There are 16 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2006 Chevrolet Impalain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
According to my obd scanner the components that are failed is the throttle body position sensor circuit A & the throttle body position sensor circuit B. Before this happened the check engine light was on for about a week, when I scanned the vehicle with the obd-II the code for a large leak in the fuel EVAP system came up. One day while driving the vehicle I was stopped at a red light and once the light turned green I pressed the gas and the car started to sputter and move very slow also in the driver information center it intermittently showed the warnings service traction control and speed reduced. I had to pull over when safe to do so. Once I got the vehicle home I ran the scan again and it came up with the throttle body position sensor codes. The part is available for inspection. The safety of me and my passenger were in jeopardy we could've definitely been in an accident because it was so sudden when it happened. I have not taken the car to a dealer but an independent mechanic has looked at it. Vehicle has not been inspected by anyone other than me and an independent mechanic. This was a very scary experience and I have seen many forums with the same issues from GM cars. Your attention is needed and appreciated.
WHILE DRIVING THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON AS WELL AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THEN REDUCED POWER SO THAT I WAS DRIVING AT ABOUT 5 MILES IN TRAFFIC. CAR THEN STOPPED AND THERE WAS NO POWER AT ALL. I PUT ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS AND TURNED THE CAR OFF WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND IT STARTED AND ONLY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE ALMOST AT A RED LIGHT WHEN THIS HAPPENED IN MIDTOWN MANHATTAN SO THAT THERE WAS ONLY BLARING HORNS WHEN I COULDN'T MOVE THE CAR. MY MECHANIC SAID I NEED TO BRING THE CAR IN WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE ON SO THAT HE CAN READ THE ERROR MESSAGES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT DOESN'T GIVE HIM ENOUGH INFORMATION. I HAVEN'T DRIVEN SINCE AS I'M AFRAID BUT WILL DRIVE LOCALLY AND BRING THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC AS SOON AS THOSE LIGHTS COME ON AGAIN. IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE BUT NOT WHEN I COULD BRING IT TO THE MECHANIC. *TR
RECEIVED A ENGINE WARNING SYMBOL AND SOUND/CHIME AND THEN GOT THE MESSAGE, "POWER IS BEING REDUCED TO THE ENGINE". MY SPEED OF 40 MPH STEADILY LOWERED TO WHERE I PUT ON MY WARNING LIGHTS AS CARS WERE PILING UP BEHIND ME. I WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF ON A SIDE STREET WHERE THE CAR STOPPED. MY MECHANIC HAS READ THE CODES AND REPLACED INDICATED PARTS, BUT THE PROBLEM HAPPENS AGAIN OFTEN. BELOW IS A WEB SITE URL WHERE YOU CAN SEE NUMEROUS PEOPLE REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS DANGEROUS AS IT HAPPENS TO PEOPLE ON INTERSTATES WHERE THEY HAVE NO WHERE TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC. THERE ARE MORE THAN 22 PAGES OF 100S OF REPORTS OF THIS REDUCED POWER MESSAGE AT: HTTP://FORUMS.EDMUNDS.COM/DISCUSSION/13406/CHEVROLET/IMPALA/CHEVY-IMPALA-REDUCED-ENGINE-POWER-MESSAGE/P1
UPON ENTERING MY VEHICLE AND WAITING FOR THE ENGINE TO WARM UP AS IT WAS AROUND -05 DEGREES F THERE WERE NO ISSUES TO BE HAD. ABOUT 15 SECONDS AFTER LEAVING MY PARKING SPOT AT MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT AND 70 FEET LATER MY ENGINE STARTED FEELING WEIRD, HEARD A CHIME AND SAW MY DASHBOARD WITH THE WORDING "ENGINE POWER REDUCED." NOT KNOWING WHAT IT WAS AND KNOWING I HAD NO OTHER CHOICE CONTINUED DRIVING HOME. 4 DAYS PASS NO ISSUE THEN YESTERDAY WHEN IT WAS 27 DEGREES F OUTSIDE AGAIN HAD THE CAR WARM UP AND ABOUT SAME TIME FRAME AND SAME DISTANCE LATER THE SAME SERIES OF EVENTS OCCURRED BUT THIS TIME THE RPM WAS BOUNCING BETWEEN 700 AND 1100 WHEN I WAS MOVING IN IDLE. PULLED OVER AND OPENED THE HOOD TO INSPECT (CAR WAS SHAKING A LOT AT THIS POINT) AND THE ENGINE IS SHAKING AS MUCH AS IT COULD WHILE STILL IN ITS RESTRAINTS, UPON REVVING THE VEHICLE THE ENGINE LEVELED OUT BUT WITH THE FOOT OFF THE GAS AGAIN THE SHAKING STARTED AGAIN. UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE A VEHICLE THAT I NEED FOR MY COMMUTE TO AND FROM WORK IS PARKED. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING NOT KNOWING WHAT CAN HAPPEN. *TR
MY CAR WILL BE IN DRIVE AND GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND MY SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON AND THEN FLASHES BETWEEN THAT AN REDUCE ENGINE POWER. CAUSING MY CAR TO HAVE REDUCED POWER ! *TR
WELL LETS SEE I JUST BOUGHT THIS 2006 CHEVROLET. IMPALA LS 4DR SEDAN AND IT SURGES LIKE CRAZY IM GOING FROM 0 TO 35 AND MY CAR IS TRYING TO GO BUT IT ALMOST LIKE IF I WAS PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL OF AND ON AND IT MAKES M6 HEAD BOB BACK AND FORTH WHEN IT DOES IT I THINK ITS THE TRANSMISSION NOT RUNNING RIGHT BUT THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND COULD CAUSE A LAW SUIT TOWARDS GM PLUS THE STEERING WHEEL GETS REAL STIFF SOME TIMES ITS HARD TO TURN . I HAVE TWO BOYS AND I HOPE THAT THIS STUPID CAR DOESN'T GET US KILLED BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM THAT GM WONT FIX ARE LIVES MEAN NOTHIN . MAYBE I SHOULD GO TO CHANNEL 4 NEWS AND REPORT THIS PROBLEM AND HOW GM WONT FIX THIS. *TR
DRIVING 65 SPEED LIMIT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TRACTION CONTROL ALTERNATES WITH ENGINE POWER REDUCED. SLOWED VEHICLE TO 40 MPH. OTHER CARS DANGEROUSLY CLOSE AND BLOWING HORNS. PULLED OFF ROAD, OPENED HOOD SHUT OFF ENGINE. FOUND NOTHING WRONG. RESTARTED EVERYTHING NORMAL EXCEPT ENGINE LIGHT STILL ON BUT POWER IS AVAILABLE. THIS CYCLE REPEATS EVERY FEW DAYS. THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WITH THIS PROBLEM. ABOUT TIME GM SHEDS SOME LIGHT ON THE PROBLEM. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE ENGINE POWER REDUCE LIGHT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN INDEPENDENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION BUT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.
DRIVING ON FREEWAY WHEN A REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR SHUT OFF, LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO PULL ASIDE FROM BIG TRUCKS, OTHERWISE I WOULD BE STRUCK BY. NO CODES AND NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. AS FAR AS I KNOW THIS IS A MAJOR INCIDENT THAT SOMEONE CAN GET HURT OR LOSES LIFE. I WENT ONLINE THRU EDMUNDS AND SAW A LOTS OF COMPLAINS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, BUT WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER THEY SAID NOTHING ABOUT A RECALL !! BEEN A CHEVY CUSTOMER FOR A LONG TIME. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT. SOMETHING OR SOMEONE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM, PLEASE !!! *TR
WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE CAR WILL START TO SLOWING DOWN AND CHUGGING THEN SAY ENGINE POWER IS BEING REDUCED AND IT WILL BARLEY DRIVE FROM THERE. THE CAR CAN BE GOING AT ANY SPEED AND BE DOING THIS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS DRIVING AND ALL THE SUDDEN YOUR CAR CHUGS TO ALMOST NOTHING AND THEIR ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM IN GM FORUM OF COMPLAINTS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE COMPLETING A LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL AND CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000.
I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A INTERSECTION AND MY CAR STALLED AND A PERSON COMING FROM OPPOSITE DIRECTION RAN THE LIGHT AND I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE BECAUSE MY CALL STALLED AND THEN A FEW SECTION IT PULLED OFF.THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND I KNOW YOU GUYS SEE ALL THESE COMPLAINTS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU GUYS ARE IGNORING THIS ISSUE ARE JUST WAITING FOR A PRETTY BAD ACCIDENT TO OCCUR I HOPE NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE ENOUGH PROBLEMS THROUGH OUT THIS WORLD NO MONEY, CHILDREN AND ELDERLY GETTING MURDERED, AND THE FACT THE WE TRY TO DO BETTER TO GET BETTER ITS BEEN COMING HARDER BUT, I KNOW GOD HAS A PLAN TO HEAL THIS WORLD. SO, I WOULD LIKE TO BE REIMBURSE CAUSE I FAILED THE EMISSION TEST AND WOULD LIKE TO BE COMPENSATE FOR THAT AS WELL ALSO TO GET THAT REMOVED OFF MY EMISSION FILE THAT I FAILED OUT OF ALL THE CARS NEVER FAILED A TEST BEFORE AND I DON'T WANT THAT ON MY RECORD. THANK *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD ABNORMALLY ACCELERATE WHEN TRAVELING AT ANY SPEED, MAKING IT HARD FOR THE CONTACT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE GEAR SHIFTER WIRING HARNESS WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT YET BEEN CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 57,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHENEVER THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE AT VARIOUS SPEEDS INCLUDING 35 MPH HE NOTICED THAT THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT AND TIRE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD, MOMENTS LATER, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE BEGAN ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE ACCELERATOR PANEL ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 74799.
SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. *JB
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE VEHICLE LUNGES FORWARD APPROXIMATELY TEN FEET AFTER PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE FAILURE ALSO OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH IN REVERSE. THE DEALER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A SALES DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE. MOST RECENTLY, THE SERVICE ADVISOR AND MANAGER DROVE THE VEHICLE AND EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 7,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10. UPDATED 01-10-08. *KB UPDATED 01/09/08
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026