Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2001 Chevrolet Impala owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, a noise emitted from the front end and the engine stalled. The driver was able to merge to the side of the road; however, the brakes failed. As a result, the vehicle continued to roll, crashed into a pole, and caught fire. The front driver side air bag failed to deploy, causing the driver's head to strike the windshield. The driver suffered injuries to the head, neck, and shoulders, which required medical attention. It was unknown if a police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The failure mileage was not available.
My vehicle is having the ABS kick on in uneccessary conditions. Then the vehicles traction control will turn off and the ABS light comes on and both stay on until I turn the vehicle off. From research this seems to be a problem with this line of vehicle, both a costly fix and a common problem. Please help me address this issue.
Dash lights went out,replaced light switch,blows fuse if dash lights are turned on,horn will come on when car is off.earlier brake peddle wore wires behind it down, caused short,car would die while driving.low tire pressure light on,tires are fine.
Anti-lock brakes stopped working when I drove upon a curb. Vehicle would not stop. Constant brake pressure was applied. Brake were making a moaning sound but not engaging. There was no locked wheel skids. Speed was at approx. MPH.
2001 Chevrolet Impala..passlock security lockout problem...one week ago, I changed the oil in my wife's Impala, and disconnected the battery connections, to clean and lube them. Car would not start again, and one week later, it still has not started. I am currently unemployed, in a very depressed area of upstate new york, and we are trying to hang on to our home, though that looks in doubt. Did not need this to happen right now, and I am absolutely furious that GM will not do anything about this widespread problem, and that they have you pay for it, when it happens to you. This passlock problem is found on all makes of GM cars. I have researched the internet, and there are thousands of people out there with this problem, yet nothing is being done. …
The antilock braking system started malfunctioning at about 89000 miles. It appeared to be a faulty wheel hub. After replacing the passenger side front, it went away for about 3 days. Then it was the driver's side front that needed replaced. (both threw out codes for excessive wheel speed variation, as wheel as wheel speed sensor output 0.) two weeks to the day after replacing the passenger side front, it "went bad" again. We changed it again, just to be sure, and at this point, it appears to be in the wiring harness. After inspecting everything within about 2 feet of the wheels, it looks like it's farther up the line. The ABS unit will cycle a few times before the ABS light kicks on to say there's a problem. Until this happens (once the light is on, the ABS system stops kicking in) braking is almost unresponsive, and at best, intermittent. …
I have contacted GM about my Impala. My ABS lights on my dash keep going off and my service traction system keeps showing up in my message box. When I am pulling out from anywhere that involves me turning my wheel is when all of the lights go off. You hear a noise that sounds like my brakes grinding. Once the lights go off, my brakes are hard to slow down my car. There have been a few incidents when my kids were in the car and I thought we weren't stopping. I have researched this and even GM told me it was a known issue. People have spent thousands of dollars trying to fix theirs and still haven't found an answer. I don't understand why Chevy won't fix it or make it a recall. This will be the last GM product I buy since they don't stand behind their products. If you look on the safecar.gov web page there are plenty of people who have filed about the same complaint. It is dangerous. …
I have a 2001 Impala we bought new. It has 62,379 miles. I took it in for a brake job last month for the first time. The company I use has a good reputation in town. They told me after the first turning of the rotor which they did that there was not enough metal left to turn again. That seems ridiculous. Also, the car at times wont start and have to let it sit for 10-15 minutes before it will start. I have read a lot of reviews on various sites and it seems this is a very common complaint. I can't afford to throw out hundreds of dollars jut hoping that it will be fixed. I have heard anything from the ignition switch going bad to the passlock anti theft systems errors and or the BCM module going back. Also someone suggested that I might just need to get a new key cut as the old was has gotten worn and the anti theft devise is thinking that someone is trying to steal the vehicle.
My daughter was in the fast lane on i71 heading from columbus, ohio to cleveland, ohio. She set the cruise control at 75 MPH and went to brake because traffic was slowing down. When she hit the brake they did nothing! She immediately panicked and moved over 4 lanes of traffic to the berm nearly causing an accident. She quickly threw the car in neutral and it stopped. I called a Chevrolet dealer after she called me frightened to drive the car. They asked if the car mats possibly blocked the brake and my daughter said no, she reached down and pulled it out and the car would still not slow down. She even stated both feet were pushing down on the break pedal and nothing was slowing down the car. I just had a front hub replaced at auto plus (where I take my cars for service) in orient, ohio. My daughter and her friend could have been killed because of the cruise control.
- I have a 2001 Impala ls 3.8l with traction control - service traction control light came on. ABS brakes would engage when making a right hand turn (loose or tight turn) and when acceleration from a stop. There was no reason for the ABS to engage when making these turns, road conditions were perfect. - I took the car to the shop and they said the speed sensor has failed due to environmental conditions (please reference NHTSA campaign id number 05V379000 for a recall on GM pickup trucks and SUV's). My car is not covered under this campaign but the problem describe in the campaign is exactly what has failed in my situation. - the shop replaced the right front hub bearing and wiring harness using hub kit 6.307 and sensor kit 4.720 -problem was fixed - I would like to know why cars are not covered under the capaign like trucks and SUV's that have the same speed sensor.
Brake complaints in other Impala years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2001 Chevrolet Impala?
NHTSA has 70 complaints about the brakes of the 2001 Chevrolet Impala, 9% of the model year's 742 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › rotor (18 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Chevrolet Impala brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2001 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 2001 Chevrolet Impala brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 24% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries to brakes 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.