1.6

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
102,032 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #31

Nov 192023

Malibu

  • miles
The Generator control module failed on the vehicle causing the battery to lose charge and then the car to shut down. When looking for the part online I came across a bulletin 13142c which talked about the same exact issue that I faced. according to the bulletin the gcm was to have been replaced, however when searching the service history at the Chevy dealer there was a note that the gcm had been inspected, but never replaced. I am looking into this matter to see if I can be reimbursed for the costs of the labor and parts related to the gcm. On a side note this failure did come directly after the car was in a accident where the driverside front end of the car was damaged. The technicians said that the gcm failure had no relationship to the accident.

- Gaithersburg, MD, USA

problem #30

Aug 242022

Malibu

  • miles
Under a slow acceleration doing highway speed say going up a incline the car will get a burning smell in the cabin its smell like burning electrical wireing so far now visible smoke.

- Susanville, CA, USA

problem #29

Aug 022022

Malibu

  • miles
Engine overspeed error message & car will start to hesitate to accelerate. First happened 7/2021. Second time is 8/2022

- Atlanta , GA, USA

problem #28

Mar 122021

Malibu

  • miles
I brought my 2013 Malibu LT in March of 2021. When I test drove and took it to autozone to get a diagnosis before buying the car nothing was wrong with it. After having the car for about 3 months the problems started. When I went to get it checked again it said that my alternator wasn-??t working correctly how it should do I replaced the alternator. After getting the alternator replaced my car still stalls while driving and acts like it doesn-??t want to go. When I try to start my car it barely turns over to start. While I-??m driving I can-??t turn on the radio or lights because it makes my car power go out. The radio lights turn on and off. When I put car in reverse it shuts off. When I-??m driving the car shuts off out of nowhere and I have to put it in park and turn it back on. Sometimes it takes awhile to turn back on. When it first happened the engine reduced power popped up as a warning then the engine light came on the dashboard on and off. Everyone says they don-??t know what is wrong with it so I feel that the manufacturer should be reliable to fix these problems for us customers. These problems put my child and I at risk by stopping out of nowhere in traffic. I-??m currently pregnant and it happened with me and my kids in the car.

- Xenia, OH, USA

problem #27

May 262020

Malibu

  • miles
Car cuts off and stalls and lights flickering

- Gary, IN, USA

problem #26

Jun 122020

Malibu

  • 62,000 miles
I have kept up regular maintenance on it. The vehicle now has an issues with stalling while stopped at a light or stop sign after driving it of and on throughout the day. The Chevy dealership can't figure it out and I've spent several hundred dollars taking it to other repair shops. It can be a safe issue if I'm in the middle of an interstate at a stop trying to turn and I need to accelerate. I haven't seen any recalls for this model. I have having this problem starting back in 2020...we replaced the fuel pump thinking that was the problem but nothing...it even does it when I'm trying to park

- Reading, PA, USA

problem #25

Jan 012019

Malibu

  • 89,000 miles
Car will power down while driving and it will stall at traffic lights. Have taken it in several times for this and diagnosed it but no codes display. Have paid 1000's of dollars for the things they say it is and still not fixed

- Bedford, VA, USA

problem #24

Dec 302020

Malibu

  • 87,000 miles
The vehicle was purchased from a dealership in June of 2020. Since owning the vehicle, the vehicle has had nothing but issues. Major issues including a stalling/puttering vibration when stopped at a light as well as just starting the car, it has an extremely loud start and rough. Have had this vehicle in and out of the dealership multiple times including one visit taking 3 weeks with a rental I was given. The issues are still all here, including an overheating with my warning systems not giving any sort of signs or lights, onstar thankfully told me to get the vehicle in immediately as I was in the red for overheating and the fan still continues to work after the car has been off for a few minutes. A smell of burning comes from the car everyday and overall doesn't feel safe. The other issue I believe is starting to occur is with the recall of the corroded rear toe links causing major clunking noises when hitting bumps and turning.

- Port Huron, MI, USA

problem #23

Mar 052021

Malibu

  • 82,300 miles
The vehicle seems to have issues with the fuel relay sensor. The vehicle push button start seems to intermittently not want to work. The vehicles or not want to start when the button is pushed to start the car. The reason I mentioned if you relay center is that it is similar to a cheap iphone that had a similar problem.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #22

Feb 012021

Malibu

  • 100,000 miles
Engine power reduced continues to show up after several fixes including an engine replacement many times I will be driving and the vehicle will turn off or slow down to dangerously slow speeds as low as 10 miles and hour. This is a constant issue and other Malibu drivers are experiencing.

- Falfurrias, TX, USA

problem #21

Sep 092020

Malibu

  • 681,000 miles
My 2013 Chevy Malibu has 68,755 miles I have kept up regular maintenance on it. The vehicle now has an issues with stalling while stopped at a light or stop sign after driving it of and on throughout the day. The Chevy dealership can't figure it out and I've spent several hundred dollars taking it to other repair shops. It can be a safe issue if I'm in the middle of an interstate at a stop trying to turn and I need to accelerate. I haven't seen any recalls for this model. I have having this problem starting back in September of 2020 up till this date of 01/23/2021.

- Louisville, KY, USA

problem #20

Dec 292020

Malibu

  • 190,102 miles
Service stabilitrak and engine power reduced display at high speeds causing car to drastically decrease speed. Cannot be fixed. Have tried to repair for years

- Natchez, MS, USA

problem #19

Dec 172020

Malibu

  • 120,000 miles
States ac auto off due to high engine temp when starting car first thing in the morning during winter times, check engine light comes on temperature guage broke, car shows fluid in overflow for radiator, oil levels fine, power car off and fan keeps running with key removed from car, can't tell if engine is vet heating blows luke warm air but all fluids remain normal, theft monitor light comes on occasionally is this an electrical issue? no recall open related on going issue, won't drive to avoid blowing a head gasket, water pump is in tact no issues nor no oil or fluid leaks- help!!!!

- North Syracuse, NY, USA

problem #18

Apr 012020

Malibu

  • 102,000 miles
On most of the 2013 Chevy Malibu the air bag has been recalled my car has had the airbag warning light on since I purchased my 2013. I don't feel safe and when I called Chevy directly they told me to just keep checking my VIN # should be on the recall for the air bag soon. It's still not showing up. I keep getting a warning low engine power, some one said don't drive a car that says this.

- Jacksonville, NC, USA

problem #17

Sep 012020

Malibu

  • 254,000 miles
Car will stall out and won't go at time without pumping the gas. We have replaced vacuum pump and both O2 sensors. Power steering locks up when hitting a small bump, won't start unless I moved the drivers seat up and back, if I use the blinkers my radio goes off if I use my high beams the radio freezes. It will do weeks with no issues then one day it will start acting up and does it for days or weeks. Chevy says there is no recap for that model but I've read multiple complaints about the same things so why is it not being addressed by

- Spencer, WV, USA

problem #16

Sep 042020

Malibu

  • 756,765 miles
Is been a few times when I'm in a light and when I'm about to take off the car like holds up and it doesn't wants to move forward unless I hit the gas harder or just park it and shut it off and is been smoking trough the a.C. in less then 6 months I had to repair sertain stuff 3 times. First I took it to replace the fan assembly hybrid battery and a new hybrid battery the oil filter and the oil gasket cause it was leaking oil and update the software. I took it out in 3 weeks it was back in the shop cause I had to replace the timing chains and high pressure fuel pump and preform a system scan wich found that there is a mechanical issue with the engine and also the high fuel pressure was making slot of noise. And put a new high pressure fuel pump a high pressure fuel pipe. I spencer a few dollars on that. I took it out it was ok till it started growing smoke trough the a.C again it keeped holding back on me in the lights and it shuted off on me twice in were I had to hit parking and shut off and back on so it can work. And finally woke I'm driving on South 95 in 60mph the car started smoking trough the a.C then it made this loud noise in the motor so when I pulled over on the highway I see that all my motor oil had spilled in the floor and the motor started to smoke like crazy and the car indicated me to shut off motor. I had to tow my car home and park it to get it fix again. But is crazy cause in less then 6 months all this happened and is still parked to B fixed.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #15

Jun 302020

Malibu 4-cyl

  • miles
Loss of power a lot. Auto stop feature makes a strong fuel smell. Burning and smoke coming from front right side under hood. Bought this car a month ago.

- Altoona, PA, USA

problem #14

Oct 102019

Malibu

  • miles
When operating my vehicle when I'm at a stop sign or a red light or stuck in traffic the car completely dies therefore I have to put it in neutral or park to restart the car which is dangerous while I have children with me at the time or even by myself while in heavy traffic.

- Garland, TX, USA

problem #13

Sep 122019

Malibu

  • 94,000 miles
The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu turns off or completely de-energizes during operation. On three occasions over the last 2 weeks, the vehicle has turned off or completely de-energized while traveling speeds of between 10 and 35 mph. On one occasion, the vehicle turned off or completely de-energized while in stop and go traffic. On two separate occasions, the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu has turned off or completely de-energized in the middle of a turn. This occurred once in the face of oncoming traffic during a left turn at an intersection and once during a right turn.

- Rochester Hills, MI, USA

problem #12

Feb 012018

Malibu

  • 75,000 miles
Car keeps powering off while driving inside panel lights turn off then car powers do and goes back

- Auburn, CA, USA

Read the next 11 complaints »