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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
2 / 0
Average Mileage:
20,366 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 engine problems

engine problem

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2018 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments (Page 3 of 13)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #204

Dec 132022

Malibu

  • miles

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

Was driving to work when suddenly my check engine light comes on and I get a warning reading -??reduce power to engine-?? could feel the power literally reduce. Car won-??t go pass 30MPH could hear the engine trying to accelerate but struggling too. This is the second time it happens, have noticed other complain about this on going issue with 2016-2018 models

- Arlington, VA, USA

problem #203

Nov 082022

Malibu

  • miles
I keep getting a reoccurring message saying Engine Speed reduced, I can be driving going 60+MPH and randomly My car speed is reduced. This is becoming a safety issue as i have noticed this is a ongoing issue wit the 2016-2018 Chevy Malibu's.

- Abingdon, MD, USA

problem #202

Oct 262022

Malibu

  • miles
I paid a significant amount to have my car fixed after bringing it initially the first time in May. Since then I have had to return my car multiple times every other month because the engine light continues to come on and they don-??t know why. I have worked directly with JR and have gotten no result. The engine light continues to come on and they continue to not be able to know why, they keep my car for multiple days and can-??t explain why the light is on or what they did to remove it and then it comes on a few days or months later with the same issue that they cannot explain. I bought my car in over five times already I have contacted corporate to no avail. When I brought it back the second time they claimed a bunch of things were wrong with it that weren-??t wrong the first time, every time there is a new issue but they can-??t describe what is the cause of the issue or can they give me an explanation on what keeps happening the last time they claim it was an electrical malfunction but could not explain any details and waited until they were closing to contact me. My engine light has since come back on which means I would have to bring it in again. I contacted corporate they were supposed to call me back, never heard from anyone. I-??ve been working directly with JR who I constantly contact and he does not follow up at all or call me back like he says he would and the issue continues to happen and he is very aware of it for my initial review. They have to leave my car there for multiple days to not get updates to not get any information, they don-??t look at it they don-??t even know what-??s going on with it, it doesn-??t even make any sense at all now I-??m driving a car that could potentially be unsafe and I-??m bringing it to the only dealership that is closest to me Chevrolet and they can-??t even help. My car is a 2018 Chevy Malibu that I take extremely good care of yet no one knows why the engine light keeps coming on.

- Kissimmee, FL, USA

problem #201

Oct 302022

Malibu

  • miles

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

The steering wheel is jerking when in the position to turn, and waiting at a light. The STOP ENGINE Feature seems to make the jerk motion and also sends an ALERT MESSAGE which is a quick flash STATING "Steering Assist is REDUCED- Drive with Care". According to a SERVICE BULLETIN Provided by GM BULLETIN #19-NA-182 AUGUST 2019. This is a problem that needs to be corrected, for the safety of my family and others in the vehicle and on the road. Next, the car shut off and the command center went blank,

- Woodbridge, VA, USA

problem #200

Oct 302022

Malibu

  • miles
Engine reduced while driving

- Cleveland, TX, USA

problem #199

Mar 232022

Malibu

  • miles
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" A defect in the cam shaft solenoids causes a notice that "Engine Power is Reduced." At that point, the engine begins to struggle to accelerate from a stop, and from increasing speed while on the highway. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The unpredictability of the defect and its affect while driving poses a large threat to safety, particularly on the highway. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. The dealership service rep not only confirmed the defect, but also confirmed that the issue persists across multiple GM models yet no recall exists. Again, this is a KNOWN defect with GM engines, as confirmed directly by the dealership. Despite this, no remedy was offered, I was told it's neither covered by my manufacturer's warranty or recall. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes. I was given a video explanation of the issue and also told directly of these persistence of the defect across multiple lines. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" No warning prior to the failure. The defect and "Engine Power Reduced" message both first presented in March of 2022, less than a year into my ownership of the car -- and while my car was still under its 60,000 mile warranty.

- Parchment, MI, USA

problem #198

Oct 152022

Malibu

  • miles

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

MOTOR DIED GOING DOWN THE ROAD Car is available for inspection If I had been crossing the street without the aid of a stoplight, I would have been T-Boned Vehicle problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by the dealer. Vehicle component has not been inspected by dealer or anyone else. The check engine light and logo came on as the engine was shutting down. I went into the trunk on the passenger side and shook and twisted the wires going into the control module mounted to the trunk wall. This was suggested for the 2016 Malibu which had a recall. There should be a recall on the 2018 also. After repeated shaking and attempting to start the motor, it finally started. I drove it home and parked it. When I went to read the code, the engine started and ran for a couple of minutes and stalled again. The code was P2BB3.

- Alvin, TX, USA

problem #197

Sep 282022

Malibu

  • miles
My car just stopped in the middle of the road, and would not start again for a few minutes. Then is was in low power mode, no brakes either after that, found that problem to be a bad Vaccum pump, which G M didn-??t even have, and a faulty Accelerator Pedal sensor !

- Dalton , GA, USA

problem #196

Dec 272021

Malibu

  • miles
12/27/2021 I started my car to leave work & noticed a loud tap. I've worked for dealerships in the past & was part owner of my own repair shop for many years. Popped the hood, checked the oil level which was good, & figured I'd be fine to drive it home to park it & then hook the scanner up. Mid-way home I received an engine performance notification on my dash, but other than that it seemed safe with no diminished speed. Less than 3 miles from home I went to stop at a red light & had the hardest brake pedal I've ever felt in my life. I was fortunate nobody was around me so I put all the weight of my body on the pedal to stop the car at the light. The engine was sputtering & the steering felt tight & it felt like it was stalling, with a green turn arrow I risked crossing the highway & was able to safely park in the community's rec center. I'm not one who is quick to take anything to the dealership because many times the techs are lazy, so I hit the web & found two things. One - there is an extended warranty on the TPS sensor which is the entire gas pedal itself. This could explain the engine performance notification, but not the lack of brakes. Upon hours & hours of additional reading I found the problem - the vacuum brake pump. We ordered it & replaced it but I can tell you my engine likely needs an additional camshaft replacement for it to ever be right again. Two codes remain: P0014 & P0017 - Exhaust camshaft/crankshaft position not plausible. What was the condition of the vacuum pump? It was SHATTERED & had spewed chunks of metal directly into my engine. I was lucky that day, had I gotten 1/4 mile down the road I could have wound up in a lake instead of a parking lot. GM should be ASHAMED of this design & it's continued failure to not only address the issue, but lie about it in the process. First owner, failure occurred at 54,500 miles - no warranty. What scares me the most, is how many times the same owner has had this pump fail again & again.

- Dover, DE, USA

problem #195

Oct 072022

Malibu

  • miles
I was driving app. 41 miles per hour in heavy Friday traffic on 10/7/2022 and the check engine light lit up and the car dropped to about 20 miles per hour and would not pick up speed. The rpm was staying on about 3000. I pulled over and called my husband. We set for awhile and restarted the car and the light went off and it drove as normal

- Mason, TN, USA

problem #194

Oct 082022

Malibu

  • miles

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

My car will stop and have no power now the heat shut off and won-??t come back on it-??s just doing some crazy stuff I looked up all the recalls for 2018 Malibu and it was a lot so why mines isn-??t listed

- Akron , OH, USA

problem #193

Oct 062018

Malibu 4-cyl

  • 75 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled, causing the power steering and power brake functionality to become inoperable. The contact stated he was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The contact had managed to coast off to the side of the roadway. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle and he was able to drive the vehicle to his destination. The contact stated that the failure started off as an intermittent failure, but gradually had become a constant failure. The contact stated that the failure recurred and the vehicle had to be towed. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer on several occasions to be diagnosed; however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. Additionally, the contact stated that the radio would randomly switch through the preselected stations. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75.

- Meridian, ID, USA

problem #192

Sep 222022

Malibu

  • miles
I was driving around 50 MPH and the car began to sputter and it wasn't getting in gas. It slowed down to 20 MPH and I had to stop on side of road. It behaved as if it were out of gas, but it had a qtr tank of gas. It would not start after I stopped it. I took it dealership and they still do not have an answer. There should be a recall on this. Numerous reports that are similar to my scenario.

- Frankfort, KY, USA

problem #191

Jun 012022

Malibu

  • miles
The stability track system comes on the vehicle slows down and stops in traffic. Then it says shift to park and will not start. The computer often displays reduce engine power.

- Macon, GA, USA

problem #190

Aug 282022

Malibu

  • miles
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 #189

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 #188

Apr 102022

Malibu

  • miles
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated the vehicle's reduce engine warning light would illuminate at various speeds. The contact would pull over unlock then lock the vehicle in order for the vehicle's warning light to no longer illuminate and to regain proper function. While driving 75 mph when the engine warning light stating reduced speed illuminated. The mph dropped to about 25 mph. The vehicle's OnStar displayed a message stating that the antilock brake system was detected and the vehicle powered off shortly after. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the crankshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that their vehicle was not included in any recall. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #187

Jul 192022

Malibu

  • miles
On 3 occasions, my vehicle has displayed the message -??Engine Power is Reduced.-?? It has 83, 990 miles. I took it to the dealership to have them check it out, but I was told they couldn-??t check it because the check engine light was no longer on. This is a problem because the warning will come on, then the check engine light turns off after the car has been turn off. The Chevy dealership says there is a three day wait for them to conduct a diagnostic, but what are the chances the check engine light will remain on? After having gone through this process on three separate occasions, the check engine light hasn-??t appeared the next day. I have read about how others may be experiencing this problem and they do not have some resolution to this kind of problem. My wife generally drives this car, so I fear for her as she travels to and from work.

- Corona, CA, USA

problem #186

May 132022

Malibu

  • miles
Engine power reduced notification came on the dashboard and car deaccelerated down to less than 25 miles an hour on the highway on multiple occasions. On the last occasion about 2 months ago the notification came on again, the car stalled and would not start up again. This was in ongoing traffic and I could have been seriously injured if people behind me were unable to stop in time. I sat in the middle of traffic for 45 minutes until fire and rescue came and pushed my car out of the road and onto the shoulder until the tow truck came.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #185

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

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