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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.

About this comparison →

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

What owners actually said

702 reports
120,000 miles · Apr 3, 2021
Power Train

CAR GOES INTO AN ENGINE POWER REDUCED MODE WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

NHTSA ODI #11406214

107,780 miles · Apr 1, 2021
EngineUnknown Or Other

THIS ISSUE HAS HAPPENED TWICE. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED IT WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY AND A MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD, "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED." IT BEGAN DEACCELERATING FROM 75 MPH TO 20 MPH. I HAD TO QUICKLY PULL OVER THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND I CUT THE CAR OFF. I TRUNED THE CAR BACK ON AND THE MESSAGE…

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THIS ISSUE HAS HAPPENED TWICE. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED IT WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY AND A MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD, "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED." IT BEGAN DEACCELERATING FROM 75 MPH TO 20 MPH. I HAD TO QUICKLY PULL OVER THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND I CUT THE CAR OFF. I TRUNED THE CAR BACK ON AND THE MESSAGE WENT AWAY. THE SECOND TIME IT OCCURRED THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY AGAIN WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN THE DASHBOARD WITH A MESSAGE, "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED." THE CAR WAS GOING 80 MPH WHEN THE MESSAGE CAME ON THIS TIME. I REACHED OUT TO THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP AND THEY CONFIRMED THERE WAS NOT A RECALL. I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE ISSUE AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME VEHICLE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11405897

68,000 miles · Mar 30, 2021
Engine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE ENGINE POWER REDUCED WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE RPMS BEGAN TO LOWER AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO EXCEED 20 MPH. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND CONTINUED DRIVING WITHOUT FURTHER ISSUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHIL…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE ENGINE POWER REDUCED WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE RPMS BEGAN TO LOWER AND THE VEHICLE FAILED TO EXCEED 20 MPH. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND CONTINUED DRIVING WITHOUT FURTHER ISSUE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HER HUSBAND WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULED TO BE DIAGNOSED AT FAIRGROUND AUTO PLAZA (100 FAIRGROUNDS RD, ROLLA, MO 65401, (573)364-1002) WHICH WAS STILL PENDING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE WAS OPENED. THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A RETURN CALL FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

NHTSA ODI #11405590

84,000 miles · Mar 27, 2021
EngineVehicle Speed Control

I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FOR MY SON IN JANUARY 2017. 3/27/2021, HE WAS DRIVING IT AND LOST POWER ON THE INTERSTATE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO OVER 25 MILES AN HOUR. HE HAD TO STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND LET IT SIT FOR A WHILE THEN RESTART IT. IT HAPPENED 4 ADDITIONAL TIMES WITHIN 30 MINUTES.

NHTSA ODI #11405168

124,000 miles · Mar 23, 2021
Vehicle Speed Control

CAR KEEPS GOING INTO REDUCE POWER MODE 2 TO 3 TIMES A DAY HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAY CONSTANTLY VERY DANGEROUS WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER CHEVY AGIAN

NHTSA ODI #11404593

51,888 miles · Mar 22, 2021
Electrical SystemEngineExterior Lighting

ON 03/10/21, I WAS DRIVING NORTH ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. I APPROACHED THE STOP LIGHT AND REDUCED SPEED. I CAME TO A FULL STOP AND THE CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON BRIEFLY, THEN LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. I HAD NO HAZARD LIGHTS, NO RADIO, NO DASHBOARD, NOTHING. AFTER BEING STRANDED FOR 5 MIN LIKE THAT A…

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ON 03/10/21, I WAS DRIVING NORTH ON A BUSY HIGHWAY. I APPROACHED THE STOP LIGHT AND REDUCED SPEED. I CAME TO A FULL STOP AND THE CAR SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON BRIEFLY, THEN LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER. I HAD NO HAZARD LIGHTS, NO RADIO, NO DASHBOARD, NOTHING. AFTER BEING STRANDED FOR 5 MIN LIKE THAT AT A VERY DANGEROUS LEFT LANE STOP, THE CAR FINALLY RESTARTED. CALLED ONSTAR IMMEDIATELY TO SCAN THE CAR FOR CODES - THEY FOUND NONE. THE ISSUE OF THE CAR INTERMITTENTLY SHUTTING DOWN LIKE THAT HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES SINCE OCTOBER OF 2020. TAKEN THE CAR TO CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES AND WAS TOLD THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I CURRENTLY HAVE IT AT THE DEALERSHIP AND AM BEING TOLD THEY CAN FIND NOTHING WRONG DESPITE FOUR DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN MY CAR WITNESSING IT HAPPEN TO ME MORE THAN ONCE AND MY PROVIDING A LOG OF EVERY TIME IT'S HAPPENED.

NHTSA ODI #11404262

60,000 miles · Mar 22, 2021
Electrical SystemEngineFuel/propulsion System

I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 2018 WITH 20,000 MILES ON IT. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON MORE THAN 7 TIMES IN THE PAST 2 YEARS. I HAD TO HAVE THE FUEL INJECTOR WORKED ON, SOMETIMES IT WON'T SHIFT COMPLETELY INTO PARK, I HAD IT DECREASE IN SPEED FROM 70 ON THE HIGHWAY TO NO MORE THAN 20 MPH WITH OVER $400 IN REPAIRS JUST THAT T…

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I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN 2018 WITH 20,000 MILES ON IT. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON MORE THAN 7 TIMES IN THE PAST 2 YEARS. I HAD TO HAVE THE FUEL INJECTOR WORKED ON, SOMETIMES IT WON'T SHIFT COMPLETELY INTO PARK, I HAD IT DECREASE IN SPEED FROM 70 ON THE HIGHWAY TO NO MORE THAN 20 MPH WITH OVER $400 IN REPAIRS JUST THAT TIME. I DO NOT DRIVE FAST OR DEPRIVE MY CAR OF REGULAR MAINTENANCE. I HAVE NEVER HAD ISSUES LIKE THIS WITH ANY OTHER VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI #11404256

40,000 miles · Mar 20, 2021
EngineVehicle Speed Control

CAR WENT INTO LOW POWER MODE AND WOULDN'T DRIVE OVER THE SPEED OF 15-20 MILES AN HOUR.

NHTSA ODI #11404035

60,000 miles · Mar 19, 2021
Service BrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THE 2016 - 2018 CHEVROLET MALIBU DUE TO REDUCED POWER FAILURE. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND WAS DRIVING AT 40 MPH, WHEN THE VEHICLE'S POWER WAS REDUCED TO 20 - 25 MPH. THE "KEY NOT DETECTED" LIGHT ILLUMINATED, HOWEVER THE KEY WAS …

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FOR THE 2016 - 2018 CHEVROLET MALIBU DUE TO REDUCED POWER FAILURE. THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND WAS DRIVING AT 40 MPH, WHEN THE VEHICLE'S POWER WAS REDUCED TO 20 - 25 MPH. THE "KEY NOT DETECTED" LIGHT ILLUMINATED, HOWEVER THE KEY WAS INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE BRAKES LOCKED AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKES WERE APPLIED, WHICH RESULTED IN THE CONTACT'S HUSBAND REAR-ENDING ANOTHER VEHICLE. NO MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS SOUGHT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT INFORMED PARKS CHEVROLET RICHMOND ( 4502 W BROAD ST, RICHMOND, VA 23230) OF THE FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WAS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000.

NHTSA ODI #11403873

119,846 miles · Mar 16, 2021
Electrical System

THROTTLE PEDAL SENSOR WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AND WOULDN'T LET ACCELERATE AND I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR IN OCTOBER

NHTSA ODI #11403416

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.