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 2011 Chevrolet Impala owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Today, 6-12-2022, driving on US Highway 80 at 65 mph headed toward Phenix City, AL from Columbus, GA, the the engine shuddered, then the "Stabilitrack Service Light" came on, along with the check engine light, and a message for "reduced engine power." Then, the engine suddenly cut out as I was going uphill between the Riverchase Exit and the Summerville Exit. Luckily, I was driving and not my wife. I was able to glide the car back to the right shoulder of the road under ZERO power, and shut the ignition down. Cars were passing me at 65-75 mph, and I was very fortunate not to have caused an accident. After sitting there for about 5 minutes in 96 degree heat and my wife freaking out in the passenger seat, I restarted the car and eased it to the Summerville Exit, and slowly drove home, about another 6 miles. …
The car was stopped at a stop sign, turned right onto the highway and the front wheels locked. The car would not move in any gear, even in neutral. A tow truck had to place front wheels on skids and drag onto the bed. The transmission repair shop never saw anything like it, all the gears on the trans axel were stripped smooth and metal fragments all over the inside of the transmission. Very dangerous situation if there would have been oncoming traffic.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Impala. When the vehicle was shifted into reverse, there was an abnormal noise underneath the vehicle. The vehicle stalled and was unable to be restarted. The contact stated that the transmission exploded while the vehicle was on the roadway. The contact was able to safely push the vehicle out of the way of oncoming traffic. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 36,700.
My wife was driving home from work going 65 down a very busy highway. All of a sudden the reduced engine power light, check engine, stability control off, and traction control lights came on. The car begin to loose speed. Luckily she was able to get over to the right shoulder without anyone hitting her. When she got to the shoulder the car was running really rough. She turned it off waited a few minutes and restarted it. It then ran fine but the check engine light remained on. She made it home and was scared to drive it again. I took it to work last night and made it about halfway to work and it did the exact same thing except I was able to get it to maintain 45mph. When I came to a traffic light though the engine was running so rough the car was very hard to stop. I made it to work. When I came out to go home the first stop light I came to it started acting up again. …
While at a complete stop, when the vehicle is in drive, as I attempt to push the accelerator to drive through an intersection, the car will stall for a second, make noise that sounds like a whine, and then jump forward like it's having a difficult time finding first gear. The vehicle does this every so often, but not all the time. I've taken it into car x, my local Chevrolet dealership, and another local Goodyear tires dealer, but nobody has any idea what I'm talking about. The vehicle has been hooked up to a computer and technicians have looked at it, but just scratch their heads. There is even a forum online regarding this happening with other Chevy Impala owners [redacted] and owners seem to put lots of money into the issue but with no resolve. ** the issue seems to remedy itself when I turn off the traction control. …
My car just reached 79,000 miles and I was driving when my car cut off in the middle of traffic! This happened twice in the same drive. It immediately started back up but then the check engine light came on along with a stabilitrak error message. Then a message saying engine power is reduced. Now the car's engine is making a terrible noise and is having problems accelerating without making a loud sound like air trying to blow through a pinhole. The Chevy service department I took it to wants almost $700 just to take it apart to see what it wrong with it, which doesn't include the possible amount for repair. And they did not look at any of the technical service bulletins like requested! Now they are saying my car is not able to be driven at all. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that the gears locked when trying to shift into the drive position. The contact stated that the transmission had trouble shifting into second gear. The vehicle would make a high pitch sound, jerk violently and finally shift into the gear. The contact would have to drive real slow in order to get going and the vehicle lost power going up hills. The dealer h & h auto sales (1007 e stuart dr, galax, va 24333 [phone]) stated to bring the vehicle in but the contact would have to pay for the repairs. The dealer had already fixed the ABS system and the accelerator pedal. The vehicle also had leaky valve covers and had been to the dealer multiple times. The vehicle was sold to the contact with a recall that had to be repaired. …
I purchased the Impala on June 16, 2014, there was some popping noise from the dash board on the passenger's side. The sale's manager had me bring the car in for repair the next day. The car was repaired within 2-3 days. I found out it was the actuator sensor. In January 2015 the transmission had to be replaced. Luckily it was under the powertrain warranty. Now 8 months later to the date (March 12, 2015), the stabilizer track-engine reduce power light and message came. I came to a stop. Cut the car off for 15-20 minutes only for the light to reappear after moments of driving. I got to work. The car sat for 9 hours and still the light illuminated immediately upon starting the car. I found out it is the same problem and the extended warranty does not want to cover it. …
Pulling into the driveway at about 10 miles an hour the transmission died, causing the car to come to a dead stop: the transmission has to be replaced now, husband hit his head off steering wheel, if we were on a highway doing 60miles per hour we could have been killed. The car is now at tom hesser dealership who said they will pay half of the 4K to fix it, the car has 60400 some miles on it, just turned 5 yrs old. I do not think this car is safe if the transmission will just die at any moment without warning.. It does not have over 100K miles on it nor does it have 61K miles. This car make and model has been recalled for everything but the trany and engine so far, the car is not safe period..the dealership who is doing repairs is not the dealership it was purchased from, , but it is a Chevy dealership. …
The transmission will frequently fail to engage when starting from a full or partial stop. Turning left across traffic is extremely dangerous, as you never know when the transmission will fail to engage. This has been a ongoing problem with this vehicle since the car had 38000 miles on it. This is our third Impala that has had this problem. The first Impala that had this problem, the Chevrolet dealer could not diagnose. The transmission pressure solenoid was replaced by a local transmission shop. This fixed the problem for that car. We also have a 2008 Impala that has the same problem. Three impalas, the same transmission problem in all three. The part needs to be recalled. We have delayed having the part repaired because it is quite costly and we had hoped that Chevrolet would do the right thing and recall the part on their own.
Transmission complaints in other Impala years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Impala?
NHTSA has 64 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2011 Chevrolet Impala, 13% of the model year's 505 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Chevrolet Impala transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2011 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 2011 Chevrolet Impala transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 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.