Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Chevrolet Impala owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
At a complete stop, press the gas to go and the car will not go. Kind of like its struggling to catch gear and then all of a sudden it with catch jerk hard. That's an issue for a few reasons. If you have to pull out for somewhere that traffic doesn't stop or yield, and the car is barley rolling trying to catch gear, there's the risk of getting hit. When the gear catches, and the jerk happened it's not a small jerk, i feel it's a safety hassard to small children. When my son was 4 months old it started and it jerked him pretty hard. My mother in law is the original owner and had it checked several times with no resolution.
The gas petal sensor is reading a code P2138 (Accelerator Petal Position Sensors 1-2 not plausible). My father has changed the petal not once but twice and erased the code but it keeps coming back. Also getting a p0172 code as well. A Cheverolet dealership has been called and the representative rushed me off phone saying there was not recall for the car. Car was taken to an Autozone and the codes were still coming up. Engine warning light goes off and on every 3 to 4 days after being cleared, then will get a reduced engine power message will appear. Messages warning lights and symptoms started 3 months ago.
My car stopped on 630. It said disabled full throttle. I had to sit for 15 minutes before it would start. I then hear a clicking noise that started at 830 am and stopped at 832 am. I've had nothing but problems with this car. Do not buy any Impala, unless you have a lifetime of fixable recalls. It's hot in arkansas and to stall for 15 minutes with children in the car is unacceptable. When you call Chevy customer service, they can not help you with anything. They just take your VIN number and state oh I don't see a recall for your vehicle, although you read 5598 problems/same issue you are having with your car. Erratic transmission is the whole problem. So to Chevrolet and company please think about families and children when attempting to sale a new car with used products. It's not cool and the sad part is you will not fix it. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. While attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated and jerked forward. The contact took the vehicle to gregg young Chevrolet (17750 burt st, omaha, ne 68118, [phone]) twice, but they were unable to diagnose the failure. On one occasion, the contact's vehicle lurched forward and crashed into another vehicle that turned in front of the contact. The crash was a t-bone collision. A police report was filed. The contact and other driver were injured and transported to the hospital for medical attention. The vehicle was towed to huber Cadillac (11102 w Dodge rd, omaha, ne 68154, [phone]), but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the fuel pump, spark plugs, coil, and fuel injector (twice); however, the failure recurred. The failure mileage was 85,000.
On this day I was driving normal speed, climate and roadway was dry and free of debris. The traction control light came on and the car began to shift hard when accelerating after a stop. Today, January 5, 2015 while operating under normal speed and dry climate the check engine light came on along with traction control, which has remained on since the initial incident. The car began jerking and the engine shut off while traveling at a rate of 40mph. I was almost hit by the vehicle behind me, however thankfully managed to pull to the shoulder of the roadway. My children were in the car with me. I shut the car off in hopes that the lights would reset, but they did not. I have contacted GM and in my opinion they couldn't care less about this issue. I have researched several online forums and see that this appears to be an issue with many Impala owners. …
While driving my car the speed reduced itself from 40mph to 5 MPH and the check engine light came on along with reduced engine power across my dashboard. The car started shaking and jerking. It then shut off while I was driving it. I had it towed the next day to the repair shop and they said a sensor was bad in the gas pedal and replaced the whole pedal. 4 days later it did the same thing. Again it started shaking and jerking then shut itself off. I took it back to the repair shop but by the time they could read the codes the car had been shut off long enough that they couldn't find anything. They cleaned the throttle body and gave it back. The next day it did the same thing. I again took it back and did not shut it off til they read the codes. It read the throttle body was bad. They replaced it and gave the car back. 30 miles later, it started all over again. …
I was driving down the street and out of nowhere the engine light came on and said engine reduced power. The car seemed to slow down and not have power. If I came to a stop and began to drive again, the car barely accelerated and the transmission jerked every single time it shifted. I had every car going around me down the busy street, because the car would barely go. I was worried I wouldn't even make it home and that the transmission was going to have serious problems along with the engine as it jerked roughly with every gear change. This is something that needs to be recalled immediately! It couldn't have happened at a worse time, as I just purchased this car a few weeks ago, have my first child on the way, and just got a house.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle erroneously shifted into neutral, causing the vehicle to stall. As a result, another vehicle crashed into the rear of the contact's vehicle during the failure. The contact was knocked unconscious. The driver and the contact suffered a concussion. The contact also suffered an ankle injury. The driver of the other vehicle suffered a leg injury. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the failure had also occurred prior to the crash. The contact did not take the vehicle to a dealer or mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The failure mileage was 117,000.
Traction control needs service message displayed, then throttle disabled message displayed shutting the engine off going down the road. So therefor no power steering, brakes etc . Once pulled onto shoulder car would not crank. Had to wait five minutes until the gauges flickered and then car was able to be restarted. This is highly dangerous if not where to pull off or being followed closely. Not to mention not power steering assist or brake assist. This could very easily cause a crash and there for should be a recall issued before people are injured or killed by this!
Was on my way home from work and the transmission started slipping out of gears. Came to a stop at a traffic light and when the light turned green I could not go toward. Engine just revved. Had the car towed and was told I needed to replace transmission control solenoid because that was the issue. Had part replaced only to find the tranny itself went. Did some research and it looks like this is a very common problem and I am not the only one experiencing this issue. Why isn't this issue or defect under recall when its such a common problem and very costly as well?
Transmission complaints in other Impala years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2008 Chevrolet Impala?
NHTSA has 91 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2008 Chevrolet Impala, 11% of the model year's 810 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Chevrolet Impala transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2008 Chevrolet Impala, though it has 2 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 2008 Chevrolet Impala transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 81,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.