Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
21–23 mpgcombined; city 17–19, highway 26–29; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$14,120–$15,470U.S. average; Ohio $12,620–$13,820 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2011 Impala. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 505 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Impala. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electronic stability control (ESC)
132
0
1
2
Engine
125
3
2
5
Electrical system
95
4
0
5
Seats
77
3
0
1
Vehicle speed control
69
0
1
0
Power train
64
0
1
0
Air bags
37
15
0
18
Steering
35
3
0
3
Service brakes
34
4
1
4
Unknown or other
31
1
0
2
Visibility
23
0
1
0
Traction control system
18
1
1
2
16 more parts
Suspension
17
2
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
16
0
0
0
Wheels
13
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
9
0
0
1
Structure
7
2
0
2
Tires
7
0
0
0
Seat belts
6
1
0
1
Exterior lighting
5
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
5
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
4
0
0
0
Equipment
2
0
0
0
Equipment adaptive/mobility
2
0
0
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, air
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2011 Impala over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2005-2009 Buick LaCrosse, 2006-2011 Buick Lucerne, 2000-2005 Cadillac DeVille, 2006-2011 Cadillac DTS, 2006-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and 2006-2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the weight on the key ring and road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Risk: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Additionally, a key knocked out of the run position will cause loss of engine power, power steering, and power braking, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 23, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick), 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), and 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14299.
General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2008-2012 Chevrolet Impala police vehicles because the front lower control arms may fracture. This safety recall does not include non-police Chevrolet Impala vehicles.
Risk: A broken control arm can result in the loss of control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace both front lower control arms, free of charge. The safety recall began on August 21, 2012. Owners may contact the Chevrolet owner center at 1-866-694-6546.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 1,237 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2011 Impala, the latest on Sep 4, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (565), electrical system (245), engine and engine cooling (127), power train (88), engine (76).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2011 Impala.
See used 2011 Chevrolet Impalas for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: large cars. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Impala Front-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
19 / 29 / 23
Impala Front-Wheel Drive
3.9 L, 6 cyl
Automatic 4-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
17 / 26 / 21
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data