Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Chevrolet Impala owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Impala. While driving 20 MPH, the electronic stability control and stability control warning indicators illuminated. The contact stated that an electrical short caused the dashboard, center console by the shifter lever, and front bucket seats to melt. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact also noticed visible smoke in the vehicle while driving. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact was informed by the manufacturer that a representative would be sent to investigate and diagnose the vehicle. The approximate failure mileage was 61,000.
When driving after every attempt to make a left turn,my service traction control,service brake assist, & ABS light all pop on. Since then it has went on and off for many days until it just finally stayed on permanently. Also message: "stabilitrak service and traction control , brake assist " finally took it to a Chevy dealership in culver city,ca in May 2013 & was told they tested the front ABS connector and traction and found nothing wrong and no code errors. Reset the sensors anyways and adjusted the timing. As soon as I drove out the dealer,same error messages and lights returned. …
About 8 months ago my 2012 Chevy Impala started causing issues when the engine light appeared with the reduced engine light. Taking it to a dealership, they put the computer on it & were unable to determine what the codes were related too. I then searched google for any issues comparing to mine and found several complains about the same thing. Following the repairs that others have performed, I tried the same thing with no results. At the moment I am looking at replacing the throttle body sensor with the hopes that it will be fixed. The safety concerns is that my vehicle will be fine for a few minutes but then the reduced engine light appears and my car will continue at very little speeds and the shifting from gear to gear will go up to 5 amps. My car will then start bucking like a horse in the middle of traffic until it stabilizes and I'm able to run at good speeds. …
Intermittently, the dic will sound an alarm and display the following messages:service stabilitrak, service traction control. When this happens I sometimes notice a decrease in engine power and/or grinding noises from the front end when I make turns. This has occurred at highway speeds and/or residential speeds and does not coincide with any rough or unusual driving conditions. It is hard to understand what causes it unless it is some kind of electrical short circuiting. I can turn the stabilitrak off and the messages and diminished mechanical performance will stop, but May re-appear weeks later. According to the reports I have read on-line, this is a common problem among Impala owners with cars of similar years and mileage. My car has only 40,000 miles. …
I own a Chevy Impala that had an ignition switch recall and an airbag recall. The 2012 Chevrolet Impala that I own caused me to have a severe accident that caused me to suffer major injuries because the airbags didn't deploy. NHTSA campaign id: 14V355000 recall date: 2014-06-23 summary this defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General motors llc (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick lacrosse, 2006-2011 Buick lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac deville, 2006-2011 Cadillac dts, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet monte carlo vehicles. …
I purchased the vehicle brand new in April of 2012. I reported the issue in January 2015. When I start my vehicle, especially from a cold start, I proceed to reverse out of a parking spot and as I turn the steering wheel to the left. The traction control light illuminates. As I stop the vehicle, I put it in drive and while turning the steering wheel toward the left as I proceed to move. The traction control light comes on a second time but the ABS locks the left wheel (no ABS light). I hear a metal grinding for less than 3 seconds and then it releases. It happens in all weather conditions but this issue is extremely dangerous, especially if it happens on the highway. I brought the vehicle to the dealership multiple times and they are completely clueless on how to fix the issue. …
My vehicle suffers from loss of power when making a square turn aka a very sharp turn. It only happens with left turns. The problem is wear of a cable near the front left tire which controls the antilock brakes and/or the traction control / stabilitrak feature. The wearing is such that when turning sharply to the left, the worn cable suffers intermittent connectivity loss. That loss of connectivity triggers traction control to briefly sever power to the front tires. I have found that manually turning off traction control prevents this problem from happening. I could reproduce the problem reliably. It nearly always happens when moving from a parked position into the roadway, and when leaving a parking lot after reversing out of a parking space. …
I purchased this car used in 2014 with ~30,000 miles, and it presently has ~85,000 miles. In that time I have replaced 4 gas pedals because the alert triggered "service stabilitrak" tells the technician to replace the gas pedal - clearly not the problem. Essentially, when the defect occurs, engine power is reduced to where the car can barely get out of its own way which is really dangerous during highway rush hour (when folks drive more aggressively) or pulling onto a roadway from a dead stop. If I power the car down and restart it, the error will usually clear, but often reoccurs. Since it tends to happen on hot, sunny days (temp >75f) when the A/C is running, it feels like a wiring problem. The dealer service department suggested replacing the body control module, but could not guarantee that would resolve the issue. …
My car is trying to kill me. At a complete stop when I hit the gas the traction control comes on. My dash says service stabilitrak , traction control and ABS. I must turn off the traction control to drive my vehicle. With all that, if I drive up hill it turns the traction control on, the ABS and traction control light up and the lights stay on. When the car is restarted all the lights go away. Twice I was pulling onto the highway from a stop. That situation happened and my car didnt move. Luckily the car was able to move or else I would have severly injured. This happens with my vehicle daily. I took my car in because my alternator failed. I told the dealership about a TSB for the issue and they did nothing. It also happens a lot if im accelerating while turning a corner. The dash lights up like christmas lights.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Chevrolet Impala. While attempting to accelerate the vehicle from a low speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle jerked when the brakes were independently applied. In addition, the ABS, service traction control, service stability control, and multiple warning lights illuminated. The failure recurred on numerous occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the wires connected to the sensors were faulty. The technician also stated that further diagnostic testing would be needed to determine what specific part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 26,000.
Traction Control complaints in other Impala years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2012 Chevrolet Impala?
NHTSA has 56 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2012 Chevrolet Impala, 22% of the model year's 258 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Chevrolet Impala traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for the 2012 Chevrolet Impala, though it has 3 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 2012 Chevrolet Impala traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries to stability & traction control 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.