Complaint volume
679 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
679 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, grouped by component category.
679 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 303 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 47,477 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
32 Towed
10 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Chevrolet Malibu complaint categories?
ENGINE 74
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 70
POWER TRAIN 57
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 31
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 30
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 18
STEERING 17
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 17
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 16
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 16
679 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2020 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WHILE IN MOTION CARS REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHTS UP ON DASHBOARD AND CAR LOOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING | Crash: No Fire: No | 51,174 |
| Jan 2020 | ENGINE | FAULTY SENSOR ON MY CAR ALMOST CAUSED ME TO LOSE NY LIFE ON THE HIGHWAY TODAY. WHILE DRIVING MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I GOT THE MESSAGE ' ENGIND POWER REDUCED ' CAR WOULD NOT LET ME ACCELERATE , HIT A WALL ON THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY RUSHING TO SAFETY I NOW HAVE A DENT IN MY CAR , SAD PART IS THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM! WE ARE ALSO GETTING A ' SHIFT TO PARK ' ERROR MESSAGE WHICH IS ANOTHER ISSUE , THAT THE DEALER SAID I HAD TO PAY FOR‼️ RIDICULOUS ABOUT TO CONTACT A LAWYER CHEVROLET HAS NO REGAURD FOR HUMAN LIFE. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2020 | SERVICE BRAKES | WELL I GOT IN A WRECK YESTERDAY AROUND 4 PM IN CITY LIMITS IN BUMPER-TO-BUMPER TRAFFIC AND THE LADY HAD STOP SOMEWHAT ABRUPTLY SO I HAD TO STOP ABRUPTLY AND MY BRAKES LOCKED UP ON ME AND THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME AT THESE BRAKES HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE JUST A SECOND WREAK I'VE HAD WITH THIS VEHICLE IN EIGHT MONTHS AND I DON'T HAVE WRECKED VEHICLES THIS IS ALL NEW SO I WANT TO GET MY CAR CHECKED OUT SEE IF THERE'S SOMETHING MALFUNCTIONING WITH MY BRAKES BECAUSE BOTH TIMES THE BRAKES LOCKED UP ON ME WHEN THEY SHOULD'VE STOPPED BECAUSE I WASN'T GOING TO FAST | Crash: Yes Fire: No | 37,000 |
| Jan 2020 | ENGINE | WHILE DRIVING, ENGINE GOES INTO REDUCED POWER MODE WITHOUT WARNING AND UNABLE TO MAINTAIN SPEED. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTS BLINKING AND ACCELERATION IS LOST. THIS HAPPENED TWICE, ON A HIGHWAY AND ON A ROAD. GETTING TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SAFELY WAS VERY DIFFICULT. ONSTAR SENT AN EMAIL NOTIFICATION OF THE CRITICAL FAILURE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 35,250 |
| Jan 2020 | STEERING | THE STEERING WILL "STICK" AT THE TOP AFTER TRAVELING IN A STRAIGHT LINE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THIS WILL HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY AN IN THE CITY BUT IS MORE PRONOUNCED ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE REPEATEDLY TAKEN IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE EVEN THOUGH IT HAPPENS FREQUENTLY. SEEMS TO BE WORSE IN COLDER WEATHER. THIS IS INDEED A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE WHEN IT RELEASES YOU OVER CORRECT YOUR STEERING AND WANDER AROUND IN YOUR LANE. IT HAS BEEN DOING THIS ALMOST SINCE NEW AND IT NOW HAS 18,500 MILES ON IT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 18,500 |
| Jan 2020 | ENGINE | THE EXCELLARATOR SENSOR IS BAD AND KEEPS POWERING DOWN ENGINE EVEN ON THE FREEWAY | Crash: No Fire: No | 56,513 |
| Dec 2019 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | FAULTY ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSOR. PART IS SUPPOSE TO LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THE CAR HAS 60000 MILES ON IT. IT THROWS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND REDUCES POWER TO THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS YOU CANT ACCELERATE TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC OR TO GET ACROSS THE LANES. YOU JUST HAVE TO COAST TO SAFETY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 60,920 |
| Dec 2019 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | I JUST GOT A 2018 CHEVY MALIBU. I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK TODAY AND MY CAR JUST STOPPED AND A REDUCE ENGINE POWER MESSAGE FLASHED ACROSS MY SCREEN. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED WHEN I CAR CUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY STREET. I HAVE JUST SEEN ALL OF THE MESSAGES ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND PEOPLE COMING OUT OF HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX IT. CHEVY NEEDS TO DO A RECALL ON THIS ISSUES SOONER THAN LATER, THIS COULD BE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH FOR SOMEONE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 56,000 |
| Dec 2019 | ENGINE | I HAVE A CHEVY MALIBU 2018 AND I COMMUTE TO WORK 5 DAYS A WEEK 1 1/2 HOURS EACH WAY. DURING MY COMMUTE WITHOUT WARNING, A LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED", THE ENGINE LIGHT, AS WELL AS THE CAR SLIPPERY ROAD SIGN. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT AT MEARLE STONE CHEVROLET IN HOPES THIS KNOWN PROBLEM IN THE 2018 MODELS GETS FIXED WITHOUT PAYING OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES SINCE THERE HAS BEEN A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN ON THE HIGHWAYS NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCELERATE LIKE NORMAL AND HAVING TO BUILD UP SPEED BY TAKING FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR. I CANNOT PASS DUE TO THIS AND THE ENGINE IS WINDING OUT LIKE I NEED TO CHANGE GEARS WHILE THE RPMS ARE GOING UP. I CANNOT GET PAST 60MPH EVEN WITH ACCELERATOR ALL THE WAY DOWN. I AM CONCERNED WITH THIS MODEL BEING MADE IN APRIL OF 2018, AND THE CHEVY MALIBU CLASS ACTION LAW SUITE ON "ENGINE POWER BEING REDUCED". THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS KNOWING IT CAN GET WORSE IF THE DEALER DOES NOT FIX THIS. I HAVE ONLY HAD MY CAR BARELY COMING UP FOR A YEAR. I NEED TO HAVE A RELIABLE AND SAFE CAR THAT I DON'T NEED TO WORRY IF THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2019 | ENGINE | WHILE DRIVING, THE MESSAGE 'ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED' APPEARED. MY CAR SLOWED DOWN AND I HAD TO PRESS REALLY HARD ON THE GAS PEDAL TO GET BACK UP TO THE SPEED I WAS AT. IT IS SAID TO BE A DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR. THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON IN MANY OF THE 2016-2018 CHEVY MALIBU'S. *BF | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2019 | ENGINE | MY ACCELERATOR SENSOR DEFECTS AND MY SPEED CHANGES RAPIDLY WHILE DRIVING. | Crash: No Fire: No | 44,000 |
| Dec 2019 | STEERING | 2018 CHEVROLET MALIBU WITH 15, 300 MILES. SINCE THE LAST RECALL WORK WAS COMPLETED, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AROUND 65 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL HAD AN INCREASE OF TENSION THEN IT SUDDENLY RELEASES ALL TENSION WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO A RAPID OVER CORRECTION. THE PROBLEM FEELS SIMILAR TO A MAGNETIC BREAK RELEASE. NO FAULT CODES TRIP AND THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER SAYS THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE ON WHILE STATIONARY OR SHORT DRIVES BUT IT'S FELT ON LONGER DRIVES GREATER THAN 15 MIN. PROBLEM HAS REMAINED FOR APPROXIMATELY A MONTH. | Crash: No Fire: No | 14,500 |
| Dec 2019 | POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE DOING 74 MILES AN HOUR WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR JERKED AND STARTED SLOWING DOWN. THE DISPLAY SCREEN SHOWED A MESSAGING SAYING ENGINE POWER REDUCED. I PULLED OVER ON THE SHOULDER BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T LET ME ACCELERATE AND HAD SLOWED THE CAR DOWN TO 50 MPH. I SAT THERE FOR A MINUTE AND WAS GOING TO TRY TO DRIVE ON THE SHOULDER TO THE NEXT EXIT. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR THE MESSAGE WAS NO LONGER THERE BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. THE CAR HAS DONE THIS MORE THAN 10 TIMES SINCE THIS DAY. | Crash: No Fire: No | 67,000 |
| Dec 2019 | STEERING | AFTER DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE FOR A WHILE, THE STEERING SEEMS TO HAVE A FLAT SPOT, WHERE IT IS HARD TO TURN AND THEN IT JERKS SLIGHTLY.. MORE FREQUENTLY THE COLDER THE WEATHER. | Crash: No Fire: No | 12,000 |
| Dec 2019 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | THE ECM AND BATTERY SENSOR MALFUNCTIONED ON DEC 9. I FOUND OUT THAT GMC HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS FOR SOMETIME. SEPTEMBER 6, 2019 IS DOCUMENTED ON YOUR SITE. I WAS NOTIFIED FROM ONSTAR AFTER I PASSED THE MILEAGE FOR GMC TO HAVE PAY FOR THIS PROBLEM. | Crash: No Fire: No | 40,019 |
| Dec 2019 | POWER TRAIN | ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR CORRELATION (P2138). ENGINE POWER REDUCED | Crash: No Fire: No | 20,000 |
| Nov 2019 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL ON THE 2018 MALIBU REMEDY LISTED IS DEALER WILL REPROGRAM ECM SOFTWARE TO CORRECT THE ERROR. I MADE THE APPOINTMENT FOR THE RECALL. HOURS AFTER THE APPOINTMENT A TECHNICIAN FROM THE MURFREESBORO TN CHEVY DEALERSHIP CALLED ME AND SAID I HAVE TO PAY A DIAGNOSIS FEE FOR THEM TO REPAIR THE RECALL ALTHOUGH THE ISSUE THEY WANT TO CHARGE THE FEE IS THE RECALL!!! DISHONEST BUSINESS!!! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2019 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | I PURCHASE A 2018 CHEVY MALIBU IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019 AND NOT EVEN A MONTH AFTER HAVING IT, MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO GIVE ME ISSUES. AT UNANNOUNCED TIMES WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, A MESSAGE THAT READS 'ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED' DISPLAYS ON THE DASH AND THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE WILL IMMEDIATELY DROP TO 20MPH. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS ON A CITY STREET WITH A STEEP INCLINE GOING 40MPH IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND ALMOST CAUSED A COLLISION WITH THE SUDDEN SPEED CHANGE AND I COULD NOT GO OVER 20MPH. I HAD TO TURN MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS ON AND TRY TO MAKE IT UP THE HILL SAFELY. THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING 70MPH IN THE FAST LANE AND THE SPEED DROPPED WITHOUT WARNING TO 20MPH AND WOULD HAVE PUT ME IN A BAD COLLISION IF I DIDN'T THINK QUICK AND TURN THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS ON AND PULL OVER THE SHOULDER ON MY LEFT HAD SIDE. THIS ISSUE IS A VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS MATTER AND COULD RESULT IN MAJOR INJURY OR DEATH. THE CODE THAT IS RELATED TO THE PROBLEM I AM SPEAKING OF READS P2138. | Crash: No Fire: No | 51,000 |
| Nov 2019 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH, MY CAR ACCERATION SHUT DOWN AND I STARTED LOSING SPEED EVEN THOUGH I WAS PRESSING ACELLERATOR. AT THIS TIME MY CAR STARTED TO DOWN SHIFT AND THE MORE I STEPPED ON THE ACCELLERATOR NOTHING HAPPENED. MY CAR THEN TURNED OFF ON THE HIGHWAY. I IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED TO PARK AND STARTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN BECAUSE I WAS IN FEAR OF GETTING REAR ENDED. WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES FOR THEM TO FIX IT AND THE LAST TIME, THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. WE STILL HAVE EXCELERATION ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE. WE GOT A RECALL NOTICE OF SOFTWARE FROM CHEVROLET BUT THE DEALER SHIP IS UNAWARE OF THE REPAIR AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THEY CAN CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. WE BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 4 TIMES FOR THIS RECALL. WE WISH TO RECEIVE A NEW CAR FOR SAFETY REASONS. WE ARE TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN TODAY BUT I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,000 |
| Nov 2019 | AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | HAD A CAR ACCIDENT ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2019 MY CAR STALLED WHILE MAKING LEFT TURN HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE I PURCHASED THIS CAR ALSO MY TIRES CONTINUED TO GO ON FLAT | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | 40 |
| Nov 2019 | POWER TRAIN | WHEN I PUT MY CAR INTO PARK AND GO TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, IT THROWS A "SHIFT TO PARK" CODE ON THE DASH WHEN MY CAR CLEARLY IS IN PARK. I TOOK IT UP TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP, AND THEY SAID THAT THERE WERE QUITE A FEW VEHICLES THAT WERE HAVING THE SAME ISSUES. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE TWO OPTIONS AS TO WHAT IT COULD BE, SO I PAID FOR THE FIRST OPTION THAT GM RECOMMENDED THEY DO FIRST. THAT DID NOT FIX THE ISSUE. NOW, I'M BEING TOLD THAT I HAVE TO BRING IT BACK UP TO THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP AND PAY ANOTHER CHUNK OF CHANGE JUST TO GET IT FIXED. IT IS QUITE FRUSTRATING, AS IT TAKES A WHILE FOR ME TO GET MY CAR TO REGISTER THAT IT IS IN PARK, AND IF I DON'T, THEN IT DRAINS MY BATTERY BECAUSE THE CAR WON'T FULLY SHUT OFF. EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING AND ANNOYING. | Crash: No Fire: No | 50,000 |
| Nov 2019 | POWER TRAIN | WHEN SHIFTING MY CAR INTO PARK, IT WILL CLEARLY BE IN PARK, YET WHEN I SHUT OFF THE ENGINE, I GET AN ERROR MESSAGE "SHIFT TO PARK". THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES IN THE LAST MONTH, AND NOW JUST LAST NIGHT, IT TOOK ME 15 MINUTES TO GET THE CAR TO STOP THE MESSAGE. ITS BECOMING IRRITATING! IF YOU DO NOT TRY TO FIX THE ISSUE ONCE THE CAR IS TURNED OFF, THEN YOU'RE BATTERY WILL EVENTUALLY BE DRAINED. I CONTACTED THE LOCAL CHEVY DEALER AND THEY SAY THAT THERE ARE OTHER CAR OWNERS COMPLAINING ABOUT IT. I AM WAITING FOR A REPLACEMENT PART, BUT SINCE GM WAS ON STRIKE, MY WAIT IS LONGER. | Crash: No Fire: No | 19,000 |
| Nov 2019 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | WHEN THE CAR IS SHIFTED TO PARK, THE CAR DOES NOT REGISTER THAT IT IS IN PARK. THE CAR THEN HAS TO BE TURNED ON, THE SHIFTER MOVED BACK TO DRIVE, AND THEN BACK TO PARK AGAIN. THE CAR THEN HAS TO BE SHUT OFF AGAIN, AND IF I AM LUCKY, THE MESSAGE GOES AWAY. IF IT DOES NOT, I HAVE TO REPEAT THIS PROCESS OVER AND OVER AGAIN UNTIL THE MESSAGE DOES GO AWAY. THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE SPECIFICALLY IN CHEVROLET MALIBUS DATING BACK TO THE 2016 MODEL. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE GIVEN THAT IT IS WIDESPREAD AND THE FACT THE GM MAKES PEOPLE PAY TO REPAIR THEIR FAULTY PARTS OUT OF WARRANTY IS RIDICULOUS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 37,000 |
| Nov 2019 | ENGINE | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE ENGINE POWER REDUCED AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE WENT INTO LIMP MODE. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS CYCLED OFF AND BACK ON, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE RECURRED OFTEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BOB STALL CHEVROLET (7601 ALVARADO RD, LA MESA, CA 91942, (619) 460-1311) TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE SERVICED, WHICH WAS STILL PENDING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 32,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 32,000 |
| Nov 2019 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | 2018 CHEVROLET MALIBU. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO SAFETY RECALL CONCERNING DISCONNECTED FUEL INJECTOR. CONSUMER ALSO EXPLAINS VEHICLE STALLING WHILE DRIVING AND IT NOT ACCELERATING. *AS *JS | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |