GOT CODE P16CF, MALFUNCTION OF ROCKER ARM OIL CONTROL VALVE. CAME ON WHILE DRIVING, NOW UNABLE TO BUY PART.
2014 Chevrolet Malibu
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 310.5.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Malibu 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
230 reports with mileage · 121 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 125 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 86 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 52 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Unknown Or Other complaints
54 reportsI TOOK MY CAR TO TWO DEALERSHIPS. MY CHECK EBGINE LIGHT I ON. THEY SAID I NEEDED A ROCKER ARM VALVE SOLENOID . PART NO. 1633613 BUT CANNOT SEEM TO FIND RHAT PART.
THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CODE READER SHOWED THAT THE VARIABLE TIMING SOLENOID NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. AFTER SEARCHING FOR A REPLACEMENT PART, I KEEP GETTING TOLD THAT THIS MAKE/MODEL CONSISTENTLY HAS THIS PROBLEM. THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, THE CAR LOSES POWER AND SEEMS TO HAVE A TUGGING FEEL WHEN DRIVING ESPECIALLY …
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THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CODE READER SHOWED THAT THE VARIABLE TIMING SOLENOID NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. AFTER SEARCHING FOR A REPLACEMENT PART, I KEEP GETTING TOLD THAT THIS MAKE/MODEL CONSISTENTLY HAS THIS PROBLEM. THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON, THE CAR LOSES POWER AND SEEMS TO HAVE A TUGGING FEEL WHEN DRIVING ESPECIALLY WHEN ACCELERATING. THIS HAPPENS BOTH WITH IN TOWN DRIVING AND FREEWAY DRIVING. HAPPENS AT ANY SPEED.
PART NO. 12633613 WHICH IS A VALVE IS CURRENTLY ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 23,000 CUSTOMERS WAITING FOR THIS PART. THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED IT'S NOT POSSIBLE THAT 23,000. PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE AND NOT BE RECALLED. NOBODY (DEALERSHIP OR GM) SEEMS TO KNOW WHEN TO EXPECT THE PART, WON'T SAY WHO MAKES THE PART…
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PART NO. 12633613 WHICH IS A VALVE IS CURRENTLY ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 23,000 CUSTOMERS WAITING FOR THIS PART. THIS PART SHOULD BE RECALLED IT'S NOT POSSIBLE THAT 23,000. PARTS ARE DEFECTIVE AND NOT BE RECALLED. NOBODY (DEALERSHIP OR GM) SEEMS TO KNOW WHEN TO EXPECT THE PART, WON'T SAY WHO MAKES THE PART OR WHY IT'S ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER.
THIS CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH THE AUTO STOP/AUTO START FEATURE. MEANING WHEN YOU COME TO A COMPLETE STOP THE CAR SHUTS DOWN, THEN WHEN ITS TIME TO GO BY RELEASING THE BRAKES IT WILL RESTART AND MOVE AGAIN. WITH MY MALIBU IT WILL AUTO STOP CONSTANTLY AND WHEN THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN IT WON'T RESTART FOR SOMETIMES MINUTES AT A TIME. HOL…
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THIS CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH THE AUTO STOP/AUTO START FEATURE. MEANING WHEN YOU COME TO A COMPLETE STOP THE CAR SHUTS DOWN, THEN WHEN ITS TIME TO GO BY RELEASING THE BRAKES IT WILL RESTART AND MOVE AGAIN. WITH MY MALIBU IT WILL AUTO STOP CONSTANTLY AND WHEN THE LIGHT TURNS GREEN IT WON'T RESTART FOR SOMETIMES MINUTES AT A TIME. HOLDING UP TRAFFIC BEHIND ME AND CREATING CHAOS. I HAVE TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK MODE, PULL OUT THE KEY, REINSERT THE KEY AND TRY TO START IT. SOMETIMES IT RESTARTS AFTER ONE TIME OF DOING THIS, BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT TAKES SEVERAL TRIES TO FINALLY GETTING IT STARTED. IT STARTED DOING THIS ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO AND SEEMS LIKE ITS GETTING WORSE. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE, AND AM CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY AND THOSE OF OTHERS IN MY CAR AT THE TIME. PLEASE INVESTIGATE INTO THIS MATTER, THANK YOU.*
I OWN A 2014 CHEVY MALIBU. IT CURRENTLY AS OF TODAY (1/8/2020) IS IN ITS EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE PART MY VEHICLE NEEDS TO FUNCTION AGAIN IS A: INTAKE ROCKER ARM OIL CONTROL VALVE, PART# 12633613. THIS PART IS NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION BY GM AND ACCORDING TO THEM NO ONE MAKES THE PART SO THEY ARE UNABLE TO FIX THE VEHICLE. THE O…
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I OWN A 2014 CHEVY MALIBU. IT CURRENTLY AS OF TODAY (1/8/2020) IS IN ITS EXTENDED WARRANTY. THE PART MY VEHICLE NEEDS TO FUNCTION AGAIN IS A: INTAKE ROCKER ARM OIL CONTROL VALVE, PART# 12633613. THIS PART IS NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION BY GM AND ACCORDING TO THEM NO ONE MAKES THE PART SO THEY ARE UNABLE TO FIX THE VEHICLE. THE ONLY REMEDY THEY OFFER IS TO TAKE THE BROKEN CAR AS A TRADE IN WHEN I PURCHASE A NEW VEHICLE FROM THEM. THEY REFUSE TO OFFER ANY SORT OF REFUND OR REPLACEMENT. THE CAR WAS MANUFACTURED IN 2014. IT'S NOT AN OLD CAR.
ROCKER ARM CONTROL VALVE- GM PART # 12633613 . CAUSES CHUGGING, SHUDDERING, SLOW ACCELERATION, DELAY WHEN GOING FROM A STOPPED POSITION (I.E. STOP LIGHT/ SIGN), POOR GAS MILEAGE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON AND WILL NOT ALLOW FOR REMOTE START TO BE USED. DRIVING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED OVER 15 MPH, EITHER IN TOWN OR HIGHWAY/ INTE…
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ROCKER ARM CONTROL VALVE- GM PART # 12633613 . CAUSES CHUGGING, SHUDDERING, SLOW ACCELERATION, DELAY WHEN GOING FROM A STOPPED POSITION (I.E. STOP LIGHT/ SIGN), POOR GAS MILEAGE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON AND WILL NOT ALLOW FOR REMOTE START TO BE USED. DRIVING AT ANY RATE OF SPEED OVER 15 MPH, EITHER IN TOWN OR HIGHWAY/ INTERSTATE, THE ENGINE WILL CHUG OR TRY TO STALL. ALSO GOING OVER 45 MPH, WILL CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SHUDDER WHEN DRIVING. ACCELERATION IS DELAYED, CAUSING ISSUES WHILE AT INTERSECTIONS
THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITH AP2646 CODE. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO REPAIR, AND THE CODE REMAINING I ATTEMPTED TO FIND PART 12633613. UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PART I BROUGHT IT IN TO A GARAGE. THEY REPLACED THE SAME PART I HAD ALREADY REPLACED, AND STILL THE ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED. THEY WERE ALSO UNABLE TO LOCATE THE REFERENCED PART ONL…
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THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITH AP2646 CODE. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO REPAIR, AND THE CODE REMAINING I ATTEMPTED TO FIND PART 12633613. UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PART I BROUGHT IT IN TO A GARAGE. THEY REPLACED THE SAME PART I HAD ALREADY REPLACED, AND STILL THE ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED. THEY WERE ALSO UNABLE TO LOCATE THE REFERENCED PART ONLINE OR THROUGH A DEALERSHIP (MANGINO CHEVROLET). I CONTACTED SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS AND GM, THE PARTY IS DISCONTINUED AND BACK ORDERED AT PARTS STORES AND DEALERSHIPS. WITHOUT THIS PART, THE CAR CAN NOT BE INSPECTED AND BECOMES A SAFETY ISSUE, AND S LEGAL ISSUE OF CONTINUED TO OPERATE ON THE ROAD (IN NY AND ELSEWHERE I IMAGINE). THE PART IS FAULTY ON MANY CARS IF THE BACK ORDER IS AN ACCURATE INDICATION. ALTHOUGH IT DOES NOT PREVENT SAFE OPERATION OF THE CAR, THE CAR CAN NOT BE INSPECTED OVERALL FOR SAFETY UNTIL THE ENGINE LIGHT IS FIXED.
IT'S MAKING A UNKNOWN SOUND
I HAVE A 2014 CHEVY MALIBU LS. ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT THE CAR ENGINE SHUT STOPPED WORKING, AND ALL THE LIGHTS CAME OFF. I HAD TO GET THE ASSISTANCE OF A POLICE OFFICER TO CONTROL TRAFFIC AWAY FROM MY CAR, UNTIL THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED AND TOWED IT TO THE SHOP. I WAS TOLD THAT THE AUXILIARY BATTERY WAS BAD, AND HAD…
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I HAVE A 2014 CHEVY MALIBU LS. ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT THE CAR ENGINE SHUT STOPPED WORKING, AND ALL THE LIGHTS CAME OFF. I HAD TO GET THE ASSISTANCE OF A POLICE OFFICER TO CONTROL TRAFFIC AWAY FROM MY CAR, UNTIL THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED AND TOWED IT TO THE SHOP. I WAS TOLD THAT THE AUXILIARY BATTERY WAS BAD, AND HAD IT REPLACED. THE CAR IT WORKED WELL. IN AUGUST OF THIS YEAR THE CAR ENGINE BEGAN SHUTTING OFF, WHILE I WAS DRIVING, AND SOMETIMES AFTER IT WAS PARKED OVERNIGHT. I HAD THE BATTERIES CHECKED, AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE BAD. I LIVE IN AZ, AND THE WEATHER HERE IS VERY HOT, BOTH WERE REPLACED ON AUGUST 27TH AND 28TH, LESS THAN 2 MONTHS AGO, WITH TWO NEW BATTERIES. THE CAR WORKED WELL UP UNTIL THIS EVENING, WHEN IT SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY AS I WAS DRIVING INTO MY YARD. ALL THE LIGHTS CAME OFF, AND I CANNOT GET THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. I AM GLAD THAT IT HAPPENED WHEN I ENTERED MY YARD AND NOT WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. WILL TOW IT TO THE SHOP IN THE MORNING TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS NOW.
Official recalls
616V502000 · Electrical System:ignition; Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Jul 5, 2016
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Electrical System:ignition
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.
15V164000 · Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly
Mar 23, 2015
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles October 24, 2011, to March 5, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the Slide or Tilt switch for the roof panel may not be adequately recessed to prevent the switch from inadvertently being pressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 118, "Power-Operated Window, Partition, and Roof Panel Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The Slide or Tilt roof panel switch may inadvertently be pressed and the roof panel may auto-close unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a pinch injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the Body Control Module (BCM) software to remove auto-close feature for certain switch positions, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15176.
14V247000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist:vacuum
May 14, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through May 2, 2014, and equipped with a 2.5L engine with the auto stop/start option. The affected vehicles may experience a complete loss of brake vacuum assist, disabling the hydraulic boost assist. As such, these vehicles do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the hydraulic boost assist is disabled, slowing or stopping the vehicle will require additional brake pedal effort and a lengthened stopping distance. Both of these effects increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic brake control module software, free of charge. The recall began on July 3, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020. General Motors number for this recall is 14201.
14V240000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc
May 8, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Lacrosse vehicles manufactured January 29, 2014, through March 31, 2014 and 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured February 7, 2014, through March 31, 2014, and equipped with 17 inch front brake rotors. The affected vehicles may have had brake rotors intended for the rear of the car accidentally installed on the front. The rear rotors, while the same diameter, are thinner and may result in a front brake pad detaching from the caliper.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If a brake pad detaches from caliper, there may be a sudden reduction in braking, lengthening the distance required to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front brake rotors, and install the correct rotors with new brake pads, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 20, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick) or 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14128.
14V092000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission
Feb 21, 2014
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Regal, LaCrosse, Verano, and Enclave, and Chevrolet Impala, Malibu, Cruze, and Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjuster may disengage from the transmission shift lever. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." They also fail to conform to FMVSS number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If a vehicle's shift cable disengages from the transmission shift lever, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the driver may be able to shift the lever to the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Remedy: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any affected transmission shift cable adjusters, free of charge. The recall began on April 10, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Buick owners at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC owners at 1-800-462-8782. General Motors' number associated with this recall is 14048.
13V567000 · Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System; Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System:windshield:electrical Heating Element
Nov 13, 2013
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through November 5, 2013. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control in these vehicles may intermittently become inoperable when the vehicle is started, preventing the windshield defroster from working. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: The inability to turn on the windshield defroster may decrease the driver's visibility thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic climate control module software, free of charge. The recall began during December 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13380.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System:windshield:electrical Heating Element
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through November 5, 2013. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control in these vehicles may intermittently become inoperable when the vehicle is started, preventing the windshield defroster from working. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."
Consequence: The inability to turn on the windshield defroster may decrease the driver's visibility thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic climate control module software, free of charge. The recall began during December 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13380.
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through November 5, 2013. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control in these vehicles may intermittently become inoperable when the vehicle is started, preventing the windshield defroster from working. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."
Consequence: The inability to turn on the windshield defroster may decrease the driver's visibility thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic climate control module software, free of charge. The recall began during December 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13380.
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
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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