Problems with 2011 Chevrolet Impala SEATS

I cannot see when using the rear view mirror due to the reduced visibility caused by the head rests on the rear seats. the view when using the rear view mirror is obstructed significantly with only 4 inches of visibility between the ceiling of the the car and the top of the head rests. also, the side mirrors are small increasing the poor visibility in this vehicle. the head rest problem would have been noticed if the car salesman had not sat in backseat in the middle. the car dealership suggested that the car be taken to a local seat cover company to have the headrests rebuilt. this is a new car and should not have problems such as this.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the seat headrests were too high and obstructing visibility thru the rear view mirror. in addition, he stated that the side view mirrors were abnormally small. the dealer was contacted but offered no assistance, stating that they could not alter the design of the vehicle. the dealer advised the contact that an independent mechanic could possibly lower the seat or cut down the headrest. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 500.

Headrests on the back seat blocks approximately 50% of rear vision. *tr *js

The rear seat head rests are too tall and block vision especially center head rest,makes backing up very difficult, also while driving blocks vision of any thing behind you .these are not adjustable or removable.

The headrest in the middle of the back seat makes it impossible to have a clear view out the rear window. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that she could not see out of the rear view mirror while driving at any speed because the head rests on the rear seats were obstructing her vision. the head rests could not be adjusted or removed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and the contact was informed that the head rests were designed for safety purposes and could not be altered. the failure mileage was 2,000 and the current mileage was 2,500.

2011 chevrolet impala s.t. consumer writes in regards to rear seat head rests being much higher than the bottom of the rear car window and blocks out about 40% or more of vision when looking or using the rear view mirror from the driver's seat *tgw the consumer stated lowering or eliminating the rear seat head rest would solve the problem and restore safety to using the rear view mirror and restore 100% vision to the rear window. *jb

The rear center head rest needs to be removed can't see to back up they all are very large but the middle blocks your view totally someone will get hurt due to this issue if its not taken care maybe they can't remove the headrest itself but they can replace the whole seat. i thought seats in the back were suppose to fold down allowing access to the trunk this auto doesn't do that there aren't even cupholders in the back seat this was definitely not a good design for gm. *tr

I want to add my complaint to the list that includes many others regarding the three head rests built into the rear seat. they significantly limit the driver's field of vision, and thus can affect the driver's ability to safely operate the vehicle. something should be done before someone is seriously injured. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet impala. the contact stated the rear middle head restraint was obstructing her vision. an authorized dealer was notified and they informed the vehicle was operating as designed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 10 and the current mileage was 2,900.

My complaint with this vehicle is visibility caused by the rear headrests when using the rear view mirror. gm built the back seat with 3 large headrests "which cannot be removed" that blocks almost the entire rear window. when driving the car, the most i can see in the rear view mirror is the tops of the car(s) behind me, sometimes not that much. when backing up, you have to look around all three back headrests in order not to hit someone or something. these back seat headrests can be replaced by buying the 2012 impala headrest components from gm which cost at least $400.00 just for the 3 parts needed. i feel like gm should be required to replace the back seat headrests due to the hazard posed by the headrests. *kb

Huge rear headrests (3 of them) block nearly 70% of rear visibility and make it impossible to see vehicles directly behind or approaching from behind. even stopped at a traffic light, the middle headrest blocks the view of any vehicle behind. changing lanes is incredibly difficult and dangerous, at best, because driver can't see what's directly behind. tried seat adjustments, outside mirror adjustments, rear view mirror adjustments, and nothing works to improve the rear view. this is an incredibly dangerous situation, which has apparently been addressed in the impala for 2012; why has chevrolet not contacted drivers for a safety fix or recalled? i have contacted my dealer and am still waiting for a response. in the meantime, we are hoping no accidents occur as a result of this poor visibility issue. it seems to me that chevy would be concerned about liability, if nothing else. does anyone know if there are fixes for this, short of sawing off the middle head rest? they can't be adjusted or even folded down with the seat since they're built into the rear window shelf and not the seats. (who the heck came up with this one?) i'm hoping you can help before somebody gets injured or worse. there are many complaints out there about this issue, including those on your site. please help! thanks. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the rear seat head restraints were too high and was blocking her vision in the rear view mirror. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired and the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 10. updated 06/17/11*lj updated 06/21/11

Rear window visibility in the 2011 chevy impala is severely limited by the placement of read seat head restraints. a vehicle directly behind you is completely hidden from view using the rearview mirror. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet impala. the contact stated the head rest located in the middle of the rear seat was blocking the drivers view when she used the rear view mirror. the manufacturer was notified, but denied any assistance with repairing the vehicle. the dealer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 0 and the current mileage was 10,000. updated 11/25/11 *bf updated 11/30/11

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that he was unable to see out the rear view window when reversing or driving forward due to the middle headrest blocking the view of the window. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed there was a design flaw and to contact the manufacturer. they offered no further assistance. the manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 3,500. updated 9/27/11 *cn updated 10/07/11

Tl*the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet impala. the contact stated the rear seat head rests were positioned too high, obstructing his vision. the contact also stated the head rests were installed in a manner in which they were not adjustable and could not be removed from the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified and the contact was informed the equipment could not be altered. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 5 and the current mileage was 3,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the rear center headrest obstructed the rear view. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the headrest design could not be altered. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 200 and the current mileage 7,200. ..updated 09/04/12 *bf updated 09/12/2012 *js

The three head rests permanently attached to the rear seat block the view of the driver in the rear-view mirror, creating a hazardous driving condition. *tr

Rear headrests are so large they block my view and i am afraid to drive the car. i called gm and they told me to call the dealership. the dealership said they cannot do anything to correct it but i could trade in for a 2012... i think this is crazy! i am not the only person to express concern about this hazard. how many complaints will it take to make the manufacturer replace the seat back with the 2012 version???? *tr

2011 chevrolet impala lt. consumer states that rear head restraints are excessively high *tgw the consumer stated his rear view vision of traffic was obstructed. *jb

My first issue was with the center head restraint in the back which totally blocks vision using the rear view mirror. i asked the dealer to remove it and i was told they could not. backing up is impossible except with the side mirrors and traffic immediately behind is blocked when driving. this is a serious safety hazard. there have been many complaints but gm refuses to issue a recall to adjust these headrests. also, i live in the tn mountains and the cruise control completely disengages when going downhill. the dealership told me "this was normal and all new cars did this to save gas"! i'm not that much of an idiot! cruise control is set to maintain speed.... period! please.... can you help? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet impala lst. the contact was driving in reverse approximately 5 mph when the contact noticed that the rear seats head rest were too tall and making it difficult for the driver to see the rear view window. the manufacturer was contacted and a complaint was filled but no assistance was offered. the dealer was also contacted and they stated there was nothing they could do to correct the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 1,200 and the current mileage was 2,100. updtated 2/17/11 *cn updated 03/03/11

Tl*the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet impala. the contact stated that the headrest in the middle rear of the vehicle was obstructing his view. while attempting to drive in reverse, the contact stated that he would not crash into objects since he did not have a clear view. the dealer stated that the vehicle was operating as designed. the manufacturer was notified and the contact was waiting for a response. the current mileages were 1,500 and the failure mileage was approximately 5.

Tl*the contact owns a 2011 chevrolet impala. while driving the vehicle at any speed, the contact noticed that it was difficult to see through the rear window due to the rear seat head rests blocking her view. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the vehicle was operating to standards and could not be repaired. the current and failure mileages were 11. updated 12/30/10*lj updated 01/04/11

Regarding rear seat head rests on 2011 chevy. impala lt. the 3 rear seat head rests are positioned (stationary) in such a manner that when looking in the rear view mirror it obstructs the view by at least 90%. this makes for a safety hazard when backing the vehicle. even if simply the center rear head rest was removed it would help solve the problem drastically. chevrolet site for 2011 impala has numerous complaints of owners regarding this problem. chevrolet should stand the cost to repair/adjust the above problem. it's a law suit waiting to happen. what ever the designers for this automobile were thinking is beyond me. *tr

I own a 2011 chevrolet impala which has a serious traffic hazard involving the three rear head rests affixed/sewn - which makes them non-adjustable. the problem is aggravated by the fact that the head rests are higher than most vehicles. the fixed position of these head rests block the driver's vision out of about one third of the rear window. the middle head rest is especially troublesome. i wrote general motors about this approximately 2 weeks ago and they have not responded. the sales and the service departments at the dealership are well aware of my concerns. nhtsa complaint 10358310 was also filed concerning this identical problem, i have 61 years of driving experience - all sizes/types of autos. in my considered opinion this is a design flaw. i have raised the driver's seat to the highest setting and have tried all possible adjustments to the inside and side mirrors in an attempt to solve this to no avail. *tr