38 Total complaints
3 Crash reports
1 Fire reports
3 Injury reports
Quick answer: The 2023 Chevrolet Malibu has 38 consumer-submitted complaints in our database. The most common complaint categories are back over prevention, air bags, electrical system. Enriched records show 3 crash reports, 1 fire report, and 3 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.

Complaint volume

38 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.

Pattern to inspect

The most common categories are back over prevention, air bags, electrical system. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.

Severity flags

Enriched records include 3 crash reports, 1 fire report, 3 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.

Mileage clue

Mileage is available on 10 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 48,444 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.

Questions to ask the seller

  • Have you had any problems related to back over prevention, air bags, electrical system?
  • 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 2023 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.

2023 Chevrolet Malibu
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.

How severe are the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu complaints?

Enriched complaint indicators from official bulk records.

3 Crash
1 Fire
3 Injury
0 Fatality
5 Towed
2 Medical attention

Mileage at failure is available on 10 complaints ; average reported mileage is 48,444 miles.

Most common incident states: AZ (1), LA (1), OR (1), SC (1).

What are the most common 2023 Chevrolet Malibu complaint categories?

38 total complaints on record

Latest complaints

Showing 1-25 of 38 complaints.

Date Component Summary Severity Mileage
May 2026 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM This all started when i had my car serviced for an oil change and began to hear some clicking sounds when I would start my vehicle. The fuel sealant is defective, the fuel caps were corroded, leaks oil, and causes the turbo on the engine to lag. I found this out as I was driving and tried to make a turn. When pressing the accelerator the vehicle lagged almost causing me to be involved in an accident on more than one occassion. When conducting on-line research I am not the only owner that has experienced this issue. It would appear that Chevrolet is aware that this is happening in its turbo models. I have an extended warranty that was purchased through the dealership. This issue caused them to replace the fuel sealant, the fuel caps, and the fuel pump. However, 2 weeks later my vehicle is still leaking a significant amount of oil. When I took the vehicle to be serviced, I was told that the sealant is broken again and gaskets have to be replaced. Upon researching this online other owners have experienced the same issues. I did share my online research with the service technicians. Their reactions were dismissive. Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
May 2026 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH and depressing pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure occured intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the turbo charger had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Incident: Jan 2026
Crash: No Fire: No 85,000
May 2026 BACK OVER PREVENTION The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number 26V212000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a
Incident: Apr 2026
Crash: No Fire: No 66,000
May 2026 BACK OVER PREVENTION The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable, and the rearview camera image appeared blank. The contact was informed during an inspection that the VIN was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V212000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the parts to complete the recall repair were not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that the remedy parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time to provide a remedy for the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 66,111.
Incident: May 2026
Crash: No Fire: No 66,111
May 2026 BACK OVER PREVENTION The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu . The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V212000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident: Apr 2026
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
May 2026 SERVICE BRAKES The brake pedal on my vehicle intermittently becomes stuck in the fully raised position and will not depress when I attempt to apply the brakes. When this occurs, I am unable to slow down or stop the vehicle, creating an immediate and serious safety hazard. The problem happens without warning and has occurred multiple times while driving at various speeds. When the defect occurs, the pedal feels locked or jammed, and I have to use extreme force or pump the pedal repeatedly before it finally releases. This delay in brake response puts me, my passengers, and other drivers at risk of a crash. The issue is unpredictable and does not appear to be related to weather, temperature, or driving conditions. I have not made any modifications to the braking system. The defect has occurred both during normal city driving and while approaching intersections. Because the failure prevents the brakes from engaging at all, I believe this is a critical safety issue that requires investigation.
Incident: May 2026 , LA
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
May 2026 STEERING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) The contact's wife owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the messages "ESC" and "Fuel Low" were displayed even though there was half a tank of fuel. The transmission failed to shift out of park (P). The contact stated that the failure occurred twice. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the manufacturer's engineer determined that there was a short circuit in the steering rack. The contact was informed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Incident: Mar 2026
Crash: No Fire: No Towed 50,000
Apr 2026 VISIBILITY/WIPER,LANE DEPARTURE Nearly had a collision while trying to back up in parking garage.
Incident: Apr 2026 , SC
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Apr 2026 BACK OVER PREVENTION The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V212000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The dealer confirmed that the recall part was not yet available and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Incident: Apr 2026
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Apr 2026 POWER TRAIN,ENGINE The issue appears to involve the engine and turbocharger system. The vehicle has shown symptoms consistent with a turbo underboost condition, including loss of power and reduced acceleration. A mechanic indicated that the symptoms may be consistent with diagnostic code P0299 (turbo underboost). The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This issue affects safe operation because the vehicle loses power unexpectedly while driving, which creates a risk when merging into traffic, accelerating, or maintaining speed in normal traffic conditions. The loss of power is inconsistent and can occur without warning, increasing the potential safety concern. The problem has been ongoing. The check engine light is currently on and has remained on. The warning light first appeared around January 2026, and the issue has continued since then. Similar turbocharger-related issues have been reported in prior model years, including 2022 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles, where coverage or corrective actions were provided, raising concern that the same or similar issue may be affecting 2023 models.
Incident: Jan 2026
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Apr 2026 BACK OVER PREVENTION The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the camera screen was black. While reversing, the camera failed to engage and was flickering. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V212000 (Back Over Prevention). The local dealer was contacted, and was ordering parts for the recall repair, but requested that the owner show up in person to provide the demographics but declined once the contact was leaving a bad review. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the local dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Incident: Jan 2026
Crash: No Fire: No 50,000
Apr 2026 ENGINE My engine keeps decreasing and throwing code p0299, wastegate/turbo, under boost. 84k miles. After a few drive cycles, engine light may go off, then next drive cycle come back on. I’ve seen this is a common issue and has been recalled in previous year model.
Incident: Mar 2026
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Apr 2026 POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER We decided to take a road trip 2023 chev Malibu with 142000 miles and transmission goes bad
Incident: Mar 2026 , AZ
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Apr 2026 UNKNOWN OR OTHER The rearview camera system fails intermittently when the vehicle is placed in reverse. The display will either show a distorted image or go completely blank without warning. This issue has occurred multiple times. This malfunction significantly reduces rear visibility and creates a dangerous condition while backing, especially in environments with pedestrians or other vehicles. The failure increases the risk of a collision because the driver cannot rely on the camera system to safely monitor the area behind the vehicle. There were no warning lights, alerts, or messages prior to or during the failure. The issue appears to occur randomly and without any clear triggering condition. The vehicle has not yet been repaired because the manufacturer has issued a recall, but the remedy is not yet available. The condition has not yet been inspected by a dealer, but it matches the known recall involving rearview camera failure. The vehicle and camera system are available for inspection upon request.
Incident: Apr 2026 , OR
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Mar 2026 POWER TRAIN,ENGINE The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally with several unknown warning lights illuminated and unknown messages were displayed. Additionally, there was a white fuel warning light illuminated with the message “Low Fuel” displayed after refueling the vehicle. The white exclamation warning icon with the "Shift to Park" message, the check engine warning light was illuminated, and the “Engine Power Reduced message was displayed. Additionally, the power train and ESC warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and towed to the residence. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the failure was not replicated; an aftermarket tracker was disconnected. The failure persisted, and the vehicle was taken to the same dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred the following week. The vehicle was then taken back to the same dealer, but the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 57,619.
Incident: Oct 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Towed 57,619
Feb 2026 POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE MY 2023 CHEVY MALIBU HAS A MISSING TURBOCHARGER SCREW THAT RANDOMLY CAME OFF FROM UNDER A METAL PLATE ON ITS OWN, GMC HAS A RECALL ON 2022 -2023 CHEY MALIBU WITH TURBO CHARGER ISSUES BUT THEY WONT COVER MINES BECAUSE IT DIDNT COME FROM A CERTIAN FACTORY ALTHOUGH THEY KNOW A HELL OF ALOT OF CHEVY MALIBU OWNERS HAVE TURBO CHARGER ISSUES AND THAT FACTORIES SHARE PARTS WITH OTHER FACTORIES THEY SAY THEY WONT DO A RECALL ON ALL THE MALIBUS UNLESS ALOT OF PEOPLE REPORT AND NHTSA MAKES GMC REALL ALL CHEVY MALIBUS TURBOCHARGER ( GM launched a special coverage program for 2022-2023 models with 1.5L engines due to turbocharger failures leading to "Reduced Engine Power". The program covers, or potentially reimburses, repairs up to 15 years/150,000 miles)BUT MY VEHICLE VIN ISNT COVERED.
Incident: Feb 2026
Crash: No Fire: No Injuries: 1 Unknown
Feb 2026 TIRES Tread started separation on driver front tire
Incident: Feb 2026
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Dec 2025 AIR BAGS When I was in a car accident I was hit on the rear passenger side of my vehicle, right near where my side air bags are supposed to be located. I was hit at 50 mph and the airbags did not deploy.
Incident: Dec 2025
Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed Unknown
Dec 2025 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE On December 24, 2025, the contact's 2023 Chevrolet Malibu was involved in a severe side-impact collision. The vehicle was struck on the rear passenger side by a full-size pickup truck traveling at high speed (est. 60 mph) that failed to stop at a red light. The impact caused the contact's vehicle to spin approximately 180 degrees and strike a concrete median sideways, generating high lateral G-forces. FAILURE 1: AIRBAG NON-DEPLOYMENT. Despite the severity of the impact and the violent spin into a curb (rollover trip point), the side curtain airbags and front seat-mounted side impact airbags failed to deploy. The failure of the restraint system caused the driver to be thrown against the driver-side door structure, striking their head on the window and B-pillar. The driver sustained a concussion, cervical strain, and lumbar strain. Medical records confirm the injuries are consistent with impact against the vehicle interior due to non-deployment. FAILURE 2: EMERGENCY TELEMATICS MALFUNCTION. Immediately post-collision, the driver attempted to manually activate the OnStar/SOS emergency buttons. The system failed to connect to an advisor. Instead, the vehicle's infotainment screen malfunctioned, opening a voice-to-text transcription application. The system then bypassed the vehicle's internal telematics module and attempted to route the emergency call to the owner's personal cell phone, indicating a complete failure of the vehicle's emergency communication hardware. This resulted in a 34-minute delay in coordinating professional assistance. Contact notes; while this vehicle currently shows 0 open recalls, the failure mechanism (sensor non-response during side impact) mimics the defect described in NHTSA Campaign 22V923000 (GM Recall N222392300), where improper welding of the front impact bar causes crash sensors to fail. The vehicle is available for inspection. Police and medical reports confirm the incident details. No warning lights were illuminated prior to crash.
Incident: Dec 2025
Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention Unknown
Oct 2025 POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE Check engine light will come on entire car will shut off. Shuttering, braking locks up, all power is reduced, especially engine power. car will get towed to the Chevrolet dealership in temple, Tx and Killeen, Tx for repairs. When hooked up to the scanner all 7 modules show as faulty. Chevrolet of Killeen replaced only 3 of the modules stating that was the issue. two days after repair same issue has happened. when hooked up to the scanner again all modules were faulty again including the ones that were just repaired. car has been in the shop for 100 days now. the car will cool down, and the check engine light will reset itself showing no issues repeat the process.
Incident: Apr 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Sep 2025 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES Brake system failure lost brakes twice, went and got a diagnosis reading and it said brake system module failure. That it lost communication with the module
Incident: Sep 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Sep 2025 AIR BAGS The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 30-35 MPH, another vehicle collided with her vehicle on the rear end of the vehicle as well as the rear passenger side. The contact mentioned that the seat belt did retract during the impact. The air bags on the front driver and passenger sides deployed partially. The vehicle was still drivable. The insurance company informed the contact that they are waiting for a response from the auto body shop. The vehicle was not deemed a total loss. The contact stated she did not sustain any injuries. No Medical Attention. A police report was filed, however the police report was unknown. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 29,000.
Incident: Sep 2025
Crash: Yes Fire: No 29,000
Sep 2025 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE Vehicle is registering multiple keys from surrounding like vehicles which causes the anti theft system to activate, disabling the vehicle and/or involuntarily draining battery.
Incident: Aug 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jul 2025 POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM At 40,000 miles, check engine light illuminated. Code reader stated P023F fuel pump secondary circuit open. When trying to take 2023 Malibu to dealership for repairs car would not start. Had to have car towed to dealership. Dealership confirmed same fuel pump error code. Confirmed no recall. Car is currently being repaired by dealership at my expense as dealership & GM says fuel pump is not covered by powertrain warranty. Cost is over $1500! Fuel pump should last longer than 40,000 miles! Please research this faulty fuel pump!
Incident: Jul 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jun 2025 AIR BAGS I brought in my used vehicle to the dealership the same dealership that I purchased my car from due to another issue i was having with the car. Upon inspection from the dealership a diagnostic test was done on the vehicle, the dealership gave me a invoice stating "airbag malfunction needs the airbag on horn". I purchased this used vehicle from this dealership 4-4-25,. 6-10-25 i returned for the issue I was having and the dealership gave me this invoice with the information concerning the airbag. Yes it is available for inspection. My safety is in jeopardy if no airbag deploys for the driver if im in any type of accident. I was not made aware by the dealership of not having a airbag. No the vehicle has not been inspected by police, insurance representative. No, there was no warning lamps, messages before finding out this information at the dealership . I did receive a acknowledgement of vehicle accident history stating " This vehicle is a used vehicle that has had prior structural body repair work, indicating that the vehicle has previously been in an accident. " No further information. I have no information as towhen this accident took place.
Incident: Apr 2025
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown

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