Chevrolet Impala · Engine family · 5 offered

Chevrolet Impala 3.8L six-cylinder

The L36 is the most common engine code the VIN decodes to on the 3.8L six-cylinder configurations below; hybrid variants of the same displacement carry their own code. We decode it on 16,298 VINs across 23 factory builds, and 49 listings are reported active. The configuration price reference is $4,995.

Cylinders
6
Induction
Naturally aspirated
Fuel
Gasoline
Fitted
2000–2005

◷ Updated September 28, 2026 ▤ National asking prices, refreshed nightly

$4,995
Configuration price reference
49
On sale today with the 3.8L 6-cyl
2000–2005
Model years it was fitted
23
Factory configurations
16,298
Impala VINs decoded with it

The price reference is the median of configuration medians, not the median of all active cars. Each configuration has equal weight. Configurations with at least 3 priced listings are used when available; otherwise the reference uses the configurations with a recorded price. Model years, mileage and condition vary. Open a model-year report below for its asking prices across all engines.

Where the 3.8L 6-cyl sits in the Impala engine lineup

Every engine family this model was sold with, ordered by size. The bar spans the model years recorded for it; the price is a reference across priced configurations, with each configuration weighted equally. Older engines look cheaper because the cars are older — overlapping years alone do not match the vehicles by age, trim, mileage or condition.

2.5L 4-cyl
2014–2019
$10,892
615 on sale
3.5L 6-cyl
2006–2011
$5,495
727 on sale
3.6L 6-cyl
2012–2020
$12,900
2,180 on sale
3.8L 6-cyl this page
2000–2005
$4,995
49 on sale
3.9L 6-cyl
2006–2011
$5,380
170 on sale

5 engine families, one nameplate. Open the Chevrolet Impala price hub to compare them side by side, or to jump into any of the others.

Which Impala years got a 3.8L 6-cyl engine

Every model year this engine was fitted to, newest first. The bar is how much of the family's VIN volume sits in that year — long bars are the years this engine was everywhere.

Year Share of VINs VINs On sale Builds
2005 3,155 14 5 2004 4,491 13 6 2003 3,257 10 4
2002 2,207 4 2
2001 1,640 6 3
2000 1,548 2 3

VIN counts come from our decode of the model's build patterns, not from live listings. A year link opens the full Impala report for that year — every engine of the model, not just this one.

23 factory configurations with this engine

Each one is a distinct build as the VIN decodes it — trim, body, gearbox and equipment. Open a build sheet for its full spec and the VINs recorded on it.

2005

5 builds

2004

6 builds

2003

4 builds

2002

2 builds

2001

3 builds

2000

3 builds

Every 2005 Impala build →

The 3.8L 6-cyl Impala: common questions

Which Impala years have the 3.8L 6-cyl?

2000–2005, without a break — 6 model years in our VIN decode, across 23 factory configurations and 16,298 VINs.

What does a 3.8L 6-cyl Impala cost?

$4,995 is a configuration price reference: the median of configuration medians, with each priced configuration weighted equally. It is not a listing-level median or a valuation of an individual car. The year-by-year ladder shows VIN and inventory counts; its links open model-year price reports covering all engines.

What is the engine code, and does it matter?

L36 — the code the VIN decodes to on the configurations on this page. It matters when you order parts or read a service history: the same displacement badge on another model can be a different code with different outputs.

3.8L 6-cyl Impala on the market

Individual vehicles carrying this engine, each with its own listing-history page. The sample is pinned to fixed VIN buckets, so it does not reshuffle day to day.