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.

19 crash reports8 fire reports11 injury reports

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

17 reports

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78,220 miles · Oct 21, 2018

EngineFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

MY CAR CUTS OFF AT LIGHTS . THESE PROBLEMS ARE IN THE DRIVE SHAFT . THE VVT THING.

NHTSA ODI #11141671

20,000 miles · Aug 14, 2017

EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

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I HAVE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY 14 MALIBU EVERY SINCE I BOUGHT IT CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED FROM THE DEALER. THE CAR RPM WILL GET STUCK AROUND 3000 IF I'M CRUISING AND PRESS THE BRAKES TO DECELERATE WHICH HAS CAUSED ME SEVERAL TIME TO HAVE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF OFF THE ROAD SO THAT I DON'T HIT ANYTHING. IN ORDER TO MAKE IT STOP I HAVE TO PRESS BRAKES THEN PRESS THE GAS TO MAKE THE RPM ACT RIGHT. IT HAS ALWAYS HAD A BAD JERK WHEN I AM DRIVING AND THE CAR RPM IS NEAR OR AT A STEADY 2000 IT WOULD JERK UNTIL I SPEED UP OR SLOW DOWN. I'VE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE SHOP SEVERAL TIMES AND PAID FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND DIAGNOSTIC AND STILL THERE WAS NO GOOD NEW ALL BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T MAKE THE ISSUE REOCCUR. MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THESE ISSUES WAS ABOUT A MONTH AFTER BUYING THE CAR AND HAS HAPPENED EVERY SINCE WITH MY LAST OCCURRENCE BEING 08/13/2017. I AM ABOUT READY TO GIVE UP ON CHEVY AND CHANGE MAKES BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO NOT WANT TO HELP AT ALL WITH THE ISSUES I'M HAVING.

NHTSA ODI #11015117

10,785 miles · Aug 9, 2017

Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED. AFTER SHIFTING GEARS TO EITHER THE REVERSE OR DRIVE POSITIONS, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION IN THE DIRECTION OF WHICH GEAR WAS ENGAGED. LANGDALE CHEVROLET IN SYLVESTER, GEORGIA WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE AUTO STOP FEATURE MALFUNCTIONING AS WELL AS THE TRANSMISSION. PRINCE CHEVROLET IN ALBANY, GEORGIA WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHY THE CRUISE CONTROL, THE AUTO STOP FEATURE, AND THE TRANSMISSION HAD MALFUNCTIONED. PARKER CHEVROLET IN ASHBURN, GEORGIA WAS MADE AWARE OF THE SERIES OF FAILURES ON MAY 8, 2017 AND STATED THAT THE FAILURES COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,785. UPDATED 10/18/17*LJ *JS *CN UPDATED 10/5/18*JB

NHTSA ODI #11014003

46,000 miles · Sep 13, 2016

Vehicle Speed ControlCrashInjury

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT DUE TO A FAULTY SEAL IN THE TRUNK, THE VEHICLE FLOODED IN FEBRUARY OF 2014. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY ACCELERATED FORWARD OR IN REVERSE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A CERVICAL NECK STRAIN THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER, BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,000.

NHTSA ODI #10906092

17,000 miles · May 26, 2015

Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DRASTICALLY REDUCED SPEED WHILE ON A MAJOR ROADWAY AND TRAVELING OVER 45 MPH. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DID NOT RESPOND AND THE SPEED WOULD NOT GO PAST 10 MPH. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE CONTACT HAD TO COAST THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURN OFF AND RESTART THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE AUTHORIZED DEALER TWICE, BUT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO REPLICATE AND DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000.

NHTSA ODI #10721522

1,460 miles · May 25, 2014

Vehicle Speed Control

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FIRST OF ALL THANKS NHTSA FOR RECALLING THE BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE. WELL ANOTHER PROBLEM HAS AROSE WITH THIS VEHICLE. MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THIS VEHICLE THIS MORNING. WHEN SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES COMING DOWN HILL SHE STATED THE VEHICLE SLOWED THEN SPED UP WHILE PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL. SO I THEN ROAD TESTED THE VEHICLE WHEN I GOT HOME FROM WORK. DESCENDING DOWN THE SAME HILL I FELT THE VEHICLE SPEED INCREASE WHILE I HAD THE BRAKE PEDAL PRESSED DOWN. IT SEEMS THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT HELPING THE VEHICLE SLOW DOWN AT TIMES.. MEANING THE TRANSMISSION IS UP SHIFTING INSTEAD OF DOWN SHIFTING TO HELP SLOW THE VEHICLE. THIS IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY CONCERN. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THIS SITE AND THERE IS A TSB ON THIS ISSUE(VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL NO. PIC-5652-B). I WILL HAVE IT LOOKED AT ASAP. OF COURSE I ALREADY KNOW DAY CENTENNIAL SERVICE DEPT WILL SAY THEY CANT DUPLICATE MY CONCERN. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL BE A SAFETY RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10593984

300 miles · Apr 27, 2014

EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

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I JUST PURCHASED A 2014 MALIBU ON 04- 22 FOR MY DAUGHTER. DUE TO MY DAUGHTER TELLING ME THAT THE BRAKES FELT MUSHY IN HER CAR I DECIDED TO TEST DRIVE IT MYSELF. WHILE DRIVING DOWN MY STREET AT APPROX. 25MPH WITH THE BRAKE SLIGHTLY DEPRESSED, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED UNEXPECTEDLY AND THE ENGINE SEEM TO REV UP. THIS MADE THE VEHICLE THAT MUCH HARDER TO CONTROL AND STOP. THIS HAS TO BE LOOKED INTO A.S.A.P. I DO NOT WANT MY DAUGHTER TO CONTINUE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE UNTIL THERE IS A SOLUTION. GOING TO TAKE THIS VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP FIRST THING MONDAY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10585127

Official recalls

16V502000 · 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

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)

Consequence: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

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

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

Consequence: The inability to turn on the windshield defroster may decrease the driver's visibility thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

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

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.