Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
870–25K
12025–50K
11050–75K
5275–100K
22100–150K
6150K+
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
What owners actually said
702 reports
Mileage unknown · Dec 20, 2023
Exterior Lighting
My car should be included as part of special coverage since my car is leaking also: GLOBAL SAFETY FIELD INVESTIGATIONS DCS5111 URGENT - DISTRIBUTE IMMEDIATELY Date: August 7, 2019 Subject: N192210570 - Special Coverage Center High Mount Stop Lamp Water Leak Models: 2016 – 2017 Chevrolet Malibu To: All General Motors Dealers Gene…
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My car should be included as part of special coverage since my car is leaking also: GLOBAL SAFETY FIELD INVESTIGATIONS DCS5111 URGENT - DISTRIBUTE IMMEDIATELY Date: August 7, 2019 Subject: N192210570 - Special Coverage Center High Mount Stop Lamp Water Leak Models: 2016 – 2017 Chevrolet Malibu To: All General Motors Dealers General Motors is releasing Special Coverage N192210570 today. The total number of U.S. vehicles involved is approximately 252,825. Please see the attached bulletin for details. Customer Letter Mailing The customer letter mailing will begin on August 21, 2019. Global Warranty Management (GWM) The Applicable Warranties section on the Investigate Vehicle History (IVH) screen will be updated August 7, 2019. Please hold all warranty transactions until IVH has been updated. END OF MESSAGE GLOBAL SAFETY FIELD INVESTIGATIONS
NHTSA ODI #11561208
Mileage unknown · Dec 19, 2023
StructureVisibility/wiper
Water was leaking through the center high mount stop lamp and pooling into the spare tire well. Water was also soaking through the rear headliner. Condensation was building up inside the vehicle due to the pooled water and water soaked headliner. Condensation buildup inside the vehicle with numerous electrical components is not …
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Water was leaking through the center high mount stop lamp and pooling into the spare tire well. Water was also soaking through the rear headliner. Condensation was building up inside the vehicle due to the pooled water and water soaked headliner. Condensation buildup inside the vehicle with numerous electrical components is not safe. The vehicle has been taken to the Galleria Chevrolet dealership in Dallas, Texas for repairs. Galleria Chevrolet failed to repair the issue even after giving them notice of the service bulletin [XXX] Center High Mount Stop Lamp Water Leak. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI #11560940
Mileage unknown · Dec 4, 2023
Vehicle Speed Control
Check engine light came on. Display stated that the engine will run at reduced power which meant we had to Limp home at 15 MPH which put us in a dangerous situation. I read the code and it was P2122. Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch “D” Circuit Low Input. This indicates that there is a problem with the accelerator pedal. I …
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Check engine light came on. Display stated that the engine will run at reduced power which meant we had to Limp home at 15 MPH which put us in a dangerous situation. I read the code and it was P2122. Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor/Switch “D” Circuit Low Input. This indicates that there is a problem with the accelerator pedal. I replaced the pedal myself at a cost of $114.00. I eventually found a technical service bulletin that admitted that there is a problem with the accelerator pedal on 2016 to 2018 GM vehicles and there was a program that was replacing the pedal until 2020. I called GM customer service and they said there was nothing they would do about it since the program expired in 2020.
NHTSA ODI #11558445
87,000 miles · Nov 7, 2023
Steering
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Steering Assist Reduced message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a …
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The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Steering Assist Reduced message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
NHTSA ODI #11554008
Mileage unknown · Nov 3, 2023
Unknown Or Other
I receive a "shift to park" warning when putting the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu I just bought into park. The car will not shut off and if I exit the car it will sound the horn at me 4 times and still not shut off. It's done this at least 6 different times in the 3 days I've owned it. I bought it used on 10/31/23 with 86,741 miles …
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I receive a "shift to park" warning when putting the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu I just bought into park. The car will not shut off and if I exit the car it will sound the horn at me 4 times and still not shut off. It's done this at least 6 different times in the 3 days I've owned it. I bought it used on 10/31/23 with 86,741 miles and have only driven it 200 miles. If the car is not actually in park then it is still able to move and can hurt someone. This is clearly a known defect spanning multiple models and years and likely many thousands of cars and it's criminal there's no recall for it with a proper solution.
NHTSA ODI #11553335
Mileage unknown · Oct 2, 2023
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control
Error message reads "Engine Power Reduced". I was on the highway and suddenly the engine gives out and only lets me go to a max capacity of 20 mph. I able to safely remove myself to the side of the freeway. A week later without moving my vehicle I checked to see the status of my car and the error message removed itself. It's bee…
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Error message reads "Engine Power Reduced". I was on the highway and suddenly the engine gives out and only lets me go to a max capacity of 20 mph. I able to safely remove myself to the side of the freeway. A week later without moving my vehicle I checked to see the status of my car and the error message removed itself. It's been over a year now with my engine power coming and going, just as fast as it comes, it goes-- making driving very unreliable and unsafe to step onto the road. Apparently I'm not the only one with this concern according to [XXX] , a class action lawsuit has been charged against Chevrolet in The Rothschild v. General Motors LLC Chevy Malibu Class Action Lawsuit is filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York under case number [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI #11547864
Mileage unknown · Sep 27, 2023
Electrical System
Upon turning off car, throws shift to park error driver message. Have to restart the car, then shift to various conditions - R, D, L several times then P then turnoff car again. Repeat unto message no longer appears. Sometimes I cannot restart the car because it’s not sending the ke fob. I read online several complaints. Took …
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Upon turning off car, throws shift to park error driver message. Have to restart the car, then shift to various conditions - R, D, L several times then P then turnoff car again. Repeat unto message no longer appears. Sometimes I cannot restart the car because it’s not sending the ke fob. I read online several complaints. Took car to dealership - they confirm that this problem exists in both older and several new Chevy model. My costs will be around $1k by replacing the gear shifter which I find scary. What if this car had jumped out of gear. What is the life of the replacement shifter? Why isn’t GM doing anything when this condition exist in brand new vehicles?
NHTSA ODI #11546782
Mileage unknown · Sep 18, 2023
Engine
My dash warning lights came on and the engine shut off. The battery voltage seems fine, and the car will start but only run for a short time. I cannot drive it for fear of stopping on a highway or main road.
NHTSA ODI #11545097
Mileage unknown · Sep 12, 2023
Service Brakes
1, break vacuum pump. I have the defective unit available 2. My safety, my passengers and all other drivers were put at high risk 3. Defective vacuum pump verified my independent mechanic 4. Inspected by mechanic. Have not had anyone else inspect. 5. No warning of complete break failure
NHTSA ODI #11544206
Mileage unknown · Sep 11, 2023
Electrical System
The car continues to say "shift to park" when the car is already in park and its becoming a severe problem. Something is wrong with the shift stick
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.
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.
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.
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.
2017 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year