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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.

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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.

16 crash reports4 fire reports8 injury reports

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

135 reports
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68,973 miles · Apr 16, 2019
EngineVehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. ON MOST OCCASIONS, THE SPEED WOULD REMAIN CONSISTENT. OTHER TIMES, THE SPEED WOULD DECREASE DURING THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CHUCK HUTTON CHEVROLE…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DECELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. ON MOST OCCASIONS, THE SPEED WOULD REMAIN CONSISTENT. OTHER TIMES, THE SPEED WOULD DECREASE DURING THE FAILURE. IN ADDITION, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO CHUCK HUTTON CHEVROLET (2471 MT MORIAH RD, MEMPHIS, TN 38115, (901) 318-3703) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW ACCELERATOR FUSE PEDAL NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ELEVEN TIMES OVER THREE YEARS FOR THE SAME FAILURE, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,973.

NHTSA ODI #11196735

33,236 miles · Mar 29, 2019
Vehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED TO 10 MPH, LOST POWER, AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DANIELS LONG CHEVROLET (70 AUTOMOTIVE DR, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80905, (719) 387-1072) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE PEDAL MALFUNCTIONED…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE DECELERATED TO 10 MPH, LOST POWER, AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DANIELS LONG CHEVROLET (70 AUTOMOTIVE DR, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80905, (719) 387-1072) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE PEDAL MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 95124179466. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 33,236.

NHTSA ODI #11192415

49,330 miles · Mar 27, 2019
EngineVehicle Speed Control

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF 80 MPH, THIS MESSAGE APPEARED WHICH SAID ENGINE POWER REDUCED SPEED. I HAD TO FIND MY WAY TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, WHILE OTHER VEHICLES ARE TRAVELING AT A 75+ MPH, AND MY VEHICLE SPEED HAS REDUCED DOWN TO 30 MPH IN A MATTER OF SECONDS . I PULLED OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE O…

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WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE ON HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF 80 MPH, THIS MESSAGE APPEARED WHICH SAID ENGINE POWER REDUCED SPEED. I HAD TO FIND MY WAY TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, WHILE OTHER VEHICLES ARE TRAVELING AT A 75+ MPH, AND MY VEHICLE SPEED HAS REDUCED DOWN TO 30 MPH IN A MATTER OF SECONDS . I PULLED OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE ON THE EXPRESSWAY AND SHUT DOWN MY VEHICLE. AFTER 15 MIN, I STARTED MY VEHICLE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON, BUT I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AT A NORMAL SPEED AGAIN. THIS IS A HAZARDOUS ISSUE AND NEED ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY.

NHTSA ODI #11191776

58,000 miles · Mar 19, 2019
Electrical SystemEngineVehicle Speed Control

VEHICLE WENT INTO 'ENGINE POWER DECREASED' UNABLE TO ACCELERATE WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AS WELL AS THROTTLE SENSOR ON. TOOK TO DEALER WHO CHECKED ALL OF THE DIAGNOSTIC CODES AND SAID IT WAS FULLY OPERATIONAL. AGAIN DROVE FOR ABOUT 1 MONTH AND SAME THING HAPPENED. TOOK IT BACK IN AND CHEVROLET DEALER SAID IT WAS THE ACCELE…

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VEHICLE WENT INTO 'ENGINE POWER DECREASED' UNABLE TO ACCELERATE WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON AS WELL AS THROTTLE SENSOR ON. TOOK TO DEALER WHO CHECKED ALL OF THE DIAGNOSTIC CODES AND SAID IT WAS FULLY OPERATIONAL. AGAIN DROVE FOR ABOUT 1 MONTH AND SAME THING HAPPENED. TOOK IT BACK IN AND CHEVROLET DEALER SAID IT WAS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR. WE REPLACED THE SENSOR BEING A $200 PART LAST WEEK AND AGAIN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. WHEN THIS HAPPENED WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY IN A SNOW STORM AND HAD OUR BABY IN THE VEHICLE. IT LOCKED UP AND CARS COULDN'T SLOW DOWN APPROPRIATELY. WE LEFT THE HIGHWAY FOR SAFETY REASONS AND KEPT VEHICLE ON AS IT WAS BELOW 0 DEGREES OUTSIDE!

NHTSA ODI #11190128

62,000 miles · Mar 14, 2019
Vehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO REDUCED POWER MODE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE SPEED AND GO INTO LIMP MODE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MIKE CASTRUCCI CHEVROLET (1099 LILA AVE, MILFORD, OH 45150) WHERE IT WA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD GO INTO REDUCED POWER MODE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSE SPEED AND GO INTO LIMP MODE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO MIKE CASTRUCCI CHEVROLET (1099 LILA AVE, MILFORD, OH 45150) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ACCELERATOR ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE PARTS WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.

NHTSA ODI #11186821

33,550 miles · Mar 10, 2019
Electrical SystemEngineVehicle Speed Control

I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH MY 2017 CHEVY MALIBU A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AGO. I WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND A WARNING FOR ENGINE POWER REDUCED CAME ON. CAR WOULD NOT GO OVER 30 MILES AND HOUR. IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN UNTIL 2 DAYS AGO ITS HAPPED FOR BOTH DAYS ON DAY IT CAME ON AS I WAS ENTERING THE FREE…

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I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH MY 2017 CHEVY MALIBU A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AGO. I WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND A WARNING FOR ENGINE POWER REDUCED CAME ON. CAR WOULD NOT GO OVER 30 MILES AND HOUR. IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN UNTIL 2 DAYS AGO ITS HAPPED FOR BOTH DAYS ON DAY IT CAME ON AS I WAS ENTERING THE FREEWAY. HAD TO PULL OVER AND TURN MY CAR ON AND OFF UNTILL I COULD DRIVE IT AGAIN NORMALLY BUT THE ENGINE LIGHT WOULD TURN ON AND OFF. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED THIS IS HAPPENING TO MY NEW CAR. THE REASON I GOT A NEW CAR WAS TO HAVE SOMETHING RELIABLE. I CANT EVEN TRUST TO DRIVE THIS CAR WHAT IF IT HAPPENS AND I HAVE MY BABY IN THE CAR... I'M SO DISAPPOINTED.

NHTSA ODI #11185686

59,621 miles · Mar 6, 2019
Vehicle Speed Control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED TO 5 MPH. AFTERWARDS, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN OVER 20 MPH. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JIM KERAS CHEVROLET (2000 COVINGTON PIKE, MEMPHIS, TN 38128) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED T…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED TO 5 MPH. AFTERWARDS, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN OVER 20 MPH. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JIM KERAS CHEVROLET (2000 COVINGTON PIKE, MEMPHIS, TN 38128) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE PEDAL POSITION SENSOR SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 59,621.

NHTSA ODI #11184573

37,000 miles · Mar 5, 2019
Vehicle Speed Control

WHILE DRIVING IN THE HIGH WAY WARNING ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITH ENGINE REDUCED POWER AND MY GAS PEDAL STOPPED RESPONDING AND MY SPEED WAS REDUCED DRAMATICALLY WHILE DRIVING ALMOST CAUSED ME TO CRASH. I TOOK MY CAR TO MECHANIC SHOP AND IT HAS BEEN THERE FOR OVER 2 WEEKS BECAUSE THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER WITH NO STATUS. THE DEALER…

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WHILE DRIVING IN THE HIGH WAY WARNING ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITH ENGINE REDUCED POWER AND MY GAS PEDAL STOPPED RESPONDING AND MY SPEED WAS REDUCED DRAMATICALLY WHILE DRIVING ALMOST CAUSED ME TO CRASH. I TOOK MY CAR TO MECHANIC SHOP AND IT HAS BEEN THERE FOR OVER 2 WEEKS BECAUSE THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER WITH NO STATUS. THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT IT IS NO LONGER COVERED OVER 36,000. MY CAR HAS 37,000 ON IT.

NHTSA ODI #11184249

Mileage unknown · Mar 4, 2019
EngineVehicle Speed Control

AT LEAST TWICE A DAY, WHILE DRIVING, I'LL RANDOMLY GET A MESSAGE ON MY MESSAGE BOARD STATING 'ENGINE POWER REDUCED' AND THEN MY CAR WILL SLOW DOWN. I'M UNABLE TO SPEED UP, MY ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND I HAVE TO FIND A SAFE SPOT TO PULL OVER, SHUT THE CAR OFF AND WAIT ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES BEFORE I CAN RESTART IT. ONCE I RESTART IT…

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AT LEAST TWICE A DAY, WHILE DRIVING, I'LL RANDOMLY GET A MESSAGE ON MY MESSAGE BOARD STATING 'ENGINE POWER REDUCED' AND THEN MY CAR WILL SLOW DOWN. I'M UNABLE TO SPEED UP, MY ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND I HAVE TO FIND A SAFE SPOT TO PULL OVER, SHUT THE CAR OFF AND WAIT ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES BEFORE I CAN RESTART IT. ONCE I RESTART IT I CAN DRIVE BUT MY ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON. I'VE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP I GOT IT FROM BUT THEY ARE TELLING ME NOTHING IS WRONG AND THAT IT'S JUST A SENSOR.

NHTSA ODI #11183994

45 miles · Mar 2, 2019
Vehicle Speed Control

SO I BOUGHT MY CAR BACK IN 2017 MY CAR IS ALMOST 1 1/2 YEARS OLD SENCE ME AND MY HUSBAND BOUGHT IT. SO MY HUSBAND WAS TAKING OUR KIDS TO SCHOOL WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND SAID REDUCE SPEED AND OUR CAR SLOWED DOWN AND CAN'T GO PASS 25 I CALLED THE GATEWAY CHEVROLET IN AVONDALE ARIZONA. THEY LOOKED AT THE CAR AND SAID THE P…

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SO I BOUGHT MY CAR BACK IN 2017 MY CAR IS ALMOST 1 1/2 YEARS OLD SENCE ME AND MY HUSBAND BOUGHT IT. SO MY HUSBAND WAS TAKING OUR KIDS TO SCHOOL WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND SAID REDUCE SPEED AND OUR CAR SLOWED DOWN AND CAN'T GO PASS 25 I CALLED THE GATEWAY CHEVROLET IN AVONDALE ARIZONA. THEY LOOKED AT THE CAR AND SAID THE PARTS WHERE ON BACK ORDER AND MY CAR DIDN'T FALL UNDER WARRANTY I AM SO UP SET EVERY SENCE I HAVE HAD THIS CAR I HAVE HAD ONE ISSUE AFTER ANOTHER I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO I AM PAYING FOR A ALMOST BRAN NEW CAR THAT HAS SPENT MOST OF THE TIME HAVEING ISSUES

NHTSA ODI #11183710

Official recalls

4

21V649000 · 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

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.