Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Chevrolet Impala owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Hey my name is [redacted] I recently took my Chevy impala for repairs they told me I need more repairs done I'm like cool my bottom of my car is rusted n my struts are bad n my oil pump n other stuff is not working as well I'm when I gave Chevy a call ball they took my they manager not to bring the car back I'm kinda upset bout this whole thing idk cause they had to fix my head gasket for free but I need help getting these thing fixes.
Under the hood fire and unintended key rotation. Maybe 5 days after I took my vehicle into tc Chevy (in ashland oregon) to have the 2 recalls repaired on it. I tried to start my car and it caught on fire down by the front bumper and the flames made it to the back side of the motor and ignited the fuel lines causing a Mini explosion under the hood, mean while I'm sitting in the driver's seat. I jumped out of the car nearly having the life scared out of me, I popped the hood and grabbed my house garden house and started to try and put the fire out and minimize the damage to my vehicle while I waited for the fire department to reach my house. The fire department showed up and was able to get the fire put out almost torching one of the firefighters head when the fuel pump kicked on without the keys in the ignition and started shooting gasoline reigniting the fire. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Impala. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle lost acceleration. The vehicle would not accelerate even when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The contact pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and noticed smoke emerging from the engine compartment. The contact had to use a fire extinguisher to extinguish the flames inside the engine. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The contact also mentioned that the original owner provided a letter regarding NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 291,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Impala. While the vehicle was parked after driving approximately two miles or longer, smoke appeared underneath the hood. The failure recurred on at least three other occasions. The contact also stated that the check engine waring indicator was consistently illuminated and oil had to be added every two weeks due to oil leaking from the vehicle. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 185,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, a strong burning odor emitted through the air vents of the vehicle. There were no flames present. The contact noticed that a small amount of engine oil leaked onto the ground underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling) however, the part needed to perform the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The incident happened this morning as I was leaving for work. My car was parked in our driveway and had not been driven in 2 days. I got in the vehicle and put the key in the ignition and as soon as I turned it to start there was a loud bang that sounded like a gunshot which I thought was a backfire. The entire plastic intake manifold gasket had exploded into pieces and white smoke began to rise from under the hood. When I opened the hood and the smoke cleared I began to assess the issue, I noticed the manifold gasket cover had been blown completely off and the manifold itself was in pieces. I've done some research and this seems to be a common but uncommon thing among early 2000's GM vehicles.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Impala. After driving the vehicle for a short period of time, it caught fire. The contact stated that the fire department extinguished the fire. A fire report was not filed and no injuries were sustained. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Impala. While driving various speeds, smoke appeared from the front of the vehicle. The contact lifted the hood and observed oil leaking from the engine. The contact wiped the engine clean, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine gasket failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 200,040.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Impala. After the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed oil leaking and a burning odor emitting from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2003 Chevrolet Impala. While driving and pulling into a fuel station, the contact parked and exited the vehicle. While the contact was in the store, the vehicle caught fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a junk yard lot. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 1998-1999 Chevrolet Lumina and Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1997-2004 Buick Regal and Pontiac Grand Prix, 2000-2004 Chevrolet Impala, and 1998-2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles.
Remedy: The remedy applied under recalls 08V-118, 09V-116, and 15V-201 did not adequately remove the safety risk. Under the improved remedy, dealers will replace the engine's front valve cover and gasket.
Engine and engine cooling
General motors is recalling 1,497,516 my 1997-2003 Buick regal, my 1998-2003 Chevrolet lumina, monte carlo and impala, my 1998-1999 Oldsmobile intrigue, my 1997-2003 Pontiac grand prix vehicles equipped with a 3.8l v6 naturally aspirated engine.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine's front valve cover and front-valve-cover gasket with new parts of an improved design and remove the engine's plastic cover and plastic oil-fill-tube extension, free of charge.
Engine complaints in other Impala years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala?
NHTSA has 168 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2003 Chevrolet Impala, 24% of the model year's 695 complaints. The component named most often is engine (18 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Chevrolet Impala engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 15V-701 (manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe, Oct 26, 2015); NHTSA recall 09V-116 (engine and engine cooling, Apr 8, 2009). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2003 Chevrolet Impala engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 27 fires and 1 injury to engine & cooling 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.