Problems with 2008 Chevrolet Impala SUSPENSION

One day i was driving my car home making a right turn and my engine started making noise and was acting as if it was going to cut off. so i parked my car called my mechanic he came over and looked at the car i said it could be a possible rocker arm that has gone in the car or i could have something to do with the check engine light coming on giving me a code for a cam positioning sensor / solenoid. also when i purchase the car not too long after me driving i noticed there was some noise coming from my back tires. i couldn't figure it out for a while until one day i looked at my tires and noticed that on the inside there was a considerable amount of scraping going on wearing away my tread. it would always seem to happen when i got new tires on the car so i thought maybe the tires were too big for the car but i ordered what the manufactor suggested the tire size should be for the car. so i had a tire specialist look at it and an alignment specialist look at it and they told me that the suspension springs may be causing my issue. they said that i should not have to change the size of my tire for them to fit because the manufacturer specifications are correct and the tires were the right size for the car.

The lower control arms for my 2008 chevy impala lt were never replaced in thr recall. the recall states that if they brake while driving can cause damage ,injury or death, 2nd owner never got recall notice.

My vehicle experiences an 'engine power is reduced' message in addition to losing capability of driving faster than 40 mph likely as a result of a common fault by the manufacturer.

2008 chevy impala ltz -- i am having trouble with the rear inner tires wearing down to the chords just like all the other complaints on here. i know it's not the tire brand, etc. as i've had a reputable mechanic put on two sets of tires. i found articles on a lawsuit and the fact that gm will fix the police cars with this issue, but not the general public's. i bought this car as a commuter car for my sons that will be college students and i need it to last. i want a copy of the tsb #08032a that addresses this issue. i just want my car fixed so that i don't keep blowing through sets of tires it is getting ridiculously expensive. my last set was supposed to wear out at 60,000 and only lasted 20,000. i am actually on my second set, so basically $1600 into tires alone, not to mention what it's going to cost me for the spindle/cambor/rear tie rods that is associated with the tsb mentioned above. gm should be paying for this and it should be a massive recall. these cars are prolific in society. lol....we bailed them out in 2008, and they were cranking out lemons the same year....ironic!! gm refuses to take responsibility.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. while driving various speeds and making a turn in any direction, a loud knocking noise was heard coming from the front driver side of the vehicle. the contact stated that the emission warning indicator illuminated, but could have been caused by the fuel cap. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failure in the lower driver side control arm, which needed replacement. the vehicle was not repaired. the dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. the contact found nhtsa campaign number: 12v377000 (suspension), which only included chevrolet impala police vehicles. the failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

While in motion, car was involved in crash, hit a concrete barrier and a fence and airbag did not deploy, driver sustained a concussion. he was wearing a seat belt

I have replaced bushings 3 times, struts front and back, shocks and sway bar pins 2 times. i drive city roads to work only 5 miles from my house. i only have 77,586 miles on my car and a lot of problems for that type of use. we have a 1998 chevy tahoe that we love. you should stand behind your bad products that you put out.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that she took her vehicle to an independent mechanic to have some other work done when it was discovered that the front driver and passenger control arms were fractured without warning. the vehicle was repaired. the local dealer was not contacted. the contact attempted to call the manufacturer; however, the automated system continued to disconnect her. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 12v377000 (suspension) due to the fact that it was not a police vehicle. the failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

I am informing you of some very serious concerns in regards to parts of the 07 and 08 chevy impala that have failed causing accidents as well as injury and grave potential for fatalities.airbags not deploying, seat belts not locking on impact first and foremost i have requested copies of the paperwork that was submitted to the courts in somerset wi. this showed exactly what took place causeing an accident that was considered negligent due to medications i was on and my disability. the mechanic gave me this report along with info stating that this was a huge problem in fleet police vehicals. the info stated that the police vehicals were fixed and checked however this part has no recall or revision to correct the safety issues that we can find. my vehical does have high millage however it has been very well taken care of thanks to erickson oil and mechanic friends. this part snapping after cracking esily resulted in complete loss of control as well as the car locking up and becoming impossible to steer and stop. it is disturbing that these parts were not corrected from a manufactering aspect (this was looked at by a machinest, as well as an engineer and by the qaulity/dimesions/structure this part easily looked defective) the visual as well as skilled aproach to problem solving drove us to look up recalls prior to buying a new part. we could not find any. just info that this exact make and model were purchased as fleet vehicals in 07 and 08. problems with many of these cars resulted in pulling all of the fleet/govnt patrol cars in to be fixed/investigated. however we have been unable to find a recall or warning that should have also been issued to the public. i am currently looking into help to investigate and help get this looked at as it caused an accident as well as being unstable and faulty in another minor impact accident potentiaaly increasing fatality/injuries.

Subject: 2008 chevrolet impala rear tire wear. case # [xxx]vin # is [xxx] we are having a problem with our 2008 chevrolet impala. our rear tires are wearing out twice as fast as the front tires. i went to costco yesterday to have my tires rotated, after looking at the rear tires we had to buy new ones because the back tires were worn down to the metal backing, the front tires were still good. only one half of the warranty had been used. the tires were michelin x-radial dt mich passenger s/t p225/60r16 bw mspn 17457 tires with an 80,000 mile warranty. we ended up buying four new michelin tires for around $600.00. the costco guy thought that something must be wrong with the car. after i got home i checked on the internet as to what could cause this problem and found out that there was a problem with the 2007 and 2008 chevrolet impala's. there had been a service bulletin #08032a sent out in 2011 to replace the spindle rods on all the 2007 and 2008 impala's that were sold as police cars to fix this problem that they were having with rear tire wear. i would like to see that service bulletin extended all the other 2007 and 2008 chevrolet impala's. the part number for the spindle rod is the same on all 2008 impalas, police or non police. this is a major safety problem and people are going to be killed if this problem is not fixed, you just don't expect the tires to wear out so fast. we had just finished a trip were we drove freeway speeds up to 75 miles an hour. after seeing our tires i don't know how we keep from having a blow out on the back tires. i think that lots of accidents have happened with these 2007 and 2008 chevy impalas with tires blowing out because rear tire wear because the spindle bolts are engineered wrong and every one thinks its the tires fault.. gm needs to fix this problem and replace the four spindle bolts. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

case # [xxx] our rear tires are wearing out twice as fast as the front tires. i went to costco yesterday to have my tires rotated, after looking at the rear tires we had to buy new ones because the back tires were worn down to the metal backing. . there had been a service bulletin sent out in 2011 to replace the spindle rods on all the 2007 and 2008 impala's that were sold as police cars to fix this problem that they were having with rear tire wear. i would like to see that service bulletin extended all the other 2007 and 2008 chevrolet impala's. this is a major safety problem and people are going to be killed if this problem is not fixed you just don't expect the tires to wear out so fast. we had just finished a trip were we drove freeway speeds up to 75 miles an hour. after seeing our tires i don't know how we keep from having a blow out on the back tires. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Uneven rear tire wear. just have 24000 miles on new tires. discovered problem with spindle, rear tire alignment by chevy from 2007 and 2008 models police models only by searching on line. contacted dealer and asked about problems or recalls and stated no problems, just need a 4 wheel alignment. *tr

Own snow the rear end slides all over the place you have no control,i have brand new tires extraction tires on rear. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. the contact states that the vehicle rear suspension system was causing the tires to wear prematurely. the contact stated that the rear tires had to be replaced approximately every six months. the manufacturer was notified of this issue. the approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that when coming to a stop, the vehicle jerked without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 12v377000 (suspension) and 14v355000 (electrical system) however, the part needed for the repair was unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 90,066.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. while driving approximately 40 mph, the steering wheel seized without warning. the failure occurred twice. the vehicle was towed to a dealer and the technician stated that the rack and pinion, both front wheel bearings, and the intake manifold needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

While driving at highway speed, noticed some vibration from rear tires. checked tires when i got home. rear tires have extreme tread wear on the inside edge. this wear is hidden because it is on the very inside edges of the tires, and you don't notice when looking at the tires from the side of the car. most of the tire you can see looks normal. the wear is on the inner most 5% of the tread. and it is extreme wear, all the way through the steel belts. i researched and found a gm service bulletin for 2007-8 impala tire wear and suspension problems like this. but that bulletin only called for service on models with police suspension in the rear. the solution required replacement spindle arms to be installed. called gm and they will not replace my consumer spindles. but i have the same problem. this tire wear has caused bow outs and crashes if you look at reports that a google search can find. search for impala spindle and tire wear. you will be amazed at how obvious this deadly defect is. *tr

Had vehicle repaired at fowler chevrolet in tulsa oklahoma and very concerned that vehicle should have been a total loss. vehicle taken in 2nd time for rework. we have some pictures and video. body shop manager was terminated. we need assistance. very concerned about safety issues on vehicle at highway speeds. unsure where to turn. several people with chevrolet involved to cover for dealer. the dealer informed the consumer to remove all the keys from the key ring. updated 12/17/14...updated 06/16/15 *bf updated 08/28/2017*ct

All four door locks stopped working from the driver door control or the fob. the only way to unlock the doors is to physically pull up on the lock. in the case of an accident, i will be unable to unlock any of the doors without physically pulling the door lock. this creates a safety hazard, especially since the car may suddenly stop working. i'm afraid i will be killed while driving this car! the car does not stay in alignment. the car has been realligned at least three times and this for a vehicle with only 37637 miles, this is an injustice. *tr

We had over $10,000 in insurance repairs on 2008 impala with blue book around $12,800. oklahoma insurance dept rules said car should have been total loss. we had to go to a 2nd shop to continue repairs as the body shop manager was fired. carfax is now showing vehicle with frame damage etc.. and insurance company refuses to assist. we would like to forward more documentation for assistance as ftc is telling us you can assist hold fowler chevrolet of tulsa oklahoma accountable. this is a serious safety issue also if they are repairing cars that should be a total loss besides compensating us for the financial issues related. *tr

The following has happened twice to me in the last 3 months. i was driving on the freeway 65-70mph when the service traction control/engine power reduced lights came on dash. my car then lost all power on the freeway and my speed was reduced to under 35mph. after stopping the vehicle and turning it off for approximately 5 minutes, the car started back up. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. while driving approximately 35 mph, a vehicle crashed into the driver side of the contact's vehicle and the air bags failed to deploy. the contact was knocked unconscious and sustained shoulder injuries that required medical attention. a police report was filed. in addition, when making a turn, it felt as if the rear tires lifted off the ground. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 76,000.

Known rear camber problems causing rear tires to go bald and fail and highways speeds with less the 20,000 miles. recall was performed on police package models but not civilian however parts are identical. *tr

It's making a humming nosie. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. the contact and the dealer stated that the lower control arm failure caused the sub frame to crack. the contact spoke with the manufacturer in regards to nhtsa recall campaign id number: 12v377 (suspension), but was told that the vehicle was not included. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 79,000. *tr

Inside tread of each back tire wears out prematurely because of an adjustment that cant be made to the rear wheels, all police vehicles have been repaired for this defect as a spindle rod with an adjuster was put in to correct it, i own a 2007 and 2008 and both cars r doing this why should the consumer be stuck for a part that should be put in at manufacture time. how can u expect gm loyalty when u treat us that way. *tr

During routine chassis inspection as part of oil change, i noticed both rear tires had wires exposed on inside tread surface. these have only 16,000 miles of use and are condemned. the vehicle has 67 k miles and this is the end of third set of tires ! rear wheel camber is at fault but why ? *tr

i had to replace lower control,and trans. shift linkage i call to see if there was a recall gm said only on police models another time i had to have car towed to dealership to have trans. linkage repaired. *tr

Rear tires had excessive wear on the inside of the tire to the point that the thread and wires were showing. replaced all four tires and wheel alignment. in july 2012 had tires and shocks replaced for the same issue. big knots were also on the tires and car shook when going at a low speed. was told that rear suspension was misaligned and that rear shocks would fix the problem. march 2013 tires four tires replaced and wheel alignment again. was told that camber bolts were needed to fix this problem. contacted gm in july 2012 about the problem and rep states that there was no recall for this vehicle only the police models. this is unfair for consumers to have to keep buying tires. vehicle currently has 88560 miles. *tr

Premature tires wear on the inside tread of the rear wheels. this is causing steering issues at high speed. not noticeable until rear tires are rotated to front, then there is a shake. there is a pending lawsuit for this occurrence on the 07 and 08 impalas. apparently the rear spindles are to blame due to poor design. *tr

We purchased the car new from grand prize chevrolet. at about 8000 miles i noticed uneven wear on the front tires and called the dealer. i was told that the warranty only covered wheel alignment for the first 6000 miles. accordingly, i took the car to tire kingdom, a tire dealer, and had the car aligned. at 20,000 miles i again noticed uneven wear in the tires and took the car back to tire kingdom. they aligned it again and said it was ok. it wasn't. at about 35,000 miles it was aligned again by tire kingdom and i put in new tires. the store manager, [xxx] told me he had done the alignment himself and that all was within specs. at 52000 miles one of the tires failed. it was all worn on the inside edge where i had not noticed the uneven wear. i then took the vehicle to maroone chevrolet who told me they could not align the car without the installation of what they call a "camber kit" because my 2008 impala had no other way of having the camber adjusted. in summary: my 2008 impala was misaligned when i purchased it and 52000 miles later is still misaligned because the manufacturer failed to include camber adjustment in the design. neither the manufacturer or the dealer accepts responsibility for this defect, have not issued a recall and will not fix the problem unless we pay their blackmail. however, according to reports on the internet, a recall for this very same problem was issued by the manufacturer for police vehicles. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The spindle rods getting rel hot and some and eat up my 4 tire / got the car new at the central chevrolet did not fix the spindle rods now i am getting a electric some where? some one form gm told me he did not say nothing wrong with the car he come form the little rock office all chevrolet impala need to be recall i have to by 4 set of tire all the time i am asking gm to get me a new car some one form gm told me nothing wrong with the car was a little oil fire on the spindle rods i have not fix. *tr

Tire blowout. due to defective rear suspension that caused tires to be misaligned. the defective spindles caused the weight of the car to ride on the very inside corners of the rear tires. 90% of the tire wear was on 10% of the tires. this caused the hidden inside one inch of the tire to wear through the tire safety belts, expose the tire threads, and then blowout. both rear tires did this. the pictures are stunning to see how much of the tire tread looks perfect and how devastating the wear was to the inner most inch. to most people looking at the tires from the side, they looked fine.no one expects the damage they don't see hidden from daily view. the tire wear is extremely accelerated once it reaches the soft material just under the tread. it can go from thin tread to a hole in the safety belt material in 1000 miles of wear. gm issued technical service bulletin in 2008 about this exact symptom, but only called for repair of police model impalas. they have not called for repair of similar general public owners models. so we did not know until we had a blowout. the dealer would do nothing because it was not a police car covered in the tsb. we paid for 4 new times, and alignment. but the problem still exists. the new tires are wearing out the same. there is little winter traction in the rear because of such small amount of tread on the road. *tr

I purchased a 2008 impala on january 14, 2012 and the inner tires on the rear were worn almost to the metal cord. i slid off the road on february 26, 2012. when i took the car to the repair shop the front left wheel bearing was loose and also the outer tire rod on the front left was also loose. the auto repair specialist informed me that the suspension on the impala is a common concern. i was also informed that gm recalled the 2008 impala but only the police cars. *tr

Mileage on car 27,533 tires rated 40,000 we rotate tires every 6,000 to 9,000 miles. had nail in tire, went to gm garage to get repaired. we were told and then shown that the rear tires were worn so bad on the inside they were junk. the front tires were almost as bad. the dealer service advisor said you may use one for a spare but shouldn't put them on the car for regular use. they also installed rear camber bolts in order to perform an alignment on the rear wheels. according to a gm bulletin no. 08032a dated july 2008 that the installation of new rear wheel spindle rods to correct the wear problem was necessary. this bulletin has been upgraded to include non-police vehicles. i showed the service advisor the bulletin and he confirmed it was upgraded to include non-police vehicles. i am worried that their repair won't completely correct the problem. i can't believe that there wasn't an adjustment for the rear wheels. which leads me to believe that the rear tires were never aligned properly. we receive credit for the two rear tires but nothing for the front tires. gm knew about this problem in july 2008. i consider this a safety issue that needs to be resolved. gm's response to this problem is unacceptable. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the vehicle would lose control when driving over light snow. the contact stated that the vehicle performed as if he were driving on ice. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the suspension system needed to have a camber kit installed to assist with traction control. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 50,000.

Rear wheel spindles cause rear tires to wear inside of tire prematurely. *tr

Excessive left side tire wear, especially left rear. left side tires need replaced every 34 thousand miles. i guess the left rear would go faster if i did not rotate the tires to spread the wear. car when bought came with replacement tires at 34 thousand miles, i replaced them at 67 thousand and 102 thousand. problem still exists. i keep an eye on them, otherwise left rear tire would likely have been destroyed by this condition. at 67k miles firestone said they would have to drill holes to align car properly. this is an obvious safety problem, especially since the wear is on the inside of the tire where most folks don't look. i called and mailed gm and they don't care, guess we need some accidents first. *tr

Premature tire wear attributed to faulty rods in the rear suspension linkage suspension defect. *tr

New tires installed january 2011 with proper rotation every 6000-7500 miles. inside tread of rear tires are prematurely wearing. i drive mostly highway miles to and from work, about 150 miles a day round trip. i have to have new tires installed again today as inside tread is wearing and belts are starting to show. i have seen many consumer reports and claims regarding the rear spindles as being bad. i was not able to locate any recalls on this matter but kept locating the class action lawsuit for the rear spindles of the impala i cannot afford to have to put new tires on the car every year let alone 2 or more times a year. after looking into the repair cost of replacing the rear spindles is pretty expensive, especially for the consumer to take on when it appears gm should recall for the cars for the fix as they did for the police departments. *tr

We are getting ready to have to replace our third set of tires. we bought our impala new and replaced our first set of tires at feb. 2010 (38,000 miles). replaced again at 54,000 miles dec. 2011. replaced again at 65,000 nov. of 2012 and it is in need ot new rear tires again at 72,000. car shakes and back end slides in bad weather. service department states that it needs a cambor kit. research has shown that chevrolet produced a faulty suspension rod and recalled "police owned" vehicles but not consumer vehicles. do not feel safe in vehicle or allowing my 16 year old to drive it. my car is aligned and tires rotated and serviced frequently! tires wear down to metal sticking out of tires and inner wear is incredible. left tire behind the driver is the quickest to have problems and begin to cause car to shake. secondly, rear door automatic door locks quite working after 2 years of owning car. how do i become part of the class action law suit. *tr

2008 chevrolet impala. consumer states rear wheel bearings/ spindles failed prematurely *tgw the consumer stated he had to replace the tires on his vehicle in november 2011, due to the premature failure. *jb

I had been complaining to my husband that the car's rearend has poor stability and it's hard to maintain it during rain and snow and ice. when we went to have it inspected this week, we were informed that it could not pass as the rear tires were bald on the inside. as it turns out, there have been repeated problems with this car, and a recall was done only on the police models? are you kidding me? what about the average person driving this car???? we are not as important. obviously there is a problem and now i have to get new tires (that only have about 10,000 miles on them) at my freaking expense and i will need to have the suspension fixed. someone needs to get a general recall done for this model car....we are just as important as the cops....wth. *tr

When the tires needed replacing on the car, i spent $1100.00 on a set of premium tires, after 10,000 miles i noticed a roaring sound from the tires. i took the car to the tire dealer. he said the problem was with the alignment of the vehicle, causing the tires to wear uneven, i had the tires rotated every 5,000 miles, i took the car straight to my chevy. dealer. i was told the struts would have to be ground off and the car realigned and the cost would be mine. i worry about this kind of repair when you alter the part by mis-shaping the part. the cost to me was $197.00 after hearing about other owners with the problem. i worry about taking road trips with my vehicle. i think that gm should be held liable and the proper fix done to the vehicles for the safety of the car owners. i like the car fine, except for the worry of our safety while on the road.

2008 chevrolet impala. consumer writes in regards to rear suspension *tgw the consumer stated when traveling on mountain roads that twist and turned, the rear end felt very loose. the tires had to be replaced twice. *jb the consumer was informed the tires were worn out and could not be rotated. updated 10/14/11. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 chevrolet impala. while the vehicle was parked the contact inspected the rear tires and noticed the tread was excessively worn. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing . the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the contact stated the failure was caused by the rear suspension and stated the manufacturer voluntarily recalled police vehicles only for the same failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 71,000.

2008 chevrolet impala. consumer states problem with vehicle tire wear *tgw the consumer stated he almost had an accident when the vehicle spun out of control due to a manufactures defect causing tire wear. the consumer requested compensation for three sets of tires that had to be put on the vehicle by january 2010. the service manager at the dealer stated gm was aware of the problem, and refused to reimburse the consumer. the consumer has since traded the vehicle.

2008 chevrolet impala. consumer states rear tire spindle rod problem *tgw the consumer stated the vehicle has worn out several rear tires due to the rear spindle rod problem. *jb

Car began to drive different so thought i needed an alignment. took the car to the dealer i bought it from only to be told i needed new tires. at 30000 miles i thought this was absurd. a month later later i had a flat tire in the rear only to see that the tire had wires sticking out of the tire with a hole almost completely through the tire. had to spend money for all new tires and they are already starting to show problems after just a few thousand miles. i am single, retired and live paycheck to paycheck. i'm not a fat cat from general motors who can't seem to make a decision that yes, there is a problem with this model and year chevy. when people start dying because of this problem, possibly then you will decide to do something about this. *tr

I have a 2008 chevy impala, at 23,000 miles the tires are bald. i rotated them every 5000 miles. i bought this car brand new in late 2007. from reading the other forums on line, it's not the tires. it's the rear end alignment from the factory. this tires are going to cost $1,400.00 to replace and i'm being told the new one's will wear out just as fast as the old one's. i see there's a class action suit against gm for 2007 & 2008 impala's. they fixed all the impala cop cars but not the general public! *kb