Buyers Guide: Chevy Impala

Looking at large sedans (as well as other family appliance cars)  and these keep popping up.  Im mainly looking at  9th Gen ones (2005-2016) but there have been a few creampuff 8th Gen (1999-05) cars pop up too.

From what I have gathered the 3.6 offering in these is the early 3.6 engine with all the timing chain issues so I think thats a pass on my end.  But the 3.5 and the 3.9 seems to be pretty reliable.  The 8th Gen had the tried and true 3.8 and that shoud last forever. The hot rod version is the 3.9L engine, excluding the 3.6.

What bothers me is all the talk of transmission issues. We had a 1999 Lumina with the 3.8 and the 4T65-E trans and that held up through 3 highschool drivers and something like 180k miles so I am not sure what the worry is.  Shockingly, a lot of the cars for sale have bad or going bad transmissions.  Is this a common issue ? whats the fix? what causes this? 

Other then that it seems like rust is the next big killer. 

This is just a family car that needs to hold two car seats.  I have come to grips that I am in vanilla practical car territory for a bit and thats ok.

Can anyone help or offer advice or input?

My son had an 05 with the 3.8 and he loved it. He’s hard on equipment and it was pretty much trouble free for him. I know he’d like another, newer one 

Nephew just had the 4T65E rebuilt in his 05 with 245k.  And he drives...um... we'll call it spiritedly, and frequently tows a small ish boat in the 1800-lb range.  That's one individual example that may or may not help, but information for your pile.

Like any transmission, it's just time and clutch wear.  With GMs, just do a pan/filter every 60k and it will likely outlast the car.  4T60/65s tend to get some galling in the pistons/valves in the valve body.  If you catch it early (usually shows up as a 1-2 delay or a 1-2 super hard shift) and fix the valve body, you're good.

But I don't buy the internet lore that GM transmissions are wussy.  In fact, I find them to be quite robust, and often oversized/rated for the application.  I think its like the internet practically claiming that Vortec heads will crack before they even pour the iron in the mold.

I've had dozens of them.  3T, several 4L60E, 4L80E, 700r4... great pieces if you keep them clean.

2012 was the first year for the 3.6 in the Impala and it was the newer LFX engine.  However most of the 2012s had the older 3.6 LLTs timing chains.  2013+ 3.6s have updated timing chains and updared oil life monitor software that'll go to 0% by 7500 miles or less depending on your driving style.  We have a 2013 with 125k miles.  I drop the oil every 5000 miles and the transmission fluid every 10/15k miles.  Its had the front wheel bearings and steering gear replaced under extended warranty.  It still has the factory front pads and rotors on it.  Ours is a base model with cloth interior.  One of the major issues we ended up having was the abs activating when making a sharp left turn and going in and out of a driveway.  I found the wiring to the left front wheel speed sensor was damaged so I hard wired it.

9th gen police spec LS powered fun to be had.....   do it!

The transmission issues are mostly notable because GM made a bazillion of them.  If 1% have transmission issues, that is still ten mazillion, and people gripe about problems but rarely gripe about not having problems.

The 3900 and updated 3500 (coolant neck on engine, over the belt) have a coolant-dry intake, which is nice.  No coolant milkshake oil potential like the 3100/3400.

DD#2 has a 2006 with the 3.5. It's dead nuts reliable. Maybe uses a little oil, but maybe it's just leaking a tad. It's got enough pep for what it is and at 70 mph no lie it is turning a leisurely 1800 rpm.

Drives decently well and is absolutely huge inside, both cabin and trunk.

I'd absolutely recommend it for a family appliance.

I got lost after "impala", "large sedan" and then we're talking about the fwd impalas!

'Course I've rented a few cars when needed... and they have a VERY different size category rating system then me, as well 

I always liked the 231/3.8/3800 better than the 2.8/3.1/3.4. Had a few of each. No experience at all with their "newer" V6s. 
I have towed extensively with a '92 4t60, unmodified. After I no longer cared if it broke, I've towed 3500 lbs over TN/AL mountains.  More than that, local. Still shifting fine!

The 8th gen cars with the 3800 were probably the most dead nuts reliable cars I've ever come across. The only common issue I remember on those was the upper intake failure that would cause a hydro lock, but it would fill the cylinder when the car was shut off so it only caused a no crank with no real engine damage (I've never tore the engine down on one after that issue so I cant say if there was any damage to the cylinders or rings. They always ran fine afterwards, so that was good enough.) They fit four people comfortably and got 30 mpg. The problem is they are all around 20 years old now, and I doubt most are still in the "trouble free" phase of life.

In reply to gearheadmb :

I've seen a couple bent rods on 3800s where they let the upper plenums go a long time.  They will cold start misfire well before they get to that point, though.

My daughter has a 2008 LTZ, with the 3.9.  She, and her significant other, beat the beejeezus out of it.  Other than a nagging TPMS light, it runs and runs and runs.  When purchased, it did have service records, so  that helped some.

REAR STRUT TOWER RUST. 

I had a '97 LeSabre and a '00 Impala.  Both were crippled by rear srtut towers.  On the Impala, when I bought the car, it came with new rear struts still in the box but I later made the decision that things were so rusty back there, it was better to not disrupt the area trying to install new.  I still kept the car on the road.  It later met it's demise as the victim of a frontal impact completely unrelated.  

Just be sure to pull back the trunk carpeting to see the tops of the rear suspension.  

As mentioned, LeSabre...  Be sure to open your search to the keyword Buick also to find additional models similar to the Impala.  The LeSabre was later renamed the Lucerne but it is generally a tarted-up Impala.  The Buick LeCrosse is sort of a shorter wheelbase (less rear legroom) version.  

EDIT: speaking of searching "Buick"...  I went looking for an example and stumbled on this 5.3L Trailblazer twin Rainier.  Lots of power and probably crappy mpg.  

We test drove an ex cop car with a 3.6 a while back. I actually started a thread about it, and it would have made an awesome sleeper/hot rod/commuter, but this particular one just had too many little things wrong for the money they wanted 

In reply to John Welsh :

LeSabres (and Park Avenues) were a different chassis (C-body?), they had a trailing arm rear suspension, not struts and links.  The Regal/Century was the W-body shared with the Impala, that was renamed L-something.

I get my Lucerne and Lacrosses mixed up.  One's a W body and one is not.