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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
19,736 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 Chevrolet Malibu drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2018 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments (Page 4 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #85

Aug 282022

Malibu

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving 35 mph when the message "reduced engine power" and it noticably slowed down. The check engine light is still on. I researched recalls/problems with the 2018 Chevy Malibu and this is one major one I found.

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #84

Aug 122022

Malibu

  • miles
I was leaving the gas station and when I got ready to pull off into traffic the car stalled. Flashed a message saying the automatic steering was disabled or something drive with care. I go out this morning and it won't start at all. It cranks but won't turn.

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #83

Apr 262022

Malibu

  • miles
While im driving the stabilitrack warning will pop on then the engine light & immediately after my car will jerk to a almost stop. Then when I try to press on the gas peddle it will go slow but my peddle power goes to a 4. The dealership said it was my tire speed sensors so I got them replaced all to STILL have the same problem. It will also read power stirring not available & shift to park even tho I-??m already in park.

- Norton Shores, MI, USA

problem #82

Jun 242022

Malibu

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Son was driving my 2018 Malibu with 90,000 miles. Check engine light came on and car reduced speed from 75mph to 40mph on interstate! Autozone reading says replace Variable Camshaft Timing Solenoid. Very dangerous situation. Chevy should have to fix this.

- Nacogdoches , TX, USA

problem #81

Jun 112022

Malibu 4-cyl

  • 15,050 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while entering the vehicle, there was a warning light illuminated and a message stating: Action Required Place Vehicle in Park; however, the vehicle was already in park. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed that the harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,050.

- Dayton, OH, USA

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problem #80

Apr 302022

Malibu

  • miles
my 2018 malibu premier with 12600 miles on it, parking sensor, and wiring harness is defective. The shop tells me gm knows about it and recommends replacing them. when you park the car and turn it off it does not go into park, you can not lock the car, and the radio keeps playing. If you do not shake the shifter it stays that way. If you do not have the radio on and you get out and close the door and walk away you do not know it. They want $450 to fix it as long as all goes well.I feel there should be a recall on this since they put in faulty parts and have notified their dealers.

- Cumberland, MD, USA

problem #79

May 152022

Malibu

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I got the error message, "Shift to Park" after putting my car in park. Thus, my car would not fully turn off, affecting the battery. This is a known issue with various make, models, and years of Chevrolet vehicles. If this had happened anywhere but home, if would have left me stranded. The dealership confirmed it was a known issue as they have had to fix many of these vehicles. The bill was extremely pricey.

- Sedalia, MO, USA

problem #78

May 132022

Malibu

  • miles
Component/System: Transmission shift control not correctly sensing vehicle has been placed in parked condition. Symptom: After parking and shutting off engine, message is displayed "Shift to Park" and car dings and lights and electronics will not turn off. Started about a week ago and was intermittent. Jiggling the transmission shift handle would always cause message to go away and electronics to turn off. Today, no amount of manipulating the transmission control handle will shut off the message. Tried to leave car in garage but lights and radio kept running. Decided to manually shut off lights and radio/info system hoping system will time out and shut down on its own. Finally got in contact with dealership who recommended I disconnect the battery cable until I can get the car into the shop. Safety concern: Though transmission can be verified as being in park, electronics will not shut down, thereby potentially allowing the electrical system to drain battery and not allowing car to be started when needed. Also, a bit concerned it was suggested by dealership I disconnect battery cable to eliminate power drain while "Shift to Park" error is occurring. Problem reproduced/confirmed by dealer: Not yet as the problem had a rapid onset from intermittent to full time over the course of a week. Having a bit of difficulty getting appointment scheduled that will get problem investigated and fixed. Loaner cars were discontinued last December and I live too far from dealership to be driven home. Inspection: No inspection has yet occurred; however, I have taken picture of "Shift to Park" message while transmission control handle is in the park position. Prior indications: There were no other signs of a problem. "Shift to Park" simply started and was intermittent over the course of a week. Jiggling the transmission control handle would quickly resolve the issue, then today, it has no impact.

- Ooltewah, TN, USA

problem #77

Apr 212022

Malibu

  • miles
Suddenly and at random times check engine light comes on with error -??Engine power is reduced-?? car will no longer accelerate even at freeway speeds causing a very dangerous situation. Has happened several times and continues to happen. According to other complaints this is very common and reoccurring for Malibu and needs to be covered by Chevy to resolve issue.

- Mcminnville, OR, USA

problem #76

Mar 202022

Malibu

  • 42,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 40 MPH independently. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road for five minutes. The contact was able to continue to drive with no other issues. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred twice while driving. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

- Columbus, IN, USA

problem #75

Apr 092022

Malibu

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Shift to park error message. Sensor in the parking shift module is malfunctioning.

- El Paso, TX, USA

problem #74

Sep 272021

Malibu

  • miles
The harness and shifter solenoid went bad in my car. When I was on the highway, it stalled causing me to have to pull over onside the road. I nearly got hit in the rear by an 18-wheeler. There was an TSB on the make, model, and year of the car, but GM did not inform their customers of the issue and the dangerous situation one could be in if the car decided to malfunction in the middle of traffic. I was almost rear-ended from behind by an 18-wheeler while on the highway going 60 miles per hour. I also was stranded on the side of the road because they said they could not send anyone out. Malcolm Cunningham Chevrolet, a local Chevy dealer is aware of the issues with the vehicles, but when I bought my vehicle into the shop to get fixed, they lied and said I had wasted something in my car. They provided no pictures of the spills or pictures of the parts with the contamination that they claimed it had on it. The only person that inspected my car was Logan and the other technicians at Malcolm Cunningham Chevrolet in Augusta, Georgia. No, there was no warning lights indicating my harness and solenoid needed to be checked.

- Waynesboro, GA, USA

problem #73

Feb 222022

Malibu

  • miles
engine shuts off with out warning. shuts completely off sitting a stop light and has to be put in park and restarted. shuts of in drive through and scared it will begin doing while traveling down the highway. no warning lights or nothing on. was told at dealer if not doing all the time or there was no light on indicating a failure that there was nothing could be done. very dangerous problem

- Bay, AR, USA

problem #72

Sep 012021

Malibu

  • miles
Car continued to send message "Shift to Park" which required diagnosis and replacement of gear shift assembly by independent service garage because car warranty has expired. Battery would die without message being eliminated. The message infers that the car is not in park which means that the car could roll away injuring someone or damaging property.

- Plymouth, MI, USA

problem #71

Jun 012021

Malibu

  • 18,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the contact had to pump the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The brake pedal went to the floorboard while depressed. Additionally, the "Shift to Park" warning message was displayed even after the vehicle was in PARK. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer initially diagnosed that the brake pedal needed lubrication. The dealer lubricated the brake pedal; however, the failure recurred with a chemical odor detected. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the brake pump system and shift gear were faulty. The dealer replaced the brake pump system however, the chemical odor was still detected and the "Shift to Park" warning message was displayed. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #70

Aug 012021

Malibu

  • miles
Our Malibu won't shift into Park. Displays "Shift to Park" message when the shifter is in the park position and it won't let you turn the car off.

- Ringgold, GA, USA

problem #69

Nov 082021

Malibu

  • 30,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the "Shift to Park" message was displayed, and the vehicle would not turn off. The contact had to disconnect the battery to turn off the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

- Chino, CA, USA

problem #68

Sep 272021

Malibu

  • miles
My -??18 Malibu LT has over 39K miles, and just tonight, i started my car, the engine light and traction control light both came on, followed by a message saying -??Engine Power Reduced-??. I then decided to drive for a little to see if i notice any problem. After driving for about 4 minutes, my car went from 37mph down to 20mph. It felt like the engine was forcing itself. So i then pulled over to the side of the curb, turn the car off, then back on. i noticed the warning engine light was still there but the traction light weren-??t there no more. So i drove back to my place, turned my engine off. Then i plugged my diagnostic device to see what code(s)were they, and 1 code came up and it was P2138. Which is Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor. Oh by the way, I also would like to mention one more thing which is the -??Shift to Park-?? message i started seeing whenever i park my car (putting the gear in park) and this first happened when my car was at 38K Miles (about a month ago).

- Salem, OR, USA

problem #67

Mar 012021

Malibu

  • 28,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after placing the gear shifter into PARK, the "shift gear lever to park" warning message was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned off, the battery remained active. The dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure and was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.

- Rio Linda, CA, USA

problem #66

Aug 232021

Malibu

  • 38,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that shifting the gear shifter into PARK and turning off the vehicle, the engine would continue to run. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that she readjusted the gear shifter for the vehicle to shut-off as needed. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

- Grandview, MO, USA

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