Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
22–25 mpgcombined; city 18–22, highway 28–30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,990–$14,760U.S. average; Ohio $11,610–$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's VIN data lists these trims for the 2018 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 59 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 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
Unknown or other
16
0
0
0
Electrical system
11
0
0
0
Power train
11
0
0
0
Engine
7
0
0
0
Service brakes
7
4
0
1
Steering
7
0
0
0
Air bags
6
1
0
1
Exterior lighting
4
1
0
0
Seats
3
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
2
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
2
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
2
0
0
0
8 more parts
Wheels
2
0
0
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
0
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
1
0
0
Suspension
1
0
0
0
Tires
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 1 recall campaign for the 2018 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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Risk: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 882 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2018 Impala, the latest on Sep 26, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (345), electrical system (169), engine and engine cooling (131), engine (99), unknown or other (79).
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 2018 Impala.
See used 2018 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: 4–5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Impala Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
22 / 30 / 25
Impala Front-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline or E85
18 / 28 / 22
Impala Front-Wheel Drive
3.6 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
19 / 28 / 22
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