How many miles can a Chevy Impala last? When you’re in the market for a new or second-hand Impala, that’s a very reasonable question to ask. After all, you’re probably looking to get the most bang for your buck. In this blog, we’ll look at this question in great detail but first, let’s start with a quick answer:
On average, a Chevy Impala lasts between 230.000 – 250.000 miles. An Impala needs to go to the garage for unscheduled repairs about 0.21 times per year, with a 13% chance of severe problems. Furthermore, Chevy Impala owners spend an average of $568 per year on repair costs.
That’s almost $100 less than the average yearly upkeep cost of a Chevy which is typically $649 a year.
Having said that, we’re certainly not done. Below, we’ll explain in more detail how many miles a Chevy Impala can last. After that, we’ll also show you how much an Impala costs annually and which production years are the most and least expensive. Furthermore, we also discuss the common problems that the car can have. Read on!
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How Many Miles Can A Chevy Impala Last?
To answer this question, we did research using Autotrader.com. We used a sample size of 5,005 Impalas that were for sale in the United States. Then, we divided this sample size into groups based on the mileage they had already driven. The results of this statistical analysis are displayed in the table below.
| Amount Of Miles | Percentage Of Cars |
| Cars With 150.000+ | 8.6% |
| Cars With 100.000 – 149.000 | 25.4% |
| Cars With 45.000 – 99.999 | 45% |
| Cars With 0 – 44.999 | 15.6% |
The statistical data shows that the percentage of Chevy Impala’s reaching the 150,000+ mark is 8.6% which is a good number compared to the average 3%-4% that we typically see in sedans. It shows us that the Impala is used as a commuter car and that there are definitely models reaching higher mileage.
In this sample size, 430 models already crossed the 150,000 miles mark, which gives us an indication of what it’s capable of. However, that’s certainly not a complete answer so let us dive deeper.
How Reliable Is A Chevy Impala Compared To Its Competitors?
The next question is whether the Impala is better or even comparable to its competitors in the market. To answer this, we have created a table below that gives us an overview of the comparison between the Impala and its rivals: the Dodge Charger, Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry, Nissan Maxima, and Chrysler 300.
For all of these vehicles, we’ve already done the same research and written separate articles about them; this gives us a clear understanding of what each model is capable of.
| Model | Sample Size | Expected Mileage | Highest Mileage |
| Chevrolet Impala | 5.500 | 240.000 | 323.000 |
| Dodge Charger | 10.330 | 215.000 | 298.000 |
| Ford Taurus | 2.803 | 190.000 | 260.000 |
| Toyota Camry | 23.358 | 270.000 | 330.000 |
| Nissan Maxima | 3.881 | 240.000 | 309.000 |
| Chrysler 300 | 4.152 | 200.000 | 330.000 |
Right off the bat, we can see that the Impala and the Camry are ahead of all the others and show promising expected mileage numbers of 240.000 and 270.000 miles, respectively, with the Camry performing a little better than the Impala.
Next, we have the highest mileage reached by these cars, and we can see that on top, we have the Chrysler 300 and the Toyota Camry, which have certain cars reach the 330.000 miles mark. However, all vehicles seem to do well in this category, with most of them, except the Taurus, reaching a figure close to or more than 300.000 miles.
Overall, we have to conclude that the Impala stands its ground compared to its competitors in terms of its expected lifespan.
How Reliable Is A Chevy Impala Compared To Other Chevys?
After comparing the Impala with its competitors, it is also important to see how the Impala performs compared to other Chevys. In the image below, we have compared the Impala with other Chevy models to understand the expected reliability of the brand as a whole.
From the statistics, we can see that the Impala performs very strong compared to all other models of Chevy, especially when compared to other sedans such as the Cruze, Cobalt, and Volt. What’s even more interesting is that the Impala is capable of holding its own compared to most of the SUVs that Chevy makes.
Furthermore, we can also conclude that Chevy does seem to build cars that are made to last a long time, with most of them having an expected mileage of 200.000 miles or higher.
How Much Does Maintenance Cost Per Year?
Now that we have discussed the comparison of both the Impala with its rivals and with other Chevy’s, we will look into the repair and maintenance costs that come with the Impala. For this purpose, we used Repairpal.com and Caredge.com and created the table below showing the average maintenance costs categorized by their manufacturing year.
Before we get into this, it’s essential to know that the average maintenance cost for the Impala is $568 per year. Still, we will see that some model years are definitely better than the others when discussing cost-effectiveness.
| Year of Manufacturing | Chevy Impala Maintenance Cost |
| 2020 | $327 |
| 2019 | $423 |
| 2018 | $448 |
| 2017 | $495 |
| 2016 | $503 |
| 2015 | $537 |
| 2014 | $579 |
| 2013 | $603 |
| 2012 | $586 |
| 2011 | $587 |
| 2010 | $534 |
| 2009 | $505 |
| 2008 | $459 |
| 2007 | $410 |
From this data, we can see that the 2013 model has the highest maintenance cost per year compared with other model years due to some issues with this model. Other models end up between the average of $400-$500, but we can see that the pre-2017 models down to the 2010 model year have higher maintenance costs as compared to the newer models built between 2017 – 2020.
Owners’ Reviews Of The Impala’s Reliability
Besides knowing all the data, it’s, of course, also essential to see how owners experience the Impala. For this, we went to Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, and Truecar.com. All three platforms have gathered hundreds of reviews from actual car owners. We summarized our findings in the image below.
What we found is that most owners are relatively positive about the reliability of the Impala as well as how they experience owning it in general. We did however, see that owning an Impala that was manufactured from 2016 onwards ( halfway through the tenth generation) ended up being a much more positive experience for many people compared to the ninth generation and the first half of the tenth generation (2006 – 2016)
Overall, the tenth generation received scores between 4.2 and 4.5 / 5 stars, whereas the ninth generation got below 4 stars. The lower rating of the ninth generation is mainly because the car did end up having some build quality issues such as problems with the transmission (2011), heater (2007), and excessive oil consumption (2006).
Most cars today have little style. They must then have quality, comfort, enough power and handling. This Impala has all of that and a good value in today’s market. – 2020 owner
Source
Chevy Impala Common Problems
Now we will discuss some common problems and issues that you might face with the Chevy Impala. From the research we did, we found that the Impala did not appear to have any significant issues from 2016 onwards. However, the model years before did have noticeable problems, especially in the ninth generation.
NOTE: Before buying a used car, I always like to make sure the vehicle isn´t having any problems that you should be aware of. The easiest way to do this is by buying an OBD2 scanner. These scanners can easily be plugged into any car you’re interested in, and they’ll give you a rundown of potential problems.
Tenth-Generation (2014 – 2020)
If you’re in the market for a tenth-generation Impala then it’s good to know to stay away from the 2014 – 2015 model years. This is because these cars are lemons and have been recalled an incredible amount of times for problems related to bad wiring harnesses.
The problem with a bad wiring harness is that it’s responsible for numerous electrical functions in the car and that these all start to malfunction randomly. Especially the 2014 model year was recalled for the following electrical problems (in brackets, their corresponding recall numbers).
- Occupant sensing system malfunctions (15V465000), Electronic parking brake drags (15V202000), the chassis electronic module is contaminated (14V614000), airbags won’t deploy in a crash (14V518000), loss of power steering (14V450000), and flashing brake lights (13V220000).
The 2015 model had to deal with the aftermath of these electrical problems. However, from 2016 onwards and all the way up to the 2020 model year, the Impala has been incredibly pain-free for almost all owners. Furthermore, only the 2018 and 2019 model year had one recall for insufficient coating on the brake pistons.
Ninth-Generation (2006 – 2014)
One of the most common and highly reported problems for almost all of the pre-2016 model years of the Impala is the erratic or hard shifting of gears due to the fault in the transmission solenoid, causing the lack of pressure and resulting in this issue.
This was mainly noticeable in the 2004 – 2006 and 2010 – 2011 models with a 4T65E transmission. A faulty solenoid also caused the slipping of gears. To solve this issue, the transmission solenoid needed to be replaced with a new one costing an average of $220.
Furthermore, the 6T70 automatic transmission of the ninth-generation Impala had problems with potential damage when a faulty input speed sensor or output speed sensor was being repaired. The splined steering knuckle could fall out, causing damage to the clock springs.
Furthermore, the electrical problems that were a problem in the 2014 – 2015 model of the Impala originated in the ninth generation. Not a single model year of the ninth generation doesn’t have widespread electrical problems that have caused everything from power steering loss to malfunctioning heaters. Overall, the ninth generation is a generation to stay away from.
Is A Chevy Impala A Smart Buy?
After discussing and analyzing all the aspects of the Impala, the question arises whether the Impala is actually a worthy vehicle or not.
First, the statistics from all comparisons show that the tenth generation of the Impala has strong reliability standards regarding mileage and reliability. It performs strongly compared to its competitors and other Chevy models. So the numbers we got from there are in favor of the Impala.
Next, we probed the maintenance costs for each model year and discussed this car’s common problems. From this analysis, we have concluded that although it is reliable regarding mileage, the Impala has a lot of issues that have carried on for many model years. This is especially true for the ninth generation and the tenth generation’s 2014 – 2015 model year.
Finally, it is essential to know that the depreciation value for the Impala after six years is 56%, according to Caredge.com. Assuming the car has an average mileage of 12,000 miles per year. This is higher than the average value of 43%-53%.
This means it does not hold its value very well and can be found cheap in the used market. This is a good sign for someone looking for a 2016 – 2020 Impala because they can be found at relatively affordable prices.
Are you in the market for this Chevy? Don’t forget to check out our extensive list of the largest Chevy dealers per state!
Chevy Impala Maintenance Schedule
To achieve the Impala’s expected mileage, it is necessary to keep it maintained and in check throughout its lifespan to keep everything running smoothly. Below is the Chevy Impala maintenance schedule, which shows what repairs need to be done and at what mileage.
Before/On Every 5,000 Miles
This is a general inspection and service which requires the inspection of the oil levels and filter conditions. This sets up an estimated maintenance plan for your car.
Before/ On Every 10,000 Miles
- Change the oil.
- Change filter.
- Tire rotation.
Before/On Every 15,000 Miles
This inspection is not particularly necessary, but getting the brake pads inspected at this mileage is favorable to avoid any hazardous situations.
Before/On Every 20,000 Miles
- Replacement of tires
- Brake pad replacement
- Filter change
It is also necessary to check for any fuel or coolant leaks at this point.
Before/On Every 30,000 Miles
- Replace the transmission fluid
- Replace spark plugs
- Change air filters
- Change fuel filters
Also, get the tires, and brake pads checked for wear and faults.
Before/On Every 40,000 Miles
- Tire rotation
- Brake pad replacement
- Flushing out the coolant and replacing it with a new one
- Transmission service
- Filter change
Before/On Every 60,000 Miles
This service generally includes more fluid replacements such as that of the transmission and engine coolants. The inspection should include checking the visual appearance of the fluids.
- Replace engine coolant
- Replace transmission fluid
- Change spark plugs
- Replacement or adjustment of the timing belt
Before/On Every 90,000 Miles
At this stage, the mechanic should make a more extensive checklist of inspections, along with the usual checking of the car’s filters, fluids, and brake pads.
Before/On Every 100,000 Miles
At this stage, it is customary to see wear and tears in the belts and hoses, resulting in oil and fuel leaks occurring more often. From this point onwards, it is highly recommended to keep your car in check for repairs and services as it is more likely to develop problems that might be high priced.
Other Maintenance Tips
To extend the lifespan of your car, it is essential to keep changing the oil every 5,000-7,000 miles. It is also recommended to keep changing the air and fuel filters as they are subject to a lot of dust and impurities from the air and the fuel and can hinder your car’s overall performance. Lastly, keep the spark plugs, filters, transmission fluids, suspension parts, etc., in check and repair to ensure that they do not create significant problems in the future.
Closing Thoughts
For decades, the Chevy Impala has been synonymous with American automotive ingenuity. In today’s review, we explore the mileage of the Impala, revealing an impressive lifespan of 230,000 to 250,000 miles on average. Moreover, it’s heartening to note that unscheduled repairs are infrequent, and the Impala’s annual upkeep is often more economical than other Chevy models. To sum up, the Chevy Impala’s durability and cost-effective maintenance make it an attractive choice for those seeking both reliability and value in their vehicle choice.
Hi! My name is Stefan; I’m the owner and lead writer at TheDriverAdviser.com.
I’m an active writer on this blog myself, as well as a novice car mechanic. For the really technical stuff, I find writers with experience as a mechanic or who have studied mechanical engineering.
Read more about our fantastic team on our about page!