1,154 of the
29,455 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Malibu
are about the fuel system —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2018.
Driving along the highway the CEL light came on followed by reduced engine power warning. Vehicle abruptly slowed down to 35mph (limp mode). Were there to be another vehicle behind me, they would have to do emergency braking. My vehicle would not start after pulling over to the shoulder. A tow truck was dispatched, and after diagnosis from the service center; The fuel pump module was found to be defective.
NHTSA complaint #11761826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle is experiencing an apparent fuel-system malfunction. The vehicle has a very strong raw gasoline odor, significant difficulty starting, and appears to be consuming fuel at an abnormally high rate. After filling the fuel tank completely, I drove approximately 20 miles at most and the fuel gauge decreased by approximately one-quarter of a tank. The engine oil also has a strong gasoline odor, indicating that fuel may be entering the engine oil. The exact failed component has not yet been diagnosed. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The strong raw gasoline odor and apparent rapid loss of fuel create a concern for a fuel leak and potential fire hazard. The vehicle also has difficulty starting and shuts the engine off when the automatic stop/start system activates while stopped at a traffic light. This creates a safety concern because the vehicle may not restart normally when traffic begins moving. I am concerned that the vehicle may have a fuel-system defect similar to the high-pressure fuel pump/fuel-line issue previously recalled on certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibus. No. The problem has not yet been diagnosed or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The symptoms have been personally observed while operating the vehicle. This was my first step as this happened at 10:30pm. No. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or another official representative. I am reporting the problem because of the severity of the symptoms and the potential safety risk. There were no warning lamps or messages that I noticed before the problem occurred. The first symptoms were a very strong gasoline odor, unusually rapid fuel loss, and significant difficulty starting the vehicle. The vehicle also shuts off completely when the automatic stop/start system activates while stopped at a traffic light. These symptoms began recently.
NHTSA complaint #11760675 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fuel sensors failing, codes obd are not fixing issue, auto stop, shuts radio off when brake is applied, resets all electric components in car. Every time braking at a stop or signal.
NHTSA complaint #11759241 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that there was an abnormally strong gasoline odor coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond, requiring the driver to pull over to the side of the road. The message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel injectors had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic retained the vehicle and informed the contact that it was unsafe to drive due to a potential fire risk. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The dealer advised the contact to bring the vehicle in for service. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 169,000.
NHTSA complaint #11755237 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Power door locks stopped working. Took to local dealer. Left car with them for a week and a 1/2 the first time. Dlr replaced BCM module stating this would fix issue. Picked up car and fix lasted 20 seconds. Took back to dlr they could not resolve issue. So I have been without power door locks for more than a year. No way to manually lock the door. Homeless people have opened the door at a stop light.
NHTSA complaint #11753961 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
A software error in 1.5L turbo model disable fuel injectors, preventing the engine from starting or causing a sudden stall while driving. It’s been confirmed to be an previously opened recall that was fixed by previous owner. But, is happening again to me. Yet I’m being told It has been closed and cannot be fixed unless I pay out of pocket. There are warning signs that pop up like reduced speed while I am driving etc. which reduces my speed and is incredibly unsafe.
NHTSA complaint #11753826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop or while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the used car dealer where the vehicle was purchased, but the contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11752132 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
was stopped at a red light. When the traffic light turned green, I pressed the accelerator to proceed through the intersection, but my vehicle did not respond or accelerate immediately. After several seconds, the vehicle finally began to move. This unexpected delay created a safety concern because I was unable to accelerate when traffic began moving.Which caused built up traffic and an almost wreck behind me
NHTSA complaint #11751301 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, all the lights on the instrument panel illuminated, and the engine started to choke. The Service Vehicle light remained illuminated after the other lights turned off. The engine started choking again and failed to start. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic and was diagnosed with an inoperable fuel pump power control module. The mechanic informed the contact about a recall associated with the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred the next two days. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was informed of the issue and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
NHTSA complaint #11751019 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2022 Chevrolet Malibu LT repeatedly and unpredictably enters a "Reduced Engine Power" state, causing sudden, dangerous drops in speed while driving in traffic. This intermittent loss of power happens constantly on and off, creating an ongoing and severe safety hazard. A diagnostic scan reveals codes P0299 (Turbocharger Underboost), P1101, and P2227. General Motors has an active Special Coverage Program (N252508360) covering this exact turbocharger failure for 2022 Malibus with the 1.5L engine. However, GM and the local dealership refuse to cover the repair, claiming my specific VIN is excluded from their automated list. I have already replaced the MAF and MAP sensors to eliminate electrical faults, had all hoses examined for leaks, and I've replaced the air filter under the hood and in the cabin twice, proving this is a chronic mechanical failure of the turbocharger system. GM is using arbitrary VIN boundaries to avoid repairing a known, widespread manufacturing defect that continually compromises vehicle safety.
NHTSA complaint #11750044 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and entered reduced power mode. The Check Engine and the reduced power mode warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the engine seized later. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to restart, but the vehicle made an abnormal sound, and the failure was persistent. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving on a busy highway, which was frightening. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who retrieved diagnostic trouble codes: P00C6, P0137, P0171, P0299, P089, and P2097. The contact was informed that the codes were associated with the fuel system failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
NHTSA complaint #11742702 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This all started when i had my car serviced for an oil change and began to hear some clicking sounds when I would start my vehicle. The fuel sealant is defective, the fuel caps were corroded, leaks oil, and causes the turbo on the engine to lag. I found this out as I was driving and tried to make a turn. When pressing the accelerator the vehicle lagged almost causing me to be involved in an accident on more than one occassion. When conducting on-line research I am not the only owner that has experienced this issue. It would appear that Chevrolet is aware that this is happening in its turbo models. I have an extended warranty that was purchased through the dealership. This issue caused them to replace the fuel sealant, the fuel caps, and the fuel pump. However, 2 weeks later my vehicle is still leaking a significant amount of oil. When I took the vehicle to be serviced, I was told that the sealant is broken again and gaskets have to be replaced. Upon researching this online other owners have experienced the same issues. I did share my online research with the service technicians. Their reactions were dismissive.
NHTSA complaint #11741105 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I bought this car about 10 days ago. Throat was in pain, coughed up blood, dizzy, sweaty, and shaking. There's gas all over the ground coming from front under hood smelling through the vents. Very loud smelling. Took it to Chevrolet dealership on Covington hwy Decatur GA today and had to leave it there. I still don't feel good and neither the passengers in car. Car could've caught on fire gas leaking out when put in. Never experience this ever in my life. I may have to go to the hospital my chest feel very tight and I had a chronic asthmatic and my child in the car with me that's been on a breathing machine since last night and it's now 3:35 pm next day.
NHTSA complaint #11740411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact's wife owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the messages "ESC" and "Fuel Low" were displayed even though there was half a tank of fuel. The transmission failed to shift out of park (P). The contact stated that the failure occurred twice. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the manufacturer's engineer determined that there was a short circuit in the steering rack. The contact was informed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
NHTSA complaint #11735824 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On 04/28/2026, when diagnosing a reoccurring check engine light on the vehicle at a Chevy Certified Service, the mechanic "Borescoped cylinder 4 and found significant scuffs on the cylinder wall which along with the misfires indicate a cracked piston. The big picture appears to be the piston cracked which caused excessive oil consumption and misfires. The excess oil and unburned fuel overloaded the converter causing it to fail. The engine and converter will need to be replaced." In 2017, a recall was issued by GM to mitigate Stochastic Pre-Ignition (SPI) Causing Cracked Piston (17019). Between the initial purchase of the vehicle (11/2016) and performed service required by this recall (03/10/2017), there were approximately 5000 miles driven. No engine diagnosis was performed or recommended. After the 17019 was addressed, the engine misfires continued along with reoccurring CEL. C.S.P. N182195660 Predictive Monitoring for Stochastic Pre-ignition (SPI) released in 2019 states the 1.5 L LFV engines in certain 2016 and 2017 model year Chevrolet Malibu vehicles may have a preignition condition that requires immediate repair. This condition may cause the engine to perform poorly, misfire, run rough, and/or excessively consume oil. It may also illuminate the vehicle’s service engine light. Over time, if not repaired, the condition can damage the vehicle’s pistons and engine. The VIN for this Malibu was not attached to this notice despite it having SPI recall history. On 06/2023 (after the N182195660 program ended), at 80k miles a diagnosis revealed a potential cracked cylinder with no mention of the pre-ignition condition that could cause the crack, and the only way to fix is to replace the entire engine (as per dealer recomendation). Since vehicle was out of warranty, the repair est. was nearly $10k. I firmly believe my 2016 Malibu has suffered the consequences of poor mismanagement on this recall, and am demanding mitigation from GM to fix this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11734369 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Took my car for an oil change 4/17/2026 dealership stated I had a recall on the 21 chevy malibu for Fuel injection module, They could not do the recall repair because they did not have the part. So the lady called me. 4/21/2026 to make appointment for recall for 4/23/2026. But later that day on 4/21 my engine light came out and my car started having problems. When ran a diagnostic it gave a code for the fuel injection
NHTSA complaint #11733506 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving and stopped at a traffic light, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that five minutes after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as intended. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine control module needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V642000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ENGINE); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.
NHTSA complaint #11733336 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a fuel odor was detected, and the vehicle failed to accelerate above 30 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the rearview camera intermittently failed to display while reversing, and the vehicle made an abnormal clicking sound. Upon inspection, the contact discovered a fuel leak beneath the engine. The vehicle was towed to the residence, where an independent mechanic determined that the fuel line needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not 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 130,000.
NHTSA complaint #11732427 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Purchased this car straight out for 4000 from deans car lot in Winchester ky over a week ago. They didn't tell me I had missing fog lights. Keyfob to far was so beat up and bent I could barely get in my car or lock my car not to mention they sent me home in that car with all 4 different brand tires and 4 different sizes. A couple tires are even plugged !! And no wouldn't help me fix any of them. They ignore me. Wasn't no crash. The car lot has been devious and I'm not happy bc that has to do with MY SAFETY. MY LIFE. MY VEHICLE. IM ROYALLY PISSED
NHTSA complaint #11732005 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving and car suddenly reduced speed,engine light came on and message came across dash “engine power reduced” and a text was sent to tell me I have a transmission issue. Now car won’t drive past 25-30mph dealership indicated this is a faulty gas pedal which cost over $600 to repair. Did my research and this is apparently a “known” problem common in 2016-2022. Vehicles but is not an official recall. Also dealership said only “certain” vin numbers with this problem are covered. I have a 2021 and I am not one of them. Not fair. It’s a known problem it should be fixed.
NHTSA complaint #11731460 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.