1996 Chevrolet Impala
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Chevrolet › Impala › 1996
These records cover every 1996 Chevrolet Impala. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
1 recall names the 1996 Chevrolet Impala. Newest first.
Certain pro-a motors corner lamps, turn signals, and headlights sold as replacement lamps for use on certain passenger vehicles listed above. some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
Remedy
Pro-a motors will notify owners and offer to repurchase the lamps. the recall began on april 3, 2006. owners may contact pro-a motors at 323-838-2988.
Owner complaints
88 complaints2 involved a crash2 involved a fire
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Electrical system
TL* the contact owned a 1996 chevrolet impala. The contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v355000 (electrical system). While driving 50 mph, the vehicle stalled and crashed into a ditch. There were no injuries and a police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was unknown.
- Wheels
Back in november 1995 I purchased a new 1996 chevrolet impala. I brought the vehicle to my home and did a complete vehicle inspection. What I found was the dealership lanan chevrolet of woburn massachusetts did a poor job prepping the vehicle for delivery. what I found was the lug nuts for the…
Back in november 1995 I purchased a new 1996 chevrolet impala. I brought the vehicle to my home and did a complete vehicle inspection. What I found was the dealership lanan chevrolet of woburn massachusetts did a poor job prepping the vehicle for delivery. what I found was the lug nuts for the wheels, all were loose. I got my torque wrench and torqued the wheel nuts to the 100ft lbs. I also found the front end components were not greased. I called up the dealership and told them they did a lousy job.. today 2014 since gm has 30 million recalls I thought I would check my vehicles for any recalls . What I found was , the loose lug nuts are listed as an incomplete recall on this vehicle. Since nov 1995 these lug nuts have been removed and re torqued about 50 times. I called the dealership to clear this recall from the gm data base and the service guy says you have to bring the vehicle in ..this IS stupid ! *tr
- Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump
Fuel pump fuse blow out. the car cuts off and stops while driving, blowing out the fuse. when a new fuse IS installed and the engine IS started, it blows out again. The problem IS caused by a faulty wiring harness to the fuel pump assembly. the wiring on the fuel pump sender unit melts and peels…
Fuel pump fuse blow out. the car cuts off and stops while driving, blowing out the fuse. when a new fuse IS installed and the engine IS started, it blows out again. The problem IS caused by a faulty wiring harness to the fuel pump assembly. the wiring on the fuel pump sender unit melts and peels back the insulation, causing the bare wires to touch and short against themselves or ground out against the car. this occurs right at the top of the fuel pump tank on the sender assembly or just inside the tank. the fuel pump wiring harnesses on these vehicles are problematic and defective, potentially causing a fire in the fuel tank and eventually a catastrophic explosion. a new fuel pump sender (oem part no. 25028955) was replaced in addition to a new electric fuel pump, and new fuel filter. *jb
- Suspension › Front › Control arm · Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
Chevrolet dealership will not honor the recalls you have placed on the caprice car I have. *Ak
- Electrical system › Wiring · Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump · Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly
(1) while traveling thru laughlin, NV traveling west on hwy 163, car abruptly quits. fuel pump fuse blown. suspect dying fuel pump. install new fuse, travel another 30 miles up hwy 95...car dies again. this time, no blown fuse. fuel pump will not run. tow vehicle to final destination (las…
(1) while traveling thru laughlin, NV traveling west on hwy 163, car abruptly quits. fuel pump fuse blown. suspect dying fuel pump. install new fuse, travel another 30 miles up hwy 95...car dies again. this time, no blown fuse. fuel pump will not run. tow vehicle to final destination (las vegas). (2) pulled the tank, removed the sending unit for pump replacement. quickly noticed the problem. the fuel pump wiring inside the tank had shorted out. insulation burnt completely off of the primary pump power wire and shorted into the fuel quantity ground wire. connector at top of sending unit melted. (3) replace sending unit, fuel pump, strainer and fuel filter. *ak
- Structure
The consumer noticed that when it rained, the passenger's side floor was soaked due to a leak inside the vehicle. *ak *sc *jb
- Steering › Hydraulic power assist › Hose, piping, and connections
Inability to control the steering on rough roads. steering IS very loose while driving at all speeds. Also, vehicle darts in both directions while braking. *Ak
- Steering › Hydraulic power assist system
Power steering intermittently locks up during turns at low speeds. this same thing happened 3 years ago. chevrolet dealers and customer service both deny any evidence of a recurring problem with impalas although the nhtsa web site and an impala owners' web site both list numerous occurrences of this malfunction. this IS a very dangerous situation that renders the car temporarily out of control. *ak
- Visibility › Defroster/defogger/hvac system › Rear window
Rear vision IS impared when looking through back glass.the de-icer/defroster has turned ( foggy) .this IS a real safety concern at night especially.
- Steering › Hydraulic power assist system
Steering assist stops when turning. Not all the time but it has happened several times.its very scary when in traffic.so far no accidents, but its just a matter of time when .
- Unknown or other
1996 chevrolet impala caught fire while in motion.*mr *cb *jb
- Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower ball joint
The lower ball joint experienced the same failure as stated in the recall, however the vehicle identification number was not included in the recall. *jb
- Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower arm
When the vehicle accelerated from a stop,there was a knocking noise coming from vehicle's under body. consumer believed the lower control arm was defective. *Jb
- Visibility › Defroster/defogger/hvac system › Heater core
Heater core in my 1996 impala IS constantly clogging, therefore no heat and no defrosters. Cooling system flushed 2 times by chevrolet garage. They have no way to correct the problem. This problem IS nation wide and not a local issue. *Jb
- Air bags › Frontal
Consumer was involved in a frontal collision, and the air bags failed to deploy.*jb
- Engine and engine cooling
I bought my 1996 impala SS brand new, and every year since then in the winter time I loose the heat. The dealer, while the car was still under warranty, would flush the heater core and sometimes replace it yearly. The problem still IS not fixed, and I have lost the heat in the car again and the…
I bought my 1996 impala SS brand new, and every year since then in the winter time I loose the heat. The dealer, while the car was still under warranty, would flush the heater core and sometimes replace it yearly. The problem still IS not fixed, and I have lost the heat in the car again and the dealer will no longer fix the problem because they claim it IS out of warranty even though they have all of the service records showing the history of the problem. I think this IS totally unfair to the owner, and I have talked to many caprice/impala SS owners of this year who are going through the same problem. Chevy knows of the problem but does nothing to correct it, and now the owners are left with the bill and if you cannot afford to have them fix it you drive in a cold car. If they do not know what IS causing this problem, then chevy/dealership should be responsible for flushing or replacing my heater core(whatever IS needed to restore the heat) for as long as I own the car. I need some help with this, I am only a small guy fighting a giant. Any assistance you can provide would be greatly appreciated. thanks kjb. Ts
- Seat belts › Front · Seat belts › Front › Retractor
Front seat belt retractor and motion look-up device failled without warning. Upon replacement found that the retraction spring had worn through the plastic side cover. Falure occurred when I leaned forward and applied force to the seat belt shoulder harness. If it had occurred in an accident, I would not have been restrained.
- Seat belts › Front
The driver side seatbelt was inoperative. When seatbelt was extended outward, it would not retract. By assumption, consumer tested the belts by slamming on brakes, and they didn't retract. ts consumer also removed the molding and found the recoil spring was protruding out of hole on the cover. *tt *jb
- Steering › Hydraulic power assist system · Unknown or other
Odometer display goes out intermittently-dealer service department has indicated the only way to correct this problem IS to replace the dash. sounds excessive for a vehicle with less than 42,000 miles. the water pump leaking creates more of a safety hazard. it leaks onto the power steering belt…
Odometer display goes out intermittently-dealer service department has indicated the only way to correct this problem IS to replace the dash. sounds excessive for a vehicle with less than 42,000 miles. the water pump leaking creates more of a safety hazard. it leaks onto the power steering belt, causing the belt to slip, causing the power steering to go out intermittently. there IS no warning when this happens. again, this part failing with less than 42,000 miles on a car seems out of line. mr
- Steering › Hydraulic power assist system
The first time it happened I wanted to turn left into a shopping center. I slowed down to turn left and the steering was to difficult to turn, I had to run over a curb and over a patch of grass to avoid hitting a car. I stopped the car, put it in park and attempted to turn the steering wheel to…
The first time it happened I wanted to turn left into a shopping center. I slowed down to turn left and the steering was to difficult to turn, I had to run over a curb and over a patch of grass to avoid hitting a car. I stopped the car, put it in park and attempted to turn the steering wheel to the left and right to no avail. I shut the engine off and started it back up again, put the car in drive and the steering wheel turned, but not with ease. this also occurred on my way home into my driveway. this problem has occured about fifteen times. This IS a "safety hazard" and could be life threatening. *ak
- Electrical system › 12v/24v/48v battery
All 3 batteries have leaked acid out. Had a puddle of acid on garage floor, that my 6 year old son almost stepped in bare footed.*ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system › Radiator assembly
Manufacturer used a plastic tank on top of radiator instead of metal. Plastic tank became split, and antifreeze poured out, could possibly cause a fire. please provide any further information.*ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Cracked cylinder head gasket IS causing engine to overheat and coolant leakage, consequently creating a potential engine fire. Prior engine coolant leakage caused damage to the water pump, power steering assembly, and possibly the current head gasket defect. prior coolant leakage onto the power…
Cracked cylinder head gasket IS causing engine to overheat and coolant leakage, consequently creating a potential engine fire. Prior engine coolant leakage caused damage to the water pump, power steering assembly, and possibly the current head gasket defect. prior coolant leakage onto the power steering belt caused power steering failure that required replacement of the power steering belt and engine serpentine belt. Power steering belt and engine serpentine belt were replaced sept. 1999. Water pump was replaced nov. 2000.
- Steering › Linkages › Arm › Idler and attachment
Idler arm has worn, causing vehicle to drift from left to right when driving. dealer has been notified.*ak
- Engine and engine cooling › Cooling system
Coolent dex cool failed at half its warranty and car damagingly overheated. this failure caused the replacement of the coolant reservoir, radiator, thermostat, water pump. it also required days of flushing out the heater core and the cooling system. it may have permanently damaged an expensive high performance engine.
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Coolant fires
There is no summary currently available
- Rear wheel separation
Information obtained from gm indicates that further investigation to determine the cause of wheel separations IS warranted.in gm's response dated april 26, 1996, gm stated that:gm has not identified any defect in the manufacture of the subject vehicles whih may contribute to wheel separation.investigation as to the…
Information obtained from gm indicates that further investigation to determine the cause of wheel separations IS warranted.in gm's response dated april 26, 1996, gm stated that:gm has not identified any defect in the manufacture of the subject vehicles whih may contribute to wheel separation.investigation as to the root cause of wheel separations IS continuing.the results of these further investigations are required to assess the probability of any future incidents . . .
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10246631Expanded Availability for Remanufacture and Return (R&R) Electronic Control Modules
- 10232287This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
- 10208027This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update.
- 10171318This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update.
- 10168979This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to contact the radio unlock center to retrieve the unlock code from the scrambled code. The PI update to version D is to advise the unlock procedure is temporarily unavailable. E version update is to add administrative details.
- 10166638This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
- 10165876This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to contact the radio unlock center to retrieve the unlock code from the scrambled code. The PI update to version D is to advise the unlock procedure is temporarily unavailable.
- 10157018This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update.
- 10154641This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.
- 10141381This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco Theft Lock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to contact the radio unlock center to retrieve the unlock code from the scrambled code.
- 10138060This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information with the field action courtesy transportation policy.
- 10114947This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to contact the radio unlock center to retrieve the unlock code from the scrambled code.
- 10114924This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician on how to unlock radios that are Delco TheftLock. Technician will use the radio to get the scrambled code. Technician will need to contact the radio unlock center to retrieve the unlock code from the scrambled code.
- 10113443This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update.
- 10023171ABS pump running when not needed.
- 10009370The engine does not stall when performing a p1870 diagnostic test with the tech 2 scan tool or when commanding the torque converter clutch enable solenoid on applications that do not have the p1870 diagnostic test listed. 4L60e or 4l65e transmissions.
- 634999Diagnosis of cracked or broken transmission case. 2006 and prior cars and light duty trucks.
- 622895Some customers may comment that the heater IS inoperative, blows cold air, the engine may exhibit an overheat condition or the coolant reservoir has rust in it.
- 618109Vehicles may experience exhaust gas recirculation valve failures.
- 618093Concerns w ith exhaust gas recirculation valve failures.
- 616774Some customers may experience a failure of the exhaust gas recirculation (egr) valve due to corrosion of the internal diaphragm plate, leading to driveability complaints of a check engine light for egr valve (dtc p0400); or engine stall at idle, runs rough or surges.
- 54332Experiencing engine noise.
- 52601Engine noise (install valve stem oil seal).
- 52106Water in air pump and/or dtc p0410, p0412, p1415, p1416, p0100, p0101, p0102 and dtc 48 (install air pump service kit).
Every Chevrolet Impala model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.