Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1981 Impala.
The 1981 Chevrolet Impala carries a modest documented footprint with just two recorded owner complaints, both clustered in the engine and engine cooling category, alongside a pair of factory recalls that mark its official service history. While the broader Impala complaint record spans 1991 through 2020 — peaking at 1,071 reports for the 2004 model year and bottoming out at a single complaint for 1997 — the 1981 vintage sits well outside that surveillance window, leaving its long-term reliability narrative shaped almost entirely by those two early complaints and two recalls rather than any extended trend data.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Overall length | 212.2 in |
| Overall width | 75.2 in |
| Overall height | 56.3 in |
| Wheelbase | 116.1 in |
| Curb weight | 3622 lb |
0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.
Independent road tests for the Impala of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Custom Hardtop Coupe 6.6L V8 | 11.20 sec | 20.50 sec | 170 hp | RWD |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The 1981 Chevrolet Impala shows minimal reported activity, with a single complaint each for the Electrical System and Engine & Engine Cooling. The data specifically records two fire complaints and zero crash complaints for this target year. In the context of the provided federal record from 1991 to 2020, the 1981 model's issues are negligible compared to the significant trend of instability seen in later years, such as 2004 which reached 1,071 complaints. The data does not specify the root cause for the fire or system complaints reported for 1981. Because this year falls well outside the high-volume complaint and recall arcs seen from 2000 onward, this is a good year to buy.
All 2 complaints on record, top 2 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
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… Remedy: DEALER WILL INSPECT VEHICLES AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE PEDAL SUPPORT BRACKET AT NO CHARGE TO OWNER.
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. Remedy: 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 most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.