Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Chevrolet Impala owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On March 19, 2008 I was driving to work at 5 am and turning on my highbeams. A car was coming over the hill so I turned off my highbeams and my headlights turned off. In a panic I hit the brakes and ended up putting my car in the ditch. I was able to drive it out of the ditch but I was pretty shook up. After jiggling my dimmer switch I was able to get my headlights again. I took my car to the mechanic and he told me that it was the dimmer switch that needed replaced and it would cost $450. I found an after market one online and put it in myself for $350. I noticed my lights flickering before this event but thought nothing of it. Usually it was 1 or 2 times a week for two weeks when the switch finally went out completely. I would like this to be a recall on all dimmer switches due to the fact that I could have been involved in a serious or fatal accident. …
This particular issue occurs at random times and conditions. As I'm traveling at night and I pull back the dimmer switch lever, the headlights will go out and leave me totally in the dark. The only way that I can get the headlights to come on again is to continue to manipulate the dimmer/turn signal lever until the lights come back on.
Headlights flicker on and off in pulsating fashion while coasting, braking or stopped. The flickering does not occur while accelerating. 2002 Impala ls, sport edition, 3.8l v-6. This car was taken to the dealership just after purchase, richard lucas, in avenel, nj. They were not able to recreate the problem. The car was then taken to a dealership in racine, wi - frank boucher. The first time, they were unable to recreate the problem and gave me a "bulletin" advising dimming of lights was normal. This isn't dimming, it's flickering. Plus - I was pulled over by a police officer who thought I was playing with my headlights. I took it back to the dealership, frank boucher, and they contacted GM tech services. They checked a few things including the air pump. Then - by using the tech ii tool, they were able to recreate the flcikering by switching the air pump on. …
I was driving home from work around 7:30 pm on Tuesday on January 24, 2006, dark outside. I had my lights on bright and all of a sudden there were no lights. I did have fog lights on and I could still see them, but there weren't any headlights. I quick flicked the dimmer switch and they came back on. I've never experienced that before. However, when I talked to my mechanic the next day he said someone the week before experienced the same thing twice in one drive. The piece to replace this is quite expensive. I have not had it fixed yet, but I felt it should be reported. This happened once. Another item of concern is that my security light inside my car has been on for about 2 months. Every once in a while my car won't start on the first turn. Only once did I have to have it jumped. There is plenty of power as the lights and radio still work. …
I got my car on 03/09/2011. I have been complaining to the dealership about the issues I am having with my car. It hesitates to crank, when turning I can feel a popping feeling in the steering. Very often my signal lights doesn't come on. I do a lot of highway driving back and forth to work and this is very dangerous. When hitting my breaks the car sometimes speeds up before slowing down, which can be very dangerous. There is a shortage in the wiring. The low coolant level light stays on, even though they claim they fixed some sensor switch. They also said they fixed my car from leaking brake fluid, but the brakes are sounding worst everyday. I asked them if the brakes needed changing and they said it was fine. The car hesitates when taking off. I just got home from work and not even 30 minutes went by before I tried to leave out and my car would not crank. …
The head lights on my 2002 Impala are getting water in them causing electrical and safety problems. Steam - moisture gather in the lights and we are not able to see the road. This ia a defect that is on every 2002-2003 Impala I have seen, GM refuses to replace or even recognize the problem, they and the dealer I purchased from said its not considered a defect unless it is a recall, I was told until a major accident happens that they will not consider it a safety issue. I told them when the lights get hot the water in the head lights turn to steam fogging up the lights preventing me from seeing the road when driving at night, they (the dealership) said well you should drive only during the day. This is also causing other electrical problems with turn signals not working sometimes and hazards not working not to mention having to replace a bulb everytime it gets wet. …
I own a 2002 Chevrolet Impala ls 4d. I would be driving at night with the headlights on and for no reason both headlights would turn off, driving down the road without ability to see. When I then I then hit the high/low dimmer switch several times with my hand the lights would return. This would occur once every month or so, and occurred at this approximate frequency of time for as often as I owned my car, since 2007. It is quite frightening to drive at night when your lights would suddenly go off without warning. Finally, last year the high beam would not click on with the switch apparently being broken. My father owned the same year Impala, and he reported the same exact problem, the lights would suddenly go out and he would have to hit the switch to have the lights return on. He had his fixed and it cost him in the neighborhood of 600 dollars. …
I have a 2002 Chevrolet Impala ls. Bought used in 2005 had 72,000 miles. It now has 89,800 miles. Since I have had the vehicle I have had to replace the BCM module, rebuilt transmission, replace the PCM module, replace all four rotors along with brake pads all around, and now my left turn signal has stopped working intermittently. The right turn signal works fine. When the left turn signal is working the hazards work fine as well, but when the left isn't neither does the hazard lights. Along with the problem it disengages the traction control, which therefore disengages the cruise control. I read on a forum that replacing the hazard switch will fix this problem however not my case. I have been told to replace the turn signal module, but the part is 299.99 plus labor or the dealership told me they could troubleshoot the problem, but at astronomical labor charges. …
On 01/09/06 while driving my 2002 Chevy Impala at dark with the high beam lights on, the headlights went out completely. I had to pull over to the side of the road very carefully. As I could not see at all. I then hit the dimmer, high beam switch a couple of times and the headlights came back on. I reported it to the Chevy dealership (marquardt) where I purchased the car brand new. They stated they had one other incident of the same nature. They had me bring the car in and they replaced a multi-function switch. They stated they were not sure if this would take care of the problem or not but that is what they had did in the other car that had the same problem. I was still under my extended warranty but they still made me pay $50.00 deductible on it. I felt that was very unfair, since this was a huge safety issue. They said I would have to issue a complaint with GM about it.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Chevrolet Impala. While driving various speeds at night, the headlights dim. The contact has to play with the dimmer switch in order for the headlights to illuminate again. The failure has been occurring for two years and provides poor visibility while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to a Chevrolet and a Chrysler dealer and they wanted to charge approximately $600 for the repair. The vehicle is no longer under warranty; therefore, the dealer stated that they would make the repair at the contact's expense. He believes that general motors should pay for the repair due to the safety risk involved. The failure mileage was 45,000 and current mileage was 65,000. Updated 07/08/09 the headlights went out when the dimmer was used. The dealer stated the multi-function switch was failing internally. Updated 07/08/09.
NHTSA investigations
Alleged headlight failure
A total of 646,038 subject vehicles were sold during my 2001-2003, and the complaint and warranty data tabulated above apply to the total vehicle population.complaint reports alleging headlight outage represent slightly more that one-half of the total number of complaints and the balance are allegations of flickering and dimming.investigation disclosed the root cause of the malfunction to be wear of a contact…
Headlight complaints in other Impala years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2002 Chevrolet Impala?
NHTSA has 125 complaints about the lights of the 2002 Chevrolet Impala, 16% of the model year's 795 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (38 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Chevrolet Impala headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 2002 Chevrolet Impala, though it has 4 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 2002 Chevrolet Impala headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 77,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries to lights 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.