2013 Chevrolet Impala problems & reliability
272 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Chevrolet Impala, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Sep 23, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
9 complaints report injuries (12 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2013 Chevrolet Impala vehicles were involved in 120 fatal crashes with 71 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) → | 108 | 40% |
| Electrical System → | 52 | 19% |
| Service Brakes → | 51 | 19% |
| Steering → | 34 | 13% |
| Power Train → | 33 | 12% |
| Engine → | 30 | 11% |
| Wheels → | 23 | 8% |
| Unknown / Other | 22 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 20 | 7% |
| Air Bags → | 19 | 7% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 25 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 217 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 54,000 miles (middle 50% between 38,476 and 81,205 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Purchased aftermarket headlight assembly via Amazon. Wiring harness overheats during normal use, causing connector damage/melting. This is the third unit with an identical defect within one month — seller/manufacturer has replaced twice but the problem recurs. Poses fire/electrical hazard. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED…”
Exterior Lighting · filed Sep 3, 2026
“I have 2 monitors frozen that won't reset . The drive cycle is very dangerious it includes takeing up to 55 and deceleration down to 20 multiple times for many miles I myself have driven this cycle taking my life in my hands in nyc for 300 miles with no success”
Unknown / Other · filed Aug 18, 2026
“I have driving on highway [XXX] heading back home to yucca valley from oceanside driving in the left lane my steering wheel locked up my vehicle swerved let into a street sign and thr vehicle proceeded to turn right swerving on the road losing control of the vehicle my airbag never deployed and my riverside tire as…”
Air Bags · filed Jul 17, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
1,537 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 Chevrolet Impala. The 10 most recent:
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902W · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 4, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates direction to find information at www.gmupfitter.com for Police and Special Service Vehicles.
PIT6247B · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 4, 2026
This preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel and tires size change is available.
PIT3271Q · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2026
This Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and upload to a Technical Assistance Case in CX Connect.
PIP6104 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902V · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902U · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 8, 2026
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 vibration conditions…
PIT5214G · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2025
New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
13598 · Other · issued Sep 9, 2025
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIP4902T · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 14, 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. Technician may…
PIC5650M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 7, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2013 Chevrolet Impala has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2013 Chevrolet Impala?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 54,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.