE A LEFT TURN. THE CAR SUDDENLY ACTED AS THOUGH THE BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED VERY HARD AND THEN THE CAR HALTED BRIEFLY WITH TRAFFIC BEHIND ME AS THOUGH IT WOULD STALL OUT. I APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR TILL I FORCED THE CAR TO MOVE AROUND THE CORNER AND AFTER ABOUT A MINUTE OF FIGHTING BRAKING RESISTANCE, I WAS ABLE TO REGAIN NORMAL 40 MPH…”
Showing 6 of 32 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.