Most common 1996 Chevrolet Impala problems
Share of the 88 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Chevrolet Impala complaints by model year
Best Impala years: 2020, 2019, 2018. Years to avoid: 2008, 2009, 2004. Compare all years →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 1996 Chevrolet Impala:
Rear wheel separation
Information obtained from GM indicates that further investigation to determine the cause of wheel separations is warranted.in GM's response dated April 26, 1996, GM stated that:GM has not identified any defect in the manufacture of the subject vehicles whih May contribute to wheel separation.investigation as to the root cause of wheel separations is continuing.the results of these further investigations are required…
Coolant fires
There is no summary currently available
What 1996 Chevrolet Impala owners say
Wheels & tires
Back in November 1995 I purchased a new 1996 Chevrolet Impala. I brought the vehicle to my home and did a complete vehicle inspection. What I found was the dealership lanan Chevrolet of woburn massachusetts did a poor job prepping the vehicle for delivery. What I found was the lug nuts for the wheels, all were loose. I got my torque wrench and torqued the wheel nuts to the 100ft lbs. I also found the front end components were not greased. I called up the dealership and told them they did a lousy job.. Today 2014 since GM has 30 million recalls I thought I would check my vehicles for any recalls . What I found was , the loose lug nuts are listed as an incomplete recall on this vehicle. Since nov 1995 these lug nuts have been removed and re torqued about 50 times. …
While driving vehicle's left rear tire fell off the rim, car was able to get on side. Dealer glued the tire back on rim. This is not the 1st time that this happened.
Steering
My wife had complained of the steering going out on her for the last two years. I could never get the steering failure to manifest itself for me, so I figured it must have been an anomalie. Last month, the steering problem occurred for me at very poor times. I was turning into my neighborhood and lost all control of steering and almost ran into my subdivision's sign. The second time was when I was exiting a parking lot in nashville, and the steering froze. I rev'd the engine up to see if the increase in pump pressure would help, but to no avail. My wife instructed me to shut off the engine, and restart it. The steering responeded poorly, and I limped the car home and it is parked there today awaiting a new pump from napa. I tried to pull the car out of the garage this weekend, but the steering couldn't even function enough for that task. …
The first time it happened I wanted to turn left into a shopping center. I slowed down to turn left and the steering was to difficult to turn, I had to run over a curb and over a patch of grass to avoid hitting a car. I stopped the car, put it in park and attempted to turn the steering wheel to the left and right to no avail. I shut the engine off and started it back up again, put the car in drive and the steering wheel turned, but not with ease. This also occurred on my way home into my driveway. This problem has occured about fifteen times. This is a "safety hazard" and could be life threatening.
A/C & heater
Heater core blocked-no defrost capability-vision obstructed-dangerous situation-the Impala club has hundreds of reports of this defect which appears due to the dex-cool anti freeze installed by GMC at the factory.according to input from the membership replacement of the core, flushing the system, replacement of the radiator and refilling with traditional anti freeze corrects the problem. Failure in the systems with the dex-cool occurs in as little as 11,000 miles but many failures seem to occur at 40,000 to 50,000 miles. The dex-cool is stated to last for 100,000 miles. GM is presently refusing to correct the defect.
Clogged heater core due to dex-cool coolant in car. Took two trips to dealer to get fixed, and then only after giving them the TSB. Dex-cool coolant is known for causing heater core blockage, but GM refuses to admit it, or offer an alternative. As the warranty on many of these vehicles is wearing out, cost of this constant flushing of the core is put on the owner. GM advertises the dexcool coolant does not need to be replaced, or serviced for 100,000 miles. This promise is obviously not being lived up to, and the owners of the cars are the ones paying the price.
1996 Chevrolet Impala engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.3L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 16 / 24 / 19 |
| 5.7L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 24 / 18 |
EPA ratings. Class: Large car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 1996 Chevrolet Impala a good car?
Based on 88 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 1996 Impala rates better than average: 80% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Impala at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 1996 Chevrolet Impala?
The wheels & tires — 12 complaints, 14% of all complaints for this model year, most often about rim. Next are the steering (12) and a/c & heater (12).
How many recalls does the 1996 Chevrolet Impala have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 1996 Chevrolet Impala. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Chevrolet Impala?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2020, 2019 and 2018. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2008, 2009 and 2004. See the full Chevrolet Impala years comparison.
At what mileage do 1996 Chevrolet Impala problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 40,000 miles; 56% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.