Home · 2014 Chevrolet Malibu · Complaints

What 361 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (361)Crash / fire / injury (28)Engine (127)Electrical system (88)Transmission & drivetrain (53)Brakes (49)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (36)Fuel system (26)Steering (25)Visibility & wipers (21)Wheels (19)Speed control (17)

Newest first · 361 complaints · page 1 of 15

Mar 9, 2026Electrical system

Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. It was later discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle mileage was 177,918. The contact had owned the vehicle since 2022. After scanning the vehicle with an OBD scanner, the mileage was discovered to be 286,307.

NHTSA ODI 11722946

Feb 15, 2026Airbags

I haven’t been in an accident or even tapped anything with my vehicle but a system warning stating the airbags may be malfunctioning continuously flashed on the driver dashboard and now my “check engine” warning light is continuously lit.

NHTSA ODI 11718099

Feb 14, 2026Fuel system

2014 Chevrolet Malibu LS ECO , has a start/stop system that will shut off the engine at a traffic light or stop sign upon reaching a full stop and when the brake pedal is firmly pressed. Upon releasing the brake pedal the engine should immediately restart and driver can proceed. Randomly and intermittently the engine will fail to restart, recently it occurred while in heavy traffic with many traffic lights. Problem not noticeable in rural driving. Have not contacted a dealer, no recall found for my VIN. No Check engine light or MIL is illuminated. Can be unnerving when it happens, people are beeping their horns behind me while I have to shift into park, turn off ignition and restart. Engine restarts normally. 2014 model appears to not have a method of disabling this feature. Car has approximately 111,000 miles on it. Problem first occurred last year 1 or 2 times. Yesterday 2/13 was first time it occurred multiple times in one trip. I have not brought the vehicle to anyone at this point for evaluation. This problem appears In many areas on the internet with other owners of this vehicle type. I am not the first to experience it. What can be done?

NHTSA ODI 11718024

Jan 23, 2026Electrical systemSpeed controlBrakes

Car started shaking in the middle of driving it about 30 mph and all the electrical like door locks were going up and down car wasn’t accelerating and an alert came up for stabilizing wheels i believe. It happened for about a couple seconds and then everything went back to normal and randomly happens while I’m driving.Check engine appeared and went to the mechanic shop i usually go to and found out I had ebcm and ecm modules bad. Do some research on the car and noticed it had a recall back in 2014 for EBCM. The problem has resurfaced

NHTSA ODI 11712837

Sep 14, 2025

have a 2014 Malibu with 132,000 miles. . It stalls in traffic, at intersections and stop signs, which is a dangerous safety issue. The Auto Stop will engage and when I put my foot on the accelerator, it stalls out. Also does it right when I start the engine at times.

NHTSA ODI 11687212

Sep 13, 2025Electrical system

Unknown, The ignition switch turns on when off position or restart engine when in off selection on ignition switch And the radio is powered back on if key left in the ignition switch powered off When u leave vehicle

NHTSA ODI 11687053

Sep 11, 2025Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlEngine

Received vehicle at roughly 181,000 miles. Operated fine for about 5,000 miles and then began to show problems. In most cases when pressing down hard on the accelerator pedal, transmission drops into a lower gear and revs up to 5k rpm, cancelling cruise control, and staying there until accelerator is relieved. This makes accelerating more difficult since too much pressure on the accelerator pedal causes the car to get stuck at 5k rpm and stay at the same speed it is already at. This makes passing cars more dangerous as the car gets stuck at 5k rpm and can't pass the other vehicle, increasing the risk of a head on collision. Service engine and ABS lights are on as well as a service Stabilitrak notification in the driver information center. In addition, the outside temperature thermometer is faulty and shows much lower temperatures, such as -14 degrees during an 80 degree day. Vehicle is up to maintenance as far as my knowledge goes. Car has been previously junked twice and has a rebuilt title. There are no fluid leaks, the engine works well when the problem is not encountered, but it gets stuck at 5k rpm under hard acceleration more than it doesn't.

NHTSA ODI 11686600

Sep 11, 2025

I receive a message on my screen stated to shift to park when it is already in park. I have to wiggle the shifter as well as try multiple times before the screen clears. I looked at information stating this is a problem but not to the level of recall but fixed by the dealership. I was told my vehicle did not qualify for the free repair. Wondering why?

NHTSA ODI 11686679

Aug 29, 2025Electrical system

I have been an issue with my auto stop system past 6 months. While driving and coming to a complete stop the auto stop kicks into gear as it should but when I release the gas pedal to drive off it stalls for a about 20 seconds unlocking/locking doors and proceeds to kick into drive gear. I have had auxiliary battery checked and it’s good. Checked main battery components those are good too! No check engine light came on only when I removed auxiliary battery removed to have it diagnosed it did give me a code of UO101 but quickly went away when replaced. Still trying to figure what the issue may be but it’s becoming more and more constant and worse. Dangerous when it happens on uphill and cars behind because car rolls backwards almost hitting them.

NHTSA ODI 11684023

Aug 25, 2025BrakesElectrical system

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the heater and A/C system were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was provided an estimate for the repairs and for other unrelated repairs. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. Additionally, the contact stated that after turning off the vehicle, the vehicle restarted independently without the key in the ignition switch. The contact also stated that while driving and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle hesitated while responding, causing the braking distance to be extended. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 139,098.

NHTSA ODI 11682804

Aug 24, 2025AirbagsCrash1 injury

Was in a bad wreck, other drivers car deployed airbags, mine did not but engine shut off and hazards stayed on. Crash was about 30 miles an hour or so at impact.

NHTSA ODI 11682743

Jul 23, 2025EngineFuel system

Automatic Start/Stop feature is faulty! When it activates, it prevents the engine from restarting for several minutes. This puts myself and others in my car at a major risk of getting in an accident. I have so far been lucky and avoided any accidents. Several thousand has ben spent to try and fix the issue, with no luck.

NHTSA ODI 11675623

Jul 1, 2025Fuel system

Cant pass smog due to code P2646

NHTSA ODI 11670516

Jun 30, 2025Electrical systemEngineFuel system

The headlights burn out frequently the air conditioner does not work the ignition had to be replaced there's always a code of p0171 the start/stop feature does not work the brakes make the car shake. When does stuff takes place I have to pull the vehicle over cousin me to put others in danger by being on the shoulder of the road broke down. Yes the car is available for inspection. The radio randomly turns on and off therefore the backup camera does not work as it should why this vehicle has not been recalled is beyond me.

NHTSA ODI 11670354

Jun 12, 2025

Car rolls backwards when stopped on an incline until the brakes are pumped two to three times

NHTSA ODI 11666600

Jun 4, 2025

I have to change sensor for the oil every year. Small battery in the back I have to replace it every year

NHTSA ODI 11664979

Apr 30, 2025Engine

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and jerked with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 213,310. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11657903

Apr 14, 2025Brakes

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 20-25 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The contact was unsure if any warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to Firestone, where it was diagnosed that the rotors had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Most recently, the contact stated that the vehicle needed to be warm for the defrost system to work. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V240000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

NHTSA ODI 11654467

Apr 4, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that upon driving four miles at approximately 35 MPH, the engine overheated. The message "Engine Overheating" was displayed. The temperature gauge increased to Hot. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact added water to the vehicle, but the water drained out. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the heater coil had failed. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 105,670.

NHTSA ODI 11652738

Mar 3, 2025Electrical systemBrakesEngine

This is now the THIRD time this has happened, and GM doesn't seem to care, because when my mechanic "fixed" my auto stop problem, it was because GM themselves got the code to "fix" my car. My auto stop worked one time, before today, after my repair last week. I was at a stop light where my auto stop turned on. My brakes WERE STUCK AND COULDN'T BRAKE so I put it in park! THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE WHEEL AND BRAKE LOCKING OCCURRED. GM FIX THIS!

NHTSA ODI 11646105

Feb 24, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the lights on the gear shifter was flashing, with the power steering assist and parking assist messages displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked violently while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11644493

Feb 18, 2025SteeringElectrical systemBrakes

When the auto stop feature turns on, the car totally stops, and doesn't turn the engine back on for 20 minutes. I had complained about this before, and the mechanic did NOT fix it, so I am complaining AGAIN! I was in the middle of the street when it stalled! The steering wheel and brake locks up, and it's impossible for the engine to turn on. It revs, but doesn't work. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.

NHTSA ODI 11643315

Feb 15, 2025Electrical system

Auto start stop malfunctioning, my safety as well as my children have been in the car when the car has stopped while in the middle of driving. It has stopped in the middle of the road and on the freeway in moving traffic and for 1-3 minutes the car won’t start back up leaving me and my family stranded in the middle of the road where anyone can and have almost hit us. When I’ve sent the car to my dealer mechanic he told me the car cuts off like that because it runs hot when that is not the reason after he told me that he fixed I drove off and it stopped on me as the light was turning green for traffic to go. The car had the issue about 3 days after i purchased it I’ve which was last year 2024 in June and as of now the issue still hasn’t been fixed by the dealer

NHTSA ODI 11642930

Feb 14, 2025SteeringEngine

When I was on auto stop, my car never started back up. The steering wheel and brakes were frozen, and I could barely pull off the road I was on. Turning the key did not help, as the engine wouldn't turn back on.

NHTSA ODI 11642755

Jan 11, 2025

I am uncertain of what’s causing this major issue to happen. I see a lot of forums of other customers having the same exact issue and it is a HUGE SAFETY RISK in my personal opinion from experience. For the last maybe 9 months I’ve been dealing with the auto stop feature coming on, then once you let off the break the car doesn’t crank back up. This is very scary in traffic and stoplights much less everywhere!!! I have to turn the key to off and place it back in park, then proceed to crank back up. Only nearly EVERY SINGLE TIME it also will not crank up manually. Also, this issue is not showing ANY check engine codes, so diagnosing this issue has not been resolved. I’ve been stuck waiting 20 minutes or so. Please PLEASE recall whatever is causing this issue for so many of us customers!!!

NHTSA ODI 11635384

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Working with the data? Download all 361 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2014 Chevrolet Malibu verdict →