Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (electronic stability control and traction control).
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).
I was driving and came to a stop at a stop sign. I was going to make a left turn, when my steering wheel locked up on me. The only warning light I got was traction control, and the ABS maintenance lights. It turned out that I had no power steering fluid in my car. I ended up having to get a new power steering pump. Then the mechanic that was working on my car called me to tell me that my rack pinion is bad. He warned me that it could go out at any time, and it's unsafe to drive. I would like this incident documented, just in case there are others that encounter the same with their cars. I do feel that the manufacturer should pay for this issue, because it not from usual wear and tear, this is a manufacturing issue.
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.
My car shuts off when driving. The security light comed on. Sometimes no power to start so I seitch keyd. There been a recall but was not properly fixed. My life is in danger driving and I replaced so many parts that was never the problem.
Our 2001 Impala randomly started having the ABS/traction light warning come on. When this happens it is spontaneous and without warning. My brakes lock up when I try to stop, when in a complete stop and I press the gas the brakes make the car hesitate to move forward, when turning the vehicle the car sputters the brakes lock up and I feel like I'm driving on ice. I honestly do not know when or if my car is actually going to stop or even move forward while I am on the road. This has been happening for about 3 years now and I have had it looked at by two different independent shops and have spoken to several mechanics just to get an idea of what they think is wrong. I have spent around $1000.00 in repairs and having it diagnosed. Nothing has prevented the ABS/traction error from occurring immediately after each fix. …
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 bought my 2001 Chevy Impala ls in 2004, until decemeber 2009 the car was running great. It started with my cars "traction active" light coming on on whenever I accelerated then after a couple of weeks of this light coming on more and more often (4-6 times daily) I experienced an incedent in where my brakes jammed up the brake pedal got hard and I almost hit a car infront of me. I went to get my brakes checked and they told me they where fine (I figured they where fine a I had just recently changed them) well the issue with the brakes started hapoening more and more often at least once or twice daily not evrytime but 1-2 times a day and then the ABS light coming on. I took the car to the auto shop and they told me Impala's are known to have problems with the ABS module. …
Service traction system/ABS several months ago I noticed the traction feature engaging without cause. It began to get worse and engages mostly when you turn (either direction), but happens very often. Took to dealer was told it needed new wheel bearings, had both replaced (which was very pricey) and it was okay for about 3 months and has since started again. This is very dangerous, when the traction is engaged it makes it very difficult to stop when braking, it causes a delay in stopping. I've asked other mechanics, nobody is sure what to do to fix the problem but all have heard several of the same complaints. I googled the problem in hopes of finding a solution, to no avail, but there are 1000's of similar complaints online for the 2001 Impala. There should definitely be a recall.....this is very dangerous!!
Tl contact owns a 2001 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that the traction control system would shut off without warning and the ABS would fail. The front passenger side hub was replaced two times, along with the wiring harness, sensor, and the front driver's side hub. None of the repairs remedied the failures. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that unless the vehicle provided error codes, they could not assist. The diagnostic produced error codes, which indicated that there was a short in the sensor and excessive speed in the front driver's side opener. The manufacturer would not assist since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The current mileage was approximately 63,000 and failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Security light comes on, traction light comes on, RPM's drop to 0, gas drops to 0, constant draining of battery and is dead after 10 or so hours. Many people on forums are all complaining of the same thing and even mechanics say that this is a very common problem with these cars yet there is no recall! I have spent as of now 1000 dollars on this problem and my dealer is telling me that might not fix the problem completely!!! I have put in a new alternator, new battery, new BCM, and now a new ignition switch! I currently have the old BCM and the new one is in my car.
I have 2001 Chevy Impala ls with about 80K miles on it. When the weather started getting bad, the traction system light kicked on for obvious reasons. I took it off b/c I don't like. Now when I get in the car, and turn it on, my ABS, traction control and "service traction system" warning lights come on. The "service traction light goes off, but I would like to get the other to do off. It seems I'm not the only person with the type of problem. 100's of people across the us have a similar problem with this particular model ranging from years 01-04.
Traction Control complaints in other Impala years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2001 Chevrolet Impala?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2001 Chevrolet Impala, 3% of the model year's 742 complaints. The component named most often is automatic (asc) (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2001 Chevrolet Impala traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control 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 traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 119,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to stability & traction control 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.