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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2023 | POWER TRAIN | I have an ongoing issue with the shifter not communicating to the ECU that it is in park. I put the car into park, dash board shows in P (park) and transmission is in park (ie won't move forward with brake released) and when I go to turn the car off I get message that car is not in Park. To remedy this I have to smack the back of the shifter forward sometimes 5-15 times and from light to moderately hard pressure to get the ECU/sensor to realize it's in Park. The shifter was replaced by a Chevy dealer 2-3 years ago but the problem started again. I believe there needs to be a recall due to the same issue ongoing [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | Transmission Surge Accumulator System Performance. The car fails to accelerate once it comes to a complete stop, traffic lights, etc. The car will rev up to 5000 RPMs but will not reach 10 mph. This causes problems when driving and I was almost hit on several occasions (more than 8 times) on my drive home to be safe again. The car was taken to the dealership and was reported to have been fixed, after paying a $100 deductible, but only ran properly for one day. Again, I was almost hit 5 times while driving back home, after the repair was made. The check engine light came on after the car presented issues, as I was out running errands, the car was losing power and was not performing well. About 20 minutes after the initial issue, the check engine light came on. I took the car to Auto Zone where they were able to run the diagnostic that came back with the code, P171D Transmission Surge Accumulator System Performance. This took place twice in one week, with the dealership fixing the issue on Tuesday and it failing again on Saturday (after the car sat idle for 3 days, while I was on vacation). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | Vacuum Booster Pump failed while driving on the highway with my girlfriend and her small child in the car and this common problem for this specific Chevrolet motor and endangered our lives significantly. Over 500 complaints on NHTSA website. No recalls to date. $4,000 damage. Filed official complaint and requested that Chevrolet cover the costs. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the braking system failed, and the brake pedal became firm while depressed. The "Engine Power Reduced" message was displayed, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, causing the vehicle to decelerate. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the braking system vacuum booster pump had failed and needed to be replaced, along with the camshaft and crank case which were damaged during the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 107,000 | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 107,000 |
| Nov 2023 | STEERING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that a "shift to park turn the vehicle off" message was displayed while the vehicle was in the park position. While driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle stalled. The steering wheel was tight. After slowing down, the driver depressed the start/stop button, and the vehicle shut off and restarted. The vehicle was randomly shut down. After waiting, the vehicle restarted. While depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal, unidentifiable noise detected, and the vehicle came to a sudden halt. While driving at 55 mph, the vehicle suddenly stopped, and she hit her head on the steering wheel but medical attention was not provided. The vehicle was pulsating while driving. There was a sound of water going through the vehicle. The vehicle was slow to accelerate and then moved violently. All the instrument warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or reported. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Capital Chevrolet, at 9820 Capital Blvd., Wake Forest, NC 27587, where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was not safe to be on the road. The oil throttle body and vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V668000 ( Power Train), and NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V642000 (Electrical System Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 | 50,000 |
| Nov 2023 | STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | My car will stall in the middle of driving will say it is not in drive, the power steering is reduced, and I cannot use the brakes properly. This is a safety issue. As I drive on interstates and highways on my commutes. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Mass air flow sensor has been replaced 3 times. Keeps going bad causing hiccups and hesitation. Very dangerous at times | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | Service Stabilitrak warning will pop up on my dash. The car loses power. Push on the gas and it sputters. Had it serviced by GMC 2 years ago and now it is happening again. More frequent in colder weather. There are thousands of reddit posts about this same issue from other 2018 Chevy Malibu owners. GMC refuses to acknowledge it is a quality or performance issue on their end. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | ENGINE | While driving, my car’s dash suddenly showed a warning message that state “engine power reduced”. I was driving around 45mph at the time of the incident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | I was driving the vehicle on a busy road and a message came up on the display above the steering column saying Engine Power Reduced. I went to brake and was unable to push the pedal in as it was extremely stiff. There were vehicles around me and I tried to use both feet and stand on the brakes and was able to get a little bit of movement but the car still didn't slow down. I had my significant other and brother-in-law in the car and we were all horrified we were going to get into an accident. I turned the hazard lights on and was able to steer to avoid hitting several vehicles and when traffic finally cleared I was able to get over and off the road into a gas station that was uphill and allowed us to slow down and finally stop because I put the vehicle in neutral tried the parking brake which got us to a complete stop and shut the vehicle off. There had been no previous issues with the brakes or messages such as the one that came up right before this issue occurred. The vehicle had to be towed and the repair shop told me the cam driven vacuum pump failed which caused the brake booster to not function. When this failure occurred, it damaged the intake and exhaust camshafts, crankshaft, and several other components. The cooling system and oil to be flushed out as I was told there was metal debris from the damaged parts caused by the vacuum pump failure in the fluids which had been all completely flushed and changed including cooling system, transmission fluid, and oil change The total cost of repairs as a result of the vacuum pump failure setting off a Domino effect of damage was $3536.40. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | ENGINE | Engine power reduced | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | My turbo failed while I was on a very busy highway, causing me from going 70mph to 35mph in a matter of seconds and almost being hit. This put my life and my friends life at risk since we were in the left lane. Now that I’ve been fighting with the dealership ti help make this right they found a GM warranty that fixed and updated electrical sensors. We fixed that first because at the time we thought that was what it was. My turbo gave out again up in the mountains almost killing me and my friend a second time on a busy road. We made it to a parking lot and called a tow truck. Now the stabiltrak is showing up and the car refuses to start, it makes a whooshing sound and doesn’t start completely. (There is fuel, oil, etc). I was sold an unsafe vehicle and now I’m stuck paying 500$ a month for a car that’s unsafe and refuses to work even when it’s been fixed. The dealership is refusing to help me, I’m at a loss. I still owe 18k and I can’t have an in working car sitting in my apartment complex, it will get towed and cost me more money.. I need help. I was sold a car that almost killed me twice and no one seems to care. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Just now car drove rought made it home to shutting down shift to park message came on I was not on the first recall list | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Just now coming home my car made noises when I parked it said shift to park Friday GM said I'm to repair the problem with my studies it's gm hidden defects I was not on the first recall I seen on goggle NHTSA please help me with this car problems and please help 513 complaints as well on the 2018 Chevy Malibu breakdowns | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Wanted to shut off just now at the stop intersection and when I got home shift to park message came on | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | While waiting at the stop just now my car made noises to wanting to stop on me luckily I made it home when I parked again it gave me shift to park message | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Just now my car made odd noises to wanting to stop I got home and shift to park message came on well NHTSA help me GM don't want to help | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Just not my car drove very odd to noises to shift to park message | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Coming to Walmart at the stop waiting for the light to turn green my car made noises parking at Walmart shift to park message came on. I was not on the first recall list I need help GM should fix the problem repurchase my car or replace it | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Just now I got back from leaving my son to work at the stop loud loud loud noises in my hood to sound like transmission noise to wanting to shut down again luckily I made it home again shift to park message came on I have a month half calling GM to asking to speak to a supervisor no response to emailing gm CEO to no reply who do I run to nhtsa for help yet no help who do I run to that can help me before I get injured or killed in this car this is my only car I'm asking it be fixed replace or repurchase I was not on the last recall list help help help help | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Today is 41 days with noises coming out of my car to 41 days to shift to park message again today my car wanted to turn off at the stop luckily I made it home to parking and again shift to park message came on GM supervisor never called me to NHTSA never helps so who do I run to for help I don't want to be injured or killed in this car on August 18,2023 while driving lost power to no gas no brakes to driving like this for five minutes to shutting down I'm I to be injured or killed in that when nhtsa gonna help me GM should be shut down and NHTSA should not say there helping you both are jokes....Help me and help all of us that have making complaints on these dam cars..... | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | At the traffic light my car made noises headed back home as I parked again I got shift to park message I read on goggle that there been a recall my car was not on that recall list and I keep getting shift to park message GM shut them down NHTSA what are you here for no one has called me on these complaints I've been doing NHTSA to should shut down well you ever help me or help us all hello help us..... | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Yesterday my car was acting out at the stop I did to wanting to turn off and again shift to park message came on my car has never been on the recall I need help to gm fix problems or replace or repurchase my car | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | My car does not register when it is park. I cannot disable the car when this happens. I have been that my car is not in the recall that has already been issued for this issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Today my car made noise at the stop then getting home at drive way more noise to turning off the car shift to park message came on if GM is keep this defect hidden why NHTSA not making them implement recall or replace or repurchase this car help me and help owners that own 2018 Chevy Malibus I don't want others to get injured or killed in there car help me and help owners that own 2018 Chevy Malibu why have NHTSA if I or no one else gets the help we need make GM do what they need to do or close gm down like my car shuts me down | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |