Complaint volume
689 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Chevrolet Malibu Complaints
689 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, grouped by component category.
689 Total complaints
23 Crash reports
4 Fire reports
14 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are engine, unknown or other, power train. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 23 crash reports, 4 fire reports, 14 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 305 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 47,979 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, unknown or other, power train?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Chevrolet Malibu?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Chevrolet Malibu
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu complaints?
23 Crash
4 Fire
14 Injury
0 Fatality
33 Towed
10 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Chevrolet Malibu complaint categories?
ENGINE 74
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 70
POWER TRAIN 57
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 32
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 31
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 18
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 17
STEERING 17
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 17
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 16
689 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | SOMETIMES WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN PARK & TRY TO CUT THE CAR OFF, THE WARNING SIGNAL INDICATES THAT I NEED TO SHIFT TO PARK. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,700 |
| Aug 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I PUT MY CAR INTO PARK AND TURN THE CAR OFF. THE DASHBOARD TELLS ME THAT I NEED TO 'SHIFT TO PARK' EVEN THOUGH MY CAR IS IN PARK. THE RADIO AND DASHBOARD WILL NOT TURN OFF UNTIL I GET MY CAR TO REGISTER THAT IT IS IN PARK. HAVE TO TURN THE CAR ON AND OFF, SHIFT INTO GEARS, AND BACK INTO PARK TO TRY AND GET IT TO REGISTER. EVENTUALLY AFTER DOING THAT MULTIPLE TIMES IT WILL REGISTER. ANOTHER ISSUE IS WITH THE RADIO AND BLUE TOOTH. I TURNED MY CAR OFF AND EVERYTHING WAS OFF. MY NEPHEW CAME OVER LATER AND ASKED WHY MY RADIO WAS ON. RADIO RANDOMLY TURNS ON WHEN CAR IS/HAS BEEN OFF FOR PERIODS OF TIME. I HAVE AUTOMATIC START AND I STARTED MY CAR FROM INSIDE WORK ONE DAY AND THEN MY BLUE TOOTH (MUSIC &PHONE CALLS) WOULD NOT PLAY OVER MY SPEAKERS. NO MUSIC WOULD PLAY FROM THE RADIO EITHER. THE VOLUME WOULD TURN UP AND DOWN BY ITSELF. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE RADIO ISSUES AND THEY SAID THEY COULDNT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. I TAKE IT IN SOON FOR THE 'SHIFT TO PARK' ISSUE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 53,000 |
| Aug 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | WHEN MY CAR CUT OFF AT THE LIGHT AND WHEN IT TRY TO START BACK UP IT STALE FOR A SECOND AND SAYS STABILIZE THEN START UP. WHEN I START THE CAR UP IT SAYS THE SAME THING. IT ERASE ALL MY FAVORITE ON THE RADIO AND RESET EVERYTHING. BEEN DOING THIS FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS NOW | Crash: No Fire: No | 59,610 |
| Aug 2020 | POWER TRAIN | WHEN VEHICLE IS SHIFTED INTO PARK AND THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF, "SHIFT TO PARK" DISPLAYS ON THE VEHICLES SCREEN AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO FULLY TURN OFF. IN ORDER TO HAVE THE LIGHT TURN OFF, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WIGGLE THE GEAR SHIFT AROUND WHEREAS SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO PRESS THE START BUTTON AND SHIFT BETWEEN GEARS A FEW TIMES. | Crash: No Fire: No | 38,934 |
| Jul 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | THE CAR IS IN PARK BUT A WARNING POPS UP THAT'S SAYS SHIFT TO PARK AND THE CAR WON'T TURN OFF BECAUSE IT THINKS IT'S NOT IN PARK | Crash: No Fire: No | 65,000 |
| Jul 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I HAVE A 2018 CHEVROLET MALIBU AND I HAVE TROUBLE PUTTING THE CAR INTO PARK. THE PROBLEM IS THE GEAR SELECTOR SWITCH. WHEN YOU PUT THE CAR FROM DRIVE INTO PARK A METAL BAR PUSHES UP ONTO A BLUE BUTTON WHICH SENDS A SIGNAL TO THE CAR'S COMPUTER THAT THE CAR IS NOW IN PARK. I SPOKE TO A DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT 2017,2018 AND 2019 MALIBU'S ARE KNOWN FOR THIS PROBLEM AND IT WOULD BE $900 TO CORRECT THE DEALER KNEW WHAT IT WAS BEFORE I EVEN FINISHED TELLING THEM ABOUT THE PROBLEM.I NEVER KNOW IF THE IS IN PARK | Crash: No Fire: No | 39,000 |
| Jul 2020 | POWER TRAIN | ON, JULY 15, 2020 MY CAR GAVE A "SHIFT TO PARK"MESSAGE ON THE DASH AFTER I HAD PLACED MY CAR IN PARK. I CONTINUED TO HAVE THIS ERROR FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS, I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY DEALERSHIP. THE ISSUE IS YOU ARE STRANDED IN YOUR CAR UNTIL YOU CAN WIGGLE THE GEAR SHIFT INTO PLACE SOMETIMES UPTO 20 MINUTES. THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND IN THE PARK GEAR, HOWEVER THE CAR NEVER TURNS OFF. THE START BUTTON IS ILLUMINATED AMBER AND DINGS FOR ASSISTANCE. THIS CAN POSSIBLY DRAIN A BATTERY. THE DEALERSHIP CHARGED $518.00 TO REPAIR A KNOWN GM ISSUE. GM CUSTOMER SERVICE ADMITTED TO IT AND SO DID THE SERVICE ADVISOR, I RECEIVED A "NEW" IMPROVED VERSION OF TRANSMISSION CONTROL ASSEMBLY. PROBABLY SHOULD BE A RECALL OR CLASS ACTION SUIT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,000 |
| Jul 2020 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | ON THE FREEWAY GOING ABOUT 70MPH.ENGINE POWER REDUCED LIGHT CAME ON. MY SPEED DROPPED TO 20MPH. VERY SCARY ESPECIALLY WITH A CHILD IN THE CAR. GLAD IT WAS NOT HEAVY TRAFFIC. I WENT TO AUTOZONE. (ERROR CODE P2138)...I CALLED THE WARRANTY DEPARTMENT AND IT IS NOT COVERED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 63,117 |
| Jul 2020 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT GEAR SELECTOR WAS PLACED IN THE PARK POSITION AND THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF HOWEVER, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM REMAINED IN OPERATION. THE CONTACT CALLED WALLY EDGAR CHEVROLET (3805 S LAPEER RD, ORION CHARTER TOWNSHIP, MI 48360) AND THE DEALER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE POWER TRAIN WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO BE DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 42,000 |
| Jul 2020 | ENGINE | THE VEHICLE ENGINE REDUCED POWER WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSING ABRUPT DROP IN SPEED TO LOWER THAN THE SPEED LIMIT ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND A BUMPER TO BUMPER COLLISION. | Crash: No Fire: No | 33,500 |
| Jul 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | WHEN I PUT MY CAR IN PARK, A MESSAGE APPEAR ON THE DASHBOARD 'SHIFT TO PARK'. IT WON'T LET MY CAR TURN OFF COMPLETELY | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2020 | POWER TRAIN | REDUCED ENGINE POWER NOTIFICATION IN MID DRIVE ON FREEWAY CAUSING CAR TO COME TO LOW SPEED IN A 70 MPH HEAVY TRAFFIC FLOW. MULTIPLE VEHICLES SWERVE TO AVOID CONTACT (ACCIDENT). UNABLE TO PULL OVER QUICKLY AS IT HAPPENED OUT OF NO WHERE. UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 57,500 |
| Jul 2020 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | MY CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE I AM DRIVING (AT A STOP OR IDLING) STATIONARY | Crash: No Fire: No | 37,000 |
| Jul 2020 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | CAR SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING. WITH NO ENGINE LIGHT ON. ENGINE LIGHT RANDOMLY COMES ON EVERY OTHER WEEK. TPS DOESN'T FUNCTION PROPERLY. IDLES HIGH SOME DAYS THEN DRIVES NORMALLY. SENSORS WAS CHANGED ENGINE LIGHT COMES BACK ON A WEEK LATER WITH SAME CODE VACUUM SENSOR, MAF, | Crash: No Fire: No | 60,000 |
| Jul 2020 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | SHIFT TO PARK MESSAGE DISPLAYS ONCE CAR IS PLACED IN PARK. CAR WILL NOT COMPLETELY TURN OFF ONCE IN PARK AND IGNITION IS SHUT OFF | Crash: No Fire: No | 19,032 |
| Jul 2020 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | RECEIVE INTERMITTENT 'SHIFT TO PARK' LIGHT ON DASHBOARD ONCE CAR IS PLACED IN PARK AND WILL NOT COMPLETELY SHUT OFF. DRIVER MUST PULL SHIFT BACK TO DRIVE, THEN NEUTRAL THEN REVERSE AND BACK TO PARK BEFORE THE 'SHIFT TO PARK NOTICE SHUTS OFF' . IF NOT REPAIRED THIS CAN ULTIMATELY DRAIN BATTERY OR EVEN DAMAGE BATTERY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 19,028 |
| Jul 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | CAR TURNED OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. ENGINE WAS COMPLETELY OFF AS WELL AS NO LIGHTS WERE ON. SO I COULD NOT PUT IT ON NEUTRAL TO PUSH IT OUT OF THE ROAD. I HAD SEVERAL NEAR MISSES WHERE IT COULD HAVE GONE BADLY. ALSO, TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND NOTHING WAS FOUND. CAR STILL TURNS OFF FOR NO APPARENT REASON | Crash: No Fire: No | 78,000 |
| Jul 2020 | POWER TRAIN | WHEN PUTTING VEHICLE INTO PARK VEHICLE WILL GIVE MESSAGE SAYING THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOT IN PARK WHEN IT CLEARLY IS IN PARK. I SOMETIMES HAVE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF OR MESS WITH THE GEAR SHIFT FOR A LITTLE WHILE FOR THE MESSAGE TO FINALLY GO BECAUSE THE VEHICLE ITSELF WILL NOT POWER OFF UNTIL THE MESSAGE GOES AWAY. THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE AND CHEVY NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS ASAP! THESE ARE BRAND NEW CARS THAT ARE DOING THIS AND THERE SHOULDN'T BE ANY ISSUES WITH IT BEING A BRAND NEW CAR. THEY NEED TO MAKE IT A SERVICE BULLTIN AND OR RECALL. | Crash: No Fire: No | 49,000 |
| Jul 2020 | WHEELS,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | THE CAR STALLS WHILE I'M DRIVING ON HIGHWAYS REGULAR STREETS TURNING NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAR FULL TANK PROPER OIL LEVELS ETC | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,617 |
| Jun 2020 | ENGINE | WHILE IN THE MIDDLE OF DRIVING THE CAR WILL SAY "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" AND WILL NOT LET ME ACCELERATE. THIS IS HIGHLY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY OR MIDDLE OF THE STREET. IT HAS DONE THIS ONCE BEFORE AT A STOPLIGHT WHERE THE ENGINE TOTALLY SHUT OFF. | Crash: No Fire: No | 55,474 |
| Jun 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | WHEN PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN PARK, A MESSAGE COMES ON THE DASH SAYING 'SHIFT TO PARK'. THE VEHICLE IS ALREADY IN PARK, BUT THE CAR DOESN'T PICK THAT UP. IT IS A KNOWN CHEVY ISSUE THAT THEY HAVE YET TO RECALL. HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY TIME I DRIVE. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 35,000 |
| Jun 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN I WAS FORCED TO GO OVER A CARDBOARD BOX THAT HAPPENED TO BE ON MY LANE. I FELT IT HIT THE UNDERSIDE OF MY CAR. A FEW MINUTES LATER, I SMELLED SMOKE AND I WAS ALSO ALERTED BY SURROUNDING DRIVERS TO PULL OVER. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND RAN OUT OF THE VEHICLE TO ABOUT 100FT AWAY. I COULD SEE FLAMES IN THE FRONT OF THE CAR. BY THE TIME I REACHED OUT TO EMERGENCY SERVICES AND THEY GOT TO THE LOCATION, THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY ON FIRE. *TR | Crash: No Fire: Yes | 29,000 |
| Jun 2020 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | THE CAR STALLS WHILE DRIVING. I HAVE TO PULL OVER AND SHUT THE CAR OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON TO FIX THE ISSUE BUT IT DOES IT SOMETIMES A FEW TIMES A DAY. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START WHILE PRESSING THE PUSH TO START BUTTON. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO REED CHEVROLET LOCATED AT 4500 RAEFORD RD, FAYETTEVILLE, NC 28304, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ECM AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. A YEAR LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SAME DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 88,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 88,000 |
| May 2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | ONCE MY CAR IS STOPPED AND I SHIFT TO 'P'(PARK) AND I TRY TO TURN OFF MY VEHICLE IT STILL GIVES ME THE 'SHIFT TO PARK' MESSAGE. THE SHIFT GEAR HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN REPLACED BY THE CAR DEALERSHIP. HOWEVER AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT STARTED TO DO IT AGAIN. IT HAS UNDER 36,000 MILES ON IT AND WE THOUGHT THE ISSUE HAD BEEN FIXED ALREADY BUT IT STARTED TO DO IT AGAIN LESS THEN A YEAR LATER. *TR | Crash: No Fire: No | 29,000 |