IllustrationCar accelerates on its own while I’m driving. In addition , without warning the car engines suddenly reduced speed. This has accrued while I’m on the freeway without any warnings.
2017 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Malibu Hybrid years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 12 of 22 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
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.
- Electrical System. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 3 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
1 crash reports0 fire reports2 injury reports
Engine complaints
3 reportsI PURCHASED A 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU AS I AM A SALESMAN AND ON THE ROAD ALL DAY. MY REDUCE ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON. THE CAR IS NOT EVEN 2 YEARS OLD. I WAS ADVISED IT CAN BE THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR OR THROTTLE BODY. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ON LINE FOPR THE SAME CAR. WHY IS A BRAND NEW CAR HAVING THIS ISSUE?. I W…
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I PURCHASED A 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU AS I AM A SALESMAN AND ON THE ROAD ALL DAY. MY REDUCE ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME ON. THE CAR IS NOT EVEN 2 YEARS OLD. I WAS ADVISED IT CAN BE THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR OR THROTTLE BODY. I HAVE SEEN MANY COMPLAINTS ON LINE FOPR THE SAME CAR. WHY IS A BRAND NEW CAR HAVING THIS ISSUE?. I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND REDUSED SPEEDS TO 20 MPH AND ALMOST CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. I CONTINUALLY NEED TO PULL OVER AND TURN OFF CAR TOP RESET ITSELF. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHY THIS HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED WITH SO MANY COMPLAINTS.
THE CAR SOMETIMES HAS A HUGE DELAY AFTER YOU PUSH THE START BUTTON ON DASH TO ACTUALLY START, AND BEING A HYBRID THE CAR SHAKES BAD WHEN ENGINE STARTS, IT'S SOUNDA LIKE CRAP TO BE HONEST. I'VE GOT 12K MILES ON IT AND IT'S BEEN SERVICED AT CHEVY ONLY, AND THE [XXX] THING HAS A RATTLE IN THE DASH THEY 'CAN'T FIGURE OUT' AND THEY D…
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THE CAR SOMETIMES HAS A HUGE DELAY AFTER YOU PUSH THE START BUTTON ON DASH TO ACTUALLY START, AND BEING A HYBRID THE CAR SHAKES BAD WHEN ENGINE STARTS, IT'S SOUNDA LIKE CRAP TO BE HONEST. I'VE GOT 12K MILES ON IT AND IT'S BEEN SERVICED AT CHEVY ONLY, AND THE [XXX] THING HAS A RATTLE IN THE DASH THEY 'CAN'T FIGURE OUT' AND THEY DON'T HEAR ANY ABNORMAL ENGINE NOISE. AND THEY SAY IT'S NORMAL TO LAG THAT BAD WHEN STARTING, AS IT HAS TO 'POWER UP'. BUT WHEN CAR WAS NEW IT DIDN'T DO THAT PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Official recalls
0No recalls in this snapshot.
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
1DP22005 · Pedestrian Alert Sounds
Opened Jan 27, 2023 · Closed Aug 7, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Electrical System:propulsion System
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.