Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (air conditioning, heater, defroster, HVAC controls).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Chevrolet Impala owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Impala. The contact activated the driver's side seat warmer and noticed that the leather seat was becoming extremely hot. The seat melted, but the contact was uninjured. The failure burned her clothing and left a large hole in the driver's seat. The dealer and manufacturer stated that they could not assist. The contact would be responsible for the repair costs. She was concerned with the overall safety of the vehicle and the strange noises she heard. There were no recalls for the failures. The failure and current mileages were more than 100,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Impala. While operating the vehicle, the air conditioner suddenly stopped working after shutting the vehicle off. The doors would not unlock and trapped the driver inside the vehicle. The contact indicated that a security sensor light illuminated on the instrument panel. In addition, when the vehicle was shut off, all the interior and exterior lights remained illuminated. The cause of the failures was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 73,000. Ma 10/26/2015
Tl contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Impala. While driving 60 MPH, the contact noticed that the seats were becoming hotter than normal. She deactivated the seat heater; however, the seat continued to heat. She smelled something burning and noticed smoke and a whole in the seat. As of December 14, 2007, the dealer had not inspected the vehicle. The VIN was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 160,900.
Dt*: the consumer stated while driving, the passenger seat warmer became very hot. The problem was not noticed until a coat in the seat caught on fire. The coat was discarded from the vehicle while moving in order to keep the fire from spreading. The passenger seat was damaged as a result of the fire.
Complainant was traveling on interstate highway when driver's leather seat suddenly became extremely hot, causing burns to lower back and buttocks. Seat became hot despite fact that switch controlling heated seat had been, and was still in the "off" position. Seat continued to burn regardless of setting of 3-position control switch. Seat continued to burn despite vehicle being turned off. Seat continued to burn until complainant located driver's side fuse box and removed fuse marked for driver's heated seat/BCM. Vehicle must continue to be operated with fuse removed as re-insertion causes seat to again burn regardless of switch position or vehicle on/off. Passenger heated seat was/is unaffected by the defect or removal of fuse. Incident date is approximate.
Right passenger heated seat overheated and charred leather seat cover before I noticed a burning smell. I've removed fuse to this seat, but my seat is ruined. My local Chevrolet dealer said he has had three other GM vehicles to do this and even caught one man's coat on fire laying in the seat. But , he said there was no recalls on his records from GM. Now I'm stuck with a five or six hundred dollar repair bill if I have it fixed. I can't take fuse out for driver,s seat, as it also controls another function on car. Now I'm afraid it will overheat and I'll be burned like some of the others I've read about on the internet. See www.carstats.com/safetystation.asp.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that there was a problem with the blower motor on the vehicle. They thought it was initially caused by the resistor, but the problem continued to occur; however,the contact noticed that there was a problem with the blower motor. The dealer inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the blower motor caused the failure to occur which prevented the engine from cooling down and the defrost to malfunction. The cruise control also failed to function normally. The VIN was not available at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was 76000 and the current mileage was 79000.
2000 Chevrolet Impala. Consumer writes in regards to water enters passenger compartment through the cabin air filer. The consumer stated a $5.00 piece of plastic would have prevented water from entering the passenger compartment. Also, the vehicle would not start. The body control module was replaced. The consumer stated the electrical problems started in 2008 with a bad blower resistor. Other electrical issues were the driver's side window, the outside rear-view mirror control and the hazard switch. The driver's heated seat stopped working.
Passenger heated seat created an electrical fire (no flames) about 30 minutes into trip. Seat toggle was set at "low". Leather was charred, foam seat padding melted in hottest area of the burn, personal property on the seat was destroyed. The temperature of the heat melted a cd case and pens which were in a bag on the seat. Driver received burns on fingers when they brushed against seat. GM has been contacted by owner for assistance. The GM representative state they are unaware of any other occurance. Dt
Dt*: the contact stated when the vehicle was started; the driver's ide electric heater became very hot, and then failed to continue heating the seat. The passenger seat was not affected by the driver's side failure, but failed to work a few days later.
AC & Heater complaints in other Impala years
Frequently asked questions
How common are ac & heater problems on the 2000 Chevrolet Impala?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the a/c & heater of the 2000 Chevrolet Impala, 3% of the model year's 818 complaints. The component named most often is appliance › air conditioner (11 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Chevrolet Impala ac & heater problems?
No. NHTSA lists no a/c & heater recall for the 2000 Chevrolet Impala, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2000 Chevrolet Impala ac & heater problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 83,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 5 fires and 5 injuries to a/c & heater problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.