Car · Chevrolet problems

2012 Chevrolet Impala problems

258 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet Impala. The most reported area is electrical system (22% of them). NHTSA also lists 499 service bulletins and 3 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 16. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 258 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Electrical system58 · 22%
• Stability control54 · 21%
• Steering49 · 19%
• Engine and engine cooling43 · 17%
• Service brakes33 · 13%
• Power train (transmission and drive)27 · 10%
• Other or unknown23 · 9%
• Suspension22 · 9%

11 smaller areas not shown (110 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 499 repair bulletins from Chevrolet for the 2012 Chevrolet Impala. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. PIT6247BReceived May 11, 2026

   Direction to find information at www.gmupfitter.com for Police and Special Service Vehicles.

2. PIT3271QReceived April 7, 2026

   Information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.

3. 25-NA-156Received December 4, 2025

   Wheels

   Information on Tire Sidewall Irregularities.

4. 00-06-01-026RReceived December 3, 2025

   Engine and engine cooling

   Information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage.

5. PIT5214GReceived November 28, 2025

   This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer's vehicles that exhibit...

6. 23-NA-153Received October 25, 2025

   Engine and engine cooling

   The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is opened rapidly and advises the customer that it is...

7. PIC5650MReceived August 12, 2025

   This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on.

8. PIT5074RReceived June 4, 2025

   This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2012 Chevrolet Impala. Recall repairs are free at a Chevrolet dealer.

1. 14V355000June 23, 2014

   Electrical system

   This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system.

2. 11V398000August 5, 2011

   Steering

   The upper power steering hose may have been misrouted so that it CAN come in close proximity to and/or contact the catalytic converter.

3. 12V377000August 3, 2012

   Suspension

   This safety recall does not include non-police Chevrolet Impala vehicles.

See all 3 recalls for the 2012 Chevrolet Impala, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Impala will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Electrical system 58 complaints · 22%

• Battery replacement$150 to $470
• Alternator replacement$360 to $930
• Starter replacement$280 to $740
• Battery cable replacement$100 to $340

Stability control 54 complaints · 21%

• Wheel speed sensor replacement$110 to $330
• ABS control module repair or replacement$520 to $1,700

Steering 49 complaints · 19%

• Tie rod end replacement (one side)$130 to $380
• Wheel alignment (four-wheel)$85 to $250

Engine and engine cooling 43 complaints · 17%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Check a quote you got

Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

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Look up this VIN

Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2012 Chevrolet Impala: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Impala?

Of the 258 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Chevrolet Impala, 58 (22%) name electrical system, and 54 (21%) name stability control. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2012 Chevrolet Impala reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 20 of the 258 complaints as involving a crash and 5 as involving a fire. They also reported 16 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2012 Chevrolet Impala have?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2012 Chevrolet Impala. Recall repairs are free at a Chevrolet dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 499 repair bulletins for the 2012 Chevrolet Impala.

More

• 2015 Impala problems
• 2014 Impala problems
• 2013 Impala problems
• 2011 Impala problems
• 2010 Impala problems
• 2012 recalls
• All Chevrolet recalls
• Chevrolet problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.