10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
10,643 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.

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #28

Aug 182020

Malibu

  • 36,400 miles
The power shifter in the car needed to be replaced. As with many of the other recent complaints I see on here, when I went to turn off the car it popped up the "shift to park" warning even though I was already in park and wouldn't power off the radio or lights. It appears this is a consistent problem with all of the 2018 Malibu's and should be recalled.

- Broken Arrow, OK, USA

problem #27

Aug 112020

Malibu

  • 36,000 miles
When I put the car in park the shifter does not fully engage resulting in the inability to park the car or turn it off. The message on the dash says "shift into park" even though the shifter is actually in park.

- Plymouth, MA, USA

problem #26

Sep 152019

Malibu

  • 20,000 miles
The shift sensor isn't being triggered when vehicle is in park. I have a friend with the same vehicle and same problem. Have looked it up on youtube and many others also deal with this problem. When the car is in park it doesn't read as such, making the battery stay running and drain or you cannot turn your car back on until it the sensor is jammed.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #25

Aug 142020

Malibu

  • 40,700 miles
Sometimes when I put the car in park & try to cut the car off, the warning signal indicates that I need to shift to park.

- Chattanooga, TN, USA

problem #24

Aug 032020

Malibu

  • 53,000 miles
I put my car into park and turn the car off. The dashboard tells me that I need to 'shift to park' even though my car is in park. The radio and dashboard will not turn off until I get my car to register that it is in park. Have to turn the car on and off, shift into gears, and back into park to try and get it to register. Eventually after doing that multiple times it will register. Another issue is with the radio and blue tooth. I turned my car off and everything was off. My nephew came over later and asked why my radio was on. Radio randomly turns on when car is/has been off for periods of time. I have automatic start and I started my car from inside work one day and then my blue tooth (music &phone calls) would not play over my speakers. No music would play from the radio either. The volume would turn up and down by itself. Took it to the dealership for the radio issues and they said they couldnt find anything wrong with it. I take it in soon for the 'shift to park' issue.

- Wilmington, IL, USA

problem #23

Jul 282020

Malibu

  • 65,000 miles
The car is in park but a warning pops up that's says shift to park and the car won't turn off because it thinks it's not in park

- Statesville, NC, USA

problem #22

Jul 092020

Malibu 4-cyl

  • 19,032 miles
Shift to park message displays once car is placed in park. Car will not completely turn off once in park and ignition is shut off

- Lakewood, CA, USA

problem #21

Jul 082020

Malibu 4-cyl

  • 19,028 miles
Receive intermittent 'shift to park' light on dashboard once car is placed in park and will not completely shut off. Driver must pull shift back to drive, then neutral then reverse and back to park before the 'shift to park notice shuts off'. if not repaired this can ultimately drain battery or even damage battery.

- Lakewood, CA, USA

problem #20

May 282020

Malibu 4-cyl

  • 29,000 miles
Once my car is stopped and I shift to 'P'(park) and I try to turn off my vehicle it still gives me the 'shift to park' message. The shift gear has previously been replaced by the car dealership. However and unfortunately, it started to do it again. It has under 36,000 miles on it and we thought the issue had been fixed already but it started to do it again less then a year later.

- Tolleson, AZ, USA

problem #19

Dec 162019

Malibu

  • 51,174 miles
While in motion cars reduced engine power lights up on dashboard and car looses power while driving

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #18

Dec 092019

Malibu

  • 40,019 miles
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.

- White Plains, MD, USA

problem #17

Nov 272019

Malibu

  • miles
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!!!

- Murfreesboro, TN, USA

problem #16

Oct 142019

Malibu

  • 0 miles
I bought this car last Aug. 2018. First the left blinker did not work properly. It goes on but doesn't retract back. I brought it back twice and it still does it. This morning 14 Oct 2019, I went to pull out of my driveway and the dash board started to light up. The engine light is on and the car told me I had not gas, which I did. I tried pulling out of my driveway and it would barely move. I backed up into my driveway and it seemed ok. I am bringing it to middletown Chevrolet dealership to have them take a look. Mind you I used the car Saturday night and it was totally fine. Very weird. I'm hoping they find out the problem and fix it with out a hassle since it's still under warranty. I'll keep everyone posted.

- Union Beach, NJ, USA

problem #15

Oct 102019

Malibu

  • 45,780 miles
I was driving to my destination and started to feel my car like jumping when it was accelerating also everytime I park it stutters when I put it in park. I also heard on the news that there was a recall on Malibu, so I checked the VIN number and it should there was a maintenance recall on my car something about the engine

- Mission, TX, USA

problem #14

Sep 182019

Malibu

  • 6,300 miles
I came to a stop at the traffic light. When green light came on the car stalled, would not restart. After 5th attempt car restarted. Check engine light came on and stayed on. I took the car to the dealership, they said they did not know how to fix, so they have contacted GM. Still waiting for response ; its been 10 days. Car has 6300 miles on it. Event occurred on city St, afternoon traffic.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #13

Sep 042019

Malibu

  • 10,900 miles
I was driving down the road and the car stopped running coming up to an intersection I about got hit by a truck and the car would not restart I then pushed it out of the intersection and walk to the nearest dealership they said there is not a remedy for my car as of right now and I'm still waiting I don't feel safe with me about getting hit driving the vehicle let alone one of my four small children in the car

- Bryan, OH, USA

problem #12

Sep 142019

Malibu

  • 29,000 miles
Car not wanting to get up to speed when pulling onto busy roadway. Feels like it creeps up to speed slowly feels like it is not in accurate gear.

- Collinsville, IL, USA

problem #11

Sep 212019

Malibu

  • 7,200 miles
I started the car and reversed out of a parking space. After shutting the car in drive, I pressed the gas and the car barely moved. I pulled off to the edge of the parking lot and put the car in park, turned it off, waited a minute or 2, and restarted the engine. I put the car in drive and it went forward. I had to stop and slightly reverse because a car was coming toward me on the street I was turning onto. I put it back in drive and tried to turn out of the parking lot. Again the engine was running but the car barely coasted. It acted like it was not changing gears. I pulled across the street because a car was coming into another parking lot. We were almost hit because the car would not go. I parked the car turned it off. Waited a few minutes and restarted it. I got out and the engine sounded slightly off... it was clicking almost like there was a timing issue. I got back in the car reversed out of the parking spot and went forward. The car started forward and I turned back on to the road. Suddenly the RPM shot up to over 400 and the car lurched forward without applying additional gas. I applied the brakes and kept driving. The RPM ran higher than normal on the way back to kokomo. It was not driving correctly and still acted like it was not shifting gears correctly. I drove it to the nearest dealership in kokomo, in. Erik's Chevrolet and they could not find any issues. When pressed they tried to say it was overdue for an oil change which is not true. The indicator just came on right before this happened. It has ~7200 miles but it has fully synthetic oil. Then they tried to say it was low on oil and the oil life was zero and that caused the issue. Again not true because it was at 4% and I checked it periodically as stated in the manual. There is a recall related to an ECM malfunction. I am concerned this is related and the fix may not complete.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #10

Sep 182019

Malibu

  • 100 miles
I have taken my car into the dealership 2 different times now because of the steering wheel randomly shaking while going down a straight road. They have tried to replicate it but it seems to do it randomly. Ive noticed it is around 38 mph. If my hands barely come off of the steering wheel it starts shaking back and forth. This is happening just driving around the city on straight roads. Once I put my hands back on the wheel it stops. They cannot seem to figure out what it is. It has happened randomly ever since I purchased my car brand new about a year ago.

- Wichita, KS, USA

problem #9

Jul 232019

Malibu

  • 44,444 miles
The air conditioning works when it wants to! I believe this is a safety issue for a driver, driving in 100+ heat. The Chevy service department said this is a problem with the Malibu and cruse. It has been serviced and needed freon and that was done and it worked for a half day. It started on first day or purchase 7/23-31/2019

- Valley Springs, CA, USA

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