This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint. Technician should get record a sound clip or take a video of the noise for assessment by engineering. Technician will need to call General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further assistance.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2006 Chevrolet Impala body problems
severe 15 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $1,500 · see body across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
15
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,500
1injury
What stands out
Among the 11 model years of Chevrolet Impala in our records for body problems, this one ranks #3 by owner-complaint volume.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering body on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an unusual noise and is difficult to identify, isolate or pinpoint. Technician should get record a sound clip or take a video of the noise for assessment by engineering. Technician will need to call General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further assistance.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗THIS PRELIMINARY INFORMATION COMMUNICATION ADVISES THE TECHNICIAN THE STEPS ON DIAGNOSING THE CONCERN. VEHICLE'S SUNROOF OPERATION INTERMITTENT, BIND, NOISE, AUTO-REVERSE, AND/OR WATER LEAKS.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vibration complaints that are one of the most challenging complaints to accurately diagnose and repair. Technician will need to use Pico Oscilloscope Diagnostic Kit to effectively diagnosis vehicles. Technician should drive the vehicle will using the Pico Oscilloscope to record data. After the data is recorded it should be reviewed to determine the root cause of the concern. If a repair attempt made the concern better but not eliminated or had no affect at all, and are requesting assistance from General Motors Technical Assistance Center record another Pico file and save it to the computer. After the new
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Underbody Component Corrosion The following information may be helpful when addressing underbody component corrosion with customers. Some customers may comment that one or more of their vehicle's underbody components are showing some form of corrosion. This corrosion may be red in appearance (rust) if the component is steel, forged iron or cast iron. This corrosion may also be grey or white in color if the component is constructed of an aluminum alloy.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
The dominant complaint is rear door latch failure on both sides of the vehicle. Owners report doors that won't open from inside or outside, even when unlocked. The handle feels loose with no mechanical catch, and lock buttons and key fobs have no effect. Failures start as early as 75,000 miles and recur on the same vehicle even after warranty repair. Owners with child passengers describe being trapped and forced to extract children by climbing over front seats—a critical safety issue if an accident occurs.
A separate design hazard: the latch plates on the lower rear door jambs are openly exposed with sharp edges. One complaint documents an 8-year-old receiving a leg laceration requiring emergency care and stitches within a day of purchase.
A second recurring issue is the HVAC blend door getting stuck, leaving the driver side with heat and the passenger side with air conditioning simultaneously—described as a safety hazard in hot climates. One owner had this repaired under warranty three times before the problem returned outside the warranty window.
Owners also report interior window fogging and icing during winter that dealerships cannot diagnose, plus highway vibration and wind noise from the window frames. These secondary issues appear less frequent than the door latch problem.
Same Chevrolet Impala body reports on nearby years: 2007 · 2008 · 2009
Failure modes owners describe
Rear door latch failure—won't open from inside or outside
Both rear driver and passenger doors fail to open whether locked or unlocked, from either inside or outside the vehicle. The door handle feels loose or disconnected; manual lock actuation and key fob don't resolve it. Failure occurs repeatedly across multiple vehicles and can trap occupants, particularly child passengers in car seats.
When: Reported from 75,000 to 164,490 miles; several cases do not specify mileage. Some failures occur shortly after purchase or ownership.
Symptoms owners cite: Rear door handle feels loose with no mechanical catch; Door won't open despite being unlocked; Lock/unlock buttons and key fob have no effect; Both rear doors can fail on the same vehicle; Occupants unable to exit; must climb over front seats; Problem recurs on same vehicle after repair
Repairs/costs cited: Narratives mention one case where an independent mechanic disassembled the door but did not repair it and found no diagnosis. Warranty repairs conducted at dealerships in some cases but problem returned.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Several complaints indicate Chevrolet was notified by owners; no recalls or Technical Service Bulletins mentioned in narratives.
Sharp rear door latch plate—skin laceration hazard
The latch plate on the lower door jambs of both rear doors has openly exposed, very sharp edges. A child's leg was lacerated when brushing against the plate while entering the vehicle.
When: Within one day of vehicle purchase (April 29, 2006)
Symptoms owners cite: Sharp exposed latch plate on lower rear door jamb; Leg laceration to child entering vehicle; Skin contact with edges causes injury
Repairs/costs cited: Child required emergency room treatment and three stitches.
HVAC blend door malfunction—heat/AC stuck in mixed mode
The blend door that controls distribution between heating and cooling gets stuck in one position or oscillates between extremes, resulting in simultaneous heat on the driver side and air conditioning on the passenger side. Problem has occurred multiple times on the same vehicle and is reported as a known defect among Chevy owners across multiple model lines (Suburban, Silverado, Malibu).
When: Multiple occurrences; first three repairs under warranty, fourth failure after warranty expired. No specific mileage stated.
Symptoms owners cite: Driver side receives heat while passenger side gets air conditioning; Inability to adjust comfort on both sides of cabin; In hot climates (Texas heat), described as a safety hazard
Repairs/costs cited: Repaired under warranty three times; problem recurred outside warranty period.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Owner notes the defect is known among other Chevy owners and mechanics but manufacturer has not issued a permanent fix.
Interior window fogging and icing
Windows fog and then ice up on the interior during winter, severely restricting visibility. Dealership visits did not identify or resolve the root cause.
When: During winter season; no specific mileage provided
Symptoms owners cite: Interior window fogging; Interior window icing; Visibility reduced to small area of driver side front window only
Repairs/costs cited: Taken to dealership twice; no repair completed; cause not identified.
Highway vibration and wind noise from windows
Vehicle exhibits noticeable vibration at highway speeds (60+ mph) and wind noise emanates from both driver and passenger side windows.
When: At highway speeds; no specific mileage provided
Symptoms owners cite: Vibration at 60+ mph; Wind noise from driver side window; Wind noise from passenger side window
Synthesized from 15 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 0 most recent
Had body trouble with your 2006 Chevrolet Impala?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the body problem on the 2006 Chevrolet Impala?
It's a meaningful issue. 15 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,500.
At what mileage does the body typically fail?
Across the 9 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most body failures cluster between 77,000 and 134,000 miles, with the median around 124,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 77,000; a quarter make it past 134,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,500 for body repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to body?
No active recalls currently cover body issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2006/Chevrolet/Impala.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.