2017 Chevrolet Malibu
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 724 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 14th highest complaint count among 26 Malibu model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 17 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 16 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Seat belts, critical fastenersAug 20, 2021
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.
An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
Campaign 21V649000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classificationJun 14, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. During servicing, a Passenger Presence System (PPS) may have been installed that was not correctly calibrated to the vehicle's seat type. As a result, the PPS may not properly identify an adult passenger from a child passenger in the front passenger seat, potentially causing the air bag to not deploy when it should, or causing the air bag to deploy when it shouldn't.
In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger PPS seat service kit, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18208.
Campaign 18V400000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpMay 31, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.
Campaign 18V358000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/windowDec 2, 2016
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017 Malibu vehicles manufactured on November 10, 2016. The right-hand rear side air bag inflator manifold may have insufficient welds.
Insufficient welds could cause the inflator to separate and propel air bag debris into the cabin during a crash. Also, the inflator could fail to inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear side air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 16146.
Campaign 16V870000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
724 reports, newest first.
Electrical system, Jan 19, 2023
After coming to a complete stop and moving the shifter into Park, a message on screen in my car displays SHIFT TO PARK, while the icon in the bottom right of the screen clearly displays the car is already in park. This has been happening consistently over the last few days. I have learned that if I get a bit more aggressive (jam the shifter into Park) it tends to work although I'm not sure how long that will last without causing additional issues. If I can't get my car into Park, it may roll and cause injury/damage/death. I have not yet taken it in for inspection as it just began this week.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jan 13, 2023
Driving vehicle like normal and then the check engine light comes on with the stabilitrak light, and get message "reduced engine power". Car goes down to less than 50 miles per hour and is struggling to go must faster while I am on the freeway. The RPMs keep going higher and higher even though the car is not going very fast. Get home and let it rest. Keep having same issue on and off past two weeks. Sometimes it comes on and goes off, has been on past three days acting the same way. Check engine light says Pedal Sensor issue. Known recall for it listed with letter sent out in 2019, but of course this was only if you were having the issue at the time (which I didn't) and it is only covering for cars under 150K miles. My car has 192K miles, so they will no longer cover it, even though it is a known issue has been for some time now! It is very expensive and unfortunate that they will not cover this issue regardless of miles, knowing that this can happen to the 2017 Chevy Malibu's at any time. Still driving it the way it is. Did try to clean out the Throttle body and see if that helped, but issue still is there. Will try to replace sensor at some point and see what happens.
Service brakes, Dec 28, 2022
While driving on 12/28/2022, my brakes suddenly became very difficult to apply pressure- almost causing a cramp in my calf because I had to press down so hard. Took the car to a repair shop, only for them to tell me my brake pads are fine. It turns out the problem is with the vacuum pump associated with that part of the car. Looked online to see if this was a common problem and as it turns out, there's a class action lawsuit in litigation about this very issue.
Service brakes, Engine, Dec 23, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while pulling into a gas station the vehicle lost motive power without warning. The contact stated that she was informed to top off the fuel and the vehicle was able to restart and drive with no further issues. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to restart several hours later. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic test or repair. The contact stated that recently while driving approximately 20 MPH, the brakes locked up as the brake pedal was depressed and an abnormal noise was heard. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped as the brake pedal traveled to the floor. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic that diagnosed the failure as a defective brake vacuum pump that needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was unknown.
Other or unspecified, Dec 22, 2022
Loss of power while driving, have to pull over because it won't go above 20 mph, traction light comes on
Engine, Dec 15, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the engine power reduced message displayed and the traction control warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the air intake system was faulty. The mechanic cleaned the air intake system; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,000.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Engine, Dec 12, 2022
The check engine light came on and the stabilitrak came on. I went to nearest car mechanic and the mechanic told me it was safe that’s normal and it was safe so I proceeded to goto work the next day. The next day I’m on my way to work and 30 minutes on the highway my check engine light come on this time saying engine power reduced I went from driving 60mph to 20mph with four wheelers speeding pass me . Being far away from home I pulled over side of the highway to not panic. I turned on my hazard lights and proceeded driving and made my way home because I didn’t want to be stranded.
Electrical system, Engine, Dec 5, 2022
Engine shuts off while driving and sometimes will not restart. This is not the regular start/stop functionality. My car shuts of when it should not and creates a crash hazard.
Vehicle speed control, Dec 2, 2022
My check engine light came on and I had reduced power and could not speed up. I have seen other with same problem 2017 chevy Malibu. This needs investigated big time before someone gets hurt. Should be a recall on this.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Dec 1, 2022
ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH DECREASED ENGINE POWER LIGHT. FELT THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTING. SPEED WENT FROM 50 DOWN TO 20 WHILE ON AN EXPRESSWAY AND I HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND SHUT IT DOWN. WAITED AWHILE, TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT CONTINUED SEVERAL TIMES TO DOWNSHIFT. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, HAD TO WAIT A FEW WEEKS FOR THE PART AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THANK GOD I WAS NOT IN THE PASSING LANE OR THERE WOULD 'VE BEEN A VERY BAD ACCIDENT.
Vehicle speed control, Nov 27, 2022
During driving on the highway, the car went into reduced power mode and speed was limited to 30 MPH. This was during driving on highways with 55 MPH or 65 MPH speed limits and could have resulted in an accident. My daughter was driving the car on all 3 occasions which makes this problem even more upsetting. The same part has been replaced 3 times (refer to receipts) relating to the accelerator pedal 3.451 N. This is a MAJOR DEFECT that is reoccurring. NHTSA needs to take action on this safety defect with General Motors for a corrective repair. I see this has been reported before on this website by others. You immediately action on this matter is appreciated.
Vehicle speed control, Nov 17, 2022
About 2 years ago I began having issues with my 2017 Chevy Malibu right before I hit my 100k mile extended warranty. The error message "Engine Power Reduced" appeared on the dash while driving on the interstate and my car began rapidly decelerating on its own. I had no where to get off the interstate and pulled over on the side. I shut my car off for a couple minutes, restarted and went on my way for about 30 seconds when it happened again. This continued making my normal 45 minute commute home far longer. I took it into the dealership right away and the replaced the accelerator sensor. Problem solved for just over a year when it happened again in February 2022. The car was no longer in warranty so we took it to our local mechanic who said it was the same issue. We replaced the sensor for a second time. Now, November 2022 and it is happening AGAIN. This is not a cheap repair and is a major safety concern when driving at high speeds and the car decides to rapidly decelerate, not allowing me to drive more that 20mph. I live in Wisconsin where roads are slick in the winter. Losing control of the cars speed is a serious safety concern for myself, anyone in the car with me and those driving behind me. I understand this is a well known issue with the models between 2016-2018 but GM has failed to recall these vehicles. Why? Why is nothing being done about this? 3 times in 2 years is ridiculous and there are thousands of cars that have reported this exact issue. Please help.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled at an intersection. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 41,000. The VIN was not available.
Steering, Lane departure, Nov 8, 2022, crash
Issue 1 Changing lanes at a red light and car steering wheel locked up causing the car to go one lane too many to the right and get struck by another vehicle Issue 2 car shuts off at every stop and hesitates to take off causing unsafe conditions
Engine, Oct 25, 2022
Engine power reduced, car reduces to 40-20 mph while in traffic. Has started to shut off completely while driving.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Oct 20, 2022
My vehicle has become harder to bake almost to the point that the brake doesn’t work took my car to have it accessed and was told my brake booster is damaged and causing my car to barely brake it is extremely dangerous can cause harm to myself or my family
Air bags, Oct 17, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 -35 mph and making a turn, a 2009 Hyundai Elantra sideswiped the vehicle and crashed into the driver's rear quarter panel. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained injuries to the neck and indicated it was whiplash and a cervical sprain. Medical attention was provided. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire. The vehicle was towed to an independent lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
Steering, Suspension, Electrical system, Oct 11, 2022
I have a 2017 Malibu and have gotten a message on my MFD (Multi-Function Display) screen on the dash that said Steering Assist Reduce, drive with care. It happens while driving city streets and at a complete stop. Now the doors are unlocking when the message pops up at stops. Also the care is losing power at the stops now and coming back on. It does not allow me to accelerate. This is very dangerous. I took my car into the dealership a couple months ago for the same error message but they blew it off saying I needed some type of fluid (if I remember correctly). Now, I have the same issue amplified. It wrecks lemon! I filed another complaint months ago, but I’m filing again due to scheduling yet another service appointment at the Chevrolet dealership. (Hence why I put todays date of the incident).
Vehicle speed control, Oct 3, 2022
The accelerator pedal position sensor failed causing reduced engine power mode. This happened on the highway with the speed limit of 55 which reduced my speed to 20 mph while around other vehicles. This put the safety of myself and my two children at risk because cars behind me didn’t expect a sudden change of speed along with myself. Having no warning is insanely scary. This problem is apparently not a recall on my car but yet I’ve found the gm recall online for Chevy Malibus years 2016-2018. This hasn’t caused an incident yet but I have seen MAJOR complaints and how this is a reoccurring problem which isn’t surprising to me because I had a 2012 Chevy Equinox before this with the SAME issue. Having this happen twice is ridiculous in my opinion. This happened two weeks after I bought the used car from a dealership it only had 59,000 something miles but I am disappointed as to how this is costing me already. This makes me never want Chevy or GM again.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 28, 2022
I have taking my car to Chevy 8/2021 twice and now 9/28/22 for what I believe to be throttle body control and accelerator pedal issue. The engine reduce light and check engine lite continues to come on causing my car to lose speed while driving. Chevy keeps telling me its a oil pressure issue now their saying it may be a oil gasket. At this point I feel like there is a lot of complaints of the same issue. I'm hoping someone can look into this further as it's costly and seems to be a chevy issue nation wide. I see there has even been a lawsuit : Jun 9, 2022 — A class action lawsuit against General Motors alleges the company hid a defect in its Chevy Malibu that can cause a sudden loss of power. https://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/auto-news/chevy-malibu-class-action-alleges-power-defect-cover-up/ I feel like this is very dangerous and I don't want to get hurt or hurt anyone in the process.
Power train, Engine, Sep 24, 2022
Contined chevk engine light concerns despite paying for repairs multiple times at chevy dealership. Always issues with throttle body and PCM. Additionally receiving codes for reduced engine power/speed reduction while driving and frequent messages of "shift to park," when already parked.
Air bags, Sep 14, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH a second vehicle t-boned into the passenger side of the vehicle causing substantial damage to the passenger side body of the vehicle. During the crash, no air bags were deployed including the passenger side curtain airbags. The front seat passenger sustained neck back and hip injuries and the driver sustained neck and back injuries both requiring medical treatment. A police report was taken at the scene. The vehicle was drivable. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the incident. The failure mileage was 130,000.
Power train, Sep 14, 2022
When shutting off vehicle, will get an alert to put vehicle in park. Even though you’re in park. Engine will shut off but everything else stays on. Car will continuous beep. You then have to turn car on and off until message goes away.
Power train, Sep 12, 2022
Shifting into park, transmission control assembly. Cannot put the car into park, have to fiddle with the shifter to get the car to turn off, drains my battery. Have to make certain car is off and in park before putting gas into the car. First incident was in April, and now ongoing every time I try to turn the car off. Error Message: Shift to Park
Vehicle speed control, Sep 5, 2022
Upon leaving work and gaining speed to 40mph I received a dash notification specifying engine power reduced and my mileage went down abruptly to 20mph. My check engine light came on and the power steering light appeared on my dash with the engine power reduced notification. I was not able to accelerate past 20 mphs.