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2018 Chevrolet Malibu

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Malibu years

Owner complaints for the 2018 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

307 reports with mileage · 388 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 279 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 191 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 169 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

23 crash reports4 fire reports14 injury reports

Engine complaints

279 reports
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Mileage unknown · Jan 6, 2022
Engine

I am driving and all of a sudden car "reduces power" and won't let me go over 20 mph. Sometimes it dies completely even on the highway. Out if no where, it shows "Reduced Engine Power" on the dash and won't go over 20 mph. This has almost caused a few accidents with my baby in the backseat, too. This has happened several times …

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I am driving and all of a sudden car "reduces power" and won't let me go over 20 mph. Sometimes it dies completely even on the highway. Out if no where, it shows "Reduced Engine Power" on the dash and won't go over 20 mph. This has almost caused a few accidents with my baby in the backseat, too. This has happened several times

NHTSA ODI #11446468

Mileage unknown · Jan 5, 2022
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

Vehicle jerks when accelerating. Loses power. Usually will stop after turning the car off for a few minutes. Different engine codes have came up (camshaft position timer, air intake system) no one can seem to find the problem

NHTSA ODI #11446333

Mileage unknown · Jan 2, 2022
Air BagsElectrical SystemEngine

A few days after I got my in October 2018 my car did not start! I pressed the push start and it turned on but wouldn’t “start.” It went back to normal shortly after that but then randomly “steering issues” started happening. THEN my car would LITERALLY STOP at lights and take a minute to turn back on. Or I would be trying to get…

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A few days after I got my in October 2018 my car did not start! I pressed the push start and it turned on but wouldn’t “start.” It went back to normal shortly after that but then randomly “steering issues” started happening. THEN my car would LITERALLY STOP at lights and take a minute to turn back on. Or I would be trying to get speed and my CAR WOULD NOT GO. Do you know how unsafe that made me feel especially having a 5 year old and 2 year (when it happen in the last they where obviously 3 and a new born) but it was scary. The check engine light comes on and off. And TODAY MY CAR did what it do a here and there it shut off… and then on a BUSY road WOULD NOT GO. I had to sit and wait until my family could help push my 2 year old car off the busy road with my 2 babies in the car. It was horrible. Im paying so much for a car I CONSISTENTLY have issues with. Im scared to drive my own car. Now im being told my car needs a new battery, a weird part is needing to be replaced. I have had the same issues taken it to the shop and told everything is good. Oil changes kept up etc. everyone I know that has a Malibu has issues with their Malibu’s

NHTSA ODI #11445888

Mileage unknown · Dec 21, 2021
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

Driving on I20 in heavy traffic all doing 75MPH the car lost all power.Although I had plenty of gas it did no good pumping the gas pedal .Fortunatly I was in the left lane and coasted to the shoulder before anyone collided with me. If I was in the right lane I am sure a collision would have occured as traffic would not have allo…

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Driving on I20 in heavy traffic all doing 75MPH the car lost all power.Although I had plenty of gas it did no good pumping the gas pedal .Fortunatly I was in the left lane and coasted to the shoulder before anyone collided with me. If I was in the right lane I am sure a collision would have occured as traffic would not have allowed me to get to the shoulder.After several hours I got towed 70 miles to the dealership.There was absolutely no warning of a problem prior to the incident. According to the dealership the fuel pump sensor shorted out and no gas could get to the engine.The car is still at the dealers as they have not gotten the backlogged part to repair the vehicle

NHTSA ODI #11444565

Mileage unknown · Dec 20, 2021
Engine

Driving at a speed 55-65 engine power being reduced light comes on and vehicle slows to about 40 speed while engine light is on. It goes in and out like this for days then it does it again. Vehicle was repaired at Chevy dealer 3/18/21. Now it’s doing it again.

NHTSA ODI #11444485

Mileage unknown · Dec 14, 2021
Engine

For over two years now I have been getting a reduced engine power when I drive. The car becomes slow and it is very dangerous especially on the highway. I have almost crashed a couple of times due to this issue. Once I turn the car off and on it goes off but off late that no longer works for me. This has been constant and has ma…

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For over two years now I have been getting a reduced engine power when I drive. The car becomes slow and it is very dangerous especially on the highway. I have almost crashed a couple of times due to this issue. Once I turn the car off and on it goes off but off late that no longer works for me. This has been constant and has made my car useless. I can’t even go anywhere with it. A recall needs to me done because this is heartless and painful. Spending much on a car that I can’t even drive anymore.

NHTSA ODI #11443725

Mileage unknown · Dec 8, 2021
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

Vehicle slows way down and loss of power. Engine power reduced. On heads up display. Seems to use alot of gas when this happens. I need to pull over and shut off car. Wait a bit and then restart. And get back on road. It did this 3 times in my commute to work. Also was snowing that morning and was slippery out so very dangerous …

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Vehicle slows way down and loss of power. Engine power reduced. On heads up display. Seems to use alot of gas when this happens. I need to pull over and shut off car. Wait a bit and then restart. And get back on road. It did this 3 times in my commute to work. Also was snowing that morning and was slippery out so very dangerous almost was involved in an accident but luckily not. Seems to do this more in the colder Temps. It has happened however in summer also but not as often. I have read many complaints about this issue. I am not sure why GM has not figured this issue out yet. Very concerned.

NHTSA ODI #11443064

Mileage unknown · Dec 4, 2021
Engine

The check engine light came on and after getting it diagnose I recieved a P1101 code indicating air mass flow problem. After replacing the sensor I later received an engine power reduce on the dashboard. I received that warning while driving on the interstate and my vehicle started reducing speed possibly causing an accident.

NHTSA ODI #11442671

Mileage unknown · Dec 4, 2021
Electrical SystemEngineService Brakes

MY VEHICLE ACTS AS IF IT DOESNT WANT TO START AFTER BEING AT A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN WHEN MY FEET IS RELEASED OFF THE BREAK IT TAKES A FEW SECONDS TO START BACK UP. ALSO I HAVE ISSUES WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON TOOK IT TO AUTO ZONE AND THEY RECEIVED A CODE DEALING WITH THE WIRING ON THE BATTERY NOT THE ACTUAL BATTERY N…

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MY VEHICLE ACTS AS IF IT DOESNT WANT TO START AFTER BEING AT A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN WHEN MY FEET IS RELEASED OFF THE BREAK IT TAKES A FEW SECONDS TO START BACK UP. ALSO I HAVE ISSUES WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON TOOK IT TO AUTO ZONE AND THEY RECEIVED A CODE DEALING WITH THE WIRING ON THE BATTERY NOT THE ACTUAL BATTERY NEEDING TO BE REPLACED

NHTSA ODI #11442667

Mileage unknown · Nov 30, 2021
Engine

The second morning in a row my 2018 Chevy Malibu overheated. Early in the morning, the temperature out was about 45-50 degrees, I was driving on the highway about 65-70 mph, I turned on the heater and my cars temperature gage immediately shoots up and the "overheating engine" warning lights start flashing. Confused I pulled over…

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The second morning in a row my 2018 Chevy Malibu overheated. Early in the morning, the temperature out was about 45-50 degrees, I was driving on the highway about 65-70 mph, I turned on the heater and my cars temperature gage immediately shoots up and the "overheating engine" warning lights start flashing. Confused I pulled over popped the hood there were no signs of smoke or over heating sounds coming from the motor. I got back into the car, turned off the engine, turned it back on, and the temperature gage immediately falls to normal temperature. Happened two mornings in a row now.

NHTSA ODI #11442080

Official recalls

6

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.

20V668000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Oct 29, 2020

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.

19V642000 · Electrical System:software; Engine; Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System:injectors

Sep 6, 2019

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles equipped with 1.5L turbo engines. An error in the Engine Control Module (ECM) software may result in the fuel injectors being disabled.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Disabled fuel injectors would prevent the engine from starting and may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192221960.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Engine

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles equipped with 1.5L turbo engines. An error in the Engine Control Module (ECM) software may result in the fuel injectors being disabled.

Consequence: Disabled fuel injectors would prevent the engine from starting and may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192221960.

Electrical System:software

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles equipped with 1.5L turbo engines. An error in the Engine Control Module (ECM) software may result in the fuel injectors being disabled.

Consequence: Disabled fuel injectors would prevent the engine from starting and may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192221960.

Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System:injectors

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles equipped with 1.5L turbo engines. An error in the Engine Control Module (ECM) software may result in the fuel injectors being disabled.

Consequence: Disabled fuel injectors would prevent the engine from starting and may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192221960.

18V576000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper

Aug 30, 2018

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 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 18279.

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.

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.