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2010 Chevrolet Impala problems

The most common problem on the 2010 Chevrolet Impala is electrical system, typically around 80,000 miles. It has fewer complaints than a typical Impala model year.

Typical yearClose to a typical year
Year score
76/100
Owner complaints
442
Recalls
4
Service bulletins
1,187
Worst area
Electrical
Fuel economy
21-22mpg

The worst 2010 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.

Specific symptoms reported on the 2010 Chevrolet Impala

Check engine light 61Airbag light 51Loss of power 49Stalling 48Power steering loss 20ABS 15Jerking 15Won't start 13Knocking 12No deployment 10Grinding brakes 9Won't shift 9Adaptive cruise 7Ball joint 7Slipping 6

Trouble codes owners of the 2010 Chevrolet Impala mention

P2122 2

Recalls 4

Air bags: sensor: occupant classificationReported July 5, 2016 · 289,254 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 Chevrolet Impala vehicles manufactured April 25, 2008 through February 16, 2010. The front passenger seat frame may contact and damage the wires of the passenger presence sensor module.
Risk
If the wires are damaged, the passenger presence sensory system may fail to recognize that the passenger seat is occupied, disabling the air bag. Damage may also cause the air bag fuse to short resulting in a loss of all air bags and seat belt pretensions. Both conditions increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will double wrap the wires with anti-abrasion tape and replace damaged wires as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on August 1, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1‑800‑521‑7300. GM's recall campaign number is 36110.

Recall number 16V507000 · Recall details

Electrical system: ignitionReported June 23, 2014 · 3,141,731 vehicles affected
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

Suspension: front: control arm: lower armReported August 3, 2012 · 36,413 vehicles affected
What is wrong
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Chevrolet Impala police vehicles because the front lower control arms may fracture. This safety recall does not include non-police Chevrolet Impala vehicles.
Risk
A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower control arms, free of charge. The safety recall began on August 21, 2012. Owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1‑866‑694‑6546.

Recall number 12V377000 · Recall details

Seat belts: front: anchorageReported October 13, 2010 · 303,100 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Gm is recalling certain model year 2009-2010 chevrolet impalas for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages." the front safety belt webbing may not have been properly secured to the lap belt anchor pretensioner mounted to the side of the seat nearest the door.
Risk
The safety belt may not restrain the occupant as intended during a crash, which could result in injury to the occupant.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect both front safety belts for proper installation of the anchors to the pretensioners and, if necessary, reinstall the anchors. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on november 5, 2010. Owners may contact chevrolet at 1‑800‑630‑2438 or at the owner center at www.gmownercenter.com.

Recall number 10V480000 · Recall details

See all 4 recalls for the 2010 Chevrolet Impala

Technical service bulletins for the 2010 Chevrolet Impala 1,187

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 1,187 bulletins for the 2010 Chevrolet Impala

2010 Chevrolet Impala fuel economy

Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.

EngineDriveCityHighwayCombined
3.5L 6‑cylFWD182922
3.9L 6‑cylFWD172721

What 2010 Chevrolet Impala owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Oct 7, 2026 · Airbags · 22,000 miles · CT

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The air bag warning light intermittently went on and off. The contact stated later that the air bag warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a disconnected wiring harness. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The dealer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under an unknown recall repair. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall associated with the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.

Filed Feb 6, 2026 · Airbags, Electrical · 58,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the check air bag and service air bag warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 16V507000 (Air Bags, Electrical System); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

Filed Oct 8, 2025 · Body · OH

The unibody of this vehicle has become completely rusted/rotted to where the car is undriveable. This has been inspected by a service center, and I was told it is dangerous and beyond repair. I am sick about this, as there are MANY other makes of vehicles older than mine that do not have this issue.

Filed Sep 25, 2025 · Acceleration, Brakes · NE · crash

I bought a used car as is for $6700.00 and was told that the car was nothing wrong with it but within the first month 07/02/25 the car has been to 3 different shops and in the shop 5 different times all due to brake problems since I bought the car I have had to replace both front calipers and rotors brake pads wheel bearings and on the back both brake pads plus new tires and it's still not fixed the ABS traction and stability lights are on i could of caused a wreck I only drive it to the store with the money I had paid for the car putting it in a shop I shouldn't of had to do they sold me a dangerous car

Filed Jun 18, 2025 · Electrical · 188,000 miles · CA · fire

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned off and unattended in a parking lot. After about ten minutes, the contact was unlocking the vehicle and noticed fire inside the vehicle near the front of the vehicle near the radio and heater. The contact used a water bottle from the back seat to attempt to extinguish the fire. The fire was extinguished by a bystander using a fire extinguisher. There were no warning lights prior to the failure. There were no reported injuries. There was no police report filed, airbag deployment, or crash involved. The vehicle was towed to her residence. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 188,000.

Filed Oct 18, 2024 · Acceleration, Engine · MO

I started my vehicle in the morning to let it warm up. I come back out to get myself and my son in the vehicle to go to work and take him to school. My dash upon entry had a check engine light on, and the message it displayed was "engine power reduced." I put my car into reverse, having no choice but to drive it and the traction control went out. My father in law pulled the code and it said something about the accelerator sensor. This is a known issue and recall in other models and I wanted to report it is also happening in my model.

Filed Jun 4, 2024 · Electrical · 77,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that the vehicle made an abnormal grinding sound while starting and while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the grinding sound persisted after turning off the vehicle on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where unknown actuators located behind the dashboard were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

Filed Aug 10, 2023 · Airbags, Seats · MO

recall # 36110. our car is having the same issues that are indicated with this recall but GM refuses to include our vehicle in this recall. Front passenger seat sensor is shorting out against the seat frame which is turning vital passenger airbags off. Unsure when this actually started as my daughter drives this car to work and didnt notice when it first appeared.

Filed Mar 6, 2023 · Airbags · 148,000 miles · NJ

The contact owns a 2010 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 148,000.

Filed Oct 18, 2022 · Airbags, Electrical · ID

About a week ago I got in my car and started driving. as I started going down the road the passengers side alarm for the seatbelt kept going off and I noticed the passenger side airbag had turned on as well. I was in my car alone and had nothing sitting in the passengers seat nor a passenger in my car. That was the first time it lasted my whole drive to work (about 13 miles) but made me think of past times my vehicle had done that as well A few weeks before that the same thing happened and I had to connect the seatbelt to make it stop. I didn’t think much of it at first and thought it was a one-off kinda thing till it became a pattern of sorts. This morning I started my car and the dash kept telling me to “service airbags” I just bought my vehicle from national auto sales in Spokane Washington the previous February of this year (2022) and only drive to work (13 miles) and back for the most part. Seeing the “service airbag” light on in my car was concerning because I don’t know what that means. As I looked further into things I found a recall for my vehicle for the passenger side airbags malfunctioning, recall #36110 to replace wiring in the seat. So I called GM and they couldn’t find a recall for my vehicle. I then called Knudtsen Chevrolet in post falls Idaho expecting it to get taken care of. The guy from the service department looked up my VIN and told me my vehicle had already been serviced in the past for this passenger side airbag recall issue at another dealership and the work had already been completed and closed so there was nothing they would be willing to do except make an appointment and pay 145.00$ for them to diagnose the situation. I explained that the recall was for the very same thing that’s happening in my vehicle right now and that was unsafe if my airbags were malfunctioning. That if they fixed it in the past why am I dealing with that exact recall issue with my airbags now? I don’t have money to pay for something that was supposed to be fixed

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Compare the 2010 Chevrolet Impala

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Other model years

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Questions about the 2010 Chevrolet Impala

Is the 2010 Chevrolet Impala reliable?

Owners have filed 442 complaints about the 2010 Chevrolet Impala, fewer than a typical Impala model year.

What is the 2010 Chevrolet Impala year score?

The 2010 Chevrolet Impala scores 76 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 2010 Chevrolet Impala?

Electrical system, with 132 complaints, typically around 80,000 miles. Next is airbags (103).

How many recalls does the 2010 Chevrolet Impala have?

4 recalls, covering air bags, electrical system and suspension.

Was there a recall on the 2010 Chevrolet Impala electrical?

Yes, 1 recall: 14V355000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Chevrolet Impala have the most electrical problems?

The Chevrolet Impala model years with the most electrical complaints are 2004 (681 complaints), 2005 (331 complaints) and 2002 (305 complaints).

What gas mileage does the 2010 Chevrolet Impala get?

Official estimates for the 2010 Chevrolet Impala range from 21 to 22 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.5L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 18 city and 29 highway.

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