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.
While driving th vehicle the component that ruptured was the vehicles vacuum brake booster pump which connected directly to the engine. The ruptured caused shards of metal to be launched into the engine resulting in no brake power and needs an engine swap. There was a recall on this model vehicle for the Pedal sensor malfunction that results in the cars engine going into a reduced power mode abruptly and suddenly while driving. This malfunction has occurred on this vehicle and I was not aware of this vehicle models recall history but it stated that the recall was successfully closed out in 2020. I purchased my 2018 Chevy Malibu in the year 2021 and the issue still persist. I am not confident that the recall on this vehicle was either fully completed or successfully fixed before purchasing. The car is now at the dealer and the repair team explains the vehicle needs a new engine. I questioned about the pedal sensor malfunction and asked if it was possible that this malfunction sending the vehicle into a reduced power mode so suddenly could have effected or cause wear and tear on brake booster pump connected to the engine. The dealers repair team wasn-??t confident in saying it wasn-??t possible. This is likely a design issue and if a recall was completed and I was sold a vehicle uninformed of this potential issue but the malfunction still persisted I do not believe I should have to cover the full cost of repairs for this chain of events. This malfunctioned put me at danger and if it had occurred while my wife and 3 children were in the car it could have been life threatening not only to us but the other drivers around as well. With the engine reduced you can-??t accelerate and with the booster pump ruptures mid drive you lose all brake power. It is hard to understand the faulty design in this but I have read reviews that others have had the same issue so I do not believe I am alone in this.
Vehicle suddenly went into reduced engine power mode and nearly caused a crash. We pulled off to the side of the highway. Turned the car off and waited for about 5 minutes with our small children in the back seat. Restarted the car and check engine light remains on but the reduced engine power warning turned off. This just happened today and have not been to the dealership. Hoping Chevy recognizes this safety issue and issues a recall as many others have reported the same issue.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was left on the side of the roadway. The contact called the dealer where the vehicle was purchased and was advised that he had to pay to have the vehicle towed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was aware of an open recall on the vehicle, NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V642000 (Electrical System, Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine). The failure mileage was unknown.
When putting my vehicle in park to turn off the car, a warning light comes on to put vehicle into park. The vehicle is already in park and am unable to turn off the vehicle. In order to turn off the engine I must repeatedly turn it on and off and hit the gear shifter multiple times. This problem is becoming more and more frequent. I see numerous other 2018 Malibus in the complaint section reporting the same issue. Come on Chevrolet fix this problem!
REDUCED POWER TO ENGINE. Previously had recall for this issue, which was replaced by Chevy service center. About a year later I had the same problem but had to pay out of pocket because there were no active recalls on the issue. As of today, I am receiving the same -??REDUCED POWER TO ENGINE-?? error and check engine light keeps coming on. This happens randomly but frequently almost every single day. Error will shut off after restarting car and then happens again not long after. I-??ve had this issue with multiple Chevy Malibus that I have owed and there is currently a class action lawsuit against GM for this exact issue.
- Oswego, NY, USA
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Car hesitant to crank, once the Start/ stop button is pushed, the car will start, run smooth for a second or two then start to shake and putter like it-??s not getting fuel and loses it power and cuts off. I have to go through this process 5/6 times before the car will stay crunk. While driving Car will out the blue say reduced engine power and acts as if it does not want to pull or it is losing power! The car also has the eco saving feature where it cuts off at every stop and there is not an option be turned off and car is hesitant to start back up after it cuts off. Car is now starting to smoke from the tailpipe. The VVT intake and exhaust solienoids have oil getting into them and the PCV valve is about to crack open. The car throws codes like rich fuel intake, something to do with the catalytic system (in which I-??ve put a brand new catalytic converter on the car and it did not solve the issue) it also throws codes about a throttle and cam sensors and a few more codes.. I see where there are recalls for the (same make, model, year, and engine size) but my cars VIN is not included with the recall! Can we please get this as I need my car and need this issue fixed as soon as possible as it is dangerous for me and my 2 year to travel in this vehicle.
Driving normal. Upon application of brakes, brake pedal became stiff and brakes did not function normal. Had to apply immense pressure to stop and it sounded like brakes kept locking up. Vacuum pump that supplies vacuum for engine with turbo to function, along with the brake booster to be able to apply normal braking power, was destroyed. The inside of the vacuum pump is in pieces and part of the bushing that connects into the engine was broken. Caused by faulty vacuum pump, or faulty cam shaft. If this had happened while in traffic, it is likely a crash would have happened. Damage caused to the vacuum pump resulted in metal pieces in the engine block as well.
Since I got the car, if I let it go in auto stop, it has a hard time accelerating when I push the gas. It has gotten worse and now it has a hard time accelerating in general. When I push the gas it sounds really loud like it-??s struggling to go. I realized this is a safety issue for me and others when my car wasn-??t going at the light of a busy intersection, or when I-??m getting onto a highway and my car isn-??t picking up speed. This makes it scary for people already on the highway as Iam causing them to brake unexpectedly. Every time my check engine light comes on I take it to the dealership. It-??s been taken in for repairs multiple times but this issue still keeps coming back.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, the message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed and the vehicle would not properly accelerate above 30 MPH. Additionally, while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to immediately stop, and the pedal was firm when depressed. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was unknown. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power with an unknown engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the engine power was reduced. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal; however, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated to approximately 15 MPH and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering and braking functionality. The contact was able to stop the vehicle. The contact attempted several times to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle was unable to be restarted. The contact stated there was an abnormally strong odor of gasoline in the cabin of the vehicle. The contact opened the hood, and the odor of gasoline was very strong. The contact looked underneath the vehicle and saw gasoline in a puddle underneath the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle had not been taken to an independent mechanic or dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact had not informed the manufacturer of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V642000 (Electrical System, Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine). The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Saturday morning this is now the 3rd time it's been fixed and safe to drive. Once by the dealership in Baltimore Towson area. Check engine light came on I ran diagnostic I bought at the store to get the codes come to find out class actions for wrongful death because company knew about it. As I also see hundreds of he same complaints here. My wife on [XXX] Baltimore MD at the merge. She went from 60mph to 35mph. Then the car shut off with zero control of steering. Once in neutral she slightly touch the brakes which let it start up. Thank God no one was killed we have 2 beautiful 6 n 7 yr old girls what would I tell them. This needs addressed it happens after the batt needs changed I know 4 other owners 1 had just got one that's what triggered his same codes problems. Im I've Googled it but not one person solves it. It's gotta do w the start stop system INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving on highway, check engine light came on as well as message saying "Engine power reduced". Car immediately decelerated on the highway and brakes pedal became rock hard and unable to press.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MHP, the message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed and the vehicle decelerated to 30 MPH. The contact stated that the speed would no longer exceed 30 MPH. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the failure had also previously occurred but after taking the vehicle to the local dealer no cause of the failure was found. The failure mileage was 110,653.
Transmission Surge Accumulator System Performance. The car fails to accelerate once it comes to a complete stop, traffic lights, etc. The car will rev up to 5000 RPMs but will not reach 10 mph. This causes problems when driving and I was almost hit on several occasions (more than 8 times) on my drive home to be safe again. The car was taken to the dealership and was reported to have been fixed, after paying a $100 deductible, but only ran properly for one day. Again, I was almost hit 5 times while driving back home, after the repair was made. The check engine light came on after the car presented issues, as I was out running errands, the car was losing power and was not performing well. About 20 minutes after the initial issue, the check engine light came on. I took the car to Auto Zone where they were able to run the diagnostic that came back with the code, P171D Transmission Surge Accumulator System Performance. This took place twice in one week, with the dealership fixing the issue on Tuesday and it failing again on Saturday (after the car sat idle for 3 days, while I was on vacation).
Vacuum Booster Pump failed while driving on the highway with my girlfriend and her small child in the car and this common problem for this specific Chevrolet motor and endangered our lives significantly. Over 500 complaints on NHTSA website. No recalls to date. $4,000 damage. Filed official complaint and requested that Chevrolet cover the costs.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that a "shift to park turn the vehicle off" message was displayed while the vehicle was in the park position. While driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle stalled. The steering wheel was tight. After slowing down, the driver depressed the start/stop button, and the vehicle shut off and restarted. The vehicle was randomly shut down. After waiting, the vehicle restarted. While depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal, unidentifiable noise detected, and the vehicle came to a sudden halt. While driving at 55 mph, the vehicle suddenly stopped, and she hit her head on the steering wheel but medical attention was not provided. The vehicle was pulsating while driving. There was a sound of water going through the vehicle. The vehicle was slow to accelerate and then moved violently. All the instrument warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or reported. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Capital Chevrolet, at 9820 Capital Blvd., Wake Forest, NC 27587, where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was not safe to be on the road. The oil throttle body and vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V668000 ( Power Train), and NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V642000 (Electrical System Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Gloucester, MA, USA