The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal burning odor in the interior of the vehicle. In addition, there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, where a valve replacement was performed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure; however, the VIN was not associated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The worst 2006 Chevrolet Impala problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Steering135
- Electrical124
- Transmission108
- Engine86
- Airbags47
- Acceleration41
- Brakes35
- Visibility29
- Tires26
- Body25
- Fuel system20
- Driver assistance18
- Suspension18
- Seat belts17
- Lights12
- Wheels10
- Locks9
- Seats2
Specific symptoms reported on the 2006 Chevrolet Impala
Loss of power 40Power steering loss 30Stalling 26Check engine light 25No deployment 22Jerking 22Slipping 22Transmission failure 21Fire or smoke 16Harsh shifting 14Hesitation 13Battery drain 12Grinding brakes 12Steering noise 12Seat belt 11Ball joint 10Door locks 10Engine failure 10Won't start 10ABS 9Headlights 9Airbag light 8Knocking 8Overheating 7Steering lock-up 6Won't shift 6Oil consumption 5Power windows 5Shudder 5Whining noise 5
Trouble codes owners of the 2006 Chevrolet Impala mention
P2138 3
Recalls 1
Electrical system: ignition
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 14V355000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2006 Chevrolet Impala
Defect investigations
Power steering fluid leaks - fires
General motors (gm) initiated a customer satisfaction campaign in october of 2006 to address a failure of the power steering hose and/or clamps that could occur when the engine is started in vehicles primarily operated in the following states that experience extremely cold temperatures:alaska, maine, minnesota, montana, new hampshire, north dakota, south dakota, vermont, wisconsin and wyoming.at the time this preliminary evaluation (pe) was opened, only 1 of the 33 complaints received by the office of defects investigation (odi) was from a state covered by the customer satisfaction campaign.in response to an information request sent by the odi, gm provided information that included 6 alleged fires and 1 alleged minor crash potentially related to the alleged defect. One of the alleged fires is a duplicate of a report received by odi.of the fire incidents, 2 of the 6 alleged fire incidents occurred after the remedy detailed in the customer satisfaction program was performed.one of the vehicles was totaled as a result of the incident.it is undetermined whether the incidents were related to the alleged defect or were a by product of the repair.of the other four alleged fire incidents, 1 incident involved smoke only and no visible flames.based on the information provided, the remaining 3 fire incidents were localized events that primarily involved damage to the power steering components and surrounding wiring.all 3 of these vehicles were subsequently repaired.none of the alleged fire incidents occurred while the vehicle was unattended.odi is aware of 1 additional alleged fire incident that was not included in gm's information request response.based on the consumer's description of the incident, the fire was quickly extinguished by a friend and the vehicle was subsequently repaired at a dealership.in total odi is aware of 6 alleged fire incidents where the consumer alleged flames were visible.all of the alleged fire incidents occurred while the vehicle was still attended. Odi is aware 1 minor crash alleged to be related to a power steering fluid leak.the consumer alleged a minor crash occurred as the consumer was attempting to pull into a driveway and had difficulty negotiating the turn due to experiencing high power steering efforts and struck a snow bank.in a letter dated september 21, 2009, gm informed odi that a customer satisfaction program will commence in december of 2009 for the entire us. As a remedy the power steering hose assembly for vehicles with v8 engines and the power steering return hose and clamps for vehicles with v6 engines will be replaced with upgraded components.based on the low frequencies and minor severities of the alleged fire incidents and crash,no safety related defect trend has been identified in the subject vehicles.gm's expanded customer satisfaction program will provide free repairs to vehicles excluded from the original campaign.accordingly, this investigation has been closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action in the future if warranted.
PE09025
Technical service bulletins for the 2006 Chevrolet Impala 804
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Unknown or other
- Electrical system
- Unknown or other
- This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on When and How to Submit a Field...
- Unknown or other
- Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles
- This service bulletin provides guidelines and diagnostic/repair information to technicians regarding...
2006 Chevrolet Impala fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | FWD | 18 | 28 | 22 |
| 3.9L 6‑cyl | FWD | 17 | 23-25 | 19-20 |
| 5.3L 8‑cyl | FWD | 16 | 26 | 19 |
What 2006 Chevrolet Impala owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Filed one complaint already about my car malfunctioning now on May 15 2025 I was.involved in a car accident and my airbags DID NOT DEPLOY!!!it was a front crash hit the front right side of the car and no airbag deployment
First battery needed replaced every year then few weeks ago with no warning light or messages that battery was dieing the battery died again it was replaced then it started reving up and down on its own while driving so it goes faster then slower on its own when it feels like it.. TPS wont show tire pressure cant relearn tire positions now dash lights works usually then don't bright lights don't work now if automatic light control is on car shakes bad while breaking idles hard uses ALOT of gas now massive amount of heat coming off engine now with no dash light or guage saying temp is going up engine smells kind of bad after driving the car replaced transmission once couple years ago transmission maybe going out again the gear shift locks don't work it slips out of gear and into another gear effortlessly while driving and while parked without pressing the button to move the gear shift clicking or tapping noise started coming from front end only when turning left now does it while.turning and sometimes while.going straight and it's all still happening... theres more but not going into all of it now. DTC code listed 2days ago was listed as: B1000-00 Electronic Control Unit. Searched Google for code and got posts saying ECU needs replaced..updated or reprogrammed and some say BCU needs replaced..upgraded or reprogrammed. Each time I search the code I get a different reason for the code and different meaning. I have a 2006 Chevy Impala SS 5.3L V8 with police package. Car is available for inspection anytime.
While I was driving I had to stop on a hill and when I pushed the gas to accelerate it wouldn’t move the engine just revved up and hasn’t moved since just when you push on the gas and the rpm’s go up to 5-6 and it will move maybe a foot or so. There was no warning or messages that appeared before this happened and even now after it’s happens and it’s not showing any code to what’s wrong with it. It affected my safety and others because it wouldn’t move while in the middle of the road and I could have got in to a serious car accident because of it.
I was driving and powersteering fluid drained and I lost control of the steering, and guide the car against the side walk. Had a mechanic change the powers steering fluid line. But now it's shooting up instead leaking down, it clogged all my spark plugs ,plus cause my cam shaft and crank shaffsensor to malfunction.,plus my belt got shredded. And now it's been over a year, and I still can't drive my car cause. It starts all over. And my front wheels are on not good arms, when crash it bent or Crack the arms.
I got a P2138 code for Accelerator Pedal Sensor error. From what I have seen this is caused by the two sensors not matching. I have repaired this issue previously about 3 years ago, but it has happened again. This seems to be a common issue with GM cars of this era.
5.3l v8 model needs to be added to the PI1384A campaign. recently fried my fuseblock because the relays melted. i am an ase certified technician For Firestone complete auto care, this is the exact problem that all ls4s will face.
Got the car saying it needs service on the airbag
Fuel system; code p0230. Cam/crankshaft; solenoid circuit in bank 1 code p0010. Radio wiring; radio is smoking all the time bad ground wire or short in wires. My vehical stopped while I was in drive motion going approximately 45 MPH. No injuries, and no fatalities but my impala stopped running and have not been able to start it since. In addition no one had got hurt, I was in open road. I have not had my the vehical serviced or diagnosed by a service center. Due to a no crank/no start condition. It will not move. Prior to the failure, we had the mil on the dash say power engine reduced. That's when at high speed on freeways or extensive driving patterns.
According to my obd scanner the components that are failed is the throttle body position sensor circuit A & the throttle body position sensor circuit B. Before this happened the check engine light was on for about a week, when I scanned the vehicle with the obd-II the code for a large leak in the fuel EVAP system came up. One day while driving the vehicle I was stopped at a red light and once the light turned green I pressed the gas and the car started to sputter and move very slow also in the driver information center it intermittently showed the warnings service traction control and speed reduced. I had to pull over when safe to do so. Once I got the vehicle home I ran the scan again and it came up with the throttle body position sensor codes. The part is available for inspection. The safety of me and my passenger were in jeopardy we could've definitely been in an accident because it was so sudden when it happened. I have not taken the car to a dealer but an independent mechanic has looked at it. Vehicle has not been inspected by anyone other than me and an independent mechanic. This was a very scary experience and I have seen many forums with the same issues from GM cars. Your attention is needed and appreciated.
Compare the 2006 Chevrolet Impala
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2006 Chevrolet Impala
Is the 2006 Chevrolet Impala reliable?
Owners have filed 524 complaints about the 2006 Chevrolet Impala, close to a typical Impala model year.
What is the 2006 Chevrolet Impala year score?
The 2006 Chevrolet Impala scores 71 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Chevrolet Impala: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2006 Chevrolet Impala?
Steering, with 135 complaints, typically around 60,500 miles. Next is electrical (124).
How many recalls does the 2006 Chevrolet Impala have?
1 recall, covering electrical system.
What year does the Chevrolet Impala have bad steering?
The Chevrolet Impala model years with the most steering complaints are 2014 (140 complaints), 2006 (135 complaints) and 2000 (124 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2006 Chevrolet Impala get?
Official estimates for the 2006 Chevrolet Impala range from 19 to 22 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.5L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 18 city and 28 highway.
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