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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Just now my car made noises shift to park message came on I called general Motor just now they refuse to fix my car and refuse to replace or repurchase my car who can help me with this please NHTSA help me or referred me to who can help me this is my only car please help me | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Someone needs to take this seriously if I injured myself or kill others with this car GM says no to my request of repurchase since my break down on August 18 to now I continue to get shift to park message this is my only car please help me that you implement a recall ASAP this is the only car I have I ask they fix this problem repurchase or replace my car this is the only car I have someone help me please help me just got into my driveway coming from store and again I get shift to park message please help me | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Made noises out while I was driving at right now I drove home to again shift to park message omg this is to much please help me today again gm said no to replacement no repurchase this is my only car please help me | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Just now I got out from church and again shift to park message came on please help me it's my only car | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Just got here to savemart my car made noises to again shift to park message to scary see if I make it home something needs to be done gm needs to fix this car or close gm down id love to see gm shut down like this car shuts down this is my only car please help me by then fixing my car or replace it or repurchase it is hate to be injured or killed in this car | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | Just now getting to Walmart my shift to park message came on my 2018 Chevy Mailbu | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Made noise just now and shift to park message just now and dealers says there's nothing wrong with my car and gm don't want to repurchase my car please help me this is my only car | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | Today again shift to park message came on | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | Again today my shift to park message came on to some odd noise help me please | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that that vehicle failed to shift into park. The shift to park warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that there was a glitch in the vehicle and there were no open recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 91,832. | Crash: No Fire: No | 91,832 |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Warning lights never come up for the five years I've had it On August 18, 2023 while driving I lost power to no gas no brakes to driving like this for five minutes at the end shift to park message came on I was scared thank God I didn't die. On September 15,2023 Ed Denas dealership stated my car fine I disagree with them as again shift to park message comes up. On September 17, 2023 when I parked at my driveway I got the message shift to park. Please help me and please help 2018 Chevy Mailbu customers. That gm implement the recall or gm replacement or gm repurchase these 2018 Chevy Malibu this is the only car I have please help me. Thank you | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | STEERING,SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | My car has auto stop and every time it cranks back up my radio blinks off, my lights blink off, all the lights on my dashboard come on and the error message Steering Assist is Reduced comes on the message center. Sometimes it doesn’t want to crank back up. Today when all that happened the message service stabilitrac also came up. I can’t find any recalls. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | When I shift car in park, it won’t let the car turn off and keeps saying “shift to park” | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN | I keep getting shift to park message every time I go to park. My vehicle is in park and won’t turn off the radio and lights inside. It is starting to drain my battery and every day I wake up my battery is now dead. No recalls for this however lots of complaints. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that he noticed that there were shattered pieces of glass in the rear seats. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended in the rain, the rear windshield had exploded. The vehicle was taken to an auto glass repair center, where the windshield was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the auto glass repair center for the replacement of the rear windshield. There was no further information provided. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I recently purchased this vehicle used from the dealership. I have noticed that when I shift to park and turn the vehicle off it pops up the warning “Shift to Park”. It takes multiple attempts of turning the car back on and shifting back and forth to get the car to actually shift to park. I have looked up this issue and found that I am not alone in this problem and that apparently it is a known issue with the transmission shift cable adjuster causing a discrepancy between the transmission and the gear shift. As far as safety I am worried that I can’t trust the gear shift when I shift it into park. As far as the rest I have not yet contacted my dealership. I just wanted to write this up as it seems like a well known issue and many people have been asking for a recall to fix this. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | When I put my car in park a notice comes up in my dashboard saying “shift to park” even though when I take my foot off the break it’s in parked. I took it to a Chevy dealer and said it will $500+ to fix. I have asked 5 other people with my same car (2018 or 2019) and they have the same issue. Now my car is having issues when shifting gears. There seems to be a delay in gear shifts when I go from drive to reverse or to park. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | No warnings was given.it was scary.my car lost power to 20 mph it drove to where I was able to safely get off the road gave me error messages to shutting down. I sure don't want this happening to others | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | My check engine light will come on, a message will pop up on the screen saying, "steering assist reduced drive with care." When i come to a stop and my car goes into auto stop the car will completely shut down. This can be in the middle of the street or during traffic. It will take my car awhile to start back up. I was told it is a sensor that is going bad consistently, this has happened to me 3 times. This is a known issue with a lot of Chevy Malibu. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Underlying fuel pump went out | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The third brake light cracked for unknown reasons in several spots. This has caused water to leak in and damage the ceiling/interior. It is just one of several issues that have happened since purchasing this vehicle brand new in 2018. It has singlehandedly been the worst vehicle that I have ever purchased as it has been unreliable, dangerous (shift to park, reduced engine power, etc) and costly with repairs. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Vehicle shut down in traffic lost all power as I'm pushing my Vehicle to a safe location in neutral it starts back up without me starting it there was a recall for this year make and model the recall numbers are N192221960 NHTSA # 19V642 Date Issued: Sep 06, 2019 those problems are infact the same issues I am having | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 75 MPH AND I WENT TO HIT THE BRAKES AND THEY DIDNT WORK I HAD TO TAKE MY FEET OFF THE GAS AND LET IT STOP ON ITS ON AND IT WAS SCARY. I GLAD TO BE ALIVE. AND WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN PARK IT STATED THE I NEEDED TO SHIFT TO PARK AND I COULDNT CUT THE CAR OFF SO AFTER CALLING SOMEONE TO COME GET ME FROM OFF OF THE SIDE OF THE RIDE. I HAD TO KEEP PUTTING THE GEAR IN PARK FOR IT TO GO IN PARK ANF THE MESSAGE WENT AWAY BUT IT KEEPS COMING ON. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | The auto start stop function malfunctioning at a red light, causing vehicle to turn off completely. Vehicle will turn on once the brake is released. The transmission is slipping as well switching from first gear to second gear and causing a delay in departure. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES | The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed with the brake pedal depressed all the way to the floorboard, the vehicle failed to reduce speed. As a result, he collided with the vehicle in the right lane on the rear driver's side. No air bags were deployed. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was filed, but no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engine vacuum pump, resulting in a lack of vacuum for the brake booster. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number 18V576000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | 75,000 |