Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Chevrolet Malibu - part 1

On 04/28/2026, when diagnosing a reoccurring check engine light on the vehicle at a chevy certified service, the mechanic "borescoped cylinder 4 and found significant scuffs on the cylinder wall which along with the misfires indicate a cracked piston. The big picture appears to be the piston cracked which caused excessive oil consumption and misfires. The excess oil and unburned fuel overloaded the converter causing it to fail. The engine and converter will need to be replaced. " in 2017, a recall was issued by gm to mitigate stochastic pre-ignition (spi) causing cracked piston (17019). Between the initial purchase of the vehicle (11/2016) and performed service required by this recall (03/10/2017), there were approximately 5000 miles driven. No engine diagnosis was performed or recommended. After the 17019 was addressed, the engine misfires continued along with reoccurring cel. C. S. P. N182195660 predictive monitoring for stochastic pre-ignition (spi) released in 2019 states the 1. 5 l lfv engines in certain 2016 and 2017 model year Chevrolet Malibu vehicles may have a preignition condition that requires immediate repair. This condition may cause the engine to perform poorly, misfire, run rough, and/or excessively consume oil. It may also illuminate the vehicle’s service engine light. Over time, if not repaired, the condition can damage the vehicle’s pistons and engine. The VIN for this Malibu was not attached to this notice despite it having spi recall history. On 06/2023 (after the n182195660 program ended), at 80k miles a diagnosis revealed a potential cracked cylinder with no mention of the pre-ignition condition that could cause the crack, and the only way to fix is to replace the entire engine (as per dealer recomendation). Since vehicle was out of warranty, the repair est. Was nearly $10k. I firmly believe my 2016 Malibu has suffered the consequences of poor mismanagement on this recall, and am demanding mitigation from gm to fix this issue.

See all problems of the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

I am writing to report a serious and dangerous issue that occurred with my 2020 Chevrolet Malibu lt on April 27th 2026. While driving on the interstate after work, my vehicle suddenly experienced a failure that made it extremely unsafe to operate. The brake pedal became extremely hard to press, and the vehicle did not want to slow down or stop properly. This created a very dangerous situation while I was driving at highway speeds. Additionally, I noticed that nearly all of the engine oil was gone, which is extremely concerning and may be related to the failure. Based on these symptoms, it appears the vacuum pump may have failed while the vehicle was in motion. This issue placed me at significant risk of an accident and could have resulted in serious injury. I am requesting an immediate investigation into this matter and assistance with repairs. I would also like to know if there are any recalls, known defects, or extended warranties related to this issue. Please advise on the next steps as soon as possible, as the vehicle is currently unsafe to drive.

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Main seal leaking and engine needs replaced at 95,000 miles.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended, and the vehicle was driving sluggishly, with the check engine warning light illuminated and the message “engine power reduced” displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with turbocharger failure. The contact was informed that the turbocharger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 67,506.

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The contact owns a 2008 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, it failed to start up. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed dtc: p0016 was retrieved. The contact was informed that the camshaft position correlator and crankshaft and intake were not aligned and needed to be realigned. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 965,162.

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The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving and stopped at a traffic light, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that five minutes after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as intended. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine control module needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA campaign number: 19v642000 (electrical system, fuel system, gasoline, engine); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.

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The vehicle was purchased on 04/07 and represented with a mileage of 167,334 at the time of sale. No issues with the odometer or mileage accuracy were disclosed prior to purchase. On 04/08, the vehicle was taken to walmart auto care center for routine service, where it was identified and documented that the odometer/instrument cluster is not functioning and does not display or track mileage. Because the odometer is inoperative, the stated mileage cannot be verified, and the condition existed at the time of sale but was not disclosed. The vehicle was sold in a condition where accurate mileage could not be determined, despite a specific mileage being provided. The failure of the odometer creates a safety concern, as it prevents proper tracking of maintenance intervals, including oil changes, brake servicing, and other critical upkeep. This increases the risk of operating the vehicle with worn or unsafe components, which could lead to mechanical failure while driving. The issue has been confirmed by an independent service center, and documentation is available. The vehicle remains available for inspection upon request. No prior warnings, indicator lights, or disclosures were provided before purchase, and the defect was identified within one day of ownership.

See all problems of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? yes how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the car stalls and/or shuts down while in use has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? yes were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem before the failure, and when did they first appear? use purchase date 3/31/2026. First sign of issues 4/3/2026.

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.

See all problems of the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

I was driving and car suddenly reduced speed,engine light came on and message came across dash “engine power reduced” and a text was sent to tell me I have a transmission issue. Now car won’t drive past 25-30mph dealership indicated this is a faulty gas pedal which cost over $600 to repair. Did my research and this is apparently a “known” problem common in 2016-2022. Vehicles but is not an official recall. Also dealership said only “certain” VIN numbers with this problem are covered. I have a 2021 and I am not one of them. Not fair. It’s a known problem it should be fixed.

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The brake booster vacuum pump went out in my car it broke which caused hard breaking while driving vehicle. When the brake booster vacuum pump broke a piece of it damage my camshaft as well as my timing chain in my motor.

See all problems of the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

I have not been involved in no incident or accident with anybody but my vehicle is installing up and dying in the middle of the road the power steering is locking up the battery is draining and the car is cutting off I had the battery replaced and I'm still losing power in my battery and I can't figure out why I'm not too long after the battery dying and the vehicle starting up and dying it started overheating for no known reason at all shortly after sorting the overheat my navigational system and my radio has started to fail I took it to several places to have it put on machines they can figure out why the check engine light is on or why the battery is dying because it's showing that it has battery the battery life they don't know why it's falling up and down I'm checking till not sound but other than that they're not getting no read out on the machine they put it off of I'll contact the dealership because on certain 2013 chevy Malibu equals they have a recall on the general control module system burger is being defensive but I'm on my specific then there's not a recall online but everything that happens with the defective general control module it sounds like what's going on with my car I'll contact it the dealership and they told me that although they had the recalls on the defective funeral control module if I was to take it to a dealership and it proved to be an effective general control module that I was still going to be liable for out-of-pocket expenses because my car is not covered under the van recall and I'm not understanding how that right or how that's legal when they have all these defects of recalls on these cars and if that's what's going on with mine how is it not the same thing.

The electrical system has caused the car to stop mid traffic multiple times while driving. Had everything checked and it does it multiple times with my kids in the car. The transmission stalls and when you hit the gas it ramps up but doesn’t move until last minute and jumps causing the car to be unsafe nd jump into traffic . I see it has many recalls for this year and vehicle but yet my con isn’t showing up but it definitely has those issues . It not safe to drive at all. The electrical issue cause the battery to die over night constantly jumping it over and over to start it.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly decelerated and went into limp mode. The contact continued driving until being able to safely stop. Once the vehicle was stopped, it was turned off and restarted after a while. The failure occurred while the contact was attempting to accelerate and had become more persistent. The check engine warning light was illuminated with the message “reduce engine power” displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that there was a failure with the turbocharger. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer informed the contact that there was no recall for the issue. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

Component/system failure: the turbocharger system failed, specifically the wastegate arm, resulting in loss of boost and reduced engine performance. The failed component should be available for inspection upon request through the servicing dealership. Safety risk: the failure caused a sudden loss of engine power while driving, placing me and others at risk, especially in traffic situations where acceleration is required (such as merging, crossing intersections, or maintaining speed). This created a hazardous driving condition. Confirmation of issue: the problem was diagnosed and confirmed by an authorized dealership. The diagnosis stated: “turbocharger wastegate arm damaged causing loss of boost and dtc,” which matches known issues described in gm’s special coverage. Inspection history: the vehicle has been inspected by the dealership service department. It has not yet been inspected directly by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. Warning signs prior to failure: yes. The vehicle displayed a check engine light and reduced engine power message prior to the failure. These symptoms began shortly before the vehicle experienced noticeable loss of acceleration and performance. Additional information: this failure is consistent with a known issue acknowledged by general motors under special coverage for similar vehicles experiencing turbocharger-related defects. Despite having the same failure and symptoms, my vehicle was excluded based on lot number, not condition or diagnosis.

Several things have been going wrong with this car. I have only had it for about 7 months. Minimal driving. Got the car with 84,000 miles and it now has 88,000 miles. About 2 months ago the check engine light came on. Got it into a shop and they said an oil change may possibly help with this. Got the oil change, cleared the code, drove it around and check engine light came back on. Brought it back to the shop and now the entire valve cover needs replaced. It’s been about 2 weeks since then haven’t had it fixed due to low funds. A couple days ago I was driving with two [xxx] olds in the car and was at a stop light. After about a minute the cars engine turned completely off lost all power including the center screen that displays your settings and radio, all lights, and the screen behind the wheel all with my foot on the break at a stop light. Due to this situation I was unable to turn my hazards on to alert the cars coming up being me at a green light absolutely panicked that we were going to get into an accident. A little while after the car turned back on, but unfortunately when trying to push down on the gas pedal nothing was happening. No revving sound and no movement of the car. Car still in drive. A police officer pulled up behind me to check if we were okay. He stayed to keep us safe until people came to push the car off to the side. During the push the wheel was almost completely locked up as well as the breaks. This is not the first time the breaks have locked up on me. Next day we got the car to a safe area to be parked. A couple days later went to try and turn the car on and immediately the car is shaking violently and making horrible noises. The car is unsafe for me to drive and unsafe for people on the road. This car is completely unable to be driven now also due to the horrible shaking. No recalls were found under my VIN, but all of these signs seem to be a problem for other people. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Fuel injector backing ring failing causing o-ring to dislodge and rupture due to high pressure fuel leaking past the seal. This is causing a major fire hazard. Gm seal kits will not fix the problem do to backer ring not being in the kit. Part number for the o-ring kit is 12673056. This part should not be sold without the backer ring. If installed without the rings they will fail and will be leaking fuel on the hot cylinder next to the ignition coils. Misfire and bad fuel smell and possible no start or fire!!.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with turbocharger failure. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was under recall. The vehicle was repaired; however, after the vehicle was serviced, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the charger air cooler had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The vehicle was picked up and then taken to auto zone for a diagnostic test. The diagnostic test retrieved dtc: p0234 (turbocharger/supercharger "a" over boost condition (engine and engine cooling). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,157.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, who associated the failure with TSB: n222372590. An appointment was scheduled with the dealer to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.

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.

My car caught on fire under the hood. As I was driving on road I heard a sound and my car started slowing down and smoke started coming from under the hood got out the car not a minute later flames of smoke engulfed the car.

The chevy Malibu turbo is malfunctioning and making a loud noise when driving also bringing up the engine light with codes.

I was driving and the reduced engine power came on. I almost crashed because I couldn't control the steering.

While driving the brake pedal became hard to push out of no where. Once the car got to the shop it stopped cranking. The shop is stating that the brake vacuum pump is the cause of the brake pedal messing up, and that it also caused other engine damages estimating $3000. 00.

I was driving my car on the highway and the car begin to feel like it was about to shut off. Shortly after, the car check engine light turned on with a warning sign on dashboard stating “engine reduce. ” the check engine is still on and my mechanic states my turbo needs to be replaced. I have an appointment for second consult with chevy dealer to verify.

See all problems of the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 35 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. While the vehicle was stopped at a traffic light or a stop sign, the failure was more noticeable. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked abnormally and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The rpm fluctuated before the transmission slammed into gear. The vehicle then returned to normal functionality. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the turbocharger had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. Prior to the most recent failure, the contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle failed to function as intended. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

I was driving on the freeway with my kids in the car at 60 mph and without warning I get an engine power reduced message and then my car losing power and starts dropping speeds down to 35 mph within seconds. I have cars speeding up behind me and I can't go any faster than 35 mph on the freeway so I am forced to quickly pull to the side of the freeway before I get hit. This was one of the post scariest situations for me any my children. I had to turn the car off and sit for awhile before I could start it back up and pray it made it home and didn't do it again. It has randonly done this for no rhyme or reason and no codes are showing when it's happening. I have no recalls on my car so this is something I believe chevy needs to fix before someone gets seriously hurt.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated and failed to exceed 40 mph, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle unexpectedly went into limp mode. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with turbocharger failure. The contact was informed that the turbocharger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,022.

So ive been having issue's with my 2022 chevy Malibu the check engine light has been on and I got it looked at twice both saying its my turbo I looked up online and in detail recalls and other websites on chevy's and the 2018 and 2022 Malibu's are recalled for there turbo chargers and says gm has a recall im at like 66k miles and it says reduced engine power and my light is staying on please help me with this I dont have the money im pay check to pay check and 2,200 is alot I would very much appricate it and I would tell a friend and give great reviews I dont know if I can make it happen alone again thank you have a good one.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 45 mph, the message “engine power reduced” was displayed, and the vehicle decelerated unexpectedly. The driver pulled over and was informed to turn off the vehicle and restart the vehicle with the assistance of a police officer. The vehicle was restarted but failed to exceed 10 mph while driving. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with turbocharger failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no coverage for the repair and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

I was driving along and my car went into a reduced engine power mode. Code came up as the gas pedal sensor.

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.

Engine power reduced car shuts off and will not start.

My vehicle sometimes will not start when I press the start button and press the brakes at the same time. The dashboard will light up with a message that says “service esc” followed by “engine power is reduced”. When it does start, I can drive the vehicle for a moment before it does the engine power reduced mode where the car feels like its pulling more. It has done this several times while I’m driving on the highway which often times causes me to have to pull over to the side of the road, or make my way to the slow lane so I can pull into a gas station or somewhere public at the next exit. When the dashboard lights up with “service esc”, all of the hands on my dashboard (I. E the hands for the speedometer, gas, the car temp and the rpm) move radically back and forth while the car is driving. Sometimes the speedometer will say 0mph even tho the car is moving. Sometimes I am able to pull over and turn my car off and back on and the lights will go away, but often times this doesn’t solve the problem. In fact, it feels like it only exacerbates the problem because when I shift it into park and then attempt to turn off the vehicle, it says “shift to park” even though it is parked. In fact, this morning when the vehicle wouldn’t start after I tried to start it with the button, I attempted to turn the vehicle off (because the radio would come on and I can see lights on the dashboard, but the vehicle itself won’t start) and it said “shift to park” even though it is parked and has been since last night. I contacted the nearest chevy dealership and they informed me that they have dealt with plenty of these complaints lately. I have not had an inspection completed by the dealership because my extended warranty is up and I do not have the funds to pay for a diagnostic inspection.

See all problems of the 2024 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

This is my 3rd complaint (ref: previous reports). The vehicle is now a total loss. 1. Unresolved engine/steering (prior complaints): this 2013 Malibu has a documented history of sudden engine stalling and total loss of power steering at highway speeds. Despite reporting this twice to the NHTSA and to gm, the manufacturer failed to provide a remedy. 2. Recent systemic collapse: prior to the car becoming completely undrivable in my driveway, the instrument cluster suffered a total blackout (no speedometer/indicators). This matches gm TSB mc-10181662-9999, proving a known design defect in the electrical system/bcm. 3. Recall discrepancy: in addition to these engine/steering failures, a mandatory federal recall for the rear suspension toe link (20v764), which I was notified of in 2020, has 'vanished' from the system without being performed. 4. Denial of service: the dealer is demanding a $1,900 diagnostic fee to even look at these documented, life-threatening safety defects, including the free federal recall. This is a violation of the maryland implied warranty of merchantability. On January 6, 2026, the check engine light illuminated, followed by a total instrument cluster blackout and electrical failure. The vehicle has been undrivable in my driveway since this total system collapse. This follows years of stalling and steering issues that the manufacturer failed to remedy. ".