2018 Chevrolet Malibu
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 698 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 15th highest complaint count among 26 Malibu model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 23 involved a crash and 4 involved a fire. 17 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
Power train, automatic transmissionOct 29, 2020
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
Campaign 20V668000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, softwareSep 6, 2019
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles equipped with 1.5L turbo engines. An error in the Engine Control Module (ECM) software may result in the fuel injectors being disabled.
Disabled fuel injectors would prevent the engine from starting and may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192221960.
Campaign 19V642000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, disc, caliperAug 30, 2018
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 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 18279.
Campaign 18V576000 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
Representative owner complaints
698 reports, newest first.
Power train, Electrical system, Service brakes, Sep 20, 2023
Just now getting to Walmart my shift to park message came on my 2018 Chevy Mailbu
Power train, Electrical system, Service brakes, Sep 19, 2023
Today again shift to park message came on
Power train, Sep 19, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that that vehicle failed to shift into park. The shift to park warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that there was a glitch in the vehicle and there were no open recalls. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 91,832.
Power train, Electrical system, Service brakes, Sep 19, 2023
Again today my shift to park message came on to some odd noise help me please
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Sep 17, 2023
Warning lights never come up for the five years I've had it On August 18, 2023 while driving I lost power to no gas no brakes to driving like this for five minutes at the end shift to park message came on I was scared thank God I didn't die. On September 15,2023 Ed Denas dealership stated my car fine I disagree with them as again shift to park message comes up. On September 17, 2023 when I parked at my driveway I got the message shift to park. Please help me and please help 2018 Chevy Mailbu customers. That gm implement the recall or gm replacement or gm repurchase these 2018 Chevy Malibu this is the only car I have please help me. Thank you
Other or unspecified, Sep 13, 2023
When I shift car in park, it won’t let the car turn off and keeps saying “shift to park”
Steering, Suspension, Electrical system, Sep 13, 2023
My car has auto stop and every time it cranks back up my radio blinks off, my lights blink off, all the lights on my dashboard come on and the error message Steering Assist is Reduced comes on the message center. Sometimes it doesn’t want to crank back up. Today when all that happened the message service stabilitrac also came up. I can’t find any recalls.
Power train, Sep 5, 2023
I keep getting shift to park message every time I go to park. My vehicle is in park and won’t turn off the radio and lights inside. It is starting to drain my battery and every day I wake up my battery is now dead. No recalls for this however lots of complaints.
Visibility, Aug 31, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that he noticed that there were shattered pieces of glass in the rear seats. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked unattended in the rain, the rear windshield had exploded. The vehicle was taken to an auto glass repair center, where the windshield was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the auto glass repair center for the replacement of the rear windshield. There was no further information provided. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
Other or unspecified, Aug 30, 2023
I recently purchased this vehicle used from the dealership. I have noticed that when I shift to park and turn the vehicle off it pops up the warning “Shift to Park”. It takes multiple attempts of turning the car back on and shifting back and forth to get the car to actually shift to park. I have looked up this issue and found that I am not alone in this problem and that apparently it is a known issue with the transmission shift cable adjuster causing a discrepancy between the transmission and the gear shift. As far as safety I am worried that I can’t trust the gear shift when I shift it into park. As far as the rest I have not yet contacted my dealership. I just wanted to write this up as it seems like a well known issue and many people have been asking for a recall to fix this.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Aug 24, 2023
When I put my car in park a notice comes up in my dashboard saying “shift to park” even though when I take my foot off the break it’s in parked. I took it to a Chevy dealer and said it will $500+ to fix. I have asked 5 other people with my same car (2018 or 2019) and they have the same issue. Now my car is having issues when shifting gears. There seems to be a delay in gear shifts when I go from drive to reverse or to park.
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Aug 24, 2023
No warnings was given.it was scary.my car lost power to 20 mph it drove to where I was able to safely get off the road gave me error messages to shutting down. I sure don't want this happening to others
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Aug 22, 2023
The third brake light cracked for unknown reasons in several spots. This has caused water to leak in and damage the ceiling/interior. It is just one of several issues that have happened since purchasing this vehicle brand new in 2018. It has singlehandedly been the worst vehicle that I have ever purchased as it has been unreliable, dangerous (shift to park, reduced engine power, etc) and costly with repairs.
Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 22, 2023
Underlying fuel pump went out
Steering, Electrical system, Engine, Aug 22, 2023
My check engine light will come on, a message will pop up on the screen saying, "steering assist reduced drive with care." When i come to a stop and my car goes into auto stop the car will completely shut down. This can be in the middle of the street or during traffic. It will take my car awhile to start back up. I was told it is a sensor that is going bad consistently, this has happened to me 3 times. This is a known issue with a lot of Chevy Malibu.
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Aug 20, 2023
Vehicle shut down in traffic lost all power as I'm pushing my Vehicle to a safe location in neutral it starts back up without me starting it there was a recall for this year make and model the recall numbers are N192221960 NHTSA # 19V642 Date Issued: Sep 06, 2019 those problems are infact the same issues I am having
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Aug 8, 2023
I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 75 MPH AND I WENT TO HIT THE BRAKES AND THEY DIDNT WORK I HAD TO TAKE MY FEET OFF THE GAS AND LET IT STOP ON ITS ON AND IT WAS SCARY. I GLAD TO BE ALIVE. AND WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN PARK IT STATED THE I NEEDED TO SHIFT TO PARK AND I COULDNT CUT THE CAR OFF SO AFTER CALLING SOMEONE TO COME GET ME FROM OFF OF THE SIDE OF THE RIDE. I HAD TO KEEP PUTTING THE GEAR IN PARK FOR IT TO GO IN PARK ANF THE MESSAGE WENT AWAY BUT IT KEEPS COMING ON.
Electrical system, Engine, Aug 5, 2023
The auto start stop function malfunctioning at a red light, causing vehicle to turn off completely. Vehicle will turn on once the brake is released. The transmission is slipping as well switching from first gear to second gear and causing a delay in departure.
Service brakes, Aug 2, 2023, crash
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed with the brake pedal depressed all the way to the floorboard, the vehicle failed to reduce speed. As a result, he collided with the vehicle in the right lane on the rear driver's side. No air bags were deployed. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was filed, but no injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engine vacuum pump, resulting in a lack of vacuum for the brake booster. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number 18V576000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.
Exterior lighting, Jul 31, 2023
3rd brake light cracked on both sides.
Visibility/wiper, Back over prevention, Jul 29, 2023
Back up camera display screen on the dashboard repeatedly fails to display a visual view of the vehicle when the vehicle is placed in reverse. The dashboard display screen only shows a solid blue image 90% of the time. (Image attached)
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jul 29, 2023
I drive my car everyday as usual but here lately my car shuts off while I’m driving and my dash goes completely black and I have no power and it doesn’t start back up
Lane departure, Jul 25, 2023, crash
On July 7, 2023, my Aunt was in a car accident that caused severe injuries to her body, face, and head. Her car is totaled. She believes the car's Lane Keep or Lane Departure systems are the cause of the accident. She has asked me to assist with reporting the accident and wants an investigation done. She received an "Lane Departure" warning about 3 days prior to the accident and again on the morning of the accident when she started the vehicle. She is unsure what the exact message said. When the accident occurred, she states she was vigilant, alert, and focused on driving. She was not on the phone and did not have any other distractions in the car at the time. She was driving on the Hwy when all of a sudden the car jerked her violently out of the lane and into a bridge. The car bounced off the bridge and ended up a ways down the road on the other side. She has a concussion, fractured sternum, fractured sinuses, cuts, bruises, and other injuries. Q. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A. Yes, the vehicle is at the junk yard Q. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? A. Severe bodily damage Q. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? A. unknown Q. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? A. We are looking into how to engage the manufacturer and others Q. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? A. Yes, warning approximately 3 days before the accident and the morning of the accident.
Power train, Jul 13, 2023
When the car is shifted into "Park", then I attempt to turn the car off, the car turns off partially, but the electrical system stays on and a message saying "! - Shift to Park" appears on the screen. The car cannot be turned off or locked, and it takes multiple attempts of fulling restarting the car (so the shift interlock system unlocks) and shifting gears until the vehicle recognizes that it's in park and will allow itself to be turned off fully. This issue takes at least a few minutes per incident to resolve. If it's not resolved, the car cannot lock and the battery drains.
Power train, Service brakes, Jul 11, 2023
My brake vacuum pump seized while driving in the far left lane on the freeway. My car began to lose power and my rpms dropped and rose back up quickly making my car lunge forward and back quickly multiple times. My check engine light came on and a warning saying my engine was losing power flashed across the dash.I exited the freeway and pulled over to a safe location, when attempting to stop my car I noticed that the breakes were stiff and would not move and I had to push the emergency break to stop the car completely. I had my car full of family members and all of us were extremely sacred and worried for our safety and those of others around us as the speed was no longer under my control.