2022 Chevrolet Malibu
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 98 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 22nd highest complaint count among 26 Malibu model years with reports.
Of the 2022 reports, 4 involved a crash. 1 person was injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Structure, frame and membersDec 14, 2022
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The front impact bar, a structural portion of the vehicle frame, may not be properly welded to the front frame rail.
An improperly welded front impact bar may result in the front crash sensors not performing correctly, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Dealers will inspect the right-hand and left-hand side of the vehicle's motor rail for an incomplete weld. If the condition is found, the vehicle will be repurchased by GM. Owner notification letters were mailed January 20, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.
Campaign 22V923000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: electrical system
33 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Structure, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 28, 2026
My Malibu has numerous electrical problems. Often involving the start stop feature. The door locks have locked and unlocked themselves The engine and battery warning light will come on but we don't know why. A metal piece of the front frame broke off and went through the condenser. I had to have the car towed causing more damage to the hood. I cannot drive it. The check battery light is also on. At times the button to power on car will not work. Then it will a few min later. .yes, car is available for inspection. It is unsafe to drive and has too many problems for a newer cat
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Sep 1, 2026
I was driving and all of a sudden all the warning lights start going off on my vehicle’s dashboard and the car jerks back and forth while decelerating. This has happened twice on the highway putting me in danger of crashing or making cars around me crash. On a seperate occasion my brakes failed, causing the car to jerk abruptly in traffic, thankfully I was able to pull over. Some times the car will limit my speed to below 60mph for “safety” reasons. The same set of issues have happened to me at least six different times. Every time I take it into the dealership for repair they always charge me for something new saying they finally fixed it and yet I always keep coming back for the exact same thing. This car is not safe to drive and I’ve taken it to two dealerships with two very smart teams of people and none of them have been able to figure this out.
Electrical system, Jul 15, 2026
I was told the bcm on my vehicle is bad. It cause my car to go all out of wack. Multiple warning lights come on (ESC, ABS, power steering, check engine), the gauge controls flutter, my gear shift clicks on and off, the car has even shut down on me in the middle of traffic, wouldn’t start, wouldn’t shift, basically wouldn’t move at all even when it did start. How would a bcm shut down my whole vehicle?
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 8, 2026
Transmission misfiring.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 26, 2026
I have a problem with parking, the warning comes on,”Shift Into Park” knowing that I’m in park, so it’s not registering. Have to move the shifter a couple of times before it comes off. My check engine light stays on and then comes off a week or two later and then comes back on and no code comes up, so I’ll clear it or let it clear itself.
Electrical system, Wheels, May 11, 2026
Turned ignition off car computer read car not in park. All lights were on yellow ignition light on and door chime kept ringing. Started car moved car forward then backed up. Shut car off car still not working properly in park same problem. Moved shifter to park and bumped it a few times. Message went off. Tires make a grinder noise.
Electrical system, Apr 28, 2026
I am submitting this statement to report a recurring safety and reliability issue with the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The vehicle intermittently displays a “Shift to Park” message when the car is turned off, even though the gear selector is already in the Park position. Due to this malfunction, the vehicle’s system does not fully shut down as intended. As a result, electrical components remain active, leading to repeated battery drain and, in some cases, a completely dead battery. This creates an unreliable operating condition and leaves the vehicle unable to start without external assistance. This issue presents both a safety and usability concern. The vehicle may become inoperable without warning due to battery depletion, Drivers may be stranded in unsafe or inconvenient locations, The system’s failure to correctly detect the Park position raises concerns about the reliability of the transmission interlock and shutdown systems. The problem appears to stem from a fault in the gear position detection or related electronic components, rather than user error. The condition persists despite ensuring the vehicle is properly shifted into Park. Given the potential for widespread occurrence and the risk of unexpected vehicle disablement, I respectfully request that this issue be investigated for a possible defect and considered for a recall or service campaign.
Electrical system, Feb 26, 2026
When shifting my car into park the vehicle did not recognize that the gear was indeed in park. I would get a message saying “Shift to Park” and I could not fully turn my car off. This problem made me feel unsafe as I didn’t know what to do when it wouldn’t turn off. My battery could have run down and I would be stranded. In researching this problem GM was sued for the very same problem in earlier models so I am incredulous that they have not fixed this issue or initiated a product recall. I had to have an internal switch replaced at a GM dealer service center at my expense and the car only had 15263 miles on it.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Feb 18, 2026
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
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 12, 2026
The car will cut off while driving and across the dashboard it’ll say “press brake to start engine”.
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Dec 22, 2025
My 2022 Chevrolet Malibu is experiencing the known “Shift to Park” defect and an “Air Induction System” fault. The vehicle repeatedly refuses to recognize the Park position even after moving the shifter into Park. This causes the vehicle to stay powered on, prevents it from shutting off, and forces me to shift back and forth multiple times to get the car to register Park. This is unsafe because the vehicle could roll, fail to secure, and I cannot legally leave or lock the car when this happens. This issue is widely documented on Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. GM has an established technical bulletin and extended coverage programs for this problem (example: TSB 19-NA-206 and related bulletins), but my VIN does not show access to these programs even though I am under 60,000 miles and still within the 5-year powertrain warranty window. When I contacted GM and the dealership, they admitted the defect exists but refused warranty repair unless I pay $370 out-of-pocket diagnostic fees first. This defeats the purpose of warranty and prevents consumers from getting confirmed major safety defects repaired. The warning randomly appears at different times while the car is stationary, parked, or driving. The issue has been happening consistently and appears to be worsening. I am reporting this because it is a safety concern involving the transmission and electrical controls of the vehicle, and Chevrolet is refusing to cover or recognize it under their known defect programs.
Power train, Electrical system, Dec 5, 2025
Shift to Park light remains on and car will not shut down when it is in Park already. This is an existing issue with Chevy Malibu but no recall yet.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Nov 24, 2025
The vehicle has experienced ongoing engine performance and safety-related warning events. The first major issue was a single occurrence of an overheating condition that displayed an “Engine Overheating – Idle Engine” warning. After that event, the vehicle was taken in for repairs. Following the repair attempt, the vehicle began displaying repeated check-engine warnings and multiple occurrences of “Engine Power Reduced.” During these episodes, the vehicle lost acceleration ability and hesitated. One of the “Engine Power Reduced” incidents occurred while driving at highway speeds with a passenger onboard. The vehicle was unable to maintain speed and required pulling out of active traffic, creating a safety risk. These issues have continued despite previous service attempts and diagnostics. The warning messages and power loss are unpredictable and create a potential hazard, especially during highway driving, merging, or transporting passengers. There has been no crash, fire, or injury, but the repeated sudden loss of power presents a serious safety concern.
Electrical system, Nov 18, 2025
shift to park issue and at times could not turn engine off
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Oct 4, 2025
The telematics module is having an issue where the onstar safety system in the car does not work this will automatically call emergency services in the case of an accident it also controls wireless CarPlay and the microphone connected to the radio so you can’t make hand free calls
Power train, Electrical system, Sep 3, 2025
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
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Aug 16, 2025
Shift to parking message came up on dashboard
Electrical system, Jul 26, 2025
After I shift into park and turn my car off I’m getting a message that says Shift To Park. The car is already in park but it’s not recognizing this. I see that this is a known problem with 2022 Malibu’s but my VIN is not included. Can you please add my VIN to this recall?
Power train, Electrical system, Jul 14, 2025
Around 37,000 miles, I intermittently started getting a Shift to Park error while the car was already in park. Whenever it happened, I had to turn the car off an on many times and jiggle the shifter until it went away. I brought it to Bomnin Chevrolet in Manassas, but it wasn't happening that day. I was then forced to come back, around 40,000 miles, when the error/beeping became persistent. I could not shut the car off, because it was beeping and would drain the battery. They said that because I was over 36,000 miles, it was no longer a warranty item. I will add that I am an Uber driver, and I reached the 36,000 miles while the car was still very young. The dealership refused to reimburse or give a goodwill adjustment.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Jun 7, 2025
The service ESC and service power steering light stays on, the MPH hands flicker back and forth, brakes are applied without me pressing the brakes, shift to park when the car is already in park. I have taken it to dealership for service and they say nothing is wrong with car when clearly something is. Clearly there's and electrical issue going on with this car. Had testing ran on car and it listed 2 pages of different codes that popped up and it shows engine failure
Electrical system, May 15, 2025
We just purchased a 2022 Malibu from a GMC dealer that had 43,000 miles on it, we've had it about 4 months and put less than 1,000 miles on it and when we park the car, we get a message stating "shift to park" this has happened 3 times in the last week and it won't allow the electrical system to shut off. Took it to the dealer and they said the shifter needs to be changed and that it would be over $600 and was told because its past warranty it was my responsibility even though GM has had a few class action lawsuits against it over the last several years, this is not what I want when buying a somewhat new car.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 20, 2025
So I found a recall on a twenty twenty two malibu l t one point five liter turbo, which is exactly what I have, and the recall describes my exact issue to the t. It spits out a code for a bad fuel pump. G d I fuel pump, and a couple other codes that are secondary like the camshaft sensor fuel bank 1, solenoids, which both I had replaced this week? The car barely has a 100000 miles, and despite the reduced engine power message coming on, like I said every symptom, my car showing is lining up with the recall yet, GM says my vin isn't one that's covered out of the 22 malibu 1.5 onliters and the fix is 30 recalibration of ecm. This is not a new issue to g. M. The older models had a similar issue and like I said, the specific 22 model that I have has a recall and tons of people have had issues. The car won't go over forty I get maybe seven or eight miles to the gallon, no power hardly, speeds on the freeway immediately dropped to dangerous speeds nearly causing wreck. How can they say the same identical engine and yr,make,model isnt covered while there's lawsuits abs tons of people with same issue. Through two mechanics, i've ruled out the other two code issues by like I said replacing solenoids and camshaft position sensor. Please help i'm still paying a good amount of money on a lien. For this, vehicle can't afford eleven hundred dollars for them to replace a fuel pump that truly isn't bad abs only vehicle with daughter who's in wheelchair needs safe reliable car.
Power train, Electrical system, Jan 18, 2025
Car will not turn off. Message of “Shift to Park” will appear even if shift is in Park. This is a safety issue. I just bought my car 2 days ago and it keeps happening. The car is only at approximately 44,000 miles.
Steering, Service brakes, Hydraulic, Electrical system, Sep 17, 2024
The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH while driving. Additionally, the contact stated while his mother was driving approximately 40 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact's mother was able to pull to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to roll to a stop. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the failure was related to the vehicle tracker. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact stated that the RPMs dropped to zero. The traction control and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer however, the failure could not be replicated. Additionally, the dealer replaced the gear shifter, the harness, and the jumper; however, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission made an abnormal grinding sound and the vehicle jerked while shifting into gear. Additionally, the brakes engaged unintendedly nearly causing the vehicle to come to a stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer sent a field investigator who later informed the contact's mother that the dealer had determined that the failure was related to the rims. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 29,901.
Power train, Electrical system, Aug 23, 2024
I noticed that as I was parking my 2022 Chevrolet Malibu and placed the vehicle's shifter in the park position, I was trapped in my vehicle because I keep getting an error message on my dashboard that reads "Shift to Park." even after the shifter was placed in park. This happened during one of the hottest days of the year. The vehicle failed to shift to the park position preventing people from leaving their vehicles out of fear that the vehicle may roll if not properly parked. Also, when this happens, I am unable to leave my vehicle unattended. I had to turn on and off the car several times until the problem resolved. this is an intermittent problem. GM has known about this problem for over 6 years now and they continue to manufacture these defective parts even after GM sent out Technical Service (TSBPIT5616A).