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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)

4 of 687 complaints match · Engine · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jul 1, 2020EngineCrash2 injuries

ENGINE LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND OFF FOR THE PASS YEAR.THIS IS A 2017 AND THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING THIS SOON. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY CHANGED THE BATTERY. ABOUT 2 MONTHS LATER THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE PERSON LET ME KNOW THE BATTERY IS FINE. THE CODE THAT CAME UP ON THE COMPUTER I BELIEVE IS P011, SOMETHING WITH THE AIR FILTER. I WAS TOLD I HAVE TO PAY THIS TIME BECAUSE MY WARRANTY WAS NO LONGER VALID. THIS CAR IS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD MY ENGINE LIGHT SHOULD NOT BE ON THIS SOON. MY CAR IS IN MOTION WHEN THE LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11331971

Jun 18, 2019SteeringElectronic Stability Control (esc)EngineCrash

THE VERY FIRST ADVANCED DIAGNOSTIC REPORT BY 'ONSTAR" EMAILED TO ME ON 04/07/2017, WAS LESS THAN 30 DAYS AFTER THE FINAL SALE OF MY VEHICLE. I CALLED THE SERVICE TEAM FOR THE FIRST TIME ON APRIL 7, 2019 @4:13PM. (SEE PHONE RECORDS) I AM UNSURE OF THE MILEAGE HOWEVER; I DO CONFIRM IT WAS WITHIN THE 30 DAYS OF ME PURCHASING THE CAR AND I SPOKE WITH A SERVICE REP BY THE NAME OF GUY. AT THE TIME OF SALE, THE CAR HAD 15 MILES TOTAL. THE DIAGNOSTIC MESSAGE RECEIVED ON APRIL 7, 2017 WAS "AN ISSUE WITH THE EMISSIONS/ ENGINE POWER REDUCED/ENGINE STALLED". THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ALSO ON I HAVE RECEIVED AN EMAIL TO THAT EFFECT EVERY MONTH THEREAFTER, AND TO DATE. EACH TIME CAUSING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. I HAVE ALSO ATTEMPTED TO HAVE THE CAR REPAIRED MULTIPLE TIMES, WITHIN WARRANTY AND WHILE OUT OF WARRANTY, BY TWO DEALERSHIPS. 1. ROCKMONT OURISMAN CHEVROLET &2. SPORTS CHEVROLET. BOTH SERVICE TEAMS NEVER RESOLVING THE ISSUE. THE LAST FEW TIMES THE CAR WAS IN FOR SERVICE AT THE SENIOR ADVISOR'S RECOMMENDATION WAS ON 10/17/2018 FOR 1 DAY, 11/09/2018-11/13/2018 FOR 4 DAYS AND FINALLY 12/10/2018-01/17/2019, OVER 1 MONTH AT THE SPORTS CHEVROLET. DURING THIS TIME, UNFORTUNATELY, I WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY; THEREFORE, I SPENT QUITE A BIT OF OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES ON A RENTAL VEHICLE FOR THE DAYS MY CAR WAS IN FOR REPAIR, EVEN THOUGH THIS ISSUE WAS OBVIOUSLY RELATING THE SAME UNRESOLVED COMPLAINT FROM APRIL 7, 2017 AND THAT A CHEVROLET SENIOR ADVISOR RECOMMENDED I GO THERE. I FOUND THE SENIOR ADVISORS TO BE UNHELPFUL AND LIMITED IN REMEDYING SIMPLE COMMON SENSE CUSTOMER CONCERNS. I HAVE LOTS OF DOCUMENTATION

NHTSA ODI 11220976

Mar 23, 2018Electrical systemEngineFire

MY 2017 CHEVROLET MALIBU EXPLODED AND CAUGHT FIRE AFTER IT HAD BEEN PARKED FOR HOURS ON THE STREET. IT STARTED FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND MELTED THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD. MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL DEFECT FROM THE ENGINE OF THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11080993

Jul 28, 2017Body & structureWheelsEngineFire

THE CAR WAS PARKED AND OFF IN OUR DRIVEWAY FOR 15 MINUTES -HORN STARTED WENT OUT SAW SMOKE CALLED 911 AND BY THE TIME BACK AT FRONT DOOR FLAMES FROM FRONT END. FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AND PUT OUT FIRE -CAR TOTALED. WORRIED ABOUT SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION ESPECIALLY IF CAR PARKED IN GARAGE OR CLOSER TO HOUSE OR IF PEOPLE INSIDE

NHTSA ODI 11011224

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 →