I paid a significant amount to have my car fixed after bringing it initially the first time in May. Since then I have had to return my car multiple times every other month because the engine light continues to come on and they don’t know why. I have worked directly with JR and have gotten no result. The engine light continues to…
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I paid a significant amount to have my car fixed after bringing it initially the first time in May. Since then I have had to return my car multiple times every other month because the engine light continues to come on and they don’t know why. I have worked directly with JR and have gotten no result. The engine light continues to come on and they continue to not be able to know why, they keep my car for multiple days and can’t explain why the light is on or what they did to remove it and then it comes on a few days or months later with the same issue that they cannot explain. I bought my car in over five times already I have contacted corporate to no avail. When I brought it back the second time they claimed a bunch of things were wrong with it that weren’t wrong the first time, every time there is a new issue but they can’t describe what is the cause of the issue or can they give me an explanation on what keeps happening the last time they claim it was an electrical malfunction but could not explain any details and waited until they were closing to contact me. My engine light has since come back on which means I would have to bring it in again. I contacted corporate they were supposed to call me back, never heard from anyone. I’ve been working directly with JR who I constantly contact and he does not follow up at all or call me back like he says he would and the issue continues to happen and he is very aware of it for my initial review. They have to leave my car there for multiple days to not get updates to not get any information, they don’t look at it they don’t even know what’s going on with it, it doesn’t even make any sense at all now I’m driving a car that could potentially be unsafe and I’m bringing it to the only dealership that is closest to me Chevrolet and they can’t even help. My car is a 2018 Chevy Malibu that I take extremely good care of yet no one knows why the engine light keeps coming on.
NHTSA ODI #11494311
Mileage unknown · Oct 31, 2022
EngineSteering
The steering wheel is jerking when in the position to turn, and waiting at a light. The STOP ENGINE Feature seems to make the jerk motion and also sends an ALERT MESSAGE which is a quick flash STATING "Steering Assist is REDUCED- Drive with Care". According to a SERVICE BULLETIN Provided by GM BULLETIN #19-NA-182 AUGUST 2019. Th…
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The steering wheel is jerking when in the position to turn, and waiting at a light. The STOP ENGINE Feature seems to make the jerk motion and also sends an ALERT MESSAGE which is a quick flash STATING "Steering Assist is REDUCED- Drive with Care". According to a SERVICE BULLETIN Provided by GM BULLETIN #19-NA-182 AUGUST 2019. This is a problem that needs to be corrected, for the safety of my family and others in the vehicle and on the road. Next, the car shut off and the command center went blank,
NHTSA ODI #11491643
Mileage unknown · Oct 31, 2022
EngineUnknown Or Other
Engine reduced while driving
NHTSA ODI #11491547
Mileage unknown · Oct 28, 2022
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A defect in the cam shaft solenoids causes a notice that "Engine Power is Reduced." At that point, the engine begins to struggle to accelerate from a stop, and from increasing speed while on the highway. How was your safety or the…
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What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A defect in the cam shaft solenoids causes a notice that "Engine Power is Reduced." At that point, the engine begins to struggle to accelerate from a stop, and from increasing speed while on the highway. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The unpredictability of the defect and its affect while driving poses a large threat to safety, particularly on the highway. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. The dealership service rep not only confirmed the defect, but also confirmed that the issue persists across multiple GM models yet no recall exists. Again, this is a KNOWN defect with GM engines, as confirmed directly by the dealership. Despite this, no remedy was offered, I was told it's neither covered by my manufacturer's warranty or recall. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes. I was given a video explanation of the issue and also told directly of these persistence of the defect across multiple lines. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No warning prior to the failure. The defect and "Engine Power Reduced" message both first presented in March of 2022, less than a year into my ownership of the car -- and while my car was still under its 60,000 mile warranty.
NHTSA ODI #11491362
Mileage unknown · Oct 15, 2022
EngineFuel/propulsion System
MOTOR DIED GOING DOWN THE ROAD Car is available for inspection If I had been crossing the street without the aid of a stoplight, I would have been T-Boned Vehicle problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by the dealer. Vehicle component has not been inspected by dealer or anyone else. The check engine light and logo came on…
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MOTOR DIED GOING DOWN THE ROAD Car is available for inspection If I had been crossing the street without the aid of a stoplight, I would have been T-Boned Vehicle problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by the dealer. Vehicle component has not been inspected by dealer or anyone else. The check engine light and logo came on as the engine was shutting down. I went into the trunk on the passenger side and shook and twisted the wires going into the control module mounted to the trunk wall. This was suggested for the 2016 Malibu which had a recall. There should be a recall on the 2018 also. After repeated shaking and attempting to start the motor, it finally started. I drove it home and parked it. When I went to read the code, the engine started and ran for a couple of minutes and stalled again. The code was P2BB3.
NHTSA ODI #11489407
Mileage unknown · Oct 11, 2022
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemService Brakes
My car just stopped in the middle of the road , and would not start again for a few minutes. Then is was in low power mode , no brakes either after that , found that problem to be a bad Vaccum pump , which G M didn’t even have , and a faulty Accelerator Pedal sensor !
NHTSA ODI #11488838
Mileage unknown · Oct 11, 2022
EngineService BrakesUnknown Or Other
12/27/2021 I started my car to leave work & noticed a loud tap. I've worked for dealerships in the past & was part owner of my own repair shop for many years. Popped the hood, checked the oil level which was good, & figured I'd be fine to drive it home to park it & then hook the scanner up. Mid-way home I received an engine p…
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12/27/2021 I started my car to leave work & noticed a loud tap. I've worked for dealerships in the past & was part owner of my own repair shop for many years. Popped the hood, checked the oil level which was good, & figured I'd be fine to drive it home to park it & then hook the scanner up. Mid-way home I received an engine performance notification on my dash, but other than that it seemed safe with no diminished speed. Less than 3 miles from home I went to stop at a red light & had the hardest brake pedal I've ever felt in my life. I was fortunate nobody was around me so I put all the weight of my body on the pedal to stop the car at the light. The engine was sputtering & the steering felt tight & it felt like it was stalling, with a green turn arrow I risked crossing the highway & was able to safely park in the community's rec center. I'm not one who is quick to take anything to the dealership because many times the techs are lazy, so I hit the web & found two things. One - there is an extended warranty on the TPS sensor which is the entire gas pedal itself. This could explain the engine performance notification, but not the lack of brakes. Upon hours & hours of additional reading I found the problem - the vacuum brake pump. We ordered it & replaced it but I can tell you my engine likely needs an additional camshaft replacement for it to ever be right again. Two codes remain: P0014 & P0017 - Exhaust camshaft/crankshaft position not plausible. What was the condition of the vacuum pump? It was SHATTERED & had spewed chunks of metal directly into my engine. I was lucky that day, had I gotten 1/4 mile down the road I could have wound up in a lake instead of a parking lot. GM should be ASHAMED of this design & it's continued failure to not only address the issue, but lie about it in the process. First owner, failure occurred at 54,500 miles - no warranty. What scares me the most, is how many times the same owner has had this pump fail again & again.
NHTSA ODI #11488829
Mileage unknown · Oct 10, 2022
Engine
I was driving app. 41 miles per hour in heavy Friday traffic on 10/7/2022 and the check engine light lit up and the car dropped to about 20 miles per hour and would not pick up speed. The rpm was staying on about 3000. I pulled over and called my husband. We set for awhile and restarted the car and the light went off and it drov…
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I was driving app. 41 miles per hour in heavy Friday traffic on 10/7/2022 and the check engine light lit up and the car dropped to about 20 miles per hour and would not pick up speed. The rpm was staying on about 3000. I pulled over and called my husband. We set for awhile and restarted the car and the light went off and it drove as normal
NHTSA ODI #11488594
Mileage unknown · Oct 8, 2022
Electrical SystemEngineService Brakes
My car will stop and have no power now the heat shut off and won’t come back on it’s just doing some crazy stuff I looked up all the recalls for 2018 Malibu and it was a lot so why mines isn’t listed
NHTSA ODI #11488506
75 miles · Oct 6, 2022
Engine
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled, causing the power steering and power brake functionality to become inoperable. The contact stated he was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The contact had managed to coast off to the side of the road…
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The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled, causing the power steering and power brake functionality to become inoperable. The contact stated he was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The contact had managed to coast off to the side of the roadway. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle and he was able to drive the vehicle to his destination. The contact stated that the failure started off as an intermittent failure, but gradually had become a constant failure. The contact stated that the failure recurred and the vehicle had to be towed. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer on several occasions to be diagnosed; however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. Additionally, the contact stated that the radio would randomly switch through the preselected stations. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75.
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 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles equipped with 1.5L turbo engines. An error in the Engine Control Module (ECM) software may result in the fuel injectors being disabled.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Disabled fuel injectors would prevent the engine from starting and may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192221960.
Additional source detail variants (3)
Engine
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles equipped with 1.5L turbo engines. An error in the Engine Control Module (ECM) software may result in the fuel injectors being disabled.
Consequence: Disabled fuel injectors would prevent the engine from starting and may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192221960.
Electrical System:software
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles equipped with 1.5L turbo engines. An error in the Engine Control Module (ECM) software may result in the fuel injectors being disabled.
Consequence: Disabled fuel injectors would prevent the engine from starting and may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192221960.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles equipped with 1.5L turbo engines. An error in the Engine Control Module (ECM) software may result in the fuel injectors being disabled.
Consequence: Disabled fuel injectors would prevent the engine from starting and may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192221960.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 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 18279.
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.
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
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No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
2018 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year