When shifting into park, the car doesn't think it's in park and remains on.
2017 Chevrolet Malibu
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Malibu years
Owner complaints for the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu are substantially higher than 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
397 reports with mileage · 305 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 253 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 161 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 139 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
139 reportsWe have had multiple codes with loss of power.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after parking and turning off the vehicle, the “Shift to Park” message was displayed. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the electrical system was inoperable. The local dealer was contacted, and the con…
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The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after parking and turning off the vehicle, the “Shift to Park” message was displayed. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the electrical system was inoperable. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that there were no open recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
I have had 2 incidents, and paid for repairs both times. When put in park, SHIFT TO PARK warning lights come on. First time, Oct 4, 2021. Second time Dec 16, 2024. In 2021 I was told there should be a recall, it happens a lot. I'm not seeing recall, and think I should get my money back.
While driving, random and complete engine power loss for several seconds, unable to accelerate at all. After power is regained, a cloud of white smoke is seen from the exhaust. The vehicle then drives completely normal, and no codes show up on the dashboard. This has happened three times within two months at around 100000mi on t…
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While driving, random and complete engine power loss for several seconds, unable to accelerate at all. After power is regained, a cloud of white smoke is seen from the exhaust. The vehicle then drives completely normal, and no codes show up on the dashboard. This has happened three times within two months at around 100000mi on the odometer. Complete power loss could result in being a hazard to other drivers, along with not allowing the driver to make decisions to avoid an accident or propel their vehicle forward. The vehicle is going in for inspection within the next two weeks to determine cause.
Engine power abruptly stopped while driving causing drivers behind me to almost rear end me. Dashboard displays ‘Engine Power is Reduced.’ It has happened since I purchased the vehicle in 2017 but had not done this in a few years. I’m on top of maintenance and did mention this issue to the dealer but no one reached out or offere…
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Engine power abruptly stopped while driving causing drivers behind me to almost rear end me. Dashboard displays ‘Engine Power is Reduced.’ It has happened since I purchased the vehicle in 2017 but had not done this in a few years. I’m on top of maintenance and did mention this issue to the dealer but no one reached out or offered a solution.
Since buying this car a year and a half ago, I have had to have the pedal position sensor replaced 5 times, my car has been broken down since April due to an oil leak issue and the pedal position sensor.
Approximately 2-3 times a month the car's transmission intermittently fails to engage from a stop. Wont go forward or in reverse. Need to restart the car to fix the issue. Dont feel safe driving the car in traffic where a failure to accelerate could cause an accident. The issue started at under 17000, and the now has only 18…
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Approximately 2-3 times a month the car's transmission intermittently fails to engage from a stop. Wont go forward or in reverse. Need to restart the car to fix the issue. Dont feel safe driving the car in traffic where a failure to accelerate could cause an accident. The issue started at under 17000, and the now has only 18846 miles. Chevy Malibu 2017 Premier. Dealer not sure what this issue is but wants to replace the transmission which I dont have the budget to cover. GM only offered to cover 15% of the repair and does not seem concerned about the safety issue.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while shifting into park(P), the vehicle failed to turn off as needed. The contact stated that the message "Please Shift to Park" was displayed and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle re…
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The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while shifting into park(P), the vehicle failed to turn off as needed. The contact stated that the message "Please Shift to Park" was displayed and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle resumed normal operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a defective gear shifter wiring harness, and a battery current sensor failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle and shifting to the park, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed, and the vehicle could not immediately be turned off. After shifting the transmission selector several times, the message disappeared, and the contact was able to turn of…
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The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle and shifting to the park, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed, and the vehicle could not immediately be turned off. After shifting the transmission selector several times, the message disappeared, and the contact was able to turn off the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 15,000.
Official recalls
421V649000 · Seat Belts:critical Fasteners; Seat Belts:rear/other:retractor
Aug 20, 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Seat Belts:rear/other:retractor
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.
Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
Seat Belts:critical Fasteners
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.
Consequence: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
18V400000 · Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification
Jun 14, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. During servicing, a Passenger Presence System (PPS) may have been installed that was not correctly calibrated to the vehicle's seat type. As a result, the PPS may not properly identify an adult passenger from a child passenger in the front passenger seat, potentially causing the air bag to not deploy when it should, or causing the air bag to deploy when it shouldn't.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger PPS seat service kit, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18208.
18V358000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
May 31, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.
16V870000 · Air Bags:side/window
Dec 2, 2016
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017 Malibu vehicles manufactured on November 10, 2016. The right-hand rear side air bag inflator manifold may have insufficient welds.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Insufficient welds could cause the inflator to separate and propel air bag debris into the cabin during a crash. Also, the inflator could fail to inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear side air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 16146.
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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