Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Chevrolet Impala owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
When my car is exposed to water (rain, a car wash) the trunk completely floods and does not drain. It has flooded so much now that my amplifier does not work. I took my vehicle to Chevy to have the known recall on this vehicle repaired but Chevy claims that they will not do anything for me. I am afraid that the car can potentially catch fire and burn my home down as I park this car in my driveway. With this being a known recall for this vehicle, can I please have this fixed immediately!!!! I have already replaced my tools that have been damaged, please just have this fixed or id likely take further steps after this. I have been going back and forth with GMC and Chevy for over 7 days now! Just recently, my car was producing sparks from the trunk area, THIS IS NOT GOOD!!!
For approximately 2 months, my 2016 Impala LTZ, would display a message on the small screen in front of the driver in the dash, stating for the driver to, "press ignition button again to turn vehicle off." The worst part about it was this would happen very randomly whether I would be driving in city traffic, or be sitting in a parking lot at a local store. I took it to my local Chevrolet dealership. Five different times, because they were not able to get the occurrence to duplicate for them. They replaced the ignition, as well as other suspected parts with no resolution. Resolution. Ended up costing me over $1,200. That was the first time I took it in for this issue. The other four times didn't cost me anything because they hadn't fixed the issue. …
After starting car (and sometimes put in reverse), steering appears locked and message says to get power steering serviced. After putting back in park, power steering starts working. This happened multiple times last few weeks. Took car in to Joe Johnson Chevorlet (Troy OH) for scheduled next morning service. After 2 full days of excusses why they couldn't get to our car, we picked it up and took it to independent service shop. He test drove it and steering was fine. Got car back and next day it happened multiple times again. Took it back to independent to run code, which did not give exact problem. Drove car 1 block and power steering went out turning. Then again 1 block later. It is now parked and afraid to drive it. Chevy seems not to want to work on it and independent does not know what is wrong, said it could take him up to a week to trouble shoot entire system. …
Radio/sound system malfunctioning; Radio/sound will intermittently turn on and off, at times sound will not work for days/weeks at a time. Radio/sound system is tied in with vehicles internal warning systems. When sound is not working, there is no audible notification of several safety conditions including: Seat belt not fastened; door open; turn signal on/off; Low fuel; service engine; Stabilitrack. There was no notification (audio or visual) prior to condition beginning. Symptoms began to appear about 2 months ago during routine highway driving. Vehicle has sustained no accidents and has had no aftermarket upgrades.
All instruments failed. After a couple restarts they came back on. Lane departure alert doesn't work now. From a web search, I'm afraid it's just the beginning. No, I haven't taken it to the dealer; they charge for diagnosis. And it hasn't been inspected. The problem doesn't act up all the time. There are no warning lights, the system just fails. I have 50,600 miles on it. If you find what I've found in my web search, the cost of repair is staggering, especially for retirees. I hope you look into Chevrolet's problem they've been having with the Impala.
I parked my car at work and worked a full day Saturday the 13th of November. I go out to start my vehicle and 3 warnings appear all at once. Stabilitrak, ABS, and power steering. Reading online I'm not the only one but with only 109,xxx miles it's kind of BS that there's obviously an engineering flaw with these vehicles and I probably will give a few car payments worth to get this fixed. I've owned this vehicle since 17,xxx miles
On Friday, November 18, 2016 at approximately 5:20 a.m. I was parking my car in a center city parking garage. I was approximately 2 car lengths from the parking spot. I was backing my car into the spot. The car was stopped and I removed my safety belt and lowered the window. I put the car in reverse and depressed the accelerator to proceed into the lined parking spot. The car proceeded at a high rate of speed into a concrete wall. There were no obstructions and the accelerator was not fully depressed when this occurred. I immediately took my foot off of the accelerator and hit the brake but the brake did not respond since this all occurred in roughly in seconds and approximately 20 feet in length. Upon impact a smoke filled the cabin area. I hit my head against the headrest and slightly into the steering wheel. Another parking patron saw this all play out and came to my aid. …
For the past 3 mo. Upon starting the vehicle I hear a "pop" noise. It only happens every once in a while in the morning or the evening when I get off work. Sometimes it will go a week or more without making the sound. The sound will not repeat itself if I immediately turn the car off and restart it. The 1st time I took it to the dealership, they siad nothing was wrong & they didn't hear the "pop". The 2nd time they said it was the exhaust so they repalced some hoses, the 3rd time, in which the "pop" was more frequent and louder, they said it was the starter sticking. After replacing the starter, a week later, I still hear the "pop" upon starting it. The vehicle is not in motion when this happens. Obviously, they don't know what the problem is if they diagnosed it as the exhaust first & then the starter and it's still making the same noise after servicing both said problems. …
On April 2nd, 2018, I was driving to work around 4:50 a.m. Driving on the 303sb only about 7 minutes into my drive I noticed that my vehicle began to lag and stall out, I began to notice grey smoke coming from the hood and that's when I realized that my car was on fire. While trying to avoid traffic and after almost being hit by oncoming traffic I was finally able to get my vehicle into a safe are on the side of the road and call emergency roadside assistance on provided by my auto insurance usaa. My concern is that the vehicle never provided any type of notification letting me know that the vehicle was severely damaged. If my oil is low my vehicle tells me something, when the tires are low on air, my vehicle tells me. How come when my vehicle caught fire and while it began stalling out I still received no notice? …
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Impala. The contact stated that during inclement weather, water entered the vehicle from the rear taillights. The contact stated that the trunk and the inside cabin of the vehicle experienced water intrusion in the vehicle. The contact stated that there was mold and an abnormal odor inside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics to be diagnosed. It was confirmed that the failure was with the driver's and passenger's side taillights. The contact stated that the computer in the trunk of the vehicle was completely under water. Additionally, the spare tire and jack were rusted. The vehicle was taken to mike anderson Chevrolet (5333 w irving park rd, chicago, il 60641, [phone]) and an appointment was scheduled to have the vehicle inspected. The vehicle was not repaired. …
Electrical complaints in other Impala years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2016 Chevrolet Impala?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the electrical system of the 2016 Chevrolet Impala, 27% of the model year's 111 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2016 Chevrolet Impala electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2016 Chevrolet Impala. 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 2016 Chevrolet Impala electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 48,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 2 fires and 1 injury to electrical system 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.