Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
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).
The rear defogger on my vehicle stopped working. Investigation lead to a video on the internet showing a melted connector on the passenger side fuse box. Following the steps in the video I found the exact same burned up connector under the carpet of my vehicle. Photos included. The connector was clearly not designed to handle the current the fuse was allowing to flow through. This is a fire risk as well as an inconvenience as now my rear defogger is inoperative. I never smelled the burning part but lost clearing ability about three weeks ago when driving in cold weather.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that while driving in a rain storm, the windshield wipers failed to function during use without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a faulty bearing in the windshield wiper transmission and needed replacement. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but the contact stated he was informed that there were no recalls and no additional assistance was offered. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
I noticed my rear defrost has quite working. I figured it was a fuse so I wasn't to worried about it. We've had a lot of snow recently and figured I better check my fuses. The relay is working that is located under the hood. We traced to wiring through the fire wall and down to where it comes into the vehicle (down by your feet). There is a wiring there and once we disconnected it we noticed it is burnt very bad. Where the two pieces connect together is melted and is black. This could have been extremely bad if it would have caught fire.
Huge rear headrests (3 of them) block nearly 70% of rear visibility and make it impossible to see vehicles directly behind or approaching from behind. Even stopped at a traffic light, the middle headrest blocks the view of any vehicle behind. Changing lanes is incredibly difficult and dangerous, at best, because driver can't see what's directly behind. Tried seat adjustments, outside mirror adjustments, rear view mirror adjustments, and nothing works to improve the rear view. This is an incredibly dangerous situation, which has apparently been addressed in the Impala for 2012; why has Chevrolet not contacted drivers for a safety fix or recalled? I have contacted my dealer and am still waiting for a response. In the meantime, we are hoping no accidents occur as a result of this poor visibility issue. It seems to me that Chevy would be concerned about liability, if nothing else. …
I own a 2011 Chevrolet Impala which has a serious traffic hazard involving the three rear head rests affixed/sewn - which makes them non-adjustable. The problem is aggravated by the fact that the head rests are higher than most vehicles. The fixed position of these head rests block the driver's vision out of about one third of the rear window. The middle head rest is especially troublesome. I wrote general motors about this approximately 2 weeks ago and they have not responded. The sales and the service departments at the dealership are well aware of my concerns. NHTSA complaint 10358310 was also filed concerning this identical problem, I have 61 years of driving experience - all sizes/types of autos. In my considered opinion this is a design flaw. …
After the novelty of my new care wore off, I became aware of the problem of limited visibility when looking out the rear window. The middle headrest in the back seat obscures much of the window! I am extra careful when backing up because of this limited visibility. I am concerned when my kids drive this car because, as you know, younger drivers don't always listen to their parents. In addition, my daughter isn't nearly as tall as I am and the backseat middle headrest is even more of an issue with shorter people. This isn't a defect, per se, but just an extremely hazardous design flaw. Looking on your website, I am now aware that I am not the only one with this concern. I am glad GM redesigned the 2012 model to take this hazard away but what about for this 2011 model year?
My complaint with this vehicle is visibility caused by the rear headrests when using the rear view mirror. GM built the back seat with 3 large headrests "which cannot be removed" that blocks almost the entire rear window. When driving the car, the most I can see in the rear view mirror is the tops of the car(s) behind me, sometimes not that much. When backing up, you have to look around all three back headrests in order not to hit someone or something. These back seat headrests can be replaced by buying the 2012 Impala headrest components from GM which cost at least $400.00 just for the 3 parts needed. I feel like GM should be required to replace the back seat headrests due to the hazard posed by the headrests.
I cannot see when using the rear view mirror due to the reduced visibility caused by the head rests on the rear seats. The view when using the rear view mirror is obstructed significantly with only 4 inches of visibility between the ceiling of the the car and the top of the head rests. Also, the side mirrors are small increasing the poor visibility in this vehicle. The head rest problem would have been noticed if the car salesman had not sat in backseat in the middle. The car dealership suggested that the car be taken to a local seat cover company to have the headrests rebuilt. This is a new car and should not have problems such as this.
The rear visibility both using the mirror and turning your head is compromised by the middle headrest located on the back seat. It should have been designed to be removed but is made into the rear seat. I believe it is an accident waiting to happen. The other two headrests also make it hard to see. I really believe it was an all around bad idea by GMC. I also get a film on my windshield like I've been smoking but nobody in my family smokes. I suggested to the dealership that it May be the heater core but they assured me it couldn't be the heater core. They told me to keep washing the windshield and it would eventually go away.
Tl contact owns a 2011 Chevrolet Impala. The contact entered the vehicle and noticed that he could not see when using the rear view mirror due to reduced visibility cause by the head rests on the rear seats. The contact stated that the view when using the rear view mirror was obstructed by approximately seventy percent. The contact also stated that while driving at any speed, the head lights from vehicles in the rearview mirror would intermittently disappear due to the reduced visibility. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed and was not repaired. The failure mileage was 68 and the current mileage was 118.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Impala years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2011 Chevrolet Impala?
NHTSA has 24 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2011 Chevrolet Impala, 5% of the model year's 505 complaints. The component named most often is rear window wiper/washer (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Chevrolet Impala window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof 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 window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 0 miles, and 72% before 25,000 miles.
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.