2016 Chevrolet Impala: problems, recalls and reliability
0 recalls and 111 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (17% of complaints).
Data updated weekly · 1 new complaint in the last 90 days
0
recalls
111
owner complaints
4
fire reports
58,646
typical failure mileage, mi
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
NHTSA crash testOverall ★★★★★Front ★★★★★Side ★★★★★Rollover ★★★★★
5-star NHTSA overall safety ratingNo recall campaigns4 fire reports
Common problems
Computed from 111 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
Engine (engine mechanics)17% · 16 complaints
Electrical System (battery, wiring, electronics)16% · 15 complaints
Air Bags (airbags and crash sensors)14% · 13 complaints
Power Train (transmission, axles, driveline)11% · 10 complaints
Steering (steering wheel, rack, power assist)11% · 10 complaints
Exterior Lighting (headlights, taillights)5% · 5 complaints
“The contact owned a 2016 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH and turning into a parking lot, the vehicle lost power and there was black smoke coming from the right side of the engine compartment. The contact then parked the vehicle and opened the hood, and there were flames coming from the engine compartment. The Fire Department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. A Police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.”Owner report · Engine · Jul 2026
“Between 25mph and 35mph transmission will " lose " gearing and start revving when I'm stuck in traffic, causing a safety concern/risk. Have to stop the car completely and let her cool down below half operating temp for the transmission to rekick into gear. Happens Everytime after driving through cities, ATF has a slight gray tinge to it but no burning smell”Owner report · Power Train · Oct 2025
“I was driving and entering [XXX] at [XXX] when my power steering went completely out! I was unable to steer my vehicle at all and was on a windy road with my children in the vehicle! I pulled to the side of the road! Shut my car off waited a couple minutes and turned it back on and the problem went away! This has happened twice now. My power steering is due to it being electrical and not a fluid issue. This is extremely dangerous as you are unable to steer the vehicle at all when this happens! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Owner report · Steering · Nov 2024
Show 7 more owner reports
“235/50R18. Went for tire rotate and balance. Was informed that 3 of the 4 tires had tread separation and recommended replacement.”Owner report · Tires · Jun 2024
“The Side Detection System Modules are preventing the vehicle blind spot system to work correctly. and the vehicle takes 5, 10, 15 + attempts to start up.”Owner report · Electrical System · Oct 2023
“I recently purchased this car, and the airbag warning light will not turn off. Meaning, something is wrong with the airbags.”Owner report · Air Bags · Dec 2022
“Radio/sound system malfunctioning; Radio/sound will intermittently turn on and off, at times sound will not work for days/weeks at a time. Radio/sound system is tied in with vehicles internal warning systems. When sound is not working, there is no audible notification of several safety conditions including: Seat belt not fastened; door open; turn signal on/off; Low fuel; service engine; Stabilitrack. There was no notification (audio or visual) prior to condition beginning. Symptoms began to appear about 2 months ago during routine highway driving. Vehicle has sustained no accidents and has had no aftermarket upgrades.”Owner report · Electrical System · Sep 2022
“I was driving down the road at night and attempted a right hand turn when my power steering quit. The warning light on the dash came on. I almost got rear ended by cars coming from behind. I called the previous owner to see if they had ever had this happen. They stated it had happened once. They said they turned off the ignition and waited about 1/2 hour then cranked the car and the problem was solved. That's what I did and it worked. Since this is an intermittent problem the service tech could not help.”Owner report · Steering · Jan 2022
“I parked my car at work and worked a full day Saturday the 13th of November. I go out to start my vehicle and 3 warnings appear all at once. Stabilitrak, ABS, and power steering. Reading online I'm not the only one but with only 109,xxx miles it's kind of BS that there's obviously an engineering flaw with these vehicles and I probably will give a few car payments worth to get this fixed. I've owned this vehicle since 17,xxx miles”Owner report · Service Brakes · Nov 2021
“While driving home from work on the highway, the power steering failed and the steering wheel became very physical to actuate. The DIC indicated the warning for power steering off. The failure occurred simultaneously with the warning indication with no prior warning. While driving at high speed, this failure could have caused a serious accident. The failure happened on the street as well. Both times while reaching destination the car was shut off and when restarted, the steering worked once again.”Owner report · Steering · Aug 2021
When filing, owners marked a crash in 8 of these complaints and injuries in 10 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
How other years compare
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Is the 2016 Chevrolet Impala reliable?
NHTSA has 111 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 2016 Chevrolet Impala. The most complained-about area is engine (17% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2016 Chevrolet Impala problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 58,646 miles or less.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.