1,297 of the
29,455 complaints filed about the Chevrolet Malibu
are about the other systems —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2016.
2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid LT 1.8L - current mileage 147,059 miles The factory exhaust heat exchanger failed internally, leaking engine coolant into the exhaust system. This caused check engine codes P0401 / P26BE, loss of cabin heat, coolant loss, and exhaust fumes entering cabin. GM has released 4 revisions of this part and all fail the same way, indicating known defective design. The part is currently on indefinite national backorder with no ETA from GM (Order #343585 from GMPartsNow on 08/22/2025 held without ship date). Dealers quote $1,587 and cannot obtain part either. This is a safety and emissions defect: coolant loss risks engine overheating, exhaust leak risks carbon monoxide in cabin, and coolant contaminates catalytic converter. GM discontinued Malibu Hybrid in 2019 without proper fix. This should be recalled. They produced a car, we bought it and now they don’t have the overpriced parts in stock to fix my car and when the parts is backordered, I keep driving it because i can’t work without my car which I very much need, the hybrid battery gets overheated, then they sell battery too and other damages too which will cost thousands to fix. This is a scam!
NHTSA complaint #11761612 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The problem with this model is the CVT Trasmission thats in the vehicle when put into drive mode it stalls to change gears and want change gears for about 5 min then it kicks in to go it does that very often i have took it to the dealership and spent tremendous mount of money the transmission are crapy and stalls the car when put into drive mode please help im not the only one experiencing this issue there is a Chevrolet malibu group chat on Facebook and other sites these transmission needs to be replaced by the dealership they sell these cars with this existing problems and jack the car prices up these is not right and upon taking it to them they act like they dont know the problem this is a big safety issues and can cause harmful to someone if on the interstate or traffic at a blind spot please investigate the work i got done problem still exists
NHTSA complaint #11761497 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The car started giving warnings on the dash "SHIFT TO PARK" even though the shifter is in park. When it happens you can not shut the car off fully causing the battery to drain, you also can not lock the vehicle. The car only has 19K miles on it and GM refuses to fix because the car is out of the standard warranty period by six months.
NHTSA complaint #11761353 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My back up camera just showing blank screen. It's a recall on my model. I was backing up it went blank. Causing me to hit a pole. I took it to Jerry's Chevrolet they said can fix it but out of pocket and reimbursed later. I can't afford that. So, I can't even park between cars . This have become and inconvenience. Chevrolet knows the problem fails to do anything about it.
NHTSA complaint #11760696 — 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.
My vehicle is a 2024 Chevrolet Malibu, VIN [XXX]. It is showing recall N262551720 (NHTSA 26V212) concerning the rearview camera. My rearview camera is currently clear and functioning normally, with no distortion or blank screen. I am requesting that NHTSA review whether my specific VIN is actually part of the affected population for this recall and whether the recall should apply to my vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11758120 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2023 Malibu VIN [XXX] has an active backup camera failure due to recall [XXX]. The remedy says unavailable, but the car is currently unsafe. I need to open a corporate case for a dealer loaner vehicle INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11757209 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My rear view camera is fuzzy and today it went out completely and the screen was black. Sometimes it shows what’s behind the car when I’m backing and then suddenly the screen goes black and I’m unable to see anything. It just started today 6/15/26z . I believe this is a safety hazard and could cause an accident while backing up putting myself and others at risk . There was no warning before this happened, I just noticed the screen was fuzzy on one side, then the fuzziness would go to the other side of the screen . I wasn’t sure what was happening until it completely went black .
NHTSA complaint #11757213 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Failure - B000A-00 Body Control Module Error code - Shift Lever Position not plausible . Safety - This causes the car to upon attempting to turn off the car say "Shift into Park" on the dashboard and the car refuses to turn fully off. This can cause the battery to drain excessively from repeated constant start/stop attempts and leaves the car in an impossible state. You cannot safely leave the car in this state but you have no choice until you get lucky enough to hope an attempt is recognized as parked and shut off normally. This could jeopardize safety in situations you need to turn your car off Official Bulletin Number: GM TSB 23-NA-119 There is no warning prior to failure, and no way to override it
NHTSA complaint #11757048 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I purchased this vehicle in April of 2026, 4 days after bringing it home it began displaying a “Shift To Park” message in the dash, essentially making it so the vehicle will not shut off even when the vehicle is in park. Took it to a shop and they diagnosed it as a common issue across the 2021 Malibus and stated the entire shifter assembly needed replaced. Have not had it replaced yet due to not having the funds to replace the entire assembly, but was informed eventually the problem will progress to a total loss of being able to turn the vehicle off resulting in the vehicle essentially dying and requiring a jump start where the issue will display on the dashboard again until the internal micro switch is replaced. I believe this issue should be brought to GMs attention and a recall should be issued, seeing as they are aware it’s a known issue in malibus. A chevy dealership specifically told me that replacing the entire assembly may likely not even repair the issue itself.
NHTSA complaint #11756187 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I own a 2018 Chevy Malibu. At approximately 57,000 miles, the original engine experienced a vacuum pump failure that resulted in catastrophic engine damage. The engine was replaced by General Motors under the vehicle's warranty. I then drove the vehicle for approximately another 52,000 miles with the warranty replacement engine. At that point, I experienced a sudden loss of braking while driving. My vehicle was again diagnosed with a vacuum pump failure, and the vacuum pump was replaced. Approximately one week after the vacuum pump replacement, the warranty replacement engine suffered catastrophic failure. The repair facility diagnosed cylinder #3 scoring and informed me that the engine required replacement. I was told that the engine failure was related to the vacuum pump failure. Because the warranty replacement engine was no longer covered under warranty, General Motors initially declined to cover the repair. Initially, neither General Motors nor the Chevrolet dealership was willing to accept responsibility for the issue. After continued discussions, General Motors ultimately agreed to provide partial financial assistance as a goodwill adjustment. However, I was still left responsible for paying a substantial amount out of pocket to purchase and install a third engine. The cost has created a significant financial burden that I have struggled to afford, especially because the repair involved a component that I was informed has a known history of failure. I was also informed that vacuum pump failures are a known issue with these vehicles and that General Motors is aware of the problem, although no recall has been issued. I am submitting this complaint because I have experienced multiple vacuum pump failures, two catastrophic engine failures, and have now required three engines in the same vehicle. This has resulted in significant financial hardship, loss of use of my vehicle, and serious concerns about the safety and reliability of this vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11754547 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Unknown, I parked the vehicle, got out of it, left car running for AC, locked the doors. The car was in park. Locks unlocked door, rear view camera display cut off, AC still running. I am viewing a house, so I walk around house and car still in park, 0-5min. I go in the house, 10-15 later, out of habit hit the lock buttons on car again, because I couldn't see it. When we exit the house the car is gone. Went in reverse and rolled across a road into a fence. When I arrived at the car, the doors were locked and the car was in reverse.
NHTSA complaint #11754124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
So while I was driving my car going 60 on the highway it seemed to be having electrical issues all the lights on my dash popped on then popped off and only a few lights actually stayed on I can't remember exactly but the check engine and my abs stayed on and then on my screen it read to me warning power steering fault my headlights were dimming on and off like my car was going to die, so I had to pull over for my safety and other drivers safety, so after I pulled over safely I shut my car completely off and waited about 5 minutes and turned it back on when it turned back on the only light that popped on my dash was the check engine light, but the check engine light had actually been on the dash for a while after I replaced the 21 fuses that were missing that I didn't know were missing when I purchased the vehicle as is from a dealership the only thing that made me decide to check my fuses was because my check engine light was popping on and off and would stay off for a while then come back on a code reader said it was something to do with my turbo that code it was just very odd and the car was shifting weird 3 or 4 months after the purchase date XXX also after I put all the fuses back in a ton of codes popped up others safety and mine were at risk as I didn't really have control of my vehicle when it was doing that and it started breaking itself when I wasn't even hitting the break it was like jolting it's self and stopping slightly. I took my car to AAMCO Total car Care for a free diagnostic test, and then I had recently took my car to a Chevy dealership in Nampa Idaho off garrity boulevard because online it had told me there was recalls for my car and that recall was exactly what I was thinking had started off as the original problem originally leading into the other problems I got told to bring my car in then the fed me information saying pretty much it was a bust and that specific Malibu has no recall I think they just didn't want to work on it
NHTSA complaint #11754086 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am reporting a safety concern with my 2021 Chevrolet Malibu that is experiencing a “Shift to Park” failure.The vehicle displays a “Shift to Park” warning message even when the gear selector is fully placed in Park. Because the vehicle incorrectly detects that it is not in Park, it will not allow me to properly turn the vehicle off. This creates a concern because the vehicle may remain powered on when it should be shut down, potentially draining the battery and leaving the vehicle unable to start when needed.This issue appears to be a known problem affecting multiple Chevrolet vehicles, yet owners are still being required to pay out-of-pocket for repairs. My vehicle has just over 54,000 miles, and the repair estimate from Chevrolet is approximately $853.A gear position detection failure is concerning because the vehicle’s ability to recognize Park is an important safety function. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether this issue represents a safety defect and whether additional action is needed to protect vehicle owners.
NHTSA complaint #11753858 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I’ve reported this problem but as I got into the repair their was far more damaged that was caused due to the vacuum pump. It took out my exhaust camshaft and sent metal through out and the timing needs replaced as well. A shop would rather total my car than what it would cost to fix. I’m attempting to fix it myself but have been without my car for months now. This is created such a hardship and the money it’s continues to take as more and more needs to be fixed or replaced as well as all the gaskets and screws that are only one time use as well as parts like my high pressured fuel line I mean this lost keeps going. I and to replace the water pump as well and all due to this vacuum pump that’s been reported and reported and nothing has been done this is outrageous that what’s caused is so much more then just a vacuum pump it can destroy your vehicle miles don’t matter the less or if you have more the pump goes out when it feels like it. Creating more issues then it should and potentially totaling out a vehicle as it’s been said mine should be. So I’m trying to fix my car to prevent losing it and it’s been one thing after another and such a nightmare. The fact that this issue continues to be ignored is unacceptable and a complete disregard to public safety due to the serious safety issue as mine I could barley get my car to stop the breaks were hard and unable to push down without basically standing on them to get into stop at only 7-8 miles per hour I was moving when the vacuum booster went out. Someone should not have to die to have this issue addressed and to be taken seriously and made right! I can’t believe nothing has been done and that it’s not required to have to address this issue with the severity it bring to one’s safety as well as public safety is beyond me. This is a major lawsuit and people’s lives and lovely hood should be taken more seriously and instead nothing is being done. It’s very concerning to think what has to happen for this to be addressed!
NHTSA complaint #11753408 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Car states shift to park when vehicle is already in park. It took multiple times to start car again and wiggling of shifter to get car to turn off. Car was repaired by a mechanic by replacing the transmission control and transmission shifter. Chevy is aware of the problem (which can drain the battery if not caught) but has not issued a recall only a Technical Service Bulletin. Cost to me was $569.00 for repair.
NHTSA complaint #11753429 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Car states shift to park when vehicle is already in park. It took multiple times to start car again and wiggling of shifter to get car to turn off. Car was repaired by a mechanic by replacing the transmission control and transmission shifter. Chevy is aware of the problem (which can drain the battery if not caught) but has not issued a recall only a Technical Service Bulletin. Cost to me was $569.00 for repair.
NHTSA complaint #11753430 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.