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2014 Chevrolet Malibu

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 310.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

230 reports with mileage · 121 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 125 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 86 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

19 crash reports8 fire reports11 injury reports

What owners actually said

351 reports
Mileage unknown · Feb 2, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

The AutoStop/Start feature malfunctioned while at a busy intersection. The AutoStop engaged but failed to start the engine, once pressure was released from the brake pedal. This has been an issue for about a year now. I have replaced both batteries, both VVT sensors, and the oil pressure sensor in the last year, thinking this wo…

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The AutoStop/Start feature malfunctioned while at a busy intersection. The AutoStop engaged but failed to start the engine, once pressure was released from the brake pedal. This has been an issue for about a year now. I have replaced both batteries, both VVT sensors, and the oil pressure sensor in the last year, thinking this would solve the issue. This vehicle has not been inspected by a mechanic, just scanned with a handheld scanner at a parts store, every time there is a check engine indicator light on. There are no dash indicators when this malfunctions, I just have to turn the vehicle completely off, or pump the accelerator in order for it to start.

NHTSA ODI #11505218

100,000 miles · Jan 6, 2023
Service Brakes

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while approaching a stop sign, the contact felt as if the vehicle was shutting off without any warning. The contact stated he released his foot off the brake pedal and the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed that the el…

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The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while approaching a stop sign, the contact felt as if the vehicle was shutting off without any warning. The contact stated he released his foot off the brake pedal and the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who confirmed that the electrical brake traction needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to parts were discontinued. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that no further assistance was available due to the parts being discontinued. The failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ODI #11500543

Mileage unknown · Dec 1, 2022
Power Train

P2646 diagnostic code - rocker arm control solenoid In June 2020, GM issued "Special Coverage Adjustment N192289160 Rocker Arm Oil Control Valve Inoperative" for the coverage of the repair for rocker arm oil control valve, (OCV) for 10 years after the purchase date, or 120,000 miles for the 2014 Malibu and Impala. However, …

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P2646 diagnostic code - rocker arm control solenoid In June 2020, GM issued "Special Coverage Adjustment N192289160 Rocker Arm Oil Control Valve Inoperative" for the coverage of the repair for rocker arm oil control valve, (OCV) for 10 years after the purchase date, or 120,000 miles for the 2014 Malibu and Impala. However, our vehicle had the failure at 122,000 miles. The Special Coverage should be adjusted, or even transitioned to a full recall since the parameters of the initial bulletin are insufficient.

NHTSA ODI #11495688

70,000 miles · Nov 4, 2022
Electrical SystemEngine

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that when they started the vehicle all its lights illuminated however it only turned on the vehicle not start the engine. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger-side wiring harness needed to be replaced. The contact was unable …

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The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that when they started the vehicle all its lights illuminated however it only turned on the vehicle not start the engine. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer who diagnosed that the passenger-side wiring harness needed to be replaced. The contact was unable to specify which wiring harness. The vehicle had not been repaired due to parts any longer being in production. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case regarding the matter. The parts no longer being in production were confirmed. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ODI #11492259

Mileage unknown · Oct 7, 2022
Unknown Or Other

It did not cause a wreck/collision but almost has in several instances. The Start/Stop function will activate but then when it's time for the car to start again it will not and my car will go into traffic and then completely turn off to the point I have to hard start my vehicle. This is making the cars engine light stay illumina…

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It did not cause a wreck/collision but almost has in several instances. The Start/Stop function will activate but then when it's time for the car to start again it will not and my car will go into traffic and then completely turn off to the point I have to hard start my vehicle. This is making the cars engine light stay illuminated and I've replaced several parts and nothing seems to fix the problem. Every person I've spoke with that has the same year vehicle is having the same issue.08

NHTSA ODI #11488410

120,000 miles · Sep 8, 2022
EnginePower TrainCrash

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was associated with the battery. However, the battery was not replaced. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH…

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The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer where it was diagnosed that the failure was associated with the battery. However, the battery was not replaced. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle would not properly shift into gear, decelerated independently, and stopped. The contact was able to restart the vehicle however, upon moving the gear shifter into drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond. The contact then moved the gear shifter to park(P) however, the vehicle rolled away and struck a tree. The air bags did not deploy. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ODI #11483580

Mileage unknown · Sep 1, 2022
Engine

Stop/Start doesn’t work at least 20% of the time, leaving me stalled in the middle of the road, until *hopefully* it starts again, usually after a few tries.

NHTSA ODI #11482509

Mileage unknown · Aug 11, 2022
Power Train

I have owned this car for a little over 3 years and it suddenly started giving me a "Shift to Park" message after I physically put the car in "Park" and turn the car off. The car will not turn off completely because the car does not think that it is in "Park". It is gradually getting worse as time goes on. There were two instanc…

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I have owned this car for a little over 3 years and it suddenly started giving me a "Shift to Park" message after I physically put the car in "Park" and turn the car off. The car will not turn off completely because the car does not think that it is in "Park". It is gradually getting worse as time goes on. There were two instances where I thought the car was turned off and when I came back to my vehicle, the car was dead. All within 15 minutes. The car does not shut off after turning it off because it thinks that the car is not in park so the radio, lights, and everything electrical stays on. This issue causes the battery to drain quickly. This issue can easily leave someone stranded with a dead car. I took it to the dealership to get a diagnostic test on it in June 2022 and they could not replicate the issue. I am taking it back again this month (August 2022). I have read a lot of discussion forums about this issue. There was only a recall for the same model for the production years of 2016-2019 I believe. This issue is pretty common among Chevrolet and I think that it's crazy that there is a huge problem with their shifter assembly and they never fixed it!

NHTSA ODI #11478876

214,000 miles · Aug 1, 2022
Power Train

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that when she started the vehicle, the vehicle was in manual mode while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle failed to shift into gear as needed. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and replaced the battery; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was conta…

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The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that when she started the vehicle, the vehicle was in manual mode while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle failed to shift into gear as needed. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and replaced the battery; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted, and the contact explained that her vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V092000 (Power Train). The dealer confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall and informed her that she was responsible for the cost of the repair. The manufacturer was contacted, and they also stated that the vehicle was not under recall and advised to contact the NHTSA. The failure mileage was 214,000.

NHTSA ODI #11476882

Mileage unknown · Jul 15, 2022
Engine

The vehicles "Auto Off" feature, which shuts the engine off when stopped at red-lights, fails to restart the engine when removing your foot from the brake pedal. The engine stalls out, and much be parked, shut off and then restarted. Sometimes it takes multiple times to restart the vehicle. This is very unsafe considering the …

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The vehicles "Auto Off" feature, which shuts the engine off when stopped at red-lights, fails to restart the engine when removing your foot from the brake pedal. The engine stalls out, and much be parked, shut off and then restarted. Sometimes it takes multiple times to restart the vehicle. This is very unsafe considering the car could stall out in an intersection or cause another vehicle to collide with mine if they were behind my vehicle, expecting it to begin moving. I have take my car in for multiple repairs and nobody can figure out the issue.

NHTSA ODI #11474085

Official recalls

6

16V502000 · Electrical System:ignition; Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

Jul 5, 2016

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Electrical System:ignition

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

15V164000 · Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly

Mar 23, 2015

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles October 24, 2011, to March 5, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the Slide or Tilt switch for the roof panel may not be adequately recessed to prevent the switch from inadvertently being pressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 118, "Power-Operated Window, Partition, and Roof Panel Systems."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The Slide or Tilt roof panel switch may inadvertently be pressed and the roof panel may auto-close unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a pinch injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the Body Control Module (BCM) software to remove auto-close feature for certain switch positions, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15176.

14V247000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum

May 14, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through May 2, 2014, and equipped with a 2.5L engine with the auto stop/start option. The affected vehicles may experience a complete loss of brake vacuum assist, disabling the hydraulic boost assist. As such, these vehicles do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the hydraulic boost assist is disabled, slowing or stopping the vehicle will require additional brake pedal effort and a lengthened stopping distance. Both of these effects increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic brake control module software, free of charge. The recall began on July 3, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020. General Motors number for this recall is 14201.

14V240000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc

May 8, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Lacrosse vehicles manufactured January 29, 2014, through March 31, 2014 and 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured February 7, 2014, through March 31, 2014, and equipped with 17 inch front brake rotors. The affected vehicles may have had brake rotors intended for the rear of the car accidentally installed on the front. The rear rotors, while the same diameter, are thinner and may result in a front brake pad detaching from the caliper.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If a brake pad detaches from caliper, there may be a sudden reduction in braking, lengthening the distance required to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front brake rotors, and install the correct rotors with new brake pads, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 20, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick) or 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14128.

14V092000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Feb 21, 2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Regal, LaCrosse, Verano, and Enclave, and Chevrolet Impala, Malibu, Cruze, and Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjuster may disengage from the transmission shift lever. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." They also fail to conform to FMVSS number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If a vehicle's shift cable disengages from the transmission shift lever, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the driver may be able to shift the lever to the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.

Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any affected transmission shift cable adjusters, free of charge. The recall began on April 10, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Buick owners at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC owners at 1-800-462-8782. General Motors' number associated with this recall is 14048.

13V567000 · Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System; Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System:windshield:electrical Heating Element

Nov 13, 2013

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through November 5, 2013. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control in these vehicles may intermittently become inoperable when the vehicle is started, preventing the windshield defroster from working. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: The inability to turn on the windshield defroster may decrease the driver's visibility thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic climate control module software, free of charge. The recall began during December 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13380.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System:windshield:electrical Heating Element

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through November 5, 2013. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control in these vehicles may intermittently become inoperable when the vehicle is started, preventing the windshield defroster from working. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."

Consequence: The inability to turn on the windshield defroster may decrease the driver's visibility thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic climate control module software, free of charge. The recall began during December 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13380.

Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through November 5, 2013. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control in these vehicles may intermittently become inoperable when the vehicle is started, preventing the windshield defroster from working. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."

Consequence: The inability to turn on the windshield defroster may decrease the driver's visibility thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic climate control module software, free of charge. The recall began during December 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13380.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.