2004 Chevrolet Impala problems
The 2004 Chevrolet Impala has 1,378 complaints on file with NHTSA. The largest share (50%) concerns electrical system. After that come lighting (8%) and engine (8%).
At a glance
- Complaints
- 1,378 filed with NHTSA
- Most reported
- Electrical system 50% of complaints
- Crashes and fires
- 80 and 34
- Injuries and deaths
- 73 and 0
- Typical mileage
- 70,000 miles 1,112 complaints with mileage
Source: NHTSA owner complaints
Where the complaints are
Share of this model year's complaints by the part of the car involved. One complaint can name more than one part, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
When problems show up
View the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 0k to 20k miles | 96 |
| 20k to 40k miles | 120 |
| 40k to 60k miles | 223 |
| 60k to 80k miles | 189 |
| 80k to 100k miles | 164 |
| 100k to 120k miles | 83 |
| 120k to 140k miles | 107 |
| 140k to 160k miles | 40 |
| 160k to 180k miles | 36 |
| 180k to 200k miles | 18 |
| 200k+ miles | 36 |
What the data shows
Among the 1,112 complaints that report mileage, the typical (median) problem appeared at about 70,000 miles. For electrical system specifically, the median reported mileage is about 68,000 miles (574 complaints with mileage).
Safety-related details: 80 complaints mention a crash; 34 complaints mention a fire; 73 injuries reported.
Looking only at complaints filed within five years of the model year (so older and newer years are comparable), the 2004 ranks 2nd most-complained-about out of 23 model years of the Chevrolet Impala with enough data (718 complaints in that window). It is also covered by 4 safety recall campaigns.
What owners wrote
A few complaints as filed, shortened and with personal details removed. The first ones are among the most serious reports for this model year; the rest are typical.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 chevrolet impala. The vehicle caught fire in the dashboard area and then spread to the hood. The fire occurred two to three months after the vehicle was purchased. A relative sustained injuries to the hand due to the fire. The cause of the failure was electrical. There is no fire or police report. The vehicle was repaired, but the contact does not know the specifics of the repair work.
Wow same problem as everyone else. Speed does not register properly seems to be whenever it wants it will show speeds higher then what they are. This is a danger because speeds are guessed in school zones and highways. After a couple days speed will begin to work ok. Now the blower motor and heater do not work unless you pound by the ashtray area and hopefully the air conditioning will start blowing but the heat will not come on when switched to heat.
Speedometer starts at random speeds and then continues like it started at zero. It sometimes says 80 or 100 MPH when you are not moving and then continues to go higher as you drive. Obviously you have no idea how fast you are driving.