Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (struts, shocks, control arms, ball joints, springs).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Chevrolet Impala owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Impala. While driving 20 MPH, an abnormal noise emitted from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the front passenger and driver lower control arms and pinions needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 62,000.
2009 Chevrolet Impala. Consumer writes in regards to unrepaired recalls which resulted in a fatal accident. The consumer stated the vehicle was traveling at high speeds. The dips in the road, the high speed, the loading/unloading and of the suspension contributed to the loss of control of the vehicle.
Vehicle had bad shimmy and extreme tire wear on inner edges and outer edges. Took to the dealer who advised needed a tire rotation and an alignment kit - both of which would be a customer pay item. I complained to the service manager that this was a factory defect in the vehicle causing the tire wear and alignment issue. He confirmed my statement but said even his wife's car has the same issue and he can't get it covered by GM and had to pay out of pocket to correct the situation. I have rotated the tires per the manufacturers recommendations, I paid to have the vehicle aligned, and I am still wearing through tires at an alarming rate - close to every 16K-19K miles. The tires are bald on the inner and outer edges, but have tread in the middle. …
I have a 2009 Impala with barely 15000 miles. Took in for oil change and tire rotation at a Firestone business. Mechanic states that front tires would not pass inspection, and recommended 2 front tires and lifetime front end alignment for a cost of almost 750.00. Did not take him up on his "generous" offer. This was just before the car hit 15K miles. Car has been serviced every 5K, and up until just over 10K, tire condition was stated as "good-9/32 tread is still on tires. So, between 10K & 15 k, they are now no longer any good? Have seen quite a few complaints online about 2009 Impala tires wearing out prematurely, as did the 2008's(which my wife has) front end has never shaken, shimmied or anything else-still drives down the road at 50 with no problem at all. Am wondering if GM is going to give me a hassle about this-not a good advertisement for this model at all!
There appears to be many issues related to brakes and suspension for the Chevy Impala. After only 10K miles, the brakes began to pulsate. The dealership resurfaced them. They were fine for a bit longer but then the issue reoccured. I am not sure if its a overheating issue or what but it has had other brake and suspension issues as well. There is under 30K miles on the car and it has already had: left front tensioner replaced, rear left sway bar removed/reinstalled, rotors refinish, and a whole new set of tires now. We have had many other GM vehicles over the years from both Chevy and Buick. No other vehicle has given us as many issues in such a short period of ownership that this car has. It all appears to be related to the brakes and suspension. Based on online searches, we are not alone as many Impala owners have had similar brake related issues/complaints.
I have had to replace the tires on this car for the third time,this car has 30,000 miles and should not have had to have tires 3 times.there seems to be quite a lot of 2009 impalas with this problem.the front times wear on the out side and inside.the back tires are like new.the first set of tires had 10,000 miles on them, the second set had 12,000 miles on them.the dealer replaced the front tires the first time after a lot of argument .I have found 37 complaints about this problem. GM has repaired the problem on the 2009 Impala police cars,so that is an admission of a problem.they have not extended this fix to the other buyers of the 2009 impalas.my car also had several recalls for other problems. I am now waiting for the ignition repair to be fixed. I have been a GM buyer for over 40 years and this is so frustrating.
A 2009 Chevy Impala police package cruiser car came into our shop this morning . The complaint was of chirping tires sound around turns.upon inspection we found that the right lower control arm has broken away from the bushing area. Causing the alignment to be off and the control arm to be unstable. This condition could have lead to a accident if gone undetected or resulted in loss of control during a high speed pursuit. This is the second vehicle to have this condition. We have grounded our fleet of cruisers so they can be brought in and inspected one at a time.we have found one additional car that the arm is cracked but not yet broken through. All of the defects have been on the right side upto now.
Since about a year after I owned this car I have been having tire wear problems and noises coming from the front end. I took it while still under warranty to the dealership only to be told it was the brakes sticking and this was normal for these brakes on this model. So I let it go only to get worse so I took it to my mechanic and he says both control arms are loose a the bushings are bad and have to be repalced. I see that there was a recall on this model of police cars I think you May need to look at expanding this. I also only have 38300 miles on this car and have never had to replace suspension parts on a car this early.
Tl contact owns a 2009 Chevrolet Impala. The dealer performed a front end alignment and the vehicle continued to pull to the right while driving 25 MPH. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer to have the wheels realigned. The manufacturer advised the contact to take the vehicle back to the dealer to have the wheels aligned again, adjust the tow and center the steering wheel. The dealer later informed the contact that the vehicle needed another wheel alignment. The failure mileage was 21,981. Updated 08/27/10. The consumer stated the vehicle has uneven tread wear. Updated 08/3010 updated 08/31/10
I take a left hand turn I hear cracking; backing up I hear cracking; like the front axle is falling apart. There is a control arm recall but not on my car just police cars. The issue with my car sounds like the police issue car. I am kinda of scared pulling out into traffic scary, twice I have had the traction control come on and say it needs service; but when you shut the car off light doesn't come back on. It drives funny as well do not feel safe anymore.
Related recalls
Suspension › Front › Control arm › Lower arm
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Chevrolet Impala police vehicles because the front lower control arms may fracture. This safety recall does not include non-police Chevrolet Impala vehicles.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower control arms, free of charge. The safety recall began on August 21, 2012. Owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546.
Suspension complaints in other Impala years
Frequently asked questions
How common are suspension problems on the 2009 Chevrolet Impala?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the suspension of the 2009 Chevrolet Impala, 3% of the model year's 824 complaints. The component named most often is front (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Chevrolet Impala suspension problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 12V-377 (lower arm, Aug 3, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2009 Chevrolet Impala suspension problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 39,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries and 1 death to suspension 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.