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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.

About this comparison →

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

What owners actually said

695 reports
Mileage unknown · Oct 25, 2021
EngineFuel/propulsion System

Car suddenly stops and takes several minutes to turn back on. During the time the car is off there is no electrical power. After a few minutes (5-10) electrical power returns and car is able to be started. This has happened everywhere from our driveway to a highway ramp and happens without warning.

NHTSA ODI #11438144

Mileage unknown · Oct 24, 2021
EngineSuspensionUnknown Or Other

“Engine power reduced” shows on dash after I’ve taken it to the dealership. I’ve been on the highway where the speed slow down drastically cars coming behind me! Very dangerous! Also “shift to park” displays when it is already in park! Have to either wiggle the gear shift or, turn car off/on several times for the message to go …

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“Engine power reduced” shows on dash after I’ve taken it to the dealership. I’ve been on the highway where the speed slow down drastically cars coming behind me! Very dangerous! Also “shift to park” displays when it is already in park! Have to either wiggle the gear shift or, turn car off/on several times for the message to go away. Also when backing up, there’s a popping noise in the rear. Dealership acknowledged I want the only customer with this issue. Claimed they didn’t find anything wrong. I purchased this vehicle in 2019 and it was only a year old. Issues started almost simultaneously at the end of 2019…Too new for all of these issues.

NHTSA ODI #11437961

Mileage unknown · Oct 20, 2021
Unknown Or Other

The car is in park but the car won't turn off, it's saying shift to park

NHTSA ODI #11437556

Mileage unknown · Oct 19, 2021
Unknown Or Other

While driving, on October 16, 2021 my car shut off and stopped working unexpectedly, while I was still in traffic. It would not start up again, and the steering wheels locked. Luckily, some pedestrians helped push the car to a safer spot. However, the car would not start even after attempting to jump it. I had the car towed to …

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While driving, on October 16, 2021 my car shut off and stopped working unexpectedly, while I was still in traffic. It would not start up again, and the steering wheels locked. Luckily, some pedestrians helped push the car to a safer spot. However, the car would not start even after attempting to jump it. I had the car towed to a repair shop on October 18, 2021. The repair shop claimed to not know why it suddenly stopped while driving, however, they were able to get it started again.

NHTSA ODI #11437408

Mileage unknown · Oct 19, 2021
Air BagsInjury

I was at a red light and out of no where the Air bags on the driver side deployed, there was a passenger thanks god they did not go out.

NHTSA ODI #11437304

Mileage unknown · Oct 19, 2021
Engine

The engine shut down while driving and about caused me to wreck. Luckliy traffic was light. Jack Schmitt Chevrolet said it was a factory defect in the turbo function of the car and Chevrolet would not pay for the repaires. $2290 I was charged. They also said it was not the software issue of the outstanding recall for this same c…

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The engine shut down while driving and about caused me to wreck. Luckliy traffic was light. Jack Schmitt Chevrolet said it was a factory defect in the turbo function of the car and Chevrolet would not pay for the repaires. $2290 I was charged. They also said it was not the software issue of the outstanding recall for this same car that was causing this same exact problem.

NHTSA ODI #11437301

Mileage unknown · Oct 13, 2021
Electrical SystemSteeringUnknown Or Other

Recently my car had been shutting off at stops. I know chevys shut down when at stops but now it shuts down my radio lights go off locks on doors unlock then lock. then when it turns back on it says driving assist is reduced drive with caution. Then another alert pops up saying doors are unlocked. Now when I’m driving sometimes …

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Recently my car had been shutting off at stops. I know chevys shut down when at stops but now it shuts down my radio lights go off locks on doors unlock then lock. then when it turns back on it says driving assist is reduced drive with caution. Then another alert pops up saying doors are unlocked. Now when I’m driving sometimes it slows down on its own and won’t let me go faster. It’s very scary when on freeway cause I’m worried it’s not going to speed back up and I’m going to get rear ended. Another alert With the first letter S comes on but it turns off so fast I can’t see what the word is. It been stalling when I’m at a stop. It does turn back on after a few seconds. The engine light comes on periodically and eventually turns off. Also when I go from drive to reverse it does not change gear smoothly sometimes it will jerk the entire car and make a loud noise as I’m putting into reverse. There has been two times my radio screen has gone completely black and won’t turn on for several hours. I use my car everyday to commute to and from work. I have two jobs so I do spend a lot of time driving and this is scary not knowing if my car is truly safe to be on the road. I trust the Chevy name that’s why I chose it but now I’m not so sure it is safe.

NHTSA ODI #11436701

61,030 miles · Sep 30, 2021
Engine

The contact's grandson owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while his grandson was driving 65 MPH, the reduced engine power warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started to stall. His grandson was able to restart the vehicle and drove the vehicle off the highway. The contact then met his grandson in a parki…

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The contact's grandson owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while his grandson was driving 65 MPH, the reduced engine power warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started to stall. His grandson was able to restart the vehicle and drove the vehicle off the highway. The contact then met his grandson in a parking lot where the vehicle would not restart, and the check engine and reduced engine power warning lights were illuminated. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer and he was informed that the failure was related to a defective camshaft. The contact did not believe the stated cause for the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 61,030.

NHTSA ODI #11434971

Mileage unknown · Sep 28, 2021
Unknown Or Other

My shift to park came on my 2018 Malibu and was repaired by sands Chevrolet of surprise less then a year later it came on again. I called about them fixing it and was told that because my warranty expired I would be responsible for the cost of the repair. Because GM Doesn’t cover it , I told them it was less then a year that i…

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My shift to park came on my 2018 Malibu and was repaired by sands Chevrolet of surprise less then a year later it came on again. I called about them fixing it and was told that because my warranty expired I would be responsible for the cost of the repair. Because GM Doesn’t cover it , I told them it was less then a year that it was repaired and they should repair it because if it was fixed right it shouldn’t happen again less then a year after it was fixed,

NHTSA ODI #11434614

Mileage unknown · Sep 27, 2021
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

My ‘18 Malibu LT has over 39K miles , and just tonight, i started my car , the engine light and traction control light both came on, followed by a message saying “Engine Power Reduced”. I then decided to drive for a little to see if i notice any problem. After driving for about 4 minutes , my car went from 37mph down to 20mph …

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My ‘18 Malibu LT has over 39K miles , and just tonight, i started my car , the engine light and traction control light both came on, followed by a message saying “Engine Power Reduced”. I then decided to drive for a little to see if i notice any problem. After driving for about 4 minutes , my car went from 37mph down to 20mph . It felt like the engine was forcing itself . So i then pulled over to the side of the curb, turn the car off, then back on. i noticed the warning engine light was still there but the traction light weren’t there no more. So i drove back to my place , turned my engine off. Then i plugged my diagnostic device to see what code(s)were they, and 1 code came up and it was P2138. Which is Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor. Oh by the way, I also would like to mention one more thing which is the “Shift to Park” message i started seeing whenever i park my car (putting the gear in park) and this first happened when my car was at 38K Miles (about a month ago).

NHTSA ODI #11434448

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.