Power Train Problems of Chevrolet Malibu - part 2

The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact attempted to stop to make a turn, and there was a popping sound coming from the vehicle before the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was restarted, but failed to move or respond as needed. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 179,000.

See all problems of the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

I was traveling down I-25 at 75 mph because that is what the speed limit here in colorado. I was traveling south heading to colorado springs to visit family and I was entering near castle rock and my vechile would not go at all forward and it seemed as if I lost power to acceleration and I believe it was 2 or 3 lanes to exit off an off ramp as cars pasted me by honking their horns it was very scary as I pulled over to the side of the road letting it glide or coast to a stop very slowly I finally came to a stop. . As I have been reading some recalls due too a transmission issues for these types of vechiles I really hope I'm going about it right and someone reaches out to me about what it is that might be going on because even though my car does not have it listed by a VIN number I still believe that my 2019 chevy Malibu has been subject to recalls for issues including a faulty rear seat belt retractor and a transmission problem that could lead to a loss of propulsion. The rear seat belt recall involves improperly secured retractors, and the transmission recall is due to a start-stop accumulator endcap with missing bolts, which could cause a leak and a loss of propulsion or a fire risk. And would like to have this addressed and or hits the right people concerning this not only for myself but safety for other people traveling at high speeds like myself that night. . . I was 5 days past my dealership warranty when I purchased the vechile from them and made it 6 days because I could get ahold of anyone on the 5 day when this incident occurred and then I called gm because I believe it would of fell under a drive train warranty but they said which was only 5 years warranty on this vechile from the day it was purchased its first time my vechile only has 82000 miles on it and I got it from a dealership here in colorado with 64 or 62000 miles and since then I'm paying on a vechile that is no longer in service parked sincerely and hopefully this reaches the right person. . .

See all problems of the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

Vehicle was parked, all windows and doors closed. Key remained out of the vehicle. Car parked for several hours without being touched, when suddenly it began to roll forward on its own. The car continued forward and quickly went down a short hill into a rocky area of a field before coming to a stop.

See all problems of the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

My 2024 chevy Malibu has lost power and is not shifting properly yet it’s not displaying any codes. It shifts and jerks very hard when on a cold start but also will not get up and go when I pull into traffic. This has caused me to almost get hit numerous times. It’s like it freezes and won’t go! the dealership could not recreate the problem (shocker), and since no codes they sent me away. Said last time it was due to the battery so I paid to replace that yet that did nothing to the engine/transmission problem. In addition to this issue, I think there’s an electrical issue. My rear view camera will often be distorted like I’m looking through a fish bowl and it has also come on while I’m driving on the freeway. I often lose my infotainment system too. It loses connection all the time and the screen goes black and disconnects from carplay. My onstar button will sometimes go red when this occurs but not all the time. Even when I lose the carplay, I can’t even get the bluetooth to work. I purchased this vehicle used at 40k miles and my power train warranty will expire in less than 5k miles yet I can’t get any help with making it safe.

See all problems of the 2024 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the vehicle came to a complete stop independently. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the vehicle failed to respond. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 151,884.

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.

See all problems of the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

Sunday, September 21, 2025, while on my way to church around 8:40am, while driving in traffic, car began to slow and then stopped (car was in drive, not in park). The "shift to park" and abs light appeared on dashboard. After the car completely stopped, and with other motorists blowing their horns behind me, I put the vehicle in park and was able to restart it. I immediately returned home and called a church member for a ride. I almost had a heart attack when the car stopped in moving traffic while actively driving it! I scheduled an appointment for a diagnostic and brought it in to the dealership on Monday, September, 22, 2025. It was kept overnight and two diagnostics were performed (they charged me for two diagnostics). They informed me that the solenoid assembly had to be replaced and that after performing a road test for the abs, they did not find anything. Its very stressful in remembering what happened and that I could have been killed or someone else injured as well, if someone had run into me after the car killed while driving it!!!.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle and shifting from drive(d) to park(p) the message "shift to park" was displayed. The contact had shifted to park (p). The contact repeatedly shifted from neutral(n) to park(p) before the warning light turned off. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but was a recurring failure. Additionally, if the contact had not reset the "shift to park" issue, the electrical system and the audible chime were still active even though the vehicle was turned off. The contact had not yet taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

See all problems of the 2020 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

Car not recognizing it is in park. Displays "shift to park" on information screen.

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 🔎.

1. This case refers to a 2018 chevy Malibu. In October 2021, the (gear shift) transmission control system was found faulty and was replaced with an n-control in the gear shift. Again, in September 2025, the same issue happened, this time replacing the n-control again as well as the n-harness. Yes, can be available upon an inspection request. 2. This component directly affects how the car recognizes when it is in park. When it malfunctions, it can confuse the vehicle’s electronic systems and potentially prevent the car from shutting down properly, engaging the shift lock, or starting safely. This creates a safety risk for both me the driver and others around my vehicle. Since this is a recurring issue as well as other 18 chevy Malibu's I don’t believe this is normal wear and tear. Having to replace the same system twice in such a short period suggests a recurring failure or a design flaw. 3. Yes, the problem has been confirmed twice by Chevrolet dealerships on both occurrences. 4. Yes, the component was inspected by two Chevrolet dealerships during both occurrences. 5. Had warning message "shift into park" both times in the month the car was taken in to be inspected.

My 2019 Chevrolet Malibu has severe safety defects involving the engine, powertrain, and speed control. The vehicle will sometimes accelerate on its own with my foot off the gas, and other times it loses all power while pulling into traffic. This creates an immediate risk of a crash. Multiple diagnostic codes appear repeatedly, including p0299 (turbo underboost), p0101 (mass air flow performance), p1101 (intake airflow performance), and p0506 (idle control rpm too low). The charge-air hose repeatedly blows off the throttle body while driving, causing sudden loss of power. The vehicle was sold to me by a dealer as safe and reliable, but these defects appeared shortly after purchase. The unintended acceleration and sudden loss of power make the car dangerous to drive. This appears to be a serious mechanical and safety-related defect that could cause an accident.

The component that failed is the internal microswitch/sensor within the gear shifter assembly. The specific part that requires replacement is often documented in general motors technical service bulletin (TSB) 19-na-206 or 23-na-119. The faulty component is available for inspection if the dealership removes the old part and retains it. My safety and the safety of others are put at risk because the vehicle often fails to register that it is fully in "park," which prevents the vehicle from shutting off properly, potentially leaving it in accessory mode. This could lead to a dead battery, leaving me stranded. More importantly, the failure to confirm the 'park' state introduces a risk of the vehicle not being securely immobilized, creating a roll-away hazard if parked on an incline. The problem has been confirmed by local Chevrolet dealership service centers (receipts available). The issue is identical to the defect that prompted official safety recalls for numerous other gm models, including the 2017-2018 GMC acadia. Furthermore, the symptoms described match those outlined in the active class-action settlement for 2016-2019 Malibu owners (stplawsuit. Com).

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle was shifted to park, but failed to turn off. The shift to park message was displayed. The contact wiggled the gear shifter, and the vehicle eventually turned off. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the gear shifter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no warranty coverage and referred to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

See all problems of the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

The contact owns a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a warning message displayed reading "power reduced", after which, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and was unable to accelerate above 30 mph. Upon reaching reaching her destination and turning the vehicle off the vehicle failed to restart and needed to be towed back to the contact's residence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to special coverage adjustment n182188250. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 131,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after driving vehicle and shifting into park(p), there was a dinging alert sounded, with the “shift to park" message displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to turn off. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was a known issue and was related to NHTSA campaign number: 16v502000 (electrical system, power train). The local dealer was contacted and instructed the contact to shift to neutral and then park. The instruction worked once, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called an independent mechanic who was uncertain of how to repair the vehicle and suggested that the contact check for recalls. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000. The VIN was not available.

See all problems of the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

Shift to park message displays more and more frequently. Have to spend a couple minutes each time messing with the shifter to be able to turn my car off. Dealer says it is not covered under standard warranty, but I'm not paying out of pocket for a known gm issue. This should be moved up to a recall as it seems to happen more often than not and prevents the vehicle from powering off.

See all problems of the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

Put the car in drive and it sounded like a bomb went off and the car jerked very hard. Every light on the dash came on. The car did not want to go…when shutting off the car it says it is not in park and it is.

The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving from a complete stop or while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the used car dealer where the vehicle was purchased, but the contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the message "shift to park" was display on the instrument panel while the gear shifter was in park. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and stated that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 53,500.

My car will rev up to 4000 rpm’s and my car will not go about 20 mph. My cruise stopped working after my car went into reduce engine power. The dealership said they fixed all issues but was back to doing the high rev within a week. It started this week telling me to shift to park even though my car was in park. The shift to park cable has been replaced twice now. I have been dealing with this since July of 2025. My car has been in the shop more times than I can count.

Transmission is snatching in drive and reverse. The car has 32,200 miles on it. It was purchased brand new. Need for front struts and rear shocks. Customer is 79 years old and don't understand why warranty want cover any of this.

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!.

In the last 6 months I’ve had to put 3 brake boosters on my 2017 chevy Malibu and it’s not cheap…. I don’t know what else to do.

To whom it may concern, I am writing to report a serious issue concerning the recall history of my vehicle and to request an investigation into what appears to be unresolved and inaccurately closed recalls. Vehicle information: •make/model/year: 2018 chevy Malibu hybrid •date of purchase: 2018 (I have been the sole owner since) several safety recalls were previously listed for my vehicle on your website and through the manufacturer, but I recently checked again and now it states there are zero open recalls. I have never had these recalls repaired, and no dealership has performed or contacted me regarding these repairs. Furthermore, my vehicle is currently displaying check engine lights related to the same issues previously associated with the recalls. This suggests the issues were never addressed, yet they no longer appear in the recall system. I am concerned that: •these recalls may have been falsely marked as “completed” •there may be an internal data error causing safety risks to be hidden •I am being denied free repairs due to incorrect closure of these recalls please investigate this matter as I believe it affects not only my vehicle but possibly others. I can provide any documents, error codes, or additional details upon request. Thank you for your time and attention to this urgent safety concern. Sincerely, [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that upon arriving to her destination and shifting the vehicle into park, the message "shift to park" was displayed with the gear shifter already in park(p). The contact was able to turn off the vehicle however, the electrical features remained operable. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 54,000.

See all problems of the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu 🔎.

Two months after purchasing my used chevy 2022 Malibu my engine light came on and also a notification stating engine power reduced and the car was not performing well. I went to advanced auto to get a diagnostic and the results that were generated was the code p0299 along with several other codes. I have been dealing with this same issue over 6 months even after taking it to Chevrolet and them fixing everything but the actual problem. Now my light is on, blinking, along with the engine shaking roughly and also making a ticking sound. Dates: purchased April 2025 engine light appearance June 2025- present.

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle shuddered and jerked abnormally. On one occasion the vehicle stalled in the middle of a busy intersection. Additionally, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission accumulator sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 130,000.

When putting my car in park and turning the car off I get a shift to park message.

Car is not recognizing that is in park and displays a "shift to park message". Chevy has yet to address this well known issue and expects consumers to pay $700-$1000 for something they should be required to fix. This is a major safety issue.

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.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after shifting to park(p), the vehicle failed to recognize that the transmission had been shifted to park(p), preventing the contact from being able to turn off the vehicle. The contact stated that the message "shift to park" was displayed; however, there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the gear shifter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 28,619.

It says that my engine had a problem. It told me to press my brake to start my car. But then it just kept shaking like it was trying to start. I have also had a notification saying to put my car in park when it already was. Today my car just stopped in the middle of the road in heavy traffic. We could have been hit getting out of the car or someone could have hit my car. It was towed to the local Chevrolet dealership to get checked out to see if it could be a recall. I don’t know what is wrong with it yet. There were no warning lamps prior to the failure. They appeared right when it happened.

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that when the vehicle was shifted into park(p), the message “shift to park” was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that during the failure, the contact was unable to turn off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,600.