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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
10,643 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 miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

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2018 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments (Page 3 of 7)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #88

Jan 092020

Malibu

  • miles

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

Vehicle will not shut off when in park. Vehicle displays a "Park to Shift" message although Vehicle is in park. This causes the vehicle to not shut down completely and if it takes to long to shut off the battery will die. It can take anywhere from 2 minutes to all day to get it to shut off. This is a known problem among many GM Chevy owners and needs to be recognized as a recall. This issue happens everytime vehicle is shut off and put in to park which can be frustrating.

- Grand Junction, CO, USA

problem #87

Jun 072023

Malibu

  • miles
when turning off it says shift into park have to restart and shift again to park has been recurring more and more. rear makes a rubbing/popping sound when driving and backing up. took it to the shop they tell me it's a defect that Chevrolet knows about. i believe if they know about it it should be corrected. ive only had the car 10 months and these problems are coming up. ive only put 3000 miles on it in 10 months.

- Modesto, CA, USA

problem #86

Jun 062023

Malibu

  • miles
Car keeps saying shift to park after being in park. Does not allow car to turn off at all. I literally sat in the car for 30 minutes trying to get it to work. I just purchaswd this car in January and this should not be happening. Please assist

- Richmond, VA, USA

problem #85

Feb 012023

Malibu

  • miles

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

After shifting gear into park, notification on instrument panel reads Shift to Park. The vehicle does not completely turn off. This happens intermittently and is becoming more frequent.

- Jamaica, NY, USA

problem #84

Jan 122021

Malibu

  • miles
The rear liner had water indications, with an odor of mildew in the car. I couldn't drive around with mildew in my car. I notuved shortly after i purchased yhe vehicle that the brake light was cracked. I didmt think much of it, thought it was just a cosmetic thing. It was taken to my dealership and they confirmed the water was getting in through the cracked brake light. I did a little research and it seems to be a common issue with Malibu's. No warning other than the smell, that made me check the back seat.

- Tulsa, OK, USA

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problem #83

Jan 012023

Malibu

  • miles
2018 Chevy Malibu over 5 times this happens since we bought it brand new it has "Reduced Engine Power" error come on and the car can't accelerate over 30 miles per hour. This is a continued problem all the time and very dangerous when we are on the tollway that has a 70-mph speed limit, and you can't get the car to go over 30 mph. This same problem happens on our 2017 Chevy Malibu that we bought brand new since we owned it too and I have already put in a complaint filed today! This is extremely dangerous and takes you a long time to get home when you can only go 30 mph or less because of the "Reduced Engine Power" Limit. GM needs to recall these Malibu's and fix the dangerous "Reduced Engine Power" error because it's dangerous to the driver in rush hour traffic and on the tollway traffic with no ability to go over 30 mph. All these Malibu's need to be fixed properly and its GM's responsibility to ensure safety for their customers lives.

- Ingleside, IL, USA

problem #82

Oct 302022

Malibu

  • miles

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

Engine reduced while driving

- Cleveland, TX, USA

problem #81

May 142019

Malibu

  • miles
I am the first owner of a 2018 Chevy Malibu. This car was displayed on the showroom floor. Shortly after purchasing this vehicle a new -??computer-?? was needed. Following the new computer, my Chevy Malibu would be at approximately 70MPH and would -??engine lock-?? its speed causing it to suddenly go from 70MPH to 20MPH while on a freeway. During this time my Chevy Malibu would reeve at approximately 5,000 RPMS and would not go over 20MPH. I brought this to GMs attention and they appeared to have very little concern. As a mother of two and a Police Officer I was very upset with GM. My vehicle has -??engine locked-?? itself multiple times and has been towed to a dealership. Fast forward, my car, will not turn off and I-??m unsure if it is going into -??park-??. I have replaced the -??wire harness-?? or -??transition switch-?? where my shifter is located. It has been approximately two months since replacing this part. My Chevy Malibu is once again not going into park and will not turn off. I am concerned my car will roll away while I am at work or out in town and cause serious injuries. GM does not seem to care about these issues. Issues being, the -??shift to park-?? and the -??limp mode-?? issues that my car continues to have. As a Police Officer I know that this could be VERY dangerous and I would like a solution to this issue or a new vehicle. This vehicle is not safe.

- Meadows Of Dan , VA, USA

problem #80

Oct 262022

Malibu

  • miles
Shifter sometimes does not recognize it was put in park. Trouble getting it to recognize park and turn off electronics. Class action law suite may be in the process with multiple models. Happened multiple times and more frequently.

- Pleasant Hill, OH, USA

problem #79

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 #78

Sep 222022

Malibu

  • miles

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

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 #77

Aug 292022

Malibu

  • miles
Malibu would not recognize shift into park. This happened multiple intermittent times. Had to take it to dealership to be repaired on 9/6/22. While waiting for my Malibu to be repaired I was talking with a gentleman who had his Malibu in for the SAME problem. He stated his friend had the same thing happen on his Malibu. I came home and looked up information on this problem and found it isn't just Malibu's and I learned that there is litigation about this problem in Michigan. Why has there not been a recall for this problem?

- Joliet, IL, USA

problem #76

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 #75

Oct 152020

Malibu

  • miles
My vehicle showed up on a Carfax report as being in an accident in Tennessee on 10/15/2020 when the vehicle was in Iowa on that date. The Chattanooga police report shows this VIN# on a 2002 Chevy Minivan owned by Enterprise Car Rentals with Colorado license plate 266XFH. My vehicle is a 2018 Chevy Malibu sedan purchased from Enterprise March 26, 2019. I do not understand why two vehicles have the same VIN #. Please investigate.

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #74

Jan 112022

Malibu

  • miles
P2138 throwing off code and goes into engine reduce power mode it-??s dangerous

- Otisville , MI, USA

problem #73

Jan 012022

Malibu

  • miles
After parking car and turning off engine an error -??Shift to park-?? displays. Only way to resolve is to turn car back on, put in different gear and then back into park, or keep pushing shifter up while in park to force into place and get car to recognize it-??s already in park.

- Mcminnville, OR, USA

problem #72

Mar 312022

Malibu

  • miles
Doors do not lock when put into drive. Also when putting into park, car dings and error comes on stating shift to park. Doors have not locked in over 2 years, however at times it does but as of now they are not locked.

- Pensacola, FL, USA

problem #71

Mar 282022

Malibu

  • miles
The vehicle was sent into the shop for repair four times and I continue to get a shift to park alert on dashboard after the repairs and warranty has passed I was asked to pay for the repairs when the dealership has serviced the car for over a week each time stating they couldn-??t find the repair light I have contacted gm about the issue this is an act of consumer abuse I would like to be contacted on this matter

- Irvington, NJ, USA

problem #70

Mar 192022

Malibu

  • miles
there is a issue with the chevy mailubu where a message will pop up on the dash and say engine power reduced which will significantly slow down the speed of the car and is impossible to keep up with traffic as someone who has to use the expressway everyday with a toddler in the car this is a big issue also im wondering why this isnt a recall on the the malibu because i know three other people with the same issue and we all have different year cars. chevy service team said the issue was from a pcv valve that will cause the exhaust to clog up.

- Hazel Crest, IL, USA

problem #69

Feb 252022

Malibu

  • miles
When the check engine light initially comes on, the car will go into "reduced engine power mode" which will decrease the power and speed of the car, forcing me to pull over and turn the car off and restart. This is a hazard to myself and other drivers especially when on the highway, driving at higher speeds. There has been an investigation in to GM where it was found that a few other models have this issue. This happens every time I have something repaired and the light comes back on, which has been twice in the past month. The first time this happened, I had the repair done and it was fine for a while. After the car has been off for a while and the light is still on when I start my car, for the most part the car is no longer in this mode, but it can come back on at any time.

- Buffalo, NY, USA

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