2013 Chevrolet Impala

Showing the 2013 Impala LTZ. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
22 mpgcombined; city 18, highway 28–29; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$14,760U.S. average; Ohio $13,190 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 overall safety rating
4 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
1over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
272filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2013 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.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 272 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 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
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electronic stability control (ESC)108200
Electrical system52402
Service brakes51301
Steering34102
Power train33303
Engine30201
Wheels23100
Unknown or other22000
Vehicle speed control20101
Air bags1910011
Suspension17100
Traction control system17000
13 more parts
Tires9000
Fuel/propulsion system8101
Exterior lighting5000
Visibility/wiper4100
Structure3000
Engine and engine cooling2000
Forward collision avoidance2101
Fuel system, gasoline2000
Service brakes, hydraulic2000
Visibility2000
Equipment1000
Seat belts1000
Seats1000

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.

  1. 2006544
  2. 2007627
  3. 2008810
  4. 2009824
  5. 2010442
  6. 2011505
  7. 2012258
  8. 2013272
  9. 2014636
  10. 2015300
  11. 2016111
  12. 2017117
  13. 201859
  14. 201928
  15. 202015

Every Impala year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2013 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.

Electrical system: ignition

NHTSA campaign 14V355000 · reported Jun 23, 2014 · 3,141,731 vehicles potentially affected

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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 1,539 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2013 Impala, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: equipment (648), electrical system (302), engine and engine cooling (201), engine (149), power train (111).

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 2013 Impala.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2013 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. EPA greenhouse gas score: 5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Impala
Front-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cylAutomatic 6-spdRegular Gasoline18 / 28 / 22
Impala
Front-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cylAutomatic 6-spdRegular Gasoline or E8518 / 29 / 22

Sources and dates

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