Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
870–25K
12025–50K
11050–75K
5275–100K
22100–150K
6150K+
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
What owners actually said
702 reports
50,000 miles · May 4, 2022
Engine
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and attempting to power off the vehicle, the vehicle remained running. The shift to park(P) warning light was illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not noti…
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The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and attempting to power off the vehicle, the vehicle remained running. The shift to park(P) warning light was illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
NHTSA ODI #11463409
Mileage unknown · Apr 30, 2022
Service Brakes
Breaks suddenly failed I have researched this problem and it is a ongoing problem with the vacuum pump and Chevy knows this
NHTSA ODI #11462847
Mileage unknown · Apr 29, 2022
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System
So basically when I'm driving it automatically I don't know where says engine power reduce which cuts the power down when you're on the highway and see if you're doing 70 miles per hour and all of a sudden that light comes on your check engine light comes on and it reduces the strength of the vehicle so ithe vehicle so we can ca…
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So basically when I'm driving it automatically I don't know where says engine power reduce which cuts the power down when you're on the highway and see if you're doing 70 miles per hour and all of a sudden that light comes on your check engine light comes on and it reduces the strength of the vehicle so ithe vehicle so we can cause multiple accidents
NHTSA ODI #11462719
Mileage unknown · Apr 26, 2022
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other
I have Taken my car back and forth to the dealer so many times since ive had the 2017 Chevy malibu LT my car lost power once before and now it feels like it wants to lose power again my engine make this off noise it rides rough I have no warning lights on They told me it could be a computer problem and they could not fix it and …
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I have Taken my car back and forth to the dealer so many times since ive had the 2017 Chevy malibu LT my car lost power once before and now it feels like it wants to lose power again my engine make this off noise it rides rough I have no warning lights on They told me it could be a computer problem and they could not fix it and the all of a sudden it was okay then my gas is running out quick and engine oil and i have a burning smell but they keep saying nothing is wrong it jerks when i shift gears sometimes and it makes a loud noise and no hazards light are on I feel like they are clearing codes and trying to sell me a new car because they keep telling me to trade it in they will buy it back Ive told them i feel like me and my child safety is at risk because I could be driveing and my car can shut down on me and get in a real bad accident im still making payments on the car and dont wanna get another loan for me to pay out more money for another car Ive had car in shop more than Ive drive it I got car with 34,000 miles and it has 54,000 now no car should have all these issues with these miles I have a 6 year old that rides in this car and something gotta be done this putting out lifes at risk
NHTSA ODI #11462211
52,000 miles · Apr 21, 2022
Engine
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph when the vehicle's speed suddenly slowed down to about 10 mph. The contact stated they had to pull over and restart the vehicle. The failure occurred a second time at the same speed and reduced to about 30 mph causing them to pul…
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The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph when the vehicle's speed suddenly slowed down to about 10 mph. The contact stated they had to pull over and restart the vehicle. The failure occurred a second time at the same speed and reduced to about 30 mph causing them to pull over and restart. The third time they experienced a failure occurred while idle at the light when the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The contact had to push the vehicle to the side of the road where they had to leave the vehicle for several hours before they were able to restart the vehicle. The check engine and engine power reduced warning lights were illuminated. The contact taken the vehicle to a certified mechanic who had not diagnosed the failure as of yet. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 52,000.
NHTSA ODI #11461694
Mileage unknown · Apr 20, 2022
Electrical SystemUnknown Or Other
After stopping and shifting to park and pushing the "Ignition Button". The button indicator light shows car is not in "park". The dash indicator also states "Shift To Park" even though it is in park. This can be resolved by many pushes on the shift stick lever. It is obvious to be a shabby mechanism inside the shift box that…
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After stopping and shifting to park and pushing the "Ignition Button". The button indicator light shows car is not in "park". The dash indicator also states "Shift To Park" even though it is in park. This can be resolved by many pushes on the shift stick lever. It is obvious to be a shabby mechanism inside the shift box that isn't connecting the circuit to show that the vehicle is actually in park. This problem began about a week ago and it seems to be somewhat worse as time goes on. When it first happened, I did not know what to do. Thank god for google that showed me how to "jerry-rig" a fix each time to show it actually in park (flipping the shift stick button). If left alone, I would possibly drain the battery. Also google comments and post indicated this is a complaint by many and should be a considered for a recall.
NHTSA ODI #11461577
Mileage unknown · Apr 19, 2022
Unknown Or Other
When stopping and vehicle is in park, it will not let me shut off the engine. Indicating that I must shift into Park, although it is already in Park. I view this as aa safety problem by not being able to properly shut down the engine. The warning chime continues to sound, "SHIFT INTO PARK". tHE ENGINE HASS NOT PROPERLYY SHUT…
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When stopping and vehicle is in park, it will not let me shut off the engine. Indicating that I must shift into Park, although it is already in Park. I view this as aa safety problem by not being able to properly shut down the engine. The warning chime continues to sound, "SHIFT INTO PARK". tHE ENGINE HASS NOT PROPERLYY SHUT DOWN!!!!
NHTSA ODI #11461350
Mileage unknown · Apr 10, 2022
Electrical SystemEngine
When driving my vehicle at highway speed the vehicle slows down at about 15-20 mph a message on the dashboard states engine reduced power. The first time I was able to get over and cut the vehicle off and restarted it. But the vehicle did it again. The check engine light has been ever since. A few days later the vehicle did the …
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When driving my vehicle at highway speed the vehicle slows down at about 15-20 mph a message on the dashboard states engine reduced power. The first time I was able to get over and cut the vehicle off and restarted it. But the vehicle did it again. The check engine light has been ever since. A few days later the vehicle did the same thing. I took it to Autozone and they gave me a code. Which is for the accelerator pedal sensor and the throttle electrical control. This is very dangerous to be driving at high speeds and all of a sudden the vehicle drops speed to 15-20 mph. I haven’t been able to find any place with the part to get the vehicle fix. Can someone help please?
When vehicle is engaged in auto stop, it stalls out completely or bucks forward when at a complete stop(sign or red light). Upon review, two mechanics stated it has to do with the transmission and tork converter. Repair is upwards of $4000-$6000. 2017 Malibu has less than 75000 miles. Will be contacting dealership today 4/10/22.
NHTSA ODI #11460235
Mileage unknown · Apr 6, 2022
EngineVehicle Speed Control
Complete loss of engine power while going 65mph on highway. Warning light of low power first followed by check engine light then power reduced to 5mph. I turn the car off then restarted after 15 minutes, the morning light was off but the check engine light remained on. I then went to AutoZone to have a diagnostic test done which…
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Complete loss of engine power while going 65mph on highway. Warning light of low power first followed by check engine light then power reduced to 5mph. I turn the car off then restarted after 15 minutes, the morning light was off but the check engine light remained on. I then went to AutoZone to have a diagnostic test done which resulted In error code P2138. P2138 is for throttle/pedal position. My vehicle should still be under warranty however due to short staffing I am unable to make an appointment to have it looked at for at least six weeks
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.
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.
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.
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.
2017 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year