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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 · Jul 7, 2021
EngineFuel/propulsion System

I just went and picked up my car after having the recall cone.. Vin#[XXX].The car stalled on me when trying to trying to accelerate I almost got hit because of this...This has happen way to many times. This repair was supposedly done on 07/07/2021. Also this car had the same issue and a recall was done back in 2019. This car is …

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I just went and picked up my car after having the recall cone.. Vin#[XXX].The car stalled on me when trying to trying to accelerate I almost got hit because of this...This has happen way to many times. This repair was supposedly done on 07/07/2021. Also this car had the same issue and a recall was done back in 2019. This car is totally not safe. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ODI #11423779

Mileage unknown · Jun 8, 2021
Engine

Several times I have had the engine light come on and a warning of Engine Power Reduced. I have had it checked several times and some it was not able to be diagnosed but others the various modules were replaced - but the issue is not fixed. What is it going to take to have this brought to NHTSA attention as well as GM to get thi…

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Several times I have had the engine light come on and a warning of Engine Power Reduced. I have had it checked several times and some it was not able to be diagnosed but others the various modules were replaced - but the issue is not fixed. What is it going to take to have this brought to NHTSA attention as well as GM to get this corrected on a recall? I have almost been hit by 18 wheelers on the freeway due to my car dropping from 75 MPH to 30 MPH and there is nothing you can do when you are on a busy freeway in a construction zone but pray. I have read SEVERAL statements and reports of this happening over and over with other owners. I will definitely loan my car to an investigator at NHTSA or Mary Barra, President of GM, and let them see how safe they feel in a situation when this happens, especially when you have grandchildren or your own children in the car. It has been reoccurring since I purchased the car in 2018 with only 4 miles on the odometer so the information gathered below is only a fraction of the information that is needed. Maybe a selection on the "Was there a crash" and "Was there an injury or fatality?" should be "ALMOST, BU THANK GOD, NO"

NHTSA ODI #11420146

Mileage unknown · May 27, 2021
Electrical SystemEngine

The car doesn't start when I press the starter button. It clicks, turns off, and then factory resets all the dash electronics. It's been doing it ever since I got the car and even when at a stop while the car was on, the fuel saving systems will shut off my car at the light but it won't turn back on when I start to lift my foot …

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The car doesn't start when I press the starter button. It clicks, turns off, and then factory resets all the dash electronics. It's been doing it ever since I got the car and even when at a stop while the car was on, the fuel saving systems will shut off my car at the light but it won't turn back on when I start to lift my foot off brakes.

NHTSA ODI #11418766

Mileage unknown · May 27, 2021
Engine

My car will not start. And it turn off at stop lights and when does the gas saving shut off, it doesn't turn back over. Im pretty sure it's the fuel injectors

NHTSA ODI #11418765

Mileage unknown · May 19, 2021
EnginePower Train

There was an issue with the Engine and Transmission System. My Engine light came on and I received a warning that the Engine Power is Reduced and I had to pull over because the speed of the car reduced to 20 miles an hour. This happened a month again and then the car would not start. We bought a new battery and everything was…

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There was an issue with the Engine and Transmission System. My Engine light came on and I received a warning that the Engine Power is Reduced and I had to pull over because the speed of the car reduced to 20 miles an hour. This happened a month again and then the car would not start. We bought a new battery and everything was fine until today were it happened again. I have to travel on the highway a lot and cannot have that happen again or I can be in trouble by causing an accident.

NHTSA ODI #11417763

62,000 miles · May 16, 2021
EngineVehicle Speed Control

MY ENGINE POWER REDUCED SIGNAL ON MY 2018 MALIBU LT COMES ON ON MY DASH. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN A FEW ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED ASAP. I HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN THE ENTIRE GAS PEDAL REPLACED. THIS IS RIDICULOUS BECAUSE THEY ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT ARE TOO CHEAP TO …

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MY ENGINE POWER REDUCED SIGNAL ON MY 2018 MALIBU LT COMES ON ON MY DASH. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN IN A FEW ACCIDENTS BECAUSE OF THIS ON THE HIGHWAY. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED ASAP. I HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN THE ENTIRE GAS PEDAL REPLACED. THIS IS RIDICULOUS BECAUSE THEY ALREADY KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT ARE TOO CHEAP TO DO A RECALL ON IT. SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE ONE DAY BECAUSE OF THIS AND IT WILL FALL ON THE HANDS OF THE CAR COMPANY.

NHTSA ODI #11416774

68,958 miles · May 2, 2021
Engine

I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY DOING 70MPH AND A WARNING POPPED UP ON THE DASH AND SAID ENGINE POWER REDUCED AND THE CAR SLOWED DOWN TO 20MPH. I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED AND HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED ON A REGULAR CITY STREET WHILE GOING 40MPH. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECT…

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I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY DOING 70MPH AND A WARNING POPPED UP ON THE DASH AND SAID ENGINE POWER REDUCED AND THE CAR SLOWED DOWN TO 20MPH. I ALMOST GOT REAR ENDED AND HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS HAS ALSO HAPPENED ON A REGULAR CITY STREET WHILE GOING 40MPH. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED

NHTSA ODI #11414791

107,978 miles · Apr 25, 2021
Engine

ENGINE GOES INTO POWER REDUCED MODE REGULARLY AND PREVENTS ME FROM DRIVING. IT TYPICALLY HAPPENS ON THE INTERSTATE, BUT HAS HAPPENED ON CITY STREETS AS WELL. ONCE I RESTART THE CAR, I AM ABLE TO DRIVE AGAIN, BUT IT IS HAPPENS MORE AND MORE OFTEN.

NHTSA ODI #11413843

51,340 miles · Apr 23, 2021
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

WHILE OPERATING MY VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH ON A BUSY HIGHWAY I RECEIVED A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT AND A WARNING THAT THE ENGINE POWER HAS BEEN REDUCED. AFTER ALL OF THOSE WARNINGS MY VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY SLOWED TO 20 MPH AND WOULD NOT SPEED UP.

NHTSA ODI #11413530

84,500 miles · Apr 17, 2021
EngineVehicle Speed ControlCrash

WHEN DRIVING MY 2018 CHEVY MALIBU IT STALLS OUT WHILE I'M DRIVING REDUCING MY SPEED TO 20 MPH WHEN I'AM ON THE FREEWAY. AS I CONTINUE TO DRIVE HOME I SEEN A NOTIFICATION THAT SAID POWER REDUCE SYSTEM IT HAPPENS VERY OFTEN AND AS A RESULT OF THE STALLING I WAS REAR ENDED FROM THE REAR AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR ME TO CONTINUE…

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WHEN DRIVING MY 2018 CHEVY MALIBU IT STALLS OUT WHILE I'M DRIVING REDUCING MY SPEED TO 20 MPH WHEN I'AM ON THE FREEWAY. AS I CONTINUE TO DRIVE HOME I SEEN A NOTIFICATION THAT SAID POWER REDUCE SYSTEM IT HAPPENS VERY OFTEN AND AS A RESULT OF THE STALLING I WAS REAR ENDED FROM THE REAR AND IT IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR ME TO CONTINUE DRIVING THIS CAR.

NHTSA ODI #11408517

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.