There are 28 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2008 Chevrolet Impalain NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE SHAKES WHEN THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING ABOUT 40 MPH WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THE WARNING LIGHTS DID NOT ILLUMINATE BEFORE THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 123,000.
MY CAR HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ABS TRACTION CONTROL IVE REPLACED THE WHEEL HUBS TWICE AND THE PROBLEM GOES AWAY AND THEN IT RETURNS. IM TIRED OF IT BECAUSE ITS COSTLY AND I DO NOT HAVE MONEY I WORK A PART TIME JOB. ALSO THE CAR LOSES POWER IT STARTS STATING REDUCED ENGINE POWER ON MY DASH ITS DANGEROUS BECAUSE ITS DONE THIS TO ME A FEW TIMES ON THE FREEWAY.
ABS ABD TC WARNING LIGHT LIT WITH "SERVICE TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM" MESSAGE. INITIATED AT TURNING EVENTS,
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000.
BRAKES FADE FAST. *TR
AFTER STOPPING AT A LIGHT, BRAKES (NOT SURE IF ALL 4) WILL NOT RELEASE. AFTER DEPRESSING GAS PEDAL BRAKES WILL RELEASE AND CAR LUNGES FORWARD. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE IN THE LAST 3 DAYS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHEN THE CONTACT ENGAGED THE BRAKES, THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V355000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM), BUT IT WAS NOT CONFIRMED IF THE VIN WAS INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 128,000.
CAR WAS PARKED IN CARPORT AND COULD NOT GET IT OUT OF PARK . CALLED DEALER AND HE SAID I WOULD HAVE TO GET IT TOWED TO DEALER. I DID THAT AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE CABLE THAT CONNECTS TO BRAKE PEDAL FOR SAFETY SO YOU CANNOT PUT IN GEAR WITHOUT BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED. I WAS LUCKY CAR WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY IN A SAFE PLACE RATHER THAN WHILE TRAVELING. IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND I HAD TO PAY FOR TOWING AND CABLE REPLACEMENT. *TR
2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA LT BRAKE PULSATES AFTER NORMAL USE WHEN STOPPING. APPEARS THAT THERE ARE HOT SPOTS ON THE ROTORS THAT CAUSE THE THE PADS ON THE FRONT TO GRIP AND RELEASE CAUSING SEVERE FRONT SUSPENSION SHUDDER AND UNCONTROABLE STEERING. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING SINCE THE CAR IS NEW AND DEALER JUST WANTS TO SELL ME ANOTHER BRAKE JOB. *TR
MASTER BRAKE CYLINDAR IS LEAKING AFTER ONLY 38 MONTHS AND 40,000 MILES. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH DOWNHILL AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE WOULD SHAKE EXCESSIVELY. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO OR AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THEY ALSO STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE HEATING UP AND THE FAILURE WAS NORMAL. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO DOWNSHIFT WHEN THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 38,600.
BRAKE AND BRAKE ROTOR WARPING EVERY COUPLE MONTHS. SEVERE SHAKING WHILE STOPPING. WAS TOLD BY DEALER TO DOWNSHIFT INSTEAD OF BREAKING ON HILLS. DID THAT BUT THE PROBLEMS CONTINUES. DEALER SAYS THE BRAKES ARE NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY AND NOT TO DRIVE IN THE MOUNTAINS BECAUSE THE BRAKES OVERHEAT. THE VEHICLE IS MAINLY DRIVEN ON FLAT ROADS TO MY WIFE'S WORK AND THEY STILL ONLY LAST A COUPLE MONTHS. SHAKES VIOLENTLY AFTER 1/4 MILE OF DOWN HILL TRAVEL FOUND FORUMS ONLINE OF MANY PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. HTTP://VLANE.COM/DISCUSS-TOPIC/1195/IMPALA-BRAKE-ISSUES BRAKES ARE UNDERSIZED FOR THE VEHICLE WHICH CAUSES THE OVER HEATING AND BRAKE FAILURE, SHAKING AND FADING. MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. GM NEEDS TO RECALL AND UPGRADE BRAKE SYSTEM [XXX] PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
THE ROADS WERE SNOWY AND PARTS OF IT ICY, BUT IT WASN'T SNOWING. FROM A FAR DISTANCE I STARTED TO SLOWLY BRAKE SO I WON'T SKID. WHEN I APPLIED A BIT MORE PRESSURE TO BRAKE THE CAR MORE, THE PEDAL HIT AGAINST MY FOOT AND WOULDN'T GO DOWN WHEN I TRIED TO FORCE IT. I THINK THE ABS CAME ON BUT IT DID NOT SLOW MY CAR DOWN AT ALL. THE CAR WAS STILL GOING AT THE SPEED I SLOWED IT IN EARLIER BUT MADE NO CHANGE. THERE WAS A LINE OF CARS AHEAD OF ME IN FRONT OF AN INTERSECTION, SO I PANICKED AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED ABOUT 4 FEET AWAY FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OF MINE.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH PRESSURE WAS APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND HE HEARD A GRINDING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE BRAKE PADS WERE CORRODED WHICH CAUSED THE ROTORS TO FAIL. THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 16,500. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED. UPDATED 01/03/11
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH AND ABRUPTLY ENGAGING THE BRAKES, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN JERKING VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,000.
MY 2008 CHEVY IMPALA HAS HAD A PROBLEM WITH FRONT BRAKES SINCE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. ON STEEP OR LONG GRADES, WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THERE IS A VERY BAD SHUTTERING WHICH GETS WORSE IF THE GRADE IS LONGER. IT HAS BECOME A VERY BAD PROBLEM AND ALMOST COST ME A SPEEDING TICKET IN THAT I HAD TO LAY OFF THE BRAKE WHICH CAUSED ME TO GO ABOVE THE SPEED LIMIT. FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE CAR BEFORE I RAN THRU RADAR. THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ONLINE HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH OTHER CHEVROLET OWNERS AS WELL. *TR
COMING DOWN OFF OF A MOUNTAIN IN WEST VIRGINIA ON TRIP TO OHIO. APPLIED BRAKES. FRONT END BEGAN TO SHAKE. ONLY WAY TO STOP SHAKING WAS TO TAKE FOOT OFF OF BRAKE. TOOK TO CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. WAS TOLD THAT WAS NORMAL. I DON'T SEE HOW IT COULD BE NORMAL. HAVE NOT MADE THE TRIP SINCE SO HAVE NOT HAD IT REPAIRED. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA LTZ. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WHEN THE BRAKES STARTED TO PULSATE AND SHAKE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO INFORMED HIM THAT WHEN THE ROTORS STARTED TO HEAT UP THEY MAY CAUSE THE BRAKES TO PULSATE, AND THAT IT WAS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AND THE ROTORS WERE ROTATED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000.
OVERHEATING AND DANGEROUS, QUICK PULSATION OF BRAKE ROTORS ON MY 2008 CHEVROLET HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CONSTANT AND STRESSFUL EXPERIENCE WHEN DRIVING IN HILLY, MOUNTAINOUS COUNTRY. I HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH A 2001 IMPALA. GM HAS GOT TO ADDRESS THIS INHERENT WEAKNESS IN THE IMPALA'S BRAKING SYSTEM. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 CHEVROLET IMPALA. WHILE DRIVING DOWN A HILL AT 35 MPH, THE BRAKES PULSATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALERSHIP WHERE THE ROTORS WERE BUFFED AND RE-FACED TWICE. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE STILL OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING DOWNHILL. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE SUPPOSED TO FUNCTION THAT WAY. THE BRAKES WERE UNDER WARRANTY AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT AND THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO REPAIR THE FAILURE AFTER IT WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 17,500
Showing 1–20 of 28 complaints
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 26, 2026