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severe Owners of the 2011 Chevrolet Impala have filed 13 NHTSA complaints about the suspension, typically surfacing around 78,441 miles at roughly $900 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See suspension across all vehicles →
| Model year | suspension complaints |
|---|---|
| 2007 Impala | 76 |
| 2008 Impala | 105 |
| 2009 Impala | 21 |
| 2010 Impala | 13 |
| 2011 Impala (this page) | 13 |
| 2012 Impala | 14 |
| 2013 Impala | 13 |
| 2014 Impala | 10 |
| 2015 Impala | 3 |
No new NHTSA suspension complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 6 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering suspension 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 service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel on diagnosis and replacement of shock absorber and strut due to fluid leak.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel on diagnosis and replacement of shock absorber and strut due to fluid leak.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides technicians with information to help identify the differences between what is considered a fluid leak, and what is considered fluid seepage.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have had multiple repair attempts that are being performed on customer?s vehicles that exhibit vibration conditions without utilizing the support of General Motors Technical Assistance Center. If valid vibration frequency or Road Force Variation data has been collected and a repair attempt does not correct the customer complaint, contact General Motors Technical Assistance Center for further support. For any vehicles that remains unrepaired after being at the dealer for three days or more and a related bulletin or PI is not found, contact General Motors Technical Assistance Center for furthe
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗This service bulletin provides a vibration analysis worksheet the technician can use in conjunction with the appropriate Vibration Analysis-Road testing procedure when diagnosing vibration concerns.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
Front control arm problems dominate these complaints. One owner with 78,000 miles had the recall repair completed (12V377), but the replacement control arms were also defective. They caused the arms to misalign in the aluminum subframe mounts, which wore through and broke completely—a failure the owner says puts the entire wheel control assembly at risk. GM refused warranty coverage.
Steering and turning issues appear across multiple reports. Owners hear grinding during left turns paired with hesitation that makes crossing traffic dangerous. One owner spent $700 on a rack and pinion replacement, only to have the new unit leak power steering fluid within two weeks. Another reports a tire-rubbing noise during turns that recurs even after dealer service.
Rear suspension failures also show up consistently. One rear sway bar link (AC Delco part #45G0403) broke three times in a single year, with the same part repeatedly installed and failing again. Another owner's adjustable lateral link simply separated while driving.
A few reports describe catastrophic events: one owner's driver wheel locked up during a lane change, causing a spin-out and tree collision; another heard a loud snap from the right rear, felt violent shaking, lost steering control, and the engine shut off while in traffic.
Clicks, grinds, and rattles vary widely—tire noise, dash rattle, general suspension noise. Some owners cite recall notices but struggle to get dealers to actually perform the work.
Same Chevrolet Impala suspension reports on nearby years: 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2012 · 2013
Defective replacement control arms cause misalignment in aluminum subframe mounts, leading to rubbing and wear. The vertical bushing design (noted as high-failure on W-body and Delta platform cars) wears through soft aluminum mounts, eventually causing the mount to break completely, creating total loss of wheel control.
When: 78,000 miles; within 4 years of ownership; can occur unnoticed until catastrophic failure
Symptoms owners cite: Clunking noise from front suspension; Loss of wheel control; Entire control arm mount fractures away from frame
Repairs/costs cited: Replacement of control arm mounts and control arms; owner reports new arms are also defective
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall 12V377 issued for front control arms (replacement arms also proved defective per owner); GM declined warranty coverage despite safety issue
Owners report grinding sound during left turns after stop, with car hesitating to move forward. Multiple repair attempts fail to resolve; issue recurs within days or hours. Accompanied by intermittent StabiliTrac and ABS lights. Rack and pinion replacement does not fix the underlying grinding; new rack leaks power steering fluid within 2 weeks.
When: Occurs throughout ownership; one owner reported issue between 68k and 90k miles over 2-year period
Symptoms owners cite: Grinding/grind noise on left turns; Hesitation during left turns with oncoming traffic hazard; StabiliTrac and/or ABS warning lights (intermittent); Power steering fluid loss after rack and pinion replacement; Power steering failure within 2 weeks of new rack installation
Repairs/costs cited: Rack and pinion replacement ($700) did not resolve the issue; new rack began leaking within 2 weeks
AC Delco rear sway bar links (part #45G0403) break repeatedly under normal use. Same part installed three times in one year, with each replacement also failing. Owner concerned about highway driving safety.
When: Breakage occurred multiple times within the same year
Symptoms owners cite: Sway bar link fracture; Left wheel bearing damage (occurred with second failure); Rear brake pad damage (occurred with second failure)
Repairs/costs cited: AC Delco part #45G0403 replaced three times; mechanic continued installing same defective part under warranty
Rear adjustable lateral link came apart without warning, initially mimicking a flat tire condition. Replacement with aftermarket part failed—same failure recurred.
When: 125,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden separation of rear lateral link; Symptoms similar to flat tire
Repairs/costs cited: Aftermarket replacement installed; failure recurred
Noise similar to tire rubbing on fender occurs intermittently when turning steering wheel left or right. Mentioned in context of recalls 14299 (ignition switch) and 12104 (lower control arm), though owner's dealer stated no suspension recall notification received.
When: Not specified
Symptoms owners cite: Tire rubbing noise during left or right steering input
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Owner contacted dealer regarding suspension issues; dealer stated no recall notification for suspension problems and only addressed ignition switch recall
Clicking sound from front tires during normal driving and when turning corners on side streets. Owner notes recall exists for front tire suspension.
When: Not specified
Symptoms owners cite: Clicking noise from front tires while driving; Clicking noise increases during turns
Persistent rattling noise from right rear section of vehicle.
When: Not specified
Symptoms owners cite: Constant rattle from right rear section
Driver's wheel locked while changing lanes, causing violent loss of control and vehicle spin-out resulting in collision with tree.
When: Not specified
Symptoms owners cite: Sudden wheel lock during lane change; Loss of vehicle control; Vehicle spin-out
Loud snap sound from right wheel area followed by violent vehicle shaking. Traction control sensors deactivated and car reduced speed dangerously in traffic, making steering difficult. Vehicle shut off shortly after.
When: Not specified
Symptoms owners cite: Loud snap from right side near wheel; Violent vehicle shaking; Traction control deactivation; Dangerous speed reduction in traffic; Difficult steering; Engine shutdown
Synthesized from 13 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
We where coming home and heard a loud snap on my right side by the wheel and as we reduce speed the car starts to shake violently and the traction sensors went off the car reduced speed dangerously on the frw with traffic behind us and hard to steer... And moments after the car shut off.
It's a meaningful issue. 13 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $900.
Across the 8 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most suspension failures cluster between 68,000 and 98,000 miles, with the median around 78,441. A quarter of owners report trouble before 68,000; a quarter make it past 98,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
Independent shops typically charge around $900 for suspension 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.
Yes — 1 active recall(s) cover suspension issues on this vehicle. Recall fixes are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status. Use the VIN decoder at the top of the page to check if your specific vehicle is affected.