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What 687 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

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 (687)Crash / fire / injury (20)Engine (242)Electrical system (163)Transmission & drivetrain (137)Speed control (131)Brakes (62)Fuel system (55)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (54)Steering (45)Body & structure (21)Lights (21)

54 of 687 complaints match · Electronic Stability Control (esc) · clear filters · page 3 of 3

Oct 24, 2018SuspensionElectronic Stability Control (esc)

WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE SWERVES AND FISHTAILS FROM TIME TO TIME. DEALER IS STAING STABILITRAK NEEDS TO BE REPAIRED, THE CAR HAS GOOD TIRES, HASN'T BEEN INVOLVED IN ANY ACCIDENT AND IS TOO NEW TO BE HAVING THIS ISSUE

NHTSA ODI 11142350

Sep 17, 2018Electronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

I PURCHASED 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU IN 03/ 2017 WITH APPROXIMATELY 7 MILES AT THE OURISMAN ROCKMONT CHEVROLET, LOCATED IN ROCKVILLE, MARYLAND. AT ABOUT 20,000 (12/23/2018) MILES I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT DIAGNOSED AS I HAD A NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE WHEN I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT & THEN TRIED TO ACCELERATE WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN EXCEPT THE CAR STALLED ONCE THE EMISSIONS PORTION OF THE CAR TRIED TO KICK IN, IT CUT OFF AND DID NOT RESTART IN THE MIDDLE OF A 4 WAY INTERSECTION. I TRIED RESTARTING THE CAR FOR ABOUT 0 MINS UNTIL THEN FINALLY THE ACR RESTARTED AGAIN. THIS OCCURENCE CONTINUED TO HAPPEN PEIODICALLY, I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE CAUSE OF THIS REACTION, BUT I LET THE DEALERSHIP KNOW IF EVERY INSTANCE AND BROUGHTTHE CAR IN TO BE CHECKED AT 20,000 MILES, 24,000 , 26, 000 MILES & 27,000 MILES. I WAS TOLD BY THE REPRESENTATIVE "GUY" THAT GMC WAS NOTIFIED AND THAT I SHOULDN'T CONTINUE TO BRING THE CAR THERE. THAT WAS APRIL 2018. UNFORTUNATELY, THE INCIDENT HAPPENED AGAIN WHILE I WAS LEAVING THE GARAGE AT WORK. CAR CUT OFF ANOTHER CAR ALMOST SLAMMED IN THE BACK OF MY CAR DUE THE ABRUPTNESS OF THE CAR GOING OUT. THE SSUE HAS NEVER BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND DURING THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT AUGUST 2018 I TOOK THE CAR IN TO ADVISE THEM OF THIS ISSUE IN ADDITION TO A KNOCKING SOUND IN THE REAR OF THE CAR. I WAS TOLD IN AUGUST 2018 THAT I AM OUTSIDE OF MY WARRANTY AND THAT I WOULD BE CHARGED A DIAGNOSTIC FEE. MY CAR HAS ABOUT 50,000 MILES CURRENTLY. THAT IS NEITHER HERE OR THERE. AS THE ORIGINAL ISSUE WAS NEVER ADDRESSED WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY AND I AM NOT WILLING TO LOSE MY LIFE TRYING TO HAVE THIS CAR REPAIRED IN A TIMELY FASHION. INSTEAD I HAVE SPENT HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS IN RENTAL CAR FEES AS I AM NOT COMFORTABLE DRIVING IN A CAR WITH AN ISSUE SO SEVERE THAT GMC WAS NOTIFIED AND STILL HAS NOT BEEN TO RECTIFY THIS ISSUE WITH MY CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11129895

Apr 5, 2018Electrical systemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

MY 2017 MALIBU HAD A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER, IT HAPPENED WHILE ON VACATION. WHILE IN TRAFFIC ON A DARK CURVY ROAD, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER, THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AS WELL AS A MESSAGE INDICATING LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. I PULLED OVER AN RESTARTED THE VEHICLE, IT DID NOT GAIN FULL ENGINE POWER BACK. I WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY MAKE IT TO MY DESTINATION. THE NEXT MORNING (KIDS IN TOW) THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON, AND THE VEHICLE STILL SEEMED SLUGGISH. WHILE DRIVING HOME ( OR TO A DEALERSHIP IF POSSIBLE) THE CAR AGAIN LOST POWER AND I HAD TO PULL OVER AS TO NOT OBSTRUCT TRAFFIC. UPON GETTING THE VEHICLE SERVICED, THEY CLAIM THE MATTER WAS RESOLVED I AM NOT CONFIDENT,

NHTSA ODI 11083454

Jan 9, 2018Electronic Stability Control (esc)Brakes

ON FRIDAY DECEMBER 29, 2017 AS WE WERE DRIVING HOME WE ALMOST RE-ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE IN A CITY STREET AT THE SPEED OF 55 MPH DUE TO CAR BRAKES LOCKING AND HARD TO PRESS DOWN, LUCKILY HARD WE WERE ABLE FO BRAKE BY PUSHING HARD ENOUGH. ALSO SENSOR HAVE FAILED TWICE- THREE TIMES IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND WILL BRAKE ON THEIR OWN WITHOUT ANY CAR BEING DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME WHICH IS SCARY AND COULD CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY. WE CONTACT GMC AND FILED A CLAIM (83737025405) AND ALSO TOOK IT TO THE CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP IN OUR HOMETOWN WHICH IS NOT DOING MUCH BUT CHARGING US $1000+ FOR A CHANGE ON A VACUUM TOP AND SEAL BUT DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR WE HAVE ALMOST CRASHED OVER 4 TIMES DUE TO THESE ISSUES.

NHTSA ODI 11061491

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Working with the data? Download all 687 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 24, 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 2017 Chevrolet Malibu Eco verdict →