Home · 2017 Chevrolet Malibu Eco · Complaints

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)

131 of 687 complaints match · Speed control · clear filters · page 3 of 6

Mar 23, 2021Speed control

CAR KEEPS GOING INTO REDUCE POWER MODE 2 TO 3 TIMES A DAY HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAY CONSTANTLY VERY DANGEROUS WILL NEVER PURCHASE ANOTHER CHEVY AGIAN

NHTSA ODI 11404593

Mar 20, 2021Speed controlEngine

CAR WENT INTO LOW POWER MODE AND WOULDN'T DRIVE OVER THE SPEED OF 15-20 MILES AN HOUR.

NHTSA ODI 11404035

Feb 22, 2021Speed controlFuel system

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND REDUCED POWER MESSAGE DIAPLAYED.

NHTSA ODI 11397450

Feb 19, 2021Speed controlEngineDriver assistance

VEHICLE REDUCES POWER AT RANDOM TIMES. WITHOUT BEING SIGNALED TO DO SO. HAS HAPPENED ON THE HIGH WAY AND STREETS

NHTSA ODI 11396888

Feb 19, 2021Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlEngine

I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY TRYING TO PASS ANOTHER CAR, BUT WHILE I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL THE ENGINE POWER REDUCE WITH ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY CAR STARTED LOOSING IT'S SPEED. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON AND NOW MY REMOTE START(FOB) WILL NOT START. IT ATTEMPS TO START BUT THE ENGINE WILLNOT TURN OVER.

NHTSA ODI 11397057

Feb 17, 2021Speed controlEngine

THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT IS CONTINUING TO APPEAR. I TOOK IT TO MY GM DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THEY CAN'T FIX IT. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN. DROPPING FROM 60 MPH TO 30 MPH ON THE FREEWAY/HIGHWAY IS NOT SAFE.

NHTSA ODI 11396661

Feb 10, 2021Speed controlEngine

I WAS DRIVING ON THE STREET WHEN MY ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED NOTIFICATION CAME UP ON MY DASH BOARD. MY ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 45MPH WHEN THE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT REDUCED MY SPEED TO 20MPH. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT HOME AT THE 20MPH SPEED. I PARKED IT OVERNIGHT AND CHECKED ON IT THE NEXT MORNING. WHEN STARTING MY CAR THE NEXT DAY THE ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED LIGHT WAS STILL ON. I WAS LOOKING ONLINE AND OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. WHAT IS GOING ON. I NEED HELP

NHTSA ODI 11395570

Feb 8, 2021Speed control

MY CAR WILL SAY "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" AND IT WILL NOT LET ME ACCELERATE AFTER IT HAPPENS. AFTER I SHUT MY CAR OFF AND BACK ON, THE ENGINE LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON.

NHTSA ODI 11395118

Jan 31, 2021Speed controlBrakesEngine

II BOUGHT MY 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU LS IN AUGUST OF 2017, IN JANUARY OF 2018 MY FIRST ENGINE LIGHT WARNING CAME ON WITH MESSAGE "SHIFT TO PARK" CAME ON WHEN THE CAR WAS ALREADY IN PARK. I MOVED TO DENVER, CO IN JUNE OF 2018 , DURING MY LONG WHILE DRIVING THROUGH THE ROCKIES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SHOWING "STABILITY TRACK ISSUES. IN NOVEMBER 2018 WHILE MY FAMILY WAS DRIVING HOME IN A SNOW STORM YET ANOTHER ENGINE LIGHT SHOWING "ENGINE POWEWR REDUCED" THE CAR WENT FROM A 45 MPH DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY BECAUSE OF HEAVY SNOW TO ALMOST 20 MPH TOO SLOW FOR FREEWAY SPEEDS EVEN IN SNOW. I TOOK IT TO THE CHEVY DEALERSHIP THEY SAID IT WAS A DIRTY SPEED SENSOR. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH I WAS REACHING THE END OF THE FREEWAY WHEN THE CAR COMPLETELY SHUT OFF, I REACTED BY HITTING MY BRAKES BUT THE PEDAL WAS HARD AS A ROCK, I LOOKED UP AND I WAS FASTLY APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION SO I USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE GOT ON THE RIIGHT DIRT SHOULDER, AND WAS ABLE TO SLOW IT DOWN TO ABOUT 35 MPH BEFORE REACHING THE INTERSECTION WHERE I TOOK A SHARP RIGHT TURN TO AVOID HITIING CARS IN FRONT OF ME AND SPUN OUT. THE CAR ISHOWED A MESSAGE "NO REMOTE DETECTED: IT WOULD CRANK BUT NOT START . BEING THAT THE CAR WARRENTY WAS ALREADY EXPIRED I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANICS SHOP WHERE THEY DISCOVERED A CODE READING "BRAKE BOOSTER SENSOR" THEY DISCOVERED A SHATTERED VACUUM PUMP. I GOT IT REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE AS WELL AS THE BRAKE SENSOR. I STILL HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO START IT. BECAUSE OF COVID-19 AND MY FINANCIAL SITUATION I HAVE NOT TAKEN IT TO A DEALERSHIP. I AM SAVING TO HAVE IT TOWED THERE AND HOPEFULLY REPAIRING IT BUT I'M SURE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE WALLET FRIENDLY. WE WERE EXCITED WHEN WE BOUGHT OUR FIRST NEW CAR IT DIDN'T LAST LONG. NOW HOPEFULLY A RECALL AND SOME JUSTICE FOR US HARD WORKING PEOPLE THAT WANT ONLY A RELIABLE CAR WITH NO HIDDEN REPAIR SURPRISES.

NHTSA ODI 11390833

Jan 21, 2021Speed control

WHILE DRIVING AT INTERSTATE SPEEDS THE VEHICLE HAS NOW FLASHED WARNING (REDUCED ENGINE SPEED) AND COMPLETELY DROPPED VEHICLE BELOW 40 MPH. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE LAST WEEK WITH POSSIBLE RESULTS OF GETTING IN A CRASH. I SAFELY MOVED VEHICLE TO SHOULDER AND TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED VEHICLE. THE ISSUED RESOLVED ITSELF THE FIRST TIME THEN A WEEK LATER IT HAPPENED AGAIN WITH NO FIX AFTER THE SHUT OFF AND RESTART. I HAVE READ FORUMS ON THIS ISSUE WITH 2016-2018 MODELS. I AM LOOKING TO SEE IF THERE IS A SAFETY RECALL TO GET THE DEFECTIVE PART FIXED FROM AN AUTHORIZED CHEVY DEALERSHIP.

NHTSA ODI 11389183

Jan 15, 2021Speed control

WHILE I WAS AT THE HIGHWAY I WAS TRYING TO PASS ANOTHER CAR, BUT WHILE I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. ENGINE POWER REDUCE WITH ENGINE LIGHT ON CAME UP WITH CODE P2138 AND MY CAR STARTED LOOSING IT'S SPEED. ITS NOT THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENS , IT HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES. THIS CODE IS GETTING ANNOYING AND I HAVE SEEN MANY CASES WITH OTHER CUSTOMERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND THERE'S NO SOLVING TO THIS PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 11388308

Jan 6, 2021Speed controlEngine

WHEN DRIVING MY CAR, IT SUDDENLY STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY AND DISPLAYS A 'LOSS ENGINE POWER CODE'. I NOTICED THAT QUITE A BIT OF OTHER MALIBU OWNERS HAVE BEEN HAVING THIS SAME ISSUE

NHTSA ODI 11386853

Dec 30, 2020Speed controlEngine

REDUCED SPEED ENGINE PROBLEM WILL REDUCE SPEED WHILE DRIVING

NHTSA ODI 11385695

Dec 29, 2020Transmission & drivetrainSpeed control

REDUCED ENGINE POWER WARNING 12/29/20 PLUS NUMEROUS OCCURRENCES IN 2019 WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY; VEHICLE SLOWS TO 40MPH WITHOUT WARNING SHIFT TO PARK WARNING WHEN VEHICLE ALREADY IN PARK, CAN'T SHUT OFF VEHICLE UNTIL IT RECOGNIZES PARK, OFTEN TAKING UPWARDS OF 10 MINUTES OF REPEATED SHIFTING STABILITRACK SENSOR WARNING AND LOSS OF CRUISE CONTROL, AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS

NHTSA ODI 11385393

Dec 15, 2020Speed control

STARTED LAST NOVEMBER 2019 I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND SUDDENLY MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN A ENGINE POWER REDUCE COMES ON AND MY CAR STARTS TO SLOW DOWN. TOOK TO CHEVY AND WAS TOLD THEY COULD NOT TEST THE DIAGNOSTIC BECAUSE MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS NO LONGER ON. FAST FORWARD TO THIS SEPTEMBER 2020 AND IT STARTED UP AGAIN AND HAS BEEN ON AND OFF SINCE. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS IT HAPPENS AT ANY POINT IM DRIVING WHETHER IT'S ON THE FREEWAY OR SMALL ROAD. I'M HAVING TO PULL OVER AND TURN MY CAR OFF! I HAVE TEENAGE DAUGHTERS AND 2 SMALL BOYS THAT I HAVE IN MY CAR WHEN THIS HAPPENS AND IT'S VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS! SO TODAY DECEMBER 15, 2020 I TOOK IT BACK TO CHEVY AND GETTING IT CHECKED. I WAS TOLD IT COULD TAKE UP TO 5 DAYS AND I'M REALLY HOPING THIS IS A FACTORY RECALL DUE TO THE SAFETY OF THIS HAPPENING WHILE DRIVING AND DRIVING AT FAST SPEED ON THE FREEWAY!

NHTSA ODI 11383568

Dec 7, 2020Speed controlEngine

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR DOWN THE ROAD A MESSAGE DISPLAYED SAYING "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED" AND I COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR OVER 20 MILES PER HOUR. THIS THANKFULLY OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING THROUGH A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD SO I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PARK MY CAR. THROUGH RESEARCH THERE IS A KNOWN DEFECT WITH A FAULTY ACCELERATOR SENSOR THAT CAUSES THIS. IT IS THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE GETTING THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 2017. THIS IS SCARY BECAUSE IT WAS INSTANT AND I COULD HAVE BEEN ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THIS OCCURRED.

NHTSA ODI 11378199

Dec 3, 2020Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlEngine

I WAS DRIVING ON A ROAD AT 47 MILES AN HOUR. OUT OF NO WHERE, THE CAR SLOWED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 15 MILES AN HOUR. ON THE DASH BOARD A NOTICE FLASH STATING "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" I WAS BARELY ABLE TO NAVIGATE OUT OF TRAFFIC WITHOUT BEING HIT. THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN SEVERAL HOURS LATER WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY HOME, I HAD TO CONSTANTLY KEEP PULLING OVER.

NHTSA ODI 11377726

Nov 26, 2020Speed controlEngine

I OWN A 2017 CHEVY MALIBU LT. I WAS DRIVING AT AROUND 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN SUDDENLY I RECEIVED A MESSAGE ON THE DASHBOARD STATING, 'ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED'. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE AND I HAD TO FRANTICALLY FIND A WAY TO PULL OVER TO THE RIGHT WHILE THE VEHICLE STARTED SLOWING DOWN TO JUST ABOUT 20 MPH. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I RESEARCHED ONLINE, AND FOUND OUT THAT THIS EXACT THING HAS HAPPENED TO MANY PEOPLE WHO ALSO OWN A CHEVY MALIBU 2016-2018. GM NEEDS TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER MAKING THIS A RECALL.

NHTSA ODI 11376430

Nov 20, 2020Speed control

IT REDUCES POWER TO THE EGINE

NHTSA ODI 11375567

Nov 6, 2020Electrical systemSpeed controlEngine

MY CARS CUT OFF AND THEN DISPLAY POWER STEERING REDUCES DRIVE WITH CAUTION THIS IS SCARY BECAUSE MY SON IS WITH ME IN THE CAR IT'S JUST CUT OFF EVERY TIME I STOP OR I'M DRIVING

NHTSA ODI 11373527

Oct 20, 2020Speed controlElectronic Stability Control (esc)

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH WHEN MY CAR DISPLAYED A WARNING ON THE DASH THAT THE POWER IS REDUCED AND THE TRACTION CONTROL AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SIMULTANEOUSLY. THE SPEED REDUCED TO 20 AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND SHUT OFF THE CAR. I RESTARTED IT AFTER A MINUTE AND THE TRACTION LIGHT WENT OFF BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. THE CAR THEN DROVE AT NORMAL SPEED THE REST OF THE WAY HOME. THIS IS TERRIFYING AS I DIDN'T HAVE A SHOULDER TO PULL OFF AND HAD TO PULL IN SOMEONES DRIVEWAY. LUCKILY NOBODY PLOWED INTO ME. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE MY CAR ANYWHERE

NHTSA ODI 11365463

Oct 11, 2020Speed control

I PURCHASED MY 2017 MALIBU FROM JUD KUHN IN SC, IT HAD 40,000 MILES WHEN PURCHASED. WEEK 2 I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT HIT THE GAS TO TAKE OFF THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T MOVE SO I HIT THE GAS A LITTLE HARDER STILL NOTHING THEN SUDDENLY IT JERKED AND TOOK OFF FAST. I THOUGHT MAYBE MY FOOT WASNT ON THE HAS RIGHT. THE NEXT DAY I GOT IN THE CAR TO BACK OUT MY DRIVE WAY AND IT DID IT AGAIN THE SAME EXACT WAY. THE SAME DAY THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ONSTAR SENT ME A EMAIL ABOUT A EMISSION ISSUE. I CALLED THE CAR DEALER TOLD THEM ABOUT THE ACCELERATION ISSUE AND THE ENGINE LIGHT. NO ONE CALLED ME BACK AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT OUT . A FEW DAYS LATER THE LIGHT RETURNED AND I CALLED AGAIN. THIS TIME THEY SERVICED IT STATING THE CAR NEEDED A COMPUTER UPDATE AND CHARGED ME 100 DOLLARS AND STATED THEY COULDNT FIND THE PROBLEM WITH ACCELERATION AND THE UPDATE MAY HAVE FIXED IT. SUNDAY OCT 11TH I WENT TO LEAVE ME HOUSE AGAIN AND THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE THE SAME THING HAPPENED HIT THE GAS WOULDN'MTOVE THEN TOOK OFF. I GOT OUT OF THE DRIVE WAY ONTO THE ROAD AND IT DID IT AGAIN. AT THIS POINT I'M SCEPTICAL ABOUT THE DEALER AS WELL AS THE VEHICLE AND I HAVE CHILDREN AND AM AFRAID THAT ONE DAY I WILL PULL OUT INFRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND MAY BE HIT BECAUSE OF THE ACCELERATION ISSUES. I'M CALLING THE DEALER AGAIN TODAY

NHTSA ODI 11363775

Sep 30, 2020SteeringSpeed control

RECENTLY I HAVE A MESSAGE APPEAR ON MY DISPLAY SCREEN. WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT OF COURSE THE CAR SHUTS OFF BUT WHEN THE TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNS GREEN AND THE CAR STARTS BACK, I GET THE MESSAGE STEERING ASSIST REDUCED. I'VE BEEN SEEING THIS MESSAGE FOR A FEW WEEKS NOW. THIS MORNING ON MY WAY TO WORK, ONCE AGAIN THE MESSAGE APPEARS AND THIS TIME MY DOORS UNLOCKED & LOCKED, THE VEHICLE REDUCED SPEED AND I DROVE IT AT THAT SPEED UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO MERGE OFF THE HIGHWAY. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND RESTARTED THE CAR. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO WORK BUT CONSTANTLY PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL OR PARK WHEN I GOT TO A RED TRAFFIC LIGHT. THIS REALLY SCARED ME WHILE DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. SEVERAL CARS HAD TO GO AROUND ME DUE TO REDUCED SPEED. I SEE SEVERAL PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. GOT TO BE A RECALL. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH A CHEVY DEALERSHIP ON TOMORROW AND HOPEFULLY I'LL GET SOME ANSWERS. PRAYING WHATEVER THE PROBLEM IS UNDER WARRANTY. I NEED ANSWERS!!!

NHTSA ODI 11362091

Sep 21, 2020Speed control

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ENGINE POWER REDUXE LIGHT CAME ON DASH. VEHICLE DECELERATED RAPIDLY ON MAJOR HIGHWAY WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BY SEMI TRACTOR TRIAILER. WAS ABLE TO TURN CAR OFF AND IT WENT AWAY. BUT HAS RETURNED NEXT DAY. I CONTACTED GM 09/21/20 AMD THEY STATED THEY WERE AWARE OF ONGOING ISSUES AND I COULD BRING IT IN TO GET LOOKED AT BUT WOULD HAVE TO PAY A DIAGNOSTIC FEE

NHTSA ODI 11360187

Jul 9, 2020Speed controlElectronic Stability Control (esc)Fuel system

EVERYTIME I STOP AT A RED LIGHT OR BRAKE THE VEHICLE(WHEN COMING TO A STOP IN TRAFFIC)THE CAR COMPLETELY CUTS OFF.THE ALERT STEERING ASSIST IS REDUCED, DRIVE WITH CARE CONSTANTLY COMES ON WHENEVER THERE IS AN AUTO STOP AND THE CAR RESTARTS. THE RADIO AND AIR WOULD ALSO TURN OFF WHEN AUTO STOP IS ACTIVATED. THIS TURN OFF ALSO CAUSES THE RADIO SCREEN TO GO BLACK FOR A SHORT TIME UNTIL IT RESTARTS. WHICH IS A BIG PROBLEM AND DANGEROUS WHEN DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. THE NORMAL AUTO STOP WOULD BE SOMEWHAT SILENT, BUT WHEN IT TURNS BACK ON NOW IT HISSES AND TURNS BACK ON. I ALSO HEAR SOMETHING AS IF WATER IS PASSING THROUGH PIPES AFTER AND/OR DURING AUTO STOP SOMETIMES. LASTLY, LAST NIGHT(7/8/20)I ATTEMPTED TO TURN ON MY CAR AND BACK OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. THE CAR TURNED ON BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. IT DID NOT ALLOW ME TO SHIFT INTO ANY GEARS OR ACCELERATE. I NOTICED THE LIGHTS THAT ILLUMINATE,D,R,L,ETC. WAS NOT ILLUMINATING AT THAT TIME WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO SHIFT GEARS. I THEN TURNED THE CAR OFF BUT IT STATED SHIFT TO PARK. NOTE THE CAR WAS IN PARK. AFTER I LET IT SIT IN PARK FOR A WHILE I TRIED RESTARTING THE CAR AND IT RESTARTED. THE CAR SHIFTED IN TO GEARS AND ACCELERATED. NOTE: THE CAR ALLOWED ME TO MOVE THE SHIFT IN AND OUT OF GEARS BUT IT WAS NOT CATCHING. THE STOPPING ISSUE WIT THE STEERING REDUCED ALERT STARTED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO(AROUND JUNE 25,2020). HEARING THE WATER SOUND BEGAN AROUND THE THE BEGINNING OF MARCH 2020. LASTLY THE SHIFTING ISSUE BEGAN LAST NIGHT,7/8/20. WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY I DO THE SPEED LIMIT 60-70 MPH. ON THE CITY STREETS I DRIVE THE SPEED LIMIT RANGING 25MPH-40 MPH.

NHTSA ODI 11338341

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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 →