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2012 Chevrolet Impala Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Critical

422 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.51 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical11V398000

Steering:Hydraulic Power Assist:Hose, Piping, And Connections

POWER STEERING FLUID COULD FLOW ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, AND AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE COULD OCCUR.

Remedy & full details

GM DEALERS WILL INSPECT TO ENSURE THAT THE UPPER POWER STEERING HOSE IS ROUTED CORRECTLY AND MAKE THE NECESSARY REPAIRS FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CHEVROLET AT 1-800-630-2438.

GM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 CHEVROLET IMPALA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM APRIL 19, 2011, THROUGH JULY 29, 2011. THE UPPER POWER STEERING HOSE MAY HAVE BEEN MISROUTED SO THAT IT CAN COME IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO AND/OR CONTACT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER. WITH THE ENGINE ON, HEAT FROM THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER MAY MELT THE POWER STEERING HOSE.

Serious14V355000

Electrical System:Ignition

If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, raises the risk of injury.

Remedy & full details

GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.

This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.

Serious12V377000

Suspension:Front:Control Arm:Lower Arm

broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, raises the risk of a crash.

Remedy & full details

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower control arms, free of charge. The safety recall began on August 21, 2012. Owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546.

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Chevrolet Impala police vehicles because the front lower control arms may fracture. This safety recall does not include non-police Chevrolet Impala vehicles.

Complaint volume

422 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

40Crashes
6Fires
29Injuries
0Deaths

Across 422 complaints. Severity Index 0.51.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Electrical System56 · 13%Electronic Stability Cont…54 · 13%Steering48 · 11%Engine40 · 9%Service Brakes32 · 8%Power Train26 · 6%Unknown Or Other23 · 5%Air Bags20 · 5%
  1. Electrical System — 56 reports
  2. Electronic Stability Control (Esc) — 54 reports
  3. Steering — 48 reports
  4. Engine — 40 reports
  5. Service Brakes — 32 reports
  6. Power Train — 26 reports
  7. Unknown Or Other — 23 reports
  8. Air Bags — 20 reports
  9. Suspension — 20 reports
  10. Fuel/Propulsion System — 17 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (1) · 1996 (1) · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 (10) · 2001 (10) · 2002 (7) · 2003 (8) · 2004 (7) · 2005 (4) · 2006 (2) · 2007 (3) · 2008 (2) · 2009 (5) · 2010 (4) · 2011 (2) · 2012 · 2013 (1) · 2014 (12) · 2015 (3) · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 (1) · 2019 (1) · 2020

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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