Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Chevrolet Malibu - part 1

Was driving on the freeway maneuvered over to exit vehicle lost power and engine completely shut off while in motion. Same incident occurred while on surface street as I was approaching a red light vehicle completely shut off while in drive and in motion.

See all problems of the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

My car has been malfunctioning it keeps saying shift to park when it’s park and it show esc system issue and then the brakes stop working it has been going on and off took it to lou bachrodt Chevrolet and they couldn’t fix the issue. I have done research online and it shows the same.

See all problems of the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

Dear NHTSA: I am submitting this complaint because my vehicle, a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu (VIN [xxx] ), is included in emission recall n252516900 issued by general motors concerning the fuel pump power control module. Despite that inclusion, I have experienced the following: - a prior near-fatal incident in 2023 when the vehicle unexpectedly shut off while stopped at a red light (engine stall) due to the root defect. - the dealer has informed me I now need a new 12-v battery (just over one year old), a new ac compressor, and a new drive/serpentine belt. - the defect referenced in the recall (interruption of fuel flow) is reasonably the root cause of these consequential failures (battery stress, accessory drive stress). - I have been without the vehicle for 11 days, have not been provided adequate interim mobility support, and have not received timely resolution from gm under my case #xxx (agent jasmine who has followed her company's protocol while remaining helpful and empathetic; supervisor stephanie called October 17, 2025). Requested relief: 1. That gm be required to pay for the recall work (module replacement) *** reimburse/cover the consequential damage (battery, compressor, belt). 2. Interim remedy: loaner vehicle or rental reimbursement for days without vehicle. 3. Acknowledgment of the safety risk posed by the defect and record of the stall incident. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after driving and parking the vehicle, the contact entered the residence; however, upon returning to the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced. The vehicle was diagnosed, and determined that the camshaft, fuel vacuum pump, and camshaft sensor needed to be replaced. The oxygen sensors were replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.

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I get a engine power reduced warning and check engine light is on for 3 start cycles and goes away. Auto start/stop after stopping, lights flicker and power is slow to come back on upon auto start and I get a power steering reduced warning. ,.

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Engine power reduced, my car then loses the ability to pickup speed I’ve even had my break tighten up on my in the middle of trying to stop my vehicle.

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Multiple components and/or system failures/malfunctions, exact cause is unknown. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety risks include engine power reduction issues that result in unexpected deceleration, and/or sudden/dangerous loss of power/acceleration. Problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Vehicle component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance, representatives, or any others other than diagnostic trouble code testing at o’reilly auto parts due to illuminated check engine light. Vehicle displays error messages “engine power reduced,” while driving and/or idle, and “shift to park” when vehicle has already been shifted into park. No obvious symptoms of the problem prior to failure, unknown when first appeared. Vehicle-2018 Chevrolet Malibu lt l4-1. 5l 1490cc 91ci gas di turbocharged VIN t lfv-4 valve dohc (mileage-145000). Primary powertrain diagnostic trouble code “p0014 - exhaust camshaft position system performance (code p0014 indicates that the bank 1 exhaust camshaft position timing was advanced beyond limits for a predetermined period of time),” with additional powertrain diagnostic trouble codes “p0011 - intake camshaft position system performance,” and “p1101 - intake air flow system performance. ” also receiving abs diagnostic trouble code “u0422-71 - invalid data received from body control module - invalid data. ” suggested solutions included “replace variable camshaft timing (vct) solenoid,” and “replace variable valve timing (vvt) solenoid. ” believed to be related to NHTSA id numbers 11643630, 11586483, 11581989, 11569471, 11568501, 11565871, 11564692, 11635526, 11457416, 11420146, 11416774, 11325303, 11561528, 11559451, 11555493, and approximately 30 other related NHTSA id numbers for same error message(s), and/or problem code(s), NHTSA campaign number 19v642, NHTSA campaign number 19v642000, gm special coverage number n182188250, and gm recall number n192221960.

My 2016 Chevrolet Malibu limited (VIN: [xxx] ) experienced sudden loss of power while driving on 9/11/2025 and set code p228c. The dealership diagnosed the problem as the bolts coming loose from the high-pressure fuel pump, which caused the pump to detach from the cylinder head and become damaged, requiring replacement. This failure directly matches the defect described in NHTSA recall 18v-358 (gm campaign 18188/18268). That recall explains that the high-pressure fuel pump can detach from its mounting due to a weld failure, leading to oscillation, damage to the fuel system, and an increased risk of fire. Although the dealer phrased it as “bolts came loose,” the result is identical: the pump detached from the cylinder head and damaged the fuel system. Despite this, my VIN does not show an open recall. Gm customer assistance told me the repair would not be covered because of the vehicle’s age and mileage (current mileage 129264), even though recalls are federal safety obligations that are not limited by warranty coverage. I am requesting that NHTSA review this exclusion and ensure recall 18v-358 coverage applies to my vehicle. This defect creates a serious safety risk of fuel leaks and fire. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Received vehicle at roughly 181,000 miles. Operated fine for about 5,000 miles and then began to show problems. In most cases when pressing down hard on the accelerator pedal, transmission drops into a lower gear and revs up to 5k rpm, cancelling cruise control, and staying there until accelerator is relieved. This makes accelerating more difficult since too much pressure on the accelerator pedal causes the car to get stuck at 5k rpm and stay at the same speed it is already at. This makes passing cars more dangerous as the car gets stuck at 5k rpm and can't pass the other vehicle, increasing the risk of a head on collision. Service engine and abs lights are on as well as a service stabilitrak notification in the driver information center. In addition, the outside temperature thermometer is faulty and shows much lower temperatures, such as -14 degrees during an 80 degree day. Vehicle is up to maintenance as far as my knowledge goes. Car has been previously junked twice and has a rebuilt title. There are no fluid leaks, the engine works well when the problem is not encountered, but it gets stuck at 5k rpm under hard acceleration more than it doesn't.

See all problems of the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

Vehicle experiences a loss a power will driving. A lawsuit for defective throttle control and pedal position sensor was filed but eventually dismissed. Gm is aware of the issue but has done nothing to fix it.

Throttlebody hose pops off of the throttlebody due to a missing gasket ring as well as the retention clip/spring clip. The plastic pieces on the spring clip have popped off since the issue has been presented. Cannot accelerate past 3 1/2 rpms without throttlebody hose popping off from the pressure produced by the turbo charger.

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.

See all problems of the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

I was driving my car on the highway doing 65 mph when all of a sudden my car started rapidly jerking losing the power to accelerate and entering “limp mode“ there was multiple cars behind me when my car lost the power to accelerate. I was in the far left lane and couldn’t even go higher than 7 miles an hour and had to cross across three lanes at 7 mph on a 65mph highway to pull over. I had my children in the car and almost caused a huge accident dude to this issue. The issue in hand is the vacuum pump. It completely shattered in my engine, causing severe engine damage. And it caused my brake pedal to become hard as a rock. I couldn’t break without using my emergency break. I had no brake power at all. My car had to be towed.

The fuel pressure system is faulty and shutting the engine down and reducing speed.

Th e brakes are not working at all. We have to go slow then the brakes are hard to press. Th I s makes it keep driving anc brake pedal doesn't stop it.

Vacuum pump blew . Causing me to lose brakes on the highway. It led to a series of events. Camshaft broke in the midst of this so my car will not start again.

Vehicle stalls at lights and in traffic because of the start / stop system gm has put in this 2019 Malibu. This is dangerous as the vehicle moves if on incline (sometimes backwards). There is no control. The vehicle then has to be shifted into park and then restarted. This happened July of 2024 and August 2025.

When I put my car in park and turn it off, I get the message to "shift to park" my engine light is on and sporadically goes off. It is difficult to bring my car in as there is a fee to evaluate my car and the sporadic engine light. When it is on my chevy app tells me it is engine and transmission - air induction system.

Engine reduced power light on dash. Vehicle stalling.

Okay so my car had 2 recalls but the they were not repaired the same problem reoccurred . Which was the car engine not turning on and electrical problems etc. I don’t really know how to explain it but yes it’s having the same problems .

!engine power is reduced.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a failure of the battery and fuel pump. The contact was informed that the ground wire and fuel tank needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact about a recall on the malfunctioning ecm. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 50,206.

My power steering intermittently 'locks"cannnot remove key from ignition. Car loses its data memory, time &date go haywire. A lot of times car wont start. I have taken it a few times to my mechanic. He has run scans, but all the codes are clear. This is the problem. He has checked the battery&altenator, all fine. He tried cleaning some ground wires. He feels bad charging me money because he cant fix a problem that he doesnt see. !! when the car is in the shop,the intermittent problem is not evident. !!! very frustrating.

See all problems of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

Getting engine power reduced messsge in shop 4th time now in 3 weeks, 2 service bulletins, now they want to put new engine, found over 800 complaints about same issue on car complaint. Com website and more on reddit of same issue . Car wouldn’t go more than 5mph extremely traumatic on highway my son won’t get back in the car he is too scared.

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!.

The part in the linked article which was recalled, was never replaced. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The vacuum pump has a tendency of breaking and when it does it affects the exhaust camshaft making the car completely inoperable. When this happened my vehicle lost all brakes and power and would not start. This happened suddenly with no warning and left me stranded in the middle of lanes of travel. This is a well known issue with the chevy 1. 5 l and is documented in the TSB bulletin #21-na-268. The vehicle was inspected following the TSB number provided and diagnosing via the information provided.

I have searched the prior recalls and I’m having the same problem that were said to be fixed. I would like the car check again for the recalls that said to be fixed and checked for all reacalls . The car turns of unexpected without warning . At random times the low power mode is always on and when I push down in the pedal it doesn’t respond well at all . I have invested countless money into fixing issues with this car .

I was driving the car on the highway and “service esc” popped up on my dash. Engine power reduction kicked in which caused me to have to erratically pull over to the shoulder. Brakes did not engage properly. When the “service esc” warning comes on the dash, the engine, transmission, and brakes stop functioning properly. The gauges start fluctuating up and down and the gps goes out of whack. Transmission won’t shift gears and the car will sometimes shut off all together. This is a very common problem with the chevy Malibu from 2017 to present. I did my research and there is a lot of disgruntled owners that have experienced this problem. Type in “service esc chevy Malibu” on google, reddit, or youtube and you will see. I personally know two other Malibu owners with the same issue different years and mileage on there Malibu. I honestly can’t believe with all the information out there on these Malibus having the same issue there has not been a recall yet!.

The contact owns a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge started to indicate that the engine was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Out of no where my car would not start. I got it jumped and took it to an auto store and they checked the battery and alternator health and it all came back great. I was able to drive it home from there and two hours later it wouldn’t start again.

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost power. Additionally, the message “engine power reduced" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed and determined that the throttle body sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 107,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that on two occasions while driving 35 mph, the vehicle lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated; however, the contact determined that the failure was due to the throttle body. The vehicle was repaired. The local dealer was not contacted but had not diagnosed or repaired the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted, and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine and the turbo charger warning lights illuminated. The accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with turbo charger failure. The contact was informed that the turbo charger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was instructed to schedule an appointment for diagnostic testing and provided the cost for the diagnostic test. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,741.

I am filing a complaint regarding ongoing and worsening issues with my Chevrolet vehicle, which appear to point to broader defects involving the engine and electrical systems. Months ago, while driving, the car suddenly lost power and displayed "engine power reduced. " I had to keep using it due to work needs. Over time, it hesitated more during acceleration and felt increasingly unsafe. When I finally brought it to a Chevrolet service center, I was told the issue involved the pistons. The vehicle also regularly shows a "shift to park" warning even when the gear is in park, raising concerns about the transmission's reliability. The power loss continues, especially when going uphill — again triggering the "engine power reduced" alert and dropping the speed to no more than 35 mph. A diagnostic showed a p0302 code for a cylinder 2 misfire. The radio head unit, already replaced once under warranty, failed again after just 9 months. Prior to the worsening idle and gear issues, I also received network-related codes involving the ecm and transmission computers. Although I’ve replaced the alternator, the car still shows "service electric system" warnings, suggesting ongoing electrical problems. I also noticed gm’s n182195660 campaign involving predictive monitoring for stochastic pre-ignition (spi) on scp platforms. My car has the 2. 0l turbo engine, and I’m concerned it may be experiencing spi or coolant intrusion issues affecting overall performance and system integrity. I’m requesting that Chevrolet investigate these problems thoroughly and determine whether my vehicle qualifies for recall, extended warranty, or defect coverage. These issues are persistent, serious, and deserve immediate attention. Thank you for your time. I hope to see resolution soon.