Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
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).
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. …
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.
I just recently bought this vehicle 03/11/20 and it ran great till yesterday when the intake manifold exploded and caught fire to the engine from the fuel lines melted this happened when I was getting a jump. It says there are no recalls pending it is the 3.8l and it looked original all the parts did can you please help me out
There are 3 recalls I have found that possibly are effecting my 2003 Impala but because my specific VIN # doesn't fall under any of these GM is refusing to fix these problems. 1)the body control module needs to be reset. Apparently when it goes out the cruise control disengages.....and my cruise control light is on but won't engage. Plus my mechanic says the body control module also is what is could be causing my heater fan to not work nor my information display to work. But low and behold when the cruise control light goes off they both work 2) there is a recall stating drops of engine oil May leak on exhaust manifold with hard braking and I sometimes smell oil burning after I drive. …
While loading items in the trunk I noticed a strong gas smell. My mechanic did a "smoke test" and could find no problem. It has continued to be a problem. Others have commented on the smell and a friend had the same model car with the same problem and finally traded it in. I have looked on line for recalls. The only thing I found was that on some cars there is a problem with the adhesive between the lining of the gas tank and the tank. It said you would need the gas tank serial number to check if it was one of the ones with the problem. I checked at the local Chevrolet dealership and was told it would be about $300.00 just to pull the gas tank to check for the serial number.I am concerned that one day it might catch on fire. I just keep hoping it won't but I would like to find out more about this problem
Engine runs hot for some reason, now its another problem that came weeks later after the engine problem which is it won't crank nomore at all it have to be a fuel problem because I smell gas when I try to crank it in I recently just replace a the fuel pump about 5 months ago ..so if you guys can give me big help I will appreciated it not no help that I could of found out from a baby most likely Chevy need to contact me to fix my car because they sold/released the cars out knowing or not that the cars had a lil while of life I know cars from the 90's that's not having problems like these new cars ''help me please'' before I junk my [redacted].
2003 Chevrolet Impala 3.4l is difficult to start, replaced many parts to try and fix: fuel filter, fuel pump, spark plugs and wires, oxygen sensors, fuel EVAP valve, and throttle control. Vehicle currently has 52,[redacted] miles. Security light flashes, was able to pull error code p1626: theft deterrent fuel enable signal not received. Keys are original to car, I have tried to re-learn keys to vehicle with no success. Numerous repairs are listed under this error code, including the replacement of the BCM, and this doesn't always fix the problem. This issue needs to be researched further.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Impala. The contact noticed white smoke coming from the engine and smelled a fuel odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact received a notification of NHTSA campaign number: 15V701000 (engine, 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 approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
The car will not start randomly for 10mins sometimes. Or sometimes it won't start for hours. The security light flashes and locks up. GM needs too recall this, it leaves us stranded somewhere random when ever it locks up. Unable to start the car for a minimum of 10 minutes. When you are parked and try to start the car it will flash the security light. It does nothing but prevent the owner from using his vehicle, make GM permanently fix this on their dime. This has been happening since I've owned the car.
Found a gasoline leak at the quick connect fitting where the fuel line meets the fuel rail on top rear of engine. I believe its the fuel return line. The quick connect fitting is leaking fuel down onto engine and could drip onto hot exhaust manifold causing a fire. Car was stationary when I noticed the leak. I smelled gas first then traced the smell to the leaking quick connect fitting. This May be related to the recent GM recall of valve covers leaking oil causing the fires.
Fuel System complaints in other Impala years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2003 Chevrolet Impala?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2003 Chevrolet Impala, 4% of the model year's 695 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Chevrolet Impala fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2003 Chevrolet Impala, though it has 5 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 2003 Chevrolet Impala fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 3 fires and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion system 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.