We investigate the characteristics of a few metastable states in 2D quantum dots in the presence of complex impurity potentials. The interplay of electrical confinement potential, transverse magnetic field strength, position of the impurity centre, real and imaginary amplitudes of the complex dopant potential and their role in stabilizing or destabilizing the metastable states are analyzed. (C) 2008 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.