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2018 Chevrolet Malibu

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Malibu years

Owner complaints for the 2018 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

307 reports with mileage · 388 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 279 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 191 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 169 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

23 crash reports4 fire reports14 injury reports

What owners actually said

695 reports
Mileage unknown · Nov 18, 2021
Electrical SystemEngine

When I push the button car won’t start

NHTSA ODI #11440972

Mileage unknown · Nov 18, 2021
Electrical SystemEngine

This has been going on since i got the vehicle, At any moment you could be driving 70MPS and all of a sudden your vehicle drops to 35, and man is it scary especially on the expressway. you are NOT able to accelerate. You have to pull over where you are, shut the vehicle off and restart it to rest it till it does it again, and it…

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This has been going on since i got the vehicle, At any moment you could be driving 70MPS and all of a sudden your vehicle drops to 35, and man is it scary especially on the expressway. you are NOT able to accelerate. You have to pull over where you are, shut the vehicle off and restart it to rest it till it does it again, and it does it ALOT. I love this vehicle but this is NOT safe, and i'm tired of paying for this and should NOT have to when its in writing from GM. This will be my 3rd time taking my vehicle in for this same issue. i've read up on this and did my research this has been going on since 2016-2018 Malibu vehicles. I've reached out to GM asked about recalls, they said there is none. I asked how do i file a complaint so this doesn't happen to others. they told me i have to make a complaint with the dealership(that right there told me that calling GM customer support directly they are not willing to help with this safety issue. that is so sad too. what is happening to this world, the kindness and compassion for your customers and quality of items you purchase. I will probably be doing a law suet as well as this complaint. I pray you all are able to do something to help me and others having this issue.

NHTSA ODI #11440910

Mileage unknown · Nov 15, 2021
Power Train

Our Malibu won't shift into Park. Displays "Shift to Park" message when the shifter is in the park position and it won't let you turn the car off.

NHTSA ODI #11440507

85,379 miles · Nov 15, 2021
Steering

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the steering wheel would jerk to the left. Additionally, the vehicle inadvertently rolled backward while at a full stop. The steering assist warning message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was made aware of the…

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The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the steering wheel would jerk to the left. Additionally, the vehicle inadvertently rolled backward while at a full stop. The steering assist warning message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,379.

NHTSA ODI #11440499

Mileage unknown · Nov 10, 2021
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other

My car is showing “ Shift To Park “ error on dash and i can’t properly turn off car . Once since the error on screen the doors were locked and my son and i could not get out of the car . The Also when driving the car ,, it does frequent jerking . The car also was doing it one time when we seen smoke coming from under the hood a…

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My car is showing “ Shift To Park “ error on dash and i can’t properly turn off car . Once since the error on screen the doors were locked and my son and i could not get out of the car . The Also when driving the car ,, it does frequent jerking . The car also was doing it one time when we seen smoke coming from under the hood and we could not get out

NHTSA ODI #11440043

Mileage unknown · Nov 9, 2021
Fuel System, Gasoline

The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while refueling the vehicle, the contact was not able to fill the fuel tank to full capacity. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the air control valve sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not rep…

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The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while refueling the vehicle, the contact was not able to fill the fuel tank to full capacity. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the air control valve sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.

NHTSA ODI #11439883

30,000 miles · Nov 8, 2021
Power Train

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the "Shift to Park" message was displayed, and the vehicle would not turn off. The contact had to disconnect the battery to turn off the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufa…

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The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the "Shift to Park" message was displayed, and the vehicle would not turn off. The contact had to disconnect the battery to turn off the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ODI #11439739

Mileage unknown · Nov 3, 2021
Electrical System

Intermittent problem with the shift to park alert coming on after putting into park. Power remains on, movement of shifter back and forth usually causes it to go off. Message sent to manufacturer was cut off in process by customer service? I will try using usps. Very annoying and unsettling problem,many similar complaints online…

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Intermittent problem with the shift to park alert coming on after putting into park. Power remains on, movement of shifter back and forth usually causes it to go off. Message sent to manufacturer was cut off in process by customer service? I will try using usps. Very annoying and unsettling problem,many similar complaints online. Dealership says replacement of shifter for about 400.00 should correct it?A recall should be made with this many issues.

NHTSA ODI #11439271

Mileage unknown · Oct 30, 2021
Unknown Or Other

I do not know what component or system that failed or malfunctioned because I am not well versed on the different parts of an automobile. The problems started this past week around October 26, 2021. When the car is stopped at a red light or stop sign and I am ready to go and in the process of taking my foot off the brake pedal t…

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I do not know what component or system that failed or malfunctioned because I am not well versed on the different parts of an automobile. The problems started this past week around October 26, 2021. When the car is stopped at a red light or stop sign and I am ready to go and in the process of taking my foot off the brake pedal to move to the accelerator the car momentarily cuts off completely (no lights, inside or out, no radio). In the instant that it cuts off and I move my foot to the accelerator everything comes back on and at that point I can continue driving. I have noticed when this happens all programmed radio stations are deleted but the programmed stations return once the car has been turned off for a while and started again. I also noticed a message regarding steering assist, but I cannot get the entire message because it is only there for a second or so. In other instances which began around October 28, when trying to start the vehicle the message reads battery low start vehicle. I then try to start the vehicle a number of times before it actually starts. When it does start the message reads battery saver active. There have also been a message service stabilitrak. The engine light does come on from time to time and then goes off. I brought the vehicle in to a Chevy Dealership (Banner Chevrolet in New Orleans) and was told that a service technician would not be able to look at it and diagnose the problem for at least 3 weeks because of the backlog regarding COVID-19. I decided not to leave the vehicle at that time and will check with other dealerships.

NHTSA ODI #11438770

Mileage unknown · Oct 25, 2021
Steering

Reduced power steering warning pops up for approximately 3-5 seconds then disappears. No noticeable operating issues while driving.

NHTSA ODI #11438151

Official recalls

6

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.

20V668000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Oct 29, 2020

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.

19V642000 · Electrical System:software; Engine; Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System:injectors

Sep 6, 2019

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.

Fuel System, Gasoline:fuel Injection System:injectors

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.

18V576000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:disc:caliper

Aug 30, 2018

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.

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.

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.