NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 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
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that upon shifting to park(P) and attempting to turn off the vehicle, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed. While investigating the failure online, the contact became aware that it was a common failure, and there was an ongoing Class Action Lawsuit related to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a related recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
The brake booster vacuum pump went out in my car it broke which caused hard breaking while driving vehicle. When the brake booster vacuum pump broke a piece of it damage my camshaft as well as my timing chain in my motor.
- started shutting shutting off at while in drive. - started having reduced power - started idiling high while driving - initially there was no codes - last night I drove, I put in drive gear but it was delayed so I had to keep moving from park to drive for it to full go into drive - the codes came P0325 P0505 P0507 P0700 P1101 P2714 After I was driving up an incline the car stopped moving forward and started reversing backwards. One other independent shop advised they were able to produce but couldn’t figure out the problem because no code were shown at the time. There has been many people having the same issues I started off with and I found the forum to file a report .
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...
Was driving on the freeway maneuvered over to exit vehicle lost power and engine completely shut off while in motion. Same incident occurred while on surface street as I was approaching a red light vehicle completely shut off while in drive and in motion.
Was on my way to work at stoplight and my 2019 Chevrolet Malibu lost all power and started back up and the next day I was about to leave for work and it wouldn’t start low battery came across screen then the check engine light came on and a few hrs later it started up but all interior lights would not go off and I went to auto zone to check codes and its one of the codes for RECALL I will be taking it to the Chevy dealership
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!!!
After shifting the vehicle into park and then attempting to turn the vehicle off a message displays to shift into park, even though the vehicle is already in park.
Throttlebody hose pops off of the throttlebody due to a missing gasket ring as well as the retention clip/spring clip. The plastic pieces on the spring clip have popped off since the issue has been presented. Cannot accelerate past 3 1/2 RPMs without throttlebody hose popping off from the pressure produced by the turbo charger.
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).
Door electrical caught fire and the inside of the vehicle was destroyed. Fire started from the electrical in the driver door.
Vehicle stalls at lights and in traffic because of the START / STOP system GM has put in this 2019 Malibu. This is dangerous as the vehicle moves if on incline (sometimes backwards). There is no control. The vehicle then has to be shifted into PARK and then restarted. THIS HAPPENED July of 2024 and August 2025
When I put my car in park and turn it off, I get the message to "Shift to Park" My engine light is on and sporadically goes off. It is difficult to bring my car in as there is a fee to evaluate my car and the sporadic engine light. When it is on my Chevy App tells me it is Engine and Transmission - Air Induction System.
Shift to park issue. After putting the car into Park and attempting to shut off the vehicle, an alter to SHIFT TO PARK came up and the car could not be shut off. This happened several times. Car was taken to the dealer where it was originally purchased. The issue was known to the service department as having been seen many times on same type of vehicle. The repair was to replace the shifter assembly and pig tail at a cost of over $700. which included the cost of the diagnostic. The vehicle is not driven often and has only 13,500 miles on it.
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 vehicle will not sense that it is in park when it is in park and therefore will not allow me to shut off the vehicle. This is become a problem multiple times and does it consistently enough that it could be a danger. What if I needed to exit the vehicle quickly and it will not allow me to.
GM has issued a known defect for the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. My VIN is not on the recall list for the Shift to Park issue. The Chevy dealer will not fix the defect for free. I would like to add my VIN to the recall list.
The part in the linked article which was recalled, was never replaced. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The Apple CarPlay system, specifically the GPS/navigation function, froze and malfunctioned. This occurred in two separate vehicles I’ve owned: a 2019 Chevy Malibu and now a 2019 Chevy Equinox (the vehicle involved in the accident). Both cars frequently experienced lagging and freezing while using Apple CarPlay. The infotainment system and vehicle are available for inspection. On June 28, 2025, while driving at night with GPS active via CarPlay, the system froze and gave me an incorrect instruction — telling me to turn left onto a one-way street in the wrong direction. I did not realize I was going the wrong way until reaching the intersection, and by that point, I was involved in a head-on car accident. This presented a significant danger to me and others on the road. The issue has not been officially reproduced or confirmed by a service center, but it occurred consistently in two different GM vehicles. I have text message documentation sent to my family over the months before the accident describing the freezing and lagging of CarPlay. The accident and vehicle were reviewed by insurance representatives, but no inspection was done specifically on the infotainment/GPS system by the manufacturer. There were no warning lamps or dashboard messages. However, the symptom was consistent lagging and freezing of the CarPlay interface, which had been happening for months prior. There were no official error codes displayed before the crash.
The vacuum pump has a tendency of breaking and when it does it affects the exhaust camshaft making the car completely inoperable. When this happened my vehicle lost all brakes and power and would not start. This happened suddenly with no warning and left me stranded in the middle of lanes of travel. This is a well known issue with the Chevy 1.5 L and is documented in the TSB Bulletin #21-NA-268. The vehicle was inspected following the TSB number provided and diagnosing via the information provided.
When car is shifted into park the info system reads “Shift to Park” and the car continues to ding.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that on two occasions while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated; however, the contact determined that the failure was due to the throttle body. The vehicle was repaired. The local dealer was not contacted but had not diagnosed or repaired the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted, and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
Car was running fine then next day wont turn over. Code reader said fuel injectors weren’t injecting fuel. And ECM failed
My car constantly gives a warning of shift to park even when the car is in the park position. The will constantly give the alarm. I move the shifter from drive to park several times before it stops. I have replaced the battery due it being drained by this faulty shifter.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that on several occasions while shifting into park(P), the message “Shift to Park” displayed on the instrument panel. The driver was forced to shift the gear shifter several times before the vehicle recognized that park(P) had been selected. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided an estimate for a diagnostic test. The contact stated that the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls associated with the VIN. The manufacturer then referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Not in park warning when shifter is placed in park.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving or while the vehicle was parked, the gear shifter failed to shift into drive. The contact had to shift into neutral, depress the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle responded as intended. The check engine warning light illuminated for 45 minutes and then stopped being illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred by the manufacturer to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard however, the vehicle failed to stop. The contact stated that the failure caused the vehicle to crash into a nearby ditch. In addition, the contact stated that the failure caused severe damage to the vehicle, and the vehicle was undrivable. The contact used a code reader to diagnose the vehicle a retrieved a code for a brake booster back-up pump failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced an unknown recall repair however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 63,455.
Brakes got hard and reduced engine power came on and now won't crank went to the dealership and then they charge me 389 for a battery and it still didn't work they say it need a new motor
Vehicle was being driven at 60 mph on the highway when the brakes weren't responding as I was entering a sharp curve. Had to stand on the brakes and manually lower the gears to keep from hitting a tree head-on. Check engine light was on. P0014, P0017, and P0556 codes were pulled before having it towed to the first mechanic. Car wouldn't start after it was parked after the initial incident. The first mechanic was unable to diagnose so the vehicle was towed to the Chevrolet Dealership. They say the brake vacuum pump malfunctioned and caused permanent damage to the engine rendering the car inoperable and I will have to have a new engine installed. The car drove fine prior to the vacuum pump failure.
My vehicle has been having issues for the past 2-3 years with its engine acceleration, the bcm and ecm are faulty and or my fuses continue to fail, my check engine comes on with a service esc, power steering depleted, shift to park, and a service security system warning.
My car keeps showing the “shift to park” code when I try to turn off my car even though it’s already in park. I have to wiggle the shifter and turn the car repeatedly on and off to try to get it to stop.
The clutch solenoid started failing without warning or notice. This was finally confirmed by a transmission shop after a warning lamp related to the issue finally popped up after months of issues. My safety was put at risk due to the sudden and intermittent failure to shift into drive. This would sometimes lead to the engine stuttering then shutting off while still in drive. Attempts for dealers and private shops to nail down the issue were unsuccessful due to the system not reporting or recording any information related to this failure to shift. Again the danger came intermittently and suddenly when, shifting from park to drive, shifting from park - reverse - then drive. It would cause my vehicle to “stall out” in an active lane of traffic. This issue occurs from probably 60,000 - 90,000 miles when the system finally threw P0700 and P2714 codes to point to the issue.
Year 2019, code P1101- vehicle hesitates while drive, will reduce power while driving, while sitting idle at a stop the car will die and I will have to restart the vehicle. Multiple times while driving on the highway at 70mph my car has all of a sudden either reduced power causing the car to jerk and shudder very hard or has lost all power completely and forced me to pull over while avoiding other drivers on the road. SOMEONE IS GOING TO DIE BECAUSE OF THIS!!! THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS AND RECALLED ASAP TO GET IT FIXED. I am not in a financial spot to just go buy a new car and I shouldn't have too either. I'm scared to even drive 10 miles down the road to take my children to daycare/school because of how bad it is.
My 2019 Chevy Malibu had a problem where the gear shifter failed to properly register that it's in the "park" position, even when I moved the lever there, resulting in a message on the dashboard saying "shift to park" having me afraid to leave the vehicle and having to restart the vehicle and move the shifter to different gears then trying again even driving a few feet to see if that would help finally after a several tries i was able to park vehicle. I scheduled a appointment with Lasorsa GM service for 2 /18/ 25 this was my second incident the prior one resolved after two tries but was also unnerving
The car consistently says shift to park even after being placed in the park position. The car won't cut off. This has been an ongoing issue for around 1 month. I read online that this is common in Chevy. There should be a recall
IN DECEMBER 2024, DRIVING TO WORK WHEN CAR ABRUPTLY STOPPED (NO POWER). WAITED FOR A WHILE FOR MY HUSBAND TO ARRIVE. VEHICLE STARTED AGAIN, DROVE TO TROPICAL CHEVY AT 8880BISCAYNE BLVD, MIAMI SHORES, FL FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING (PAID $160. RESULT - TRANSMISSION PROBLEM ESTIMATED AT $1,800). DID NOT HAVE VEHICLE FIXED. DECIDED TO HAVE VEHICLE EXAMINED AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER 2025; PAID $160 DIAGNOSTIC FEE, ESTIMATE A WHOPPING $8,400!!!!! DID NOT HAVE CAR FIXED.
This model of 2019 Malibu, does not have the function to shut off the auto start/stop feature. I have had the car for a few years and in the past year this feature has begun to malfunction multiple times at random. When in drive and approaching a stop sign or red light the Malibu will engage in the auto stop feature. There have been occurrences when after this is engaged and I lift my foot to continue to drive that the vehicle will not restart and be completely shut off. The dash will tell me to “shift to park” as if believing that I am in drive but that I shut off the vehicle. I will have to shift the vehicle to park and then push the on/off button to restart the vehicle several times. It has taken upwards of a whole light change cycle for it to be restarted. It is exceptionally dangerous as I am often in a busy intersection light with my vehicle unable to go. There is no obvious trigger and it occurs at random intervals. There is no option to turn off the auto start/stop feature and it is the only thing that causes it to occur. No warning lights or indicator has occurred. I have taken the vehicle twice to the dealership as well as another mechanic and they were unable to diagnose any problem or replicate the issue. Since it occurs at such unpredictable times they were not able to identify anything, however I do have a video taken of it occurring to me. The dealership said that GM has not seen anything like this, yet I have read about other similar issues online with this model. Safety is extremely at risk for myself and others as the car is essentially turning itself off while I’m in the middle of a drive and takes several moments to be able to drive again. This has occurred about 10 times since it begun and seems to be more frequent. I’ve replaced the battery and reset the BCM as two cautionary measures and neither has resolved the issue. I have a video of it as well but I can not attach to this form.
This is by far the worst car purchase I've ever made. I've had this car for 4 years now and ever since I purchased it, it has given me problems. The car shut down completely at the stop sign or stop light, even when pulling out of the parking spot. Battery replaced, fuel line/pump/gasket replaced, wire fixed, oils and fluids stay up to date, transmission fluid changed, and not one mechanic, not even GM can tell me what the problem is because they don't even know. No codes appear and diagnostics come back fine and clear. Every mechanic has fixed something they've thought could be causing the problem yet the problem still exists. This is a headache to deal with and dangerous for my family and me. This has been the worst experience ever experienced with any vehicle i have owned.
My wife drove the car into the church parking lot and placed the shifter in park. Turned off the engine and the Display stated "place the car in Park." She restarted the car backed up and pulled back into the space, shut off the engine and it did the same thing again,. She got out and attempted to lock the car with the FOB and it stated place in Park, and Key fob in car. It wasn't , and she had started walking into the church with the audible alert beep and headlights behind her. I went out started the car shifted it into park and it did the same thing. I backed up a little bit engaged drive and slowly moved the shifter to park and it worked that time. Will take it to our certified mechanic tomorrow.
Purchased this vehicle (2019 Chevy Malibu) in September 2024. Put the vehicle in park and the display keeps saying "shift to park" when it's already in park.
tapped the my other car on the bumper . Brake Pump is out.
The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while at a light, the engine lost motive power and shut off. The vehicle began to roll backward. The emergency brake was inoperable. The vehicle shifted from park. The contact continued to pull the emergency brake, but it failed to respond. The contact attempted to turn the vehicle off, but it failed to turn off. The vehicle crashed into a ditch. The passenger sustained injuries to her head. The driver sustained injuries to his shoulder. The occupants did not receive any medical attention. There was no fire or air bag deployment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,800.
Shift to park issue. After putting the car into Park and attempting to shut off the vehicle, an alter to SHIFT TO PARK came up and the car could not be shut off. Vehicle stalls at lights and in traffic because of the START / STOP system GM has put in this 2019 Malibu. This is dangerous as the vehicle moves if on incline (sometimes backwards). There is no control. The vehicle then has to be shifted into PARK and then restarted
The contact owns 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, after removing the foot from the pedal brake and turning off the vehicle, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed. The contact was unable to exit the vehicle while the message was displayed. Additionally, the doors were unable to be locked during the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was provided the cost for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 83,555.
Car Will stop moving forward or reverse randomly while driving. This plays a p2714 code with the check engine light. It is available for inspection if requested. This has happened while driving on the road. Vehicle stalls out and does not move which could cause severe accident and bodily injury. This issue seems to be a known issue among GM vehicles with the CT40 CVT transmissions. I do have a short video that can be provided. It shows a check engine light on the vehicle's in drive but will not move.
I have been driving this car for three years, and it performed exceptionally well until Friday, July 12, 2024. While driving on the highway, the "Engine Power Reduced" warning light activated. I pulled over, placed the car in park, waited a few seconds, and restarted the engine, but the issue persisted. Consequently, I took the car to the nearest auto shop, where they identified and repaired a throttle issue. On July 16, 2024, the car's brake system failed, preventing the vehicle from stopping properly. I utilized the emergency brake and once again brought the car to the nearest auto shop. The diagnosis revealed a broken vacuum, which was identified as a manufacturer's defect. My car is currently in the shop for the second repair due to these manufacturing defects, which have incurred significant costs. It raises concerns about the safety and quality of the parts used in the manufacturing process. Why are low-quality components being installed in these vehicles? This poses a serious safety risk.
so when im driving my chevy every thing is all fine and about like 30 minutes of driving the trash cvt won’t accelerate from a complete stop. I have two mass of gas pedal all the way down and the car will hit 4000 RPMs till it accelerate and that’s very dangerous. It happens all the time especially when it’s hot outside when a car has a stop sign or at a red light and I’m getting ready to takeoff. The car won’t even take off now. I’m going 5 mph pass in intersection is very dangerous and especially go on the highways.
Vehicle would not shift into park on multiple occasions. Shift to park message appeared on dashboard and vehicle could not be shut off or locked. Contacted Chevrolet dealer for repair and was told this is a known issue but this vin was not included in the recall that was issued for this very problem with thes Chevrolet Malibu. Reported to Chevrolet and was again told it is not covered under the recall for this issue. We paid $237.53 out of pocket to repair a defect that Chevrolet knows is an issue and has effected Years 2016-2019 Chevrolet Malibus. This is a safety concern. Chevrolet needs to stand behind this defect and pay for the repairs.