NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
Just not my car drove very odd to noises to shift to park message
Coming to Walmart at the stop waiting for the light to turn green my car made noises parking at Walmart shift to park message came on. I was not on the first recall list I need help GM should fix the problem repurchase my car or replace it
Just now I got back from leaving my son to work at the stop loud loud loud noises in my hood to sound like transmission noise to wanting to shut down again luckily I made it home again shift to park message came on I have a month half calling GM to asking to speak to a supervisor no response to emailing gm CEO to no reply who do I run to nhtsa for help yet no help who do I run to that can help me before I get injured or killed in this car this is my only car I'm asking it be fixed replace or repurchase I was not on the last recall list help help help help
Today is 41 days with noises coming out of my car to 41 days to shift to park message again today my car wanted to turn off at the stop luckily I made it home to parking and again shift to park message came on GM supervisor never called me to NHTSA never helps so who do I run to for help I don't want to be injured or killed in this car on August 18,2023 while driving lost power to no gas no brakes to driving like this for five minutes to shutting down I'm I to be injured or killed in that when nhtsa gonna help me GM should be shut down and NHTSA should not say there helping you both are jokes....Help me and help all of us that have making complaints on these dam cars.....
At the traffic light my car made noises headed back home as I parked again I got shift to park message I read on goggle that there been a recall my car was not on that recall list and I keep getting shift to park message GM shut them down NHTSA what are you here for no one has called me on these complaints I've been doing NHTSA to should shut down well you ever help me or help us all hello help us.....
Yesterday my car was acting out at the stop I did to wanting to turn off and again shift to park message came on my car has never been on the recall I need help to gm fix problems or replace or repurchase my car
My car does not register when it is park. I cannot disable the car when this happens. I have been that my car is not in the recall that has already been issued for this issue.
Today my car made noise at the stop then getting home at drive way more noise to turning off the car shift to park message came on if GM is keep this defect hidden why NHTSA not making them implement recall or replace or repurchase this car help me and help owners that own 2018 Chevy Malibus I don't want others to get injured or killed in there car help me and help owners that own 2018 Chevy Malibu why have NHTSA if I or no one else gets the help we need make GM do what they need to do or close gm down like my car shuts me down
Made noises out while I was driving at right now I drove home to again shift to park message omg this is to much please help me today again gm said no to replacement no repurchase this is my only car please help me
Just now my car made noises shift to park message came on I called general Motor just now they refuse to fix my car and refuse to replace or repurchase my car who can help me with this please NHTSA help me or referred me to who can help me this is my only car please help me
Just got here to savemart my car made noises to again shift to park message to scary see if I make it home something needs to be done gm needs to fix this car or close gm down id love to see gm shut down like this car shuts down this is my only car please help me by then fixing my car or replace it or repurchase it is hate to be injured or killed in this car
Made noise just now and shift to park message just now and dealers says there's nothing wrong with my car and gm don't want to repurchase my car please help me this is my only car
Just now getting to Walmart my shift to park message came on my 2018 Chevy Mailbu
Someone needs to take this seriously if I injured myself or kill others with this car GM says no to my request of repurchase since my break down on August 18 to now I continue to get shift to park message this is my only car please help me that you implement a recall ASAP this is the only car I have I ask they fix this problem repurchase or replace my car this is the only car I have someone help me please help me just got into my driveway coming from store and again I get shift to park message please help me
Just now I got out from church and again shift to park message came on please help me it's my only car
Today again shift to park message came on
Again today my shift to park message came on to some odd noise help me please
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
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.
When I shift car in park, it won’t let the car turn off and keeps saying “shift to park”
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.
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
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
I was driving the vehicle on a busy road and a message came up on the display above the steering column saying Engine Power Reduced. I went to brake and was unable to push the pedal in as it was extremely stiff. There were vehicles around me and I tried to use both feet and stand on the brakes and was able to get a little bit of movement but the car still didn't slow down. I had my significant other and brother-in-law in the car and we were all horrified we were going to get into an accident. I turned the hazard lights on and was able to steer to avoid hitting several vehicles and when traffic finally cleared I was able to get over and off the road into a gas station that was uphill and allowed us to slow down and finally stop because I put the vehicle in neutral tried the parking brake which got us to a complete stop and shut the vehicle off. There had been no previous issues with the brakes or messages such as the one that came up right before this issue occurred. The vehicle had to be towed and the repair shop told me the cam driven vacuum pump failed which caused the brake booster to not function. When this failure occurred, it damaged the intake and exhaust camshafts, crankshaft, and several other components. The cooling system and oil to be flushed out as I was told there was metal debris from the damaged parts caused by the vacuum pump failure in the fluids which had been all completely flushed and changed including cooling system, transmission fluid, and oil change The total cost of repairs as a result of the vacuum pump failure setting off a Domino effect of damage was $3536.40.
Underlying fuel pump went out
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.
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.
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.
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.
3rd brake light cracked on both sides.
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
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
My turbo failed while I was on a very busy highway, causing me from going 70mph to 35mph in a matter of seconds and almost being hit. This put my life and my friends life at risk since we were in the left lane. Now that I’ve been fighting with the dealership ti help make this right they found a GM warranty that fixed and updated electrical sensors. We fixed that first because at the time we thought that was what it was. My turbo gave out again up in the mountains almost killing me and my friend a second time on a busy road. We made it to a parking lot and called a tow truck. Now the stabiltrak is showing up and the car refuses to start, it makes a whooshing sound and doesn’t start completely. (There is fuel, oil, etc). I was sold an unsafe vehicle and now I’m stuck paying 500$ a month for a car that’s unsafe and refuses to work even when it’s been fixed. The dealership is refusing to help me, I’m at a loss. I still owe 18k and I can’t have an in working car sitting in my apartment complex, it will get towed and cost me more money.. I need help. I was sold a car that almost killed me twice and no one seems to care.
While driving on the highway my dashboard displayed a warning of “reduced power steering “, engine light came off and on, loss of speed , and “stabilitracking” light came on. Brakes also vibrated badly as if they were unable to hold a grip. I was unable to accelerate and was really in danger. The car was taken immediately to the dealership where they replaced the battery and told me it was repaired. On my return from the airport the next morning at 4:30 the same lights and warnings displayed on the dash once again and I had it towed immediately to the dealership. We are now 3 days in and I have gotten no explanation as to what is going on with my vehicle.
SHIFT TO PARK BUT VEHICLE US IN PARK ENGINE CONTROL MODULE, CAUSING ENGIBE POWER TO BE DROPPED REDUCED
DIC shows service shift to park. Don't know for sure that car is in park. Dealer confirmed the problem. Dealer has replaced shift lock switch and jumper harness for over $500. DIC stated shift to park after the car was in park. Audio warnings. Has occurred intermittently for about 4 weeks.
when turning off it says shift into park have to restart and shift again to park has been recurring more and more. rear makes a rubbing/popping sound when driving and backing up. took it to the shop they tell me it's a defect that Chevrolet knows about. i believe if they know about it it should be corrected. ive only had the car 10 months and these problems are coming up. ive only put 3000 miles on it in 10 months.
Car keeps saying shift to park after being in park. Does not allow car to turn off at all. I literally sat in the car for 30 minutes trying to get it to work. I just purchaswd this car in January and this should not be happening. Please assist
vehicle not in park error on display , when the vehicle has been put in park. have to flick the shift lever a couple of times for the error to go away, wont let you shut vehicle off, wont let you start the vehicle.
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.
While I was driving, the entire accelerator pedal mechanism fell to the ground. My mechanic told me it is because the accelerator pedal mechanism is a bad design, including too small of a bolt, and I had to have it reattached to the car. The accelerator pedal functioned, but it was incredibly dangerous because it was on the floor and couldn't be practically used.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed on the instrument panel with an audible alarm sounding. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 16,940.
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.
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that there was an oil leak coming from the engine. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "Engine Power Reduced" and "Service Stabili-trak" were displayed. Occasionally, the automatic emergency braking activated unexpectedly, and while the vehicle was stopped, the vehicle shuddered abnormally. The vehicle also decelerated and stalled occasionally. Additionally, the volume on the radio was stuck, the steering wheel command controls failed to operate as needed, and the air compressor was recently replaced. The contact associated the failures with NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V668000 (POWER TRAIN), 19V642000(ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ENGINE), 18V400000(AIR BAGS), and 18V358000(FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the VIN was not included in the recalls. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with air compressor failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 150,842.
Front damaged