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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
Mileage unknown · Oct 4, 2020
Electrical System

MY SUNROOF IS STUCK OPEN AND MY SEATS POWER GOES OUT INTERMITTENTLY.

NHTSA ODI #11362654

62,520 miles · Sep 30, 2020
SteeringVehicle Speed Control

RECENTLY I HAVE A MESSAGE APPEAR ON MY DISPLAY SCREEN. WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT OF COURSE THE CAR SHUTS OFF BUT WHEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNS GREEN AND THE CAR STARTS BACK, I GET THE MESSAGE STEERING ASSIST REDUCED. I'VE BEEN SEEING THIS MESSAGE FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW. THIS MORNING ON MY WAY TO WORK, ONCE AGAIN THE MESSAGE APPEA…

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RECENTLY I HAVE A MESSAGE APPEAR ON MY DISPLAY SCREEN. WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT OF COURSE THE CAR SHUTS OFF BUT WHEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNS GREEN AND THE CAR STARTS BACK, I GET THE MESSAGE STEERING ASSIST REDUCED. I'VE BEEN SEEING THIS MESSAGE FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW. THIS MORNING ON MY WAY TO WORK, ONCE AGAIN THE MESSAGE APPEARS AND THIS TIME MY DOORS UNLOCKED & LOCKED, THE VEHICLE REDUCED SPEED AND I DROVE IT AT THAT SPEED UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO MERGE OFF THE HIGHWAY. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND RESTARTED THE CAR. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO WORK BUT CONSTANTLY PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL OR PARK WHEN I GOT TO A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT. THIS REALLY SCARED ME WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. SEVERAL CARS HAD TO GO AROUND ME DUE TO REDUCED SPEED. I SEE SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. GOT TO BE A RECALL. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A CHEVY DEALERSHIP ON TOMORROW AND HOPEFULLY I'LL GET SOME ANSWERS. PRAYING WHATEVER THE PROBLEM IS UNDER WARRANTY. I NEED ANSWERS!!!

NHTSA ODI #11362091

45,745 miles · Sep 21, 2020
Vehicle Speed Control

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ENGINE POWER REDUXE LIGHT CAME ON DASH. VEHICLE DECELERATED RAPIDLY ON MAJOR HIGHWAY WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY SEMI TRACTOR TRIAILER. WAS ABLE TO TURN CAR OFF AND IT WENT AWAY. BUT HAS RETURNED NEXT DAY. I CONTACTED GM 09/21/20 AMD THEY STATED THEY WERE AWARE OF ONGOING ISSU…

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WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ENGINE POWER REDUXE LIGHT CAME ON DASH. VEHICLE DECELERATED RAPIDLY ON MAJOR HIGHWAY WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY SEMI TRACTOR TRIAILER. WAS ABLE TO TURN CAR OFF AND IT WENT AWAY. BUT HAS RETURNED NEXT DAY. I CONTACTED GM 09/21/20 AMD THEY STATED THEY WERE AWARE OF ONGOING ISSUES AND I COULD BRING IT IN TO GET LOOKED AT BUT WOULD HAVE TO PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE

NHTSA ODI #11360187

Mileage unknown · Sep 15, 2020
Structure

I ALWAYS NOTICE A SMELL AND FOGGY WINDOWS AFTER RAINY DAYS ON MY STATIONARY VEHICLE BUT THOUGH LITTLE OF IT WE JUST GOT HIT BY HURRICANE LAURA WITH NO DAMAGE TO VEHICLE BUT LIGHT SCRATCHING AS I WAS GOING TO TAKE MY FAMILY OUT OF TOWN WHILE POWER RESTORATION EFFORTS STARTED I OPENED MY TRUCK (AS I RARELY USE IT)TO FIND MY SPARE …

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I ALWAYS NOTICE A SMELL AND FOGGY WINDOWS AFTER RAINY DAYS ON MY STATIONARY VEHICLE BUT THOUGH LITTLE OF IT WE JUST GOT HIT BY HURRICANE LAURA WITH NO DAMAGE TO VEHICLE BUT LIGHT SCRATCHING AS I WAS GOING TO TAKE MY FAMILY OUT OF TOWN WHILE POWER RESTORATION EFFORTS STARTED I OPENED MY TRUCK (AS I RARELY USE IT)TO FIND MY SPARE TIRE COMPARTMENT COMPLETELY COVERED IN WATER AND MOLD GROWING IN THE INTERIOR I CALLED MY INSURANCE ABOUT IT BUT IT IS NOT COVERD UN INSURANCE AND WAS TOLD TO LOOK FOR RECALLS AS THIS VEHICLE HAS MANY ISSUES WITH THIS PROBLEM A PRESSURE TEST REVEALED WATER IS COMING IN FROM NO ALL COMPONENTS OF SPARE TIRE ARE RUSTED OR HAVE MOLD GROWING ON THEM AND ALL TRUCK INTERIOR IS FULL OF MOLD GROWTY

NHTSA ODI #11355226

48,750 miles · Sep 15, 2020
Power Train

WHEN SHIFTING TO PARK IT IS NOT RECOGNIZED AND WILL NOTIFY VIA DISPLAY IN PANEL. THIS OCCURS 75% OF THE TIME AT THIS POINT-STARTED 2 WEEKS AGO. CONCERNING AS I LIVE ON A HILL.

NHTSA ODI #11355127

23,000 miles · Sep 14, 2020
Power Train

CAR STOPPED WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WITH A MESSAGE ON DASH SAYING 'ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED.' THE DEALERSHIP FIRST SAID IT WAS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THEN SAID IT WAS THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT. THEY SAID THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSES THIS TO HAPPEN, BUT IT JUST NEEDS REPROGRAMMED AND A SOFTWARE UPDATE. AN UPDATE THAT ONLY A G…

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CAR STOPPED WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WITH A MESSAGE ON DASH SAYING 'ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED.' THE DEALERSHIP FIRST SAID IT WAS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THEN SAID IT WAS THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT. THEY SAID THAT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSES THIS TO HAPPEN, BUT IT JUST NEEDS REPROGRAMMED AND A SOFTWARE UPDATE. AN UPDATE THAT ONLY A GM FACILITY CAN DO. ALSO SPECIFICALLY ASKED IF THIS WAS WEAR AND TEAR, TOLD NO, THEY DON'T KNOW WHY THIS HAPPENS.

NHTSA ODI #11354969

41,954 miles · Sep 11, 2020
Power Train

AFTER PUTTING MY 2017 CHEVY MALIBU INTO PARK AND TURNING IT OFF A MESSAGE APPEARS ON THE DASH SAYING "SHIFT TO PARK". THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY TIME, BUT ENOUGH TO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT IT.

NHTSA ODI #11354479

35,000 miles · Sep 8, 2020
Electrical System

VEHICLE SUFFERS FROM BEHAVIOR IN SERVICE BULLETIN 19-NA-206. INTERMITTENT SHIFT TO PARK MESSAGE DISPLAYED ON THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER (DIC) WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SHIFTED TO PARK AND THE IGNITION HAS BEEN TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION. ALOT OF OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE THE PART SHOULD BE RECALLED HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.G…

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VEHICLE SUFFERS FROM BEHAVIOR IN SERVICE BULLETIN 19-NA-206. INTERMITTENT SHIFT TO PARK MESSAGE DISPLAYED ON THE DRIVER INFORMATION CENTER (DIC) WHEN THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SHIFTED TO PARK AND THE IGNITION HAS BEEN TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION. ALOT OF OWNERS ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE THE PART SHOULD BE RECALLED HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2019/MC-10166630-9999.PDF

NHTSA ODI #11353622

2,500 miles · Sep 6, 2020
Electrical SystemExterior LightingUnknown Or Other

I BOUGHT THE 2017 MALIBU PREMEIR WITH 5 MILES ON IT IN SEPT 2017 AND HAVE HAD PROBLEMS FROM THE START. 2018 WHILE RIDING ON INTERSTATE MY CAR JUST STOPPED WENT STRAIGHT TO DEALER THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG AFTER KEEPING CAR FOR 2 DAYS. WENT TO LEAVE DEALER SHIP AND CAR STOPPED IN PARKING LOT ,SENSORS WENT OUT ON FRONT OF CAR. F…

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I BOUGHT THE 2017 MALIBU PREMEIR WITH 5 MILES ON IT IN SEPT 2017 AND HAVE HAD PROBLEMS FROM THE START. 2018 WHILE RIDING ON INTERSTATE MY CAR JUST STOPPED WENT STRAIGHT TO DEALER THEY SAID NOTHING WAS WRONG AFTER KEEPING CAR FOR 2 DAYS. WENT TO LEAVE DEALER SHIP AND CAR STOPPED IN PARKING LOT ,SENSORS WENT OUT ON FRONT OF CAR. FIXED 2019.NEXT MY CAR KEPT GETTING WATER IN TIRE WELL AND I WENT TO DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS NOT A RECALL. SO I KEPT BAILING OUT WATER AND PARKING IN GARAGES. THREE MONTHS LATER RECALL .I WAS WITHOUT CAR FOR 4 WEEKS AS CARPET ,HEADLINER AND COMPLETE TRUNK CARPET AND MOLDING HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF MOLD,2020.MY CAR TELLS ME TO SHIFT TO PARK WHEN CAR IS IN PARK AND I HAVE TO TURN CAR OFF AND ON ND MOVE FROM D TO P TO GET IT TO WORK. TELLS ME WHEN 'I'M DRIVING NO KEY FOUND IN VEHICLE OR PUT KEY FOB IN POCKET.,YESTERDAY SEPT 5.2020 WENT TO GET INSPECTION STICKER AND ATTENDENT TOLD ME YOU HAVE NO BACKUP LIGHTS. NEVER NOTICED IT. SO WENT TO AUTO ZONE AND BOUGHT LIGHT AND WENT TO MECHANIC SHOP TO HAVE PUT IN. WHILE SITTING IN CAR WENT TO OPEN SUNROOF, IT WASN'T WORKING AND IT HAD BEEN MONTHS SINCE I REMEMBER OPENING IT, SO 'I'M READING OWNERS MANUAL AND WENT TO TURN ON MAP LIGHTS. NO LIGHTS. SO MECHANIC COMES AND SAYS THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOUR BULBS. LET ME CHECK FUSES, USUALLY WHEN BOTH LIGHT GO OUT AT SAME TIME ITS A FUSE PROBLEM TOLD HIM ABOUT SUN ROOF AND MAP LIGHT, HE CHECKED EVERY FUSE INSIDE AND OUT. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY FUSES OR THE LIGHTS. THEY JUST WONT COME ON. NEITHER WILL SUNROOF OPEN. MY CAR HAS 56000 MILES ON IT AND I'VE HAD PROBLEMS SINCE 25000 MILES. I THOUGHT I WOULD KEEP THIS CAR FOR AT LEAST TEN YEARS AS IT COST A PRETTY PENNY FOR THE CAR

NHTSA ODI #11353384

Mileage unknown · Aug 30, 2020
Unknown Or Other

WHEN SHIFT CAR INTO PARK AND GO TO TURN CAR OFF A MESSAGE POPS UP THAT CAR NEEDS TO BE IN PARK EVEN THOUGH IT SHOWS IT IS IN PARK. DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME BUT HAPPENS AND YOU HAVE TO TURN CAR ON AND OFF AND SHIFT A FEW TIMES BEFORE IT WILL RECOGNIZE IT IS IN PARK.

NHTSA ODI #11352075

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.