Chevrolet›Impala Limited›2016›Overview/chevrolet/impala-limited/2016/base/

2016 Chevrolet Impala Limited

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2016 Impala Limited.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic 6-spd

The 2016 Chevrolet Impala Limited is a full-size passenger car pairing a 6-speed automatic transmission with an engine that holds 6.0 quarts of oil in either 5W-30 or 0W-30 viscosity, returning EPA fuel economy estimates of 18 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined. It also stands as the most complaint-heavy year of the model's 2014–2016 production run, accumulating 786 owner reports — a sharp jump from the 288 logged in 2015 — with engine-related issues leading the field and the nameplate carrying 9 recalls across the covered period. For a researcher mapping the Impala Limited's reliability arc, 2016 represents an unmistakable negative peak, and the magnitude of the year-over-year swing is itself a finding worth underscoring.

Model year2016 2015

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.0 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 / 0W-30OEM · verified

EPA fuel economy18/29/22 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 34 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731742. Note the factory engine air filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 34 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP235/50R18OEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731742 alt 25206377
Engine air filter	20862288 discontinued
Spark plug	12681660
Battery	88866304 alt 88866303
Front wiper blades	23367644 alt 23366232
Serpentine belt	12636139
Cabin air filter	84557894

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 6-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	200.4 in
Overall width	72.8 in
Overall height	58.7 in
Wheelbase	110.6 in
Curb weight	3556 lb
Track (front / rear)	61.8 / 62.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	61/39

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	18 / 29 / 22 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume	105 cu ft
Cargo volume	19 cu ft
Recommended fuel	Regular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.0 qt of 5W-30 / 0W-30 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	DEXRON(R)-VI Automatic Transmission Fluid.
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	5.3
Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	Dex Cool
Engine Coolant Capacity	9.1 qt
Engine Oil	5W-30 · SAE 5W · synthetic · SAE 0W
Engine Oil Capacity	6.0 qt
Power Steering Fluid	GM part number 89021185

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs	89 inch lbs. ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Steering Track (Rod End) Bolts

74.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug Manufacturer	Ac Delco
Spark Plug Gap	.037 - .043 in
Spark Plug Torque	13 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.25-1.50 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	5.0-5.1 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	34
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	600 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	34

Service checks

Pressure Test	15, Pressure should not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)	43-58 psi at idle psi
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50-100
Engine Compression	125 psi

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier Torque	Front: 36; Rear: 32 /; Front: 26; Rear: 32
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt Torque	Front: 133; Rear: 88 /; Front: 133; Rear: 88
ABS Sensor Torque	7.5 / NS
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for Replacement	Front: 1.126; Rear: .492
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness after Refinish	Front: 1.142; Rear: .512
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation	.001
Maximum Rotor Runout	.002

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages

22.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: loosen all bolts completely, Step 3: 18.0 ft. lbs., Step 4: 110

22 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Do not allow oil on cylinder head or head bolt bosses · M11 Bolts:

1	22.0 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
2	150 degrees; M8 Bolts:	150 degrees
1	11.0 ft. lbs.	11 ft. lbs
2	75 degrees	75 degrees

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Do not allow oil on cylinder head or head bolt bosses · M11 Bolts:

1	22.0 ft. lbs.	22 ft. lbs
2	150 degrees; M8 Bolts:	150 degrees
1	11.0 ft. lbs.	11 ft. lbs
2	75 degrees	75 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 97,500 mi.

Every 7,500 mi	Accelerator Pedal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (inspect fluid level) · Engine Oil (inspect fluid level)
Every 22,500 mi	Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 45,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 97,500 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2016 Impala saw a sharp rise in consumer complaints (786) compared with the preceding years—619 in 2014 and only 288 in 2015—while recall activity rebounded modestly to nine, higher than the three recalls in 2015 but still well below the 12 issued in 2014. Investigations remained at zero for both 2015 and 2016, indicating no formal NHTSA probes despite the complaint spike, and technical service bulletins (TSBs) continued a downward trend (1,305 in 2016 versus 1,417 in 2015 and 1,800 in 2014). The most frequent complaint categories in 2016 were Engine (77 reports), Unknown/Other (73), Power Train (56) and Electrical System (45), suggesting the surge is spread across core vehicle systems rather than a single dominant defect. Crash‑related complaints were modest (19) and fire reports minimal (2), reinforcing that safety‑critical failures were not the primary driver of the higher complaint count. Overall, 2016 sits at the peak of a complaint upswing while recall numbers are moderate, implying heightened owner dissatisfaction but no confirmed systemic safety issue; buyers should weigh the increased complaints against the relatively low recall count before deciding if this year meets their risk tolerance.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

1305

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

786

Owner complaints

19 involved a crash · 2 a fire

NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars

Overall★★★★★

Frontal★★★★★

Side★★★★★

Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’14 ’15’16

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 786 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine77

Unknown Or Other73

Power Train56

Electrical System45

Vehicle Speed Control33

Service Brakes31

Vehicle Speed Control,Engine27

Electrical System,Engine23

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1305 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP4902S	2025-06-09	Unknown Or Other	This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
15-NA-010	2025-05-07	Engine	This service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel for new vehicles with…
PI0281L	2025-04-17	Steering	This preliminary informational (PI) bulletin provides information to dealership personnel…
PIT5551R	2025-04-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary information communicates a "Forward Collision System Reduced" message…
18-NA-069	2025-04-09	Electrical System	This service bulletin provides a service procedure to correct conditions of Poor Engine…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420

Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1

P0300

Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected

P0171

System too lean — Bank 1

P0455

Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak

P0128

Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature

P0442

Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN

Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Impala Limited. OEM

Build data

Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.

Recalls

Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 34 battery Vehicles taking 6.0 qt Engine oil filter 12731742 Engine air filter 20862288 Spark plug 12681660 Battery 88866304

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2016 Impala Limited take?

6.0 qt of 5W-30 meeting GM Dexos 1 specification or equivalent. Where temperatures fall below -20 degreesF, GM recommends using either an SAE 5W-30 synthetic oil or an SAE 0W-30 oil., per the factory manual.

Does the 2016 Impala Limited have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 9 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Impala Limited get?

EPA figures are 18 city / 29 highway / 22 combined mpg.