The 1981 Chevrolet Impala has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 23,723 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 2 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the electrical system. Last updated July 5, 2026.
ACCELERATOR PUMP LEVER RETAINING PIN MAY LOOSEN AFTER REPEATED HEAVY ACCELERATOR PEDAL APPLICATIONS. THIS COULD CAUSE THE THROTTLE TO BECOME STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION.
DEALER WILL INSTALL A SPECIAL COTTER PIN, TO RETAIN THE ACCELERATOR PUMP PIN, AND A SPRING CLIP THRUST WASHER ON THE ACCELERATOR PUMP LINK.
THE INVOLVED VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN ASSEMBLED WITH A BRAKE PEDAL SUPPORT BRACKET WHICH WAS DESIGNED FOR USE IN DIESEL ENGINE VEHICLES. THE INCORRECT BRACKET MAY CAUSE THE SERVICE BRAKES TO REMAIN PARTIALLY APPLIED, RESULTING IN BRAKE OVERHEATING AND REDUCED BRAKING EFFECTIVENESS.
DEALER WILL INSPECT VEHICLES AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE PEDAL SUPPORT BRACKET AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“After sitting in parking lot for (2) hours vehicle began to smoke, fire broke out around starter. Tt”
“Engine compartment fire.(ohio traffic report)”
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 1981 Chevrolet Impala as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.