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2017 Chevrolet Malibu

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Malibu years

Owner complaints for the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu are substantially higher than the model-year median of 310.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

397 reports with mileage · 305 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 253 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 161 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 139 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

16 crash reports4 fire reports8 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

161 reports
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55,687 miles · Nov 13, 2019
Electrical SystemEngineSteering

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR SAYS "STEERING ASSIST REDUCED. DRIVE WITH CARE". IT HAS STARTED OUT OF NO WHERE

NHTSA ODI #11279895

23,000 miles · Nov 10, 2019
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

ENGINE LIGHT ON CONTINUALLY AND NEVER WENT OFF; I DROVE TO DEALER WHO SAID THE GAS CAP AREA OF FUEL LINE WAS LEAKING; NEEDS TO BE REPLACED THEY SAID AND TRIED TO ORDER IT FROM GM BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PART; THEY ORDERED THE PART AND CANNOT TELL ME WHEN IT IS COMING. THEY COULD NOT ADVISE ME ON THE SAFETY OF THIS CONDITION. …

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ENGINE LIGHT ON CONTINUALLY AND NEVER WENT OFF; I DROVE TO DEALER WHO SAID THE GAS CAP AREA OF FUEL LINE WAS LEAKING; NEEDS TO BE REPLACED THEY SAID AND TRIED TO ORDER IT FROM GM BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE THE PART; THEY ORDERED THE PART AND CANNOT TELL ME WHEN IT IS COMING. THEY COULD NOT ADVISE ME ON THE SAFETY OF THIS CONDITION. I KNOW SOMEONE WHO HAD A SIMILAR PROBLEM WITH THEIR MODEL CAR. CAN I DRIVE THIS OR SHOULD THE DEALER GIVE ME A LOANER? I AM STILL UNDER THE 3 YEAR BUMPER TO BUMPER WARRANTY. WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD PROBLEMS FILLING THE CAR AND IT IS NEVER COMPLETELY FULL. WE HAVE BROUGHT IT TO DEALER SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THIS WITH NO ADVISE. THEY DID RECALIBRATE ONE TIME. THEY SAID IT WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE DASH BOARD REPORTING LESS GAS THAN IS IN THE TANK. PLEASE LET ME KNOW ABOUT THIS AS WE CONTINUE TO DRIVE THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11279239

40,500 miles · Oct 28, 2019
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train

FOR THREE WEEKS I HAVE BEEN GETTING A "SHIFT TO PARK" ERROR WHEN I PLACE CAR IN PARK. IT PREVENTS ME FROM FULLY TURNING CAR OFF AND WILL NOT ALLOW DOORS TO LOCK. I HAVE TO PLAY WITH THE SHIFTER TO GET THE WARNING TO COME OFF. LAST WEEK IT WAS IN THE SHOP AT BASIL CHEVROLET IN DEPEW, NY AND THEY REPLACED THE SHIFT RELAY AND IT…

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FOR THREE WEEKS I HAVE BEEN GETTING A "SHIFT TO PARK" ERROR WHEN I PLACE CAR IN PARK. IT PREVENTS ME FROM FULLY TURNING CAR OFF AND WILL NOT ALLOW DOORS TO LOCK. I HAVE TO PLAY WITH THE SHIFTER TO GET THE WARNING TO COME OFF. LAST WEEK IT WAS IN THE SHOP AT BASIL CHEVROLET IN DEPEW, NY AND THEY REPLACED THE SHIFT RELAY AND IT IS STILL DOING IT. TODAY WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY MY CAR SUDDENLY SHOWED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT, SLOWED DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 10-15 MILES PER HOUR AND SHOWED "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" WARNING ON THE DASHBOARD. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO A PARKING LOT BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT SHUT OFF AND THE "SHIFT TO PARK" WARNING SHOWED. FINALLY GOT THAT ERROR TO GO OFF AND SHUT OFF CAR. CAR WAS ABLE TO RESTART WITH ONLY THE ENGINE LIGHT ON. STAYED ON FOR THE NEXT 35 MILES. JUST WENT BACK OUT AT LUNCH TIME AND NOW NO LIGHTS AND IT WAS DRIVING FINE UNTIL I TRIED SHUTTING OFF AND THE "SHIFT TO PARK" WOULDN'T GO OFF NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TRIED TO WIGGLE THE HANDLE. CAR GOING BACK TO DEALER AT 5PM.

NHTSA ODI #11271593

34,000 miles · Oct 28, 2019
Electrical System

WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND TURN THE CAR OFF A MESSAGE POPS UP SAYING SHIFT TO PARK....I TURN IT BACK ON PUT IN DRIVE AND PUSH THE GEAR HARD IN PARK AND IT WORK ...I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT EVERY TIME. IT JUST RECENTLY STARTED.2017 CHEVY MALIBU LS

NHTSA ODI #11271436

11,000 miles · Oct 11, 2019
Electrical System

SHIFT TO PARK ERROR WHEN PARKING VEHICLE. VEHICLE IS PLACED IN PARK AND INFORMATION CENTER INDICATES IT IS NOT IN PARK. THEN I AM UNABLE TO SET VEHICLE SECURITY SYSTEM AND ALSO CAR DOORS WILL NOT LOCK. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES.. I HAVE TO RESTART VEHICLE AND JIGGLE SHIFT HANDLE TO GET IT TO CLEAR SHIFT TO PARK ERRO…

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SHIFT TO PARK ERROR WHEN PARKING VEHICLE. VEHICLE IS PLACED IN PARK AND INFORMATION CENTER INDICATES IT IS NOT IN PARK. THEN I AM UNABLE TO SET VEHICLE SECURITY SYSTEM AND ALSO CAR DOORS WILL NOT LOCK. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES.. I HAVE TO RESTART VEHICLE AND JIGGLE SHIFT HANDLE TO GET IT TO CLEAR SHIFT TO PARK ERROR... THEN I AM ABLE TO PARK AND LOCK THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11268007

Mileage unknown · Oct 9, 2019
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Vehicle Speed Control

CAR STALLS WHILE OPERATING, CAR SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND FAILS TO REBOOT WITHOUT WARNING. I EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIME WITHIN THE LAST MONTH. CAR WILL ALSO SHUT DOWN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN MOTION IE STOP SIGNS, TRAFFIC LIGHTS, STOP & GO TRAFFIC...ETC. MOST RECENT ISSUE VEHICLE PROMPT "STEERING ASSIST IS R…

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CAR STALLS WHILE OPERATING, CAR SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING AND FAILS TO REBOOT WITHOUT WARNING. I EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM SEVERAL TIME WITHIN THE LAST MONTH. CAR WILL ALSO SHUT DOWN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN MOTION IE STOP SIGNS, TRAFFIC LIGHTS, STOP & GO TRAFFIC...ETC. MOST RECENT ISSUE VEHICLE PROMPT "STEERING ASSIST IS REDUCED DRIVE WITH CARE" OR SERVIC STABLITRAK

NHTSA ODI #11267319

21,200 miles · Oct 1, 2019
Electrical System

VEHICLE DOES NOT REGISTER THAT IT HAS BEEN SHIFTED TO PARK. WHEN YOU STOP AND SHIFT IT TO PARK AND THEN TURN THE VEHICLE OFF, IT WILL COME UP WITH A WARNING TO "SHIFT TO PARK". IF YOU IGNORE THE WARNING, AND TRY TO OPEN THE DOORS, IT STARTS TO HONK AT YOU. IT TAKES SEVERAL ATTEMPTS OF TURNING THE VEHICLE BACK ON AND SHIFTING OUT…

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VEHICLE DOES NOT REGISTER THAT IT HAS BEEN SHIFTED TO PARK. WHEN YOU STOP AND SHIFT IT TO PARK AND THEN TURN THE VEHICLE OFF, IT WILL COME UP WITH A WARNING TO "SHIFT TO PARK". IF YOU IGNORE THE WARNING, AND TRY TO OPEN THE DOORS, IT STARTS TO HONK AT YOU. IT TAKES SEVERAL ATTEMPTS OF TURNING THE VEHICLE BACK ON AND SHIFTING OUT OF PARK AND BACK INTO PARK BEFORE IT REGISTERS THAT IT IS IN PARK.

NHTSA ODI #11265311

40,814 miles · Sep 30, 2019
Electrical System

THE CAR INTERMITTENTLY DOES NOT RECOGNIZE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTED INTO PARK. I WILL PLACE THE CAR INTO PARK, TRY TO TURN OFF THE CAR, AND THE MONITOR WILL DISPLAY "SHIFT CAR INTO PARK". THIS HINDERS ME FROM TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND I'LL SPEND TIME HAVING TO SHIFT THE CAR INTO DIFFERENT GEARS TO GET IT TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT…

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THE CAR INTERMITTENTLY DOES NOT RECOGNIZE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTED INTO PARK. I WILL PLACE THE CAR INTO PARK, TRY TO TURN OFF THE CAR, AND THE MONITOR WILL DISPLAY "SHIFT CAR INTO PARK". THIS HINDERS ME FROM TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND I'LL SPEND TIME HAVING TO SHIFT THE CAR INTO DIFFERENT GEARS TO GET IT TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S IN PARK.

NHTSA ODI #11259096

Mileage unknown · Sep 28, 2019
Electrical System

THE CAR ON A IRREGULAR BUT BASIS BUT AT INCONVENIENT TIMES WILL NOT START WITH PUSH BUTTON START. ERROR MESSAGE IS "NO REMOTE DETECTED" THE INTERNET TELLS ME THE A TSB 197955 WAS ISSUED BUT I CAN GET ACCESS TO THE TSB..

NHTSA ODI #11258732

Mileage unknown · Sep 23, 2019
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Suspension

THE VOLT SHIFT TO PARK ISSUE. DOES NOT RECOGNIZE PARK (IF IT IS IN PARK??) TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF, WHICH WOULD MAKE IT A SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11257351

Official recalls

4

21V649000 · Seat Belts:critical Fasteners; Seat Belts:rear/other:retractor

Aug 20, 2021

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Seat Belts:rear/other:retractor

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.

Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.

Seat Belts:critical Fasteners

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.

Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.

18V400000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification

Jun 14, 2018

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. During servicing, a Passenger Presence System (PPS) may have been installed that was not correctly calibrated to the vehicle's seat type. As a result, the PPS may not properly identify an adult passenger from a child passenger in the front passenger seat, potentially causing the air bag to not deploy when it should, or causing the air bag to deploy when it shouldn't.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger PPS seat service kit, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18208.

18V358000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

May 31, 2018

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.

16V870000 · Air Bags:side/window

Dec 2, 2016

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017 Malibu vehicles manufactured on November 10, 2016. The right-hand rear side air bag inflator manifold may have insufficient welds.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Insufficient welds could cause the inflator to separate and propel air bag debris into the cabin during a crash. Also, the inflator could fail to inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear side air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 16146.

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.