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).
I have been having problems with the traction control system on my 2002 Chevy Impala for the last five years. On December 16th I was involved in a collision with another vehicle when I could not stop st a red light. Traction light kept coming on and off all day. ABS pump would run for no reason. As I approached the traffic light the reaction light came on again and my brakes failed. Causing me to ho through the red light and hit car passing through intersection.
You can be driving at any speed and all of the sudden your turn signals stop working. They will work well for hours then when you go to make a turn they either will not turn on or turn on for a couple seconds and then turn off. If you lightly tap the emergency flash button they will start working again but if you tap the emergency flash button to hard your emergency flash lights turn on. It really concerns me when I try to make a left hand turn on the highway in the fast lane and they stop working. I feel this is worse then the key problem GM has had because they work on and off at any given time without warning. I have spoke with a number of people with the same problem with the turn signals and they have advised me that it will run anywhere from three to four hundred to have repaired.
My car does not make a sound when I try to turn it on sometimes. I'll have to keep turning the key from the off position to the start position several times until it finally comes on. I have had my ignition switch checked and was told it is fine. This is a very random issue being it will have today and not happen again till like 6 months and will happen for 3 days in a row. Then won't happen till the next year and will only happen for a day. It is very irritating being it has made me late for work in the past and there is no way for me to determine when it might happen again. It doesn't matter if it sat over night or if I just drove it got out and then got back in, it's just completely random.
I was driving on main street in rio vista and my vehicle just simple shut off. The car rolled and hit a planter in front of the store as I tried steering it out of the street. When I tried to start it again, the ignition switch would not operate. I called the amica roadside assistance and was towed to abel Chevrolet. They informed me that this problem was typical to this year vehicle and that the ignition switch would need to be replaced. They replaced it at a cost of approximately $509.11 since my ignition has already been replaced, do I need to take it back in? Also will I be compensated for the cost of the replacement?
For awhile my car has been having starting problems, at random times it does not start and it takes ten minutes from the first time I turn the key to start. Recently it started shutting down (as far as dashboard functions and the motor kills) bounty for a brief moment as I am driving I noticed it does it whenever I used the turn signals and it also makes a buzzing type noise when I use the turn signals then it goes away. Now my car won't start at all, ive had my battery and alternator both tested and they both came back fine.
ABS is kicking back and traction control is coming on for no given reason making stopping the car increasingly hard at slow speeds. Inevitably causing the ABS and service traction control lights to come on the light is now staying on as soon as the car is turned on. Took the car to the shop to attempt to find the problem being told it is an electrical grounding problem also makes the headlights flicker when doing this
ABS system is faulty right side keeps coming up with codes "c1233 and c11226" this happened while I was driving the vehicle not applying breaks.we have replaced the hub assembly on both sides even though these codes are for the right side. Still didn't help.
My 2002 Chevy Impala 3.8l v-6 has a problem with the traction control engaging when braking in turns to the left. This causes the brakes to slip and grind. A humming sound can be heard when this occurs. The traction control and sometimes the "check ABS " light becomes illuminated at the same time. The car has been taken to a local Chevy dealer for repair. Both right and left front wheel hub assemblies were replaced. I requested a check of wiring harnesses to see if there was deterioration. None was apparently found by the shop. Im afraid to drive this car or allow others in my son to drive it incase the brakes cant engage properly. From reading online accounts of other drivers, I am not the only one with this problem with a Chevrolet of this model. After having the right front hub assembly replaced, I thought it was fixed. …
My 2002 Chevy Impala 3.8l v-6 has a problem with the traction control engaging when braking in turns to the left. This causes the brakes to slip and grind. A humming sound can be heard when this occurs. The traction control and sometimes the "check ABS " light becomes illuminated at the same time. The car has been taken to a local Chevy dealer for repair. Both right and left front wheel hub assemblies were replaced. I requested a check of wiring harnesses to see if there was deterioration. None was apparently found by the shop. I'm afraid to drive this car or allow others in my family to drive it incase the brakes can't engage properly. From reading online accounts of other drivers, I am not the only one with this problem with a Chevrolet of this model. After having the right front hub assembly replaced, I thought it was fixed. …
The service traction system and ABS light came on indicating the car had lost the ABS function. According to the dealer the hydraulic brake function was supposed to still work. However, if what I experienced recently using the hydraulic function is supposed to console me or offer braking security it hasn't leading me to have my brakes worked on at midas. What LED me to midas was the unnerving feeling of my right front brake shuddering and grabbing. They said the front brakes and pads were fine but they did do the rears. I called GM and was told there was no recall on this. I then went to the dealer and they stated they had no service bulletin on this. Since this is part of the braking system I am astonished that this problem has not been recalled. I am not the only customer with this problem according to my own internet investigating. …
Traction Control complaints in other Impala years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2002 Chevrolet Impala?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2002 Chevrolet Impala, 4% of the model year's 795 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2002 Chevrolet Impala traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control 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 traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 115,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 0 injuries 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.