2015 Chevrolet Impala — Known Issues & Recalls

Your parked, turned-off Impala caught fire at the front of the vehicle while unoccupied. The fire department extinguished the fire and indicated it may have resulted from a mechanical malfunction, though the vehicle was completely destroyed before diagnosis. The cause was never identified or repaired since the vehicle couldn't be salvaged. A repair would require a complete engine and electrical system inspection to identify what component failed and caused the fire.

Your car is stalling unexpectedly while driving at various speeds without any warning lights. Sometimes it restarts on its own, but other times you need to restart it manually, and in at least one case it had to be towed home. Two dealers were unable to reproduce or identify the problem. The issue may involve fuel delivery, ignition timing, or engine sensors that need to be inspected and tested.

Your 2015 Chevrolet Impala is making loud clanking noises from the engine and has a strong gasoline smell, with a visible fuel leak from the engine compartment. The dealer initially repaired the fuel pressure pump, but the problem continued and was later diagnosed as catalytic converter failure, which may require engine replacement. The issue started around 136,000 miles and involves diagnosing and repairing or replacing the fuel system components and catalytic converter.

Your steering suddenly froze while driving on the highway at 50 mph, forcing you to pull to safety. The dealership first blamed a software malfunction ($775 to fix), but when the same problem happened again the next day, they identified a failed steering rack and pinion motor ($4,100 repair). The fix will likely require replacement of the steering rack and pinion assembly and its motor.

Your car's power steering has stopped working, which means the steering wheel will be much harder to turn. You'll need to apply significantly more force to steer the vehicle. This issue typically involves problems with the power steering pump, belt, or hydraulic fluid system and will require professional diagnosis and repair.

While driving at 65 mph, your steering wheel suddenly felt loose with no warning light, then tightened as a "Service Power Steering - Drive with Care" message appeared. After this happened, steering the vehicle required much more physical effort than normal. A dealer diagnosed the problem as a defective power steering gear module. The repair will likely involve replacing the power steering gear module and possibly the pump or hoses that supply pressure to the steering system.

Your transmission control module may be experiencing issues at 158,320 miles. This module manages how your transmission shifts gears, so problems could affect how smoothly your car accelerates or changes speeds. You may notice rough shifting, delayed gear changes, or warning lights on your dashboard. Fixing this typically involves diagnosing the module for faults and either reprogramming it or replacing it entirely.

Your air conditioning system is leaking refrigerant (R134a freon), and you can smell it inside the car. A recharge only lasted 15 minutes, suggesting a significant leak. GM has issued a recall for 2016-2018 models with the same problem, but your 2015 is not covered. Fixing this will likely require replacing the evaporator core, which is an expensive repair.

While driving at 70 mph, your transmission unexpectedly slipped and downshifted harshly, causing violent shaking throughout the vehicle. Your check engine and stability control warning lights came on. The dealer replaced your Transmission Control Module and wiring harness, but the problem happened two more times and required another TCM replacement. This issue may require a transmission control module replacement or wiring harness repair to resolve the underlying electrical problem.

While driving your 2015 Chevrolet Impala, the transmission suddenly downshifted and the vehicle shuddered noticeably without any warning light appearing on your dashboard. When you restarted the car, the problem happened again. A dealer diagnosis determined that your torque converter has failed and needs to be replaced.

Your car's Side Blind Zone Alert system keeps failing because water gets into the sensing modules on your bumper, causing a "Service Side Detection System" message to appear on your dashboard. If you ignore this warning, it can corrupt your vehicle's computer system and disable critical functions like your speedometer, tachometer, airbag system, and anti-theft features—potentially even suppressing your passenger airbag. This has happened multiple times on your vehicle, and while GM issued a special warranty coverage for this known issue, they've stopped covering it after repeated failures. The repair will involve replacing the water-damaged sensing module(s) on the bumper and addressing any computer system corruption caused by the water intrusion.

Your front passenger seat has a faulty presence sensor that thinks someone is sitting there even when the seat is empty. This causes the seat belt warning light and chime to go off unnecessarily, and more concerning—it could cause the airbag to deploy unexpectedly when a child is actually sitting in that seat. The sensor needs to be replaced or recalibrated to properly detect whether the seat is occupied.

Your car has been recalled, but you haven't received clear information about why. Your lender has taken possession of the vehicle due to a missed payment, and your belongings are still inside. You should contact both your lender and Chevrolet directly to understand the specific recall issue and arrange to retrieve your belongings and resolve the payment situation.

While starting your car, your mother noticed a burning plastic smell and smoke coming from the center console air vents. You and a neighbor discovered that the driver's side sun visor vanity mirror had melted. There was no fire, but this indicates an electrical problem in the visor or wiring nearby. The issue should be diagnosed by a mechanic to identify which electrical component is overheating and needs replacement.

Your car's side detection system (used for lane departure and backup prevention) may fail to shut down properly, which can drain your battery and cause dashboard system failures. GM has acknowledged this as a known issue, but may not repair it if the service bulletin has expired. The system may need to be repaired or replaced to prevent battery drain and restore proper dashboard function.

Your parking brake system may be triggering multiple warning lights on your dashboard when you start the vehicle. A mechanic reprogrammed some sensors and cleared the warning codes, but the lights came back on immediately after restarting. This issue may be related to a known recall for your model year's parking brake system. Fixing this will likely involve diagnosing which sensors are malfunctioning and either reprogramming or replacing them.

Your power steering has completely stopped working, making it very hard to steer at any speed. Your dashboard is showing warning messages about power steering loss, traction control issues, and ABS problems, with warning lights staying on every time you restart the vehicle. This problem started intermittently about two and a half months ago but has now become constant. The fix will likely involve diagnosing the electrical system that controls power steering and replacing or repairing the power steering pump or related electrical components.

Your service airbag light illuminates on the dashboard, and the passenger airbag stays disabled even when someone is sitting in the passenger seat. This suggests a problem with the airbag system's sensors or wiring that's preventing the passenger airbag from arming properly.

Your blind spot warning system has stopped working, and you've seen a "service side detection system" warning message appear randomly while driving. You're concerned this could be a safety issue and may lead to further electrical problems. The dealer hasn't confirmed the problem yet. Fixing this will likely involve diagnosing the blind spot detection system's wiring, sensors, and control module to identify what's causing the malfunction.

Your sunroof's interior shade began detaching and lowering while you were driving, blocking your visibility. The dealer was contacted but did not diagnose or repair the issue, and the manufacturer was notified. The fix will likely involve reattaching or replacing the sunroof shade mechanism.