Did you recently rush to buy a new vehicle before tariff-related price hikes? A reporter is looking to speak with shoppers who felt pressure to act quickly due to expected cost increases; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com for more details by 4/24.

2011 Chevy Impala - Service Stabilitrak - Reduced Engine Power

scotsmanusascotsmanusa Member Posts: 4
edited May 2015 in Chevrolet

Hi all,

As I see on the forums there are many issues with what seems to be the Throttle Body, sensor etc.
Here is my wonderful story and I will be updating regularly in the next few days. I will add that I commute at least 2 hours per day and rely heavily on my car for work and to take care of my 2 children - 1 of which is special needs.

Car:
2011 Chevy Impala LS
61K miles (90% of which were highway)
Running full synthetic oil - changed every 5-6K miles

Problem:

Left work last night and not driving for more than 30 seconds when the engine light came on followed quickly by what can only be described and mild to moderate jack hammering of the car and the reduced power to engine message.
I pulled over, checked the manual - then Google/Edmunds which brought me here.

Status:

I got a ride home after securing the vehicle and came back this morning. Got it towed to the dealership and was told that it was out of bumper to bumper warranty and that it wouldn't be covered under the Powertrain warranty if it was the throttle body or any of the associated sensors.

I'm currently awaiting the call back from the dealership regarding the diagnostic result ($125) and will post everything as it becomes available in an attempt to help anyone else having a similar issue.

It's a shame too - after the research I had done on this car I thought it would be more reliable than my old 2005 Ford Focus. But since May 2013 I've now been left dead by the side of the road twice... first time with a blown thermostat!

So - as I said - waiting on service calling me back. I've also taken the liberty of emailing socialmedia@gm.com with the details of the vehicle. I'm trying to take a positive approach to this in the hope GM customer Service will pull through for one of its customers... I can only hope they do!

Good luck and safe driving! Updates coming soon!

See Also: Chevrolet Impala LTZ 2009. Accelerator pedal position sensor replacement! Easy Fix!

Tagged:

Comments

  • scotsmanusascotsmanusa Member Posts: 4

    So I sent a little email to GM regarding this issue and my situation.

    90 minutes after sending the email I received a call from a GM customer service rep that passed me through to a district agent. Linda (the agent) was exceptionally nice, took the details of the issues I'm having as well as previous issues with the vehicle (blown thermostat), contact info for the dealership/service center I dropped the car off at etc.

    She said she'd contact the service center directly to follow through and see what could be done with my case.

    Upon hanging up the service center called and confirmed that it is indeed the throttle body, that it isn't covered under the 5 year/100K powertrain (as of 2010 on all models apparently) and that it would be $650 out the door for parts & labor.

    At this time as I need the vehicle I've approved the work and will be picking it up on Saturday as I'm currently travelling for work... more updates to follow!

  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,241

    Other members might appreciate you sharing updates in our other discussion about Chevrolet Impala Reduced Engine Power

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
    Review your vehicle

  • scotsmanusascotsmanusa Member Posts: 4

    Follow-up as of today (Day 3)...

    No return call from the GM district rep but got a call today to say my vehicle had been repaired, that the GM rep had called the shop directly and that GM has discounted the cost of the repairs.

    Initial cost was an even $650 + tax ($679)
    Discounted cost is $571.98.

    At this point I'll be forking out the money as I need my car back. Not sure if anyone else has attempted to contact GM with any similar results - would be good to hear from you if you did!

    Drew

  • ajaywillajaywill Member Posts: 3
    I have the same issue with my 2011 Impala LT. Bought used in 2012, I drive quite a bit, have put approx 30K miles on the car in two years. I have had the same issue as discussed off an on for the entire time I have owned the vehicle. Fortunately, it has never happened while I am driving down the interstate yet. I have found that if I pull over and shut the car off for about 10 minutes, the system seems to "reset" and the error is gone and the vehicle drives normally. The Check Engine light stays on and then goes off in a day or two. I have not taken it to the dealer for service, because, frankly, I can't afford it right now. Especially if I am going to have to take it back several times to resolve the issue
  • aracelliaracelli Member Posts: 2
    Oh no this must be a nightmare I just bought a 2009 Impala from a used car dealership have not even have the car 2 weeks and the check monitor tire system came up along with tire traction n reduce engine power is this a recall or what is going on I am freaking out I am a mother of 2 babies n I work this is my only transportation thought I was getting a good car but oviously I didn't what can I do.???
  • sixstackersixstacker Member Posts: 1
    Hello, 
              My wife's 2011 Chevy Impala 3.5l. I've been having the same issue with my car (service stabilitrak, traction control, engine power reduced). 
    The problem is the car is a "drive by wire" car meaning there's a sensor on ur pedal the communicates with the sensor on your throttle telling it where the pedals at and how much to open the throttle. Both sensors are prone to going out and even once replaced the replacements normally only last 2-4 yrs. I know all this cause my buddy is a GM mechanic. I went to local auto store and purchased both parts and replaced myself for roughly $200 something dollars compared to there $1100 dollar job. My buddy told me the GM parts have a chance at lasting a little longer but for that price I could replace them myself 3-4 times with auto zone or advance auto parts or oriellys equivalent. So if your mechanically inclined that's the best route. They need to fix this issue cause it makes me irritated when stuff like this goes unsolved by a leading company. Now on another note my 2012 camaro is having the same problem. I mean seriously GM get on your stuff and do something.
  • tammy2016tammy2016 Member Posts: 4
    All's I know is if GM knows about this issue wasn't the thing being recalled instead of us forking out money maybe we should call the Better Business Bureau and the newspapers to get their attention I feel like they should fix that on their dime not ours. And I'm sure you won't call me or there won't be any thing from customer service
  • melly562melly562 Member Posts: 8
    tammy2016 said:

    All's I know is if GM knows about this issue wasn't the thing being recalled instead of us forking out money maybe we should call the Better Business Bureau and the newspapers to get their attention I feel like they should fix that on their dime not ours. And I'm sure you won't call me or there won't be any thing from customer service

    Hi,

    I'm not sure if you're still having issues with this but I have the same problem. We should all report the issue to http://www.nhtsa.gov/ to make GM pay for the faulty issues. Hope this helps!


  • melly562melly562 Member Posts: 8
    sixstacker said:

    Hello, 
              My wife's 2011 Chevy Impala 3.5l. I've been having the same issue with my car (service stabilitrak, traction control, engine power reduced). 
    The problem is the car is a "drive by wire" car meaning there's a sensor on ur pedal the communicates with the sensor on your throttle telling it where the pedals at and how much to open the throttle. Both sensors are prone to going out and even once replaced the replacements normally only last 2-4 yrs. I know all this cause my buddy is a GM mechanic. I went to local auto store and purchased both parts and replaced myself for roughly $200 something dollars compared to there $1100 dollar job. My buddy told me the GM parts have a chance at lasting a little longer but for that price I could replace them myself 3-4 times with auto zone or advance auto parts or oriellys equivalent. So if your mechanically inclined that's the best route. They need to fix this issue cause it makes me irritated when stuff like this goes unsolved by a leading company. Now on another note my 2012 camaro is having the same problem. I mean seriously GM get on your stuff and do something.

    If you are still having issues with this report it to the http://www.nhtsa.gov/ . I have the same issues with my car and GM won't do anything to fix it. Hopefully if enough of us with the same issues report it we can get this recalled and this will ensure GM has to fix their faulty equipment. Hope this helps!

  • melly562melly562 Member Posts: 8
    scotsmanusa said:

    Hi all,

    As I see on the forums there are many issues with what seems to be the Throttle Body, sensor etc.

    Here is my wonderful story and I will be updating regularly in the next few days. I will add that I commute at least 2 hours per day and rely heavily on my car for work and to take care of my 2 children - 1 of which is special needs.

    Car:

    2011 Chevy Impala LS

    61K miles (90% of which were highway)

    Running full synthetic oil - changed every 5-6K miles

    Problem:

    Left work last night and not driving for more than 30 seconds when the engine light came on followed quickly by what can only be described and mild to moderate jack hammering of the car and the reduced power to engine message.

    I pulled over, checked the manual - then Google/Edmunds which brought me here.

    Status:

    I got a ride home after securing the vehicle and came back this morning. Got it towed to the dealership and was told that it was out of bumper to bumper warranty and that it wouldn't be covered under the Powertrain warranty if it was the throttle body or any of the associated sensors.

    I'm currently awaiting the call back from the dealership regarding the diagnostic result ($125) and will post everything as it becomes available in an attempt to help anyone else having a similar issue.

    It's a shame too - after the research I had done on this car I thought it would be more reliable than my old 2005 Ford Focus. But since May 2013 I've now been left dead by the side of the road twice... first time with a blown thermostat!

    So - as I said - waiting on service calling me back. I've also taken the liberty of emailing socialmedia@gm.com with the details of the vehicle. I'm trying to take a positive approach to this in the hope GM customer Service will pull through for one of its customers... I can only hope they do!

    Good luck and safe driving! Updates coming soon!

    See Also: Chevrolet Impala LTZ 2009. Accelerator pedal position sensor replacement! Easy Fix!

    Hi,

    Do you have any update on this? I have the same issue as many others do with this car but GM refuses to help or acknowledge that this is an ongoing issue on this make/model of car. I reported it to the NHTSA in hopes that others have done the same so that this vehicle can get recalled for this part. Were you able to get it fixed somehow? Thanks!
  • 1wingsfan1wingsfan Member Posts: 2
    This is now happening to my 2011 Impala. How can this not be a safety recall since when the service stabilization reduce power message comes on I have VERY LITTLE BRAKE PEDAL ALSO. It's been happening more and more but tonight was the first time while I was exiting the freeway and couldn't stop in time for the light...luckily there were no cars around....I had very little brake pedal....how is this even allowed to reduce engine power which reduces brake pedal. I looked this up here and it seems to happen a lot and on you tube there must be dozens of people with the same problem......and their not all impalas but they are all chevys. Every you tube video seemed to have a different solution....from a $25.00 fix to more than a thousand dollars. W
  • thecardoc3thecardoc3 Member Posts: 5,840
    edited February 2017
    Watching video's on You Tube isn't how to diagnose a given failure. Every car has to be evaluated on exactly what it is doing whether the symptom appears similar to another vehicle's problem or not.

    Since you are saying that the car failed to stop and you have very little brake pedal, STOP DRIVING THE CAR until it is repaired correctly. This isn't about whether there is a warranty or a recall, this is about responsible ownership and operation of a machine. Since the brakes are not working correctly, the vehicle should be towed to a shop to have it looked at and repaired. Without looking at this and proving what is going on, anything that anyone would say would be a guess and guesses are more likely to be wrong than right. But the first guess or impression is that you have more than one problem with the car, the first of which is a brake system issue that is causing the low pedal and inability to stop. Once that is dealt with then whatever is left (if anything) can be attended to.
  • jlmo247jlmo247 Member Posts: 2
    2009 Chevy Impala SS purchased new from the showroom floor. Started this problem back in 2011. Swapped nearly everything out. No good. Read an article about it, so now trying Ethanol-free gas. Hasn't happened since. But, as we know, the reduced engine power is random. But, so far, so good.

    I'm beating the drum to bring others into this practice. Stop using Ethanol-laced gas. I believe it is killing our engines.
  • captinbandwagncaptinbandwagn Member Posts: 4
    This has happened to me twice now. The "engine operating at reduced power" while driving.
    The first time, 15 min after that message appeared, the car powered off; so No power brakes, No power steering, No lights. I learned if you pull off and let the engine cool, you can drive it again. Te codes all go away, even the check engine light went out. No need to panic and call a tow truck. A new throttle body (comes with position sensor) costs around $150 at a parts store and is super easy to install and only took 10 minutes.
  • mimimayhemmimimayhem Member Posts: 1
    My 2011 Impala is currently at the dealership for this same reason and I am wondering what sort of ridiculous charges they will come back with. But let me give you the back story. I have had this car for not even 6 months. My mother bought it in her name for me to make payments on (sight unseen for me), I was a little annoyed at the time, but I really needed a vehicle and she swore she looked the car over and over. The car had 65,000 miles on it and the day I drove it off the lot in December the heat didn't work and started making a loud clacking noise. My 1 year old was cranky and screaming and we just needed to get home. I was finally able to get the car back in a couple weeks later and they stated it was an actuator door problem and fixed it. The heat worked for MAYBE a month, and then quit working. So I took it back. I was told that time that it was a blower motor issue and I had a deductible on my "glorious extended warranty" that my mother added to the car. The heat/AC made it another a couple weeks before it intermittently quits working so they are also fixing that AGAIN for this current trip. (I better not have to pay another ded.)There have been so many trips in between, I will spare you the details but I will go ahead and list the items that have been serviced on this car in the past 5 months just since I took ownership. Actuator Door, speedometer console (the car would bog down and shake violently anytime I went over 60 mph), blower motor (2 or 3 times, can't remember now), wheel bearing, "new" (certified used) transmission (yes, you read that correctly), a cluster control, two head lights (because every time the heat quits working I lose a head light, strange coincidence) and a hub assembly. When I bring my dissatisfaction up to the dealership, I am told, "what do you expect for a used car with 70,000 miles?" I expect a whole hell of a lot more than this. I always purchase vehicles around 5-10 years old with 60-80,000 miles and have NEVER had these types of issues. My sister has a base model dodge wagon that she drives 189 miles A DAY and has never had ANY of these issues. My mother purchased her vehicle from this same dealer, it's the same year and has 20,000 MORE miles than this car and doesn't have these issues. These are not routine maintenance issues. There is clearly something wrong with this model and has multiple issues which I believe snowball into other issues and we are getting stuck with the bill. My husband and I both work full time, we have a toddler and a special needs son. Every time I have to take this car back in is a HUGE inconvenience and the only compensation I get is another impala loaner car that never has gas in it when I get to it. They once had my car for over two weeks when they tried to tell me there was nothing wrong with it. Then I get a call that this is wrong, and this is wrong and it needs a new transmission??!! (I got the car back on E by the way, so nice right?). I will update you on what happens in the next few days but I will be going to the Ohio Attorney General to file a complaint because I'm over it. I don't know what the stabilitrak,is or why the brake assist and traction control assist need serviced or how much it costs but for their sake, I hope it's covered under my awesome extended warranty because I may lose it. This is nonsense and the worse used car I have EVER had. I want a tradesy, take back, swapsy..something because it's just awful!
  • 09impalanightmare09impalanightmare Member Posts: 1
    My check engine light went off and service traction control system also, that was in January 2019. I have a 2009 Impala. Had the pedal sensor replaced and all was good till July 2019. The light went on and EPR message was back. Can’t go pass 60 mph!! And now there’s an awful rattle under the hood. I had the throttle body replaced this weekend the car was good for 3 days and boom!! It started again!! I’m at my wits end! What else could it be?
  • WismamaWismama Member Posts: 1
    HELP! I have a 2011 impala, have owned for 2yrs. I turned a corner on Halloween and boom. Suddenly i see service traction control, service stabilitrak, check engine light is on and car now shakes (worse in reverse) and generally sounds like crap. All was fine before the dreadful turn. Tried to get computer scanned, well cant. Guy at auto zone says the fuze must be blown for reading the codes. Well i cant find any blown fuzes. Talked to a 40yr veteran mechanic and he says it could be my catalitic converter and to get it in asap as im likely causing alot of damage driving it.
  • SinCitySinnerSinCitySinner Member Posts: 1
    edited December 2024

    Don't know if anyone ever figured the problem out. But there shoukd be a TSB on these 06-13 Impalas. You need to replace the SPEED SENSOR WIRING HARNESS ON BOTH FRONT WHEELS. There is a chunk of wire from the speed sensor that runs along the subframe from the sensor. The wire is very tight. And gets damaged when turning. You can buy a replacement harness with the sensor clip on Rockauto for about 80 dollars each. Don't purchase the aftermarket Dorman product. It's cheaper but doesn't last. I replaced both of mine with new OEM wires. And I zip-tied the wire along the subframe. Instead of using the push clips. Don't let the idiot mechanics at the dealership tell you it's the wheel hub. This is a known problem with the 1 1/2 foot piece of wiring harness. Here is the part number. Purchase 2 of them. If 1 is bad. They're both probably bad. GM - 10340314. Buy it on Rockauto. It's a lot cheaper there. This will take care of the stabilitrak, traction control that keeps flashing. And that grind noise you hear when the traction control kicks in momentarily.

Sign In or Register to comment.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles