What 689 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

THE CAR IS A 2018 AND THE DEALER SAYS THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL SHIFTER IS BAD. THE CAR READS IT'S IN PARK BUT SAYS SHIFT TO PARK TO SHUT CAR OFF. IN TALKING WITH OTHERS FOUND OUT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM AS WELL. I JUST BOUGHT IT USED IN JULY 2020 WITH 41000 MILES AND IT'S BEEN DOING THIS SINCE I GOT IT OFF AND ON. I TOOK IT TO DEALER TO REPORT PROBLEMS BEFORE I HAD IT 30 DAYS AND WAS TOLD THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUES.

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CAR IS STATIONARY WHILE WAITING FOR RED LIGHT TO CHANGE, THE CAR WILL SHUT OFF AND REDUCED DRIVING ASSISTANCE ERROR MESSAGE WILL POP UP BEFORE TURNING BACK ON. THE RADIO WILL ALSO CUT OUT IN PROCESS OF CAR TURNING BACK ON FRIM AUTO SHUT OFF. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR OVER A MONTH AND SEEMS TO GET WORSE. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON TODAY ASWELL

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WHILE DRIVING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON , DISPLAY SAID DIMINISHED ENGINE POWER , NO THROTTLE RESPONSE

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WHEN CAR IS STATIONARY WAITING FOR RED LIGHT TO CHANGE, THE CAR WILL SHUT OFF AND POWER CYCLE SHOWING STABILITRAK ERROR MESSAGE BEFORE TURNING BACK ON. THIS ALSO OCCURS WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY AND ENGINE IS OFF FOR SEVERAL HOURS.

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WHEN PLACING MY CAR IN PARK, A WARNING COMES ON THAT MY CAR IS NOT IN PARK WHICH THEN CAUSES ME TO BE UNABLE TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF. I THEN HAVE TO GO THROUGH EACH GEAR AND JIGGLE THE SHIFTER NUMEROUS TIMES TO GET IT TO TURN OFF THE VEHICLE. THIS SOMETIMES TAKES UP TO A HALF HOUR OF SITTING IN MY VEHICLE DOING THAT. IT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE FREQUENT, TO THE POINT IT IS SEVERAL TIMES A DAY NOW. I HAVE READ WHERE MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND FEEL THIS SHOULD DEFINITELY BE A RECALL ITEM AS IT IS DEFINITELY A MANUFACTURER DEFECT

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I WAS DRIVING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD ABOUT 15 MPH. MY CAR BEGAN TO SHAKE, THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS BLINKING, STABILITY TRACK LIGHT WAS ON, AND AN ICON CAME UP SAYING THAT THE 'SERVICE STABLITREK.' I HAD LITTLE CONTROL OVER THE STEERING AND I FELT NO TRACTION WHILE TRYING TO PULL OVER. I ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WHERE THE CAR PROMPTS A SHIFT TO PARK, EVEN THOUGH MY CAR IS IN PARK.

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NARRATIVE FROM DRIVER: "ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 22, 2020, AT APPROXIMATELY 10:45 AM, I LEFT MY RESIDENCE LOCATED IN BOCA RATON, FL WITH MY GSA VEHICLE (TAG G10 3884V) TO DRIVE TO THE MOBIL LUBE OIL EXPRESS (MOBIL) LOCATED AT 90 NW SPANISH RIVER BLVD, BOCA RATON, FL. THE MOBIL IS APPROXIMATELY 3 MILES FROM MY RESIDENCE. I DROVE DIRECTLY FROM MY RESIDENCE TO THE MOBIL AND DID NOT MAKE ANY STOPS. AS I WAS DRIVING AROUND THE BACK OF THE MOBIL BUILDING TO PULL INTO ONE OF THE BAYS FOR AN OIL CHANGE, I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE HOOD OF THE CAR. I IMMEDIATELY PARKED THE CAR IN A PARKING SPACE BEHIND THE MOBIL AND EXITED THE CAR. MOMENTS LATER, FLAMES WERE COMING FROM THE HOOD OF THE CAR. UPON SEEING THE FLAMES, I CALLED 911, WHO THEN CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO CAME AND PUT OUT THE FIRE IN THE CAR. ADDITIONALLY, I CALLED GSA WHO CALLED A TOWING COMPANY (WESTLAKE TOWING) TO TOW THE VEHICLE AWAY FROM THE MOBIL PARKING LOT AS THERE IS EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE AND IT IS INOPERABLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR PROPERTY DAMAGE TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE GSA CAR."

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CAR WON'T SHIFT TO PARK, WHILE IT'S ALREADY IN PARK AND CAR WILL NOT TURN OFF. CHEVROLET SHOULD RECALL THIS BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE. MY CAR WAS BRAND NEW WHEN I BOUGHT IT AND NOW I'M HAVING THIS ISSUE AND I KNOW IT'S NOTHING I HAVE DONE TO CAUSE IT.

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WHEN MY CAR IS IN PARK, MY SYSTEM IS NOT PICKING UP THAT IT IS IN PARK WHICH MEANS I CANT TURN OFF THE VEHICLE WHICH WILL CAUSE THE VEHICLES BATTERY TO DIE. YOU HAVE TO LITERALLY JAM THE SHIFTER IN ORDER FOR THE CAR TO READ IT, WHICH EVENTUALLY DOESN'T WORK EITHER.

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ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED WEN YOU GOING AT 50 TO 60 IN THE FREEWAY IS DANGEROUSLY

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VEHICLE ECM FAILS WHEN ACCELERATING. LOSES POWER/SHUTS DOWN. CANNOT ENTER FREEWAYS, PASS, OR PERFORM OTHER MANEUVERS REQUIRING SUDDEN INCREASE POWER DEMANDS. ECM FAILS TO RECORD INCIDENT. EVERY TIME. EVERY DAY. UPDATED ECM SOFTWARE DOES NOT WORK. RESET CHECK ENGINE MODE SHUTS DOWN OTHER VEHICLE FUNCTIONS. HAVE BEEN TOO CLOSE TO BEING RUN OFF THE INTERSTATE, HIT WHEN ENTERING FROM ON-RAMP, REAR-ENDED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. NHTSA DOES NOT INVESTIGATE BECAUSE DEATH AND INJURY CANNOT BE LINKED TO FAILURES BECAUSE THE MODULE DOES NOT RECORD ISSUES/FAILURES. THERE IS NO FIX. EVERY DAY YOU GET IN YOUR CAR AND WONDER IF TODAY IS THE DAY YOU DIE BECAUSE YOUR VEHICLE FAILED TO PERFORM AT A CRITICAL MOMENT. NOW VEHICLE SHUT DOWNS WHILE DRIVING ON LEVEL SURFACES, AT CONSTANT SPEED, WITH NO ADDITIONAL DEMANDS. AM INSTALLING CAMS TO RECORD TRAFFIC CONDITIONS AND VEHICLE WARNINGS DISPLAYED ON DASH SINCE ECM DOES NOT RECORD FAILURES. I BELIEVE A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION INTO ALL REAR END COLLISIONS INVOLVING 2018 MALIBUS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED SINCE THE VITAL LINK, THE ECM RECORD, HAS BEEN DISABLED BY MANUFACTURER.

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THE VEHICLE HAS A MESSAGE THAT POPS UP ON THE DASH SAYING "SHIFT TO PARK" WHEN THE CAR IS ALREADY IN PARK. THIS DOES NOT ALLOW YOU TO TURN OFF THE CAR. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR IS STATIONARY AND PARKED.

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SHIFT TO PARK WARNING WHEN EXITING VEHICLE WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK AND ENGINE IS OFF

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AFTER TURNING ON MY HEATER AND DRIVING THE CAR 10 MINUTES THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE. I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING WHEN I PARKED AND GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS COMING FROM OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. I CAME BACK TO MY CAR 2 HOURS LATER AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN OUT AND THE FRONT END OF MY CAR WAS COMPLETELY CHARRED.

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MY 2018 CHEVROLET MALIBU HAS A PROBLEM WHEN SHIFTING FROM DRIVE INTO PARK. THE MESSAGE ON MY DASH SAYS " SHIFT TO PARK " EVEN THOUGH IT IS IN PARK. AND YOU CAN NOT SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. YOU CAN TRY SHIFTING IT BACK INTO DRIVE OR LOW AND THEN GO BACK TO PARK BUT WE GET THE SAME MESSAGE " SHIFT TO PARK " AND AGAIN EVEN THOUGH IT IS IN PARK, YOU CAN NOT SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. ISN'T THIS A DANGEROUS SITUATION ?

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I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE DISPLAY READ ENGINE POWER REDUCED. I WASN'T SURE WHAT THAT MEANT SO I PULLED OVER. I TRIED TO PULL OFF AND I HAD NO BRAKES. APPARENTLY SOMETHING IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM BROKE AND MY ENGINE WAS DESTROYED. I TALKED WITH GM AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT HAS HAPPENED BEFORE WITH THIS MODEL CAR.

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GET "SHIFT TO PARK MESSAGE" IT WONT TURN VEHICLE OFF.

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WE HAD THE ECM SYSTEM RECAL FIXED (REPROGRAMMED) AND IT WAS OK, BUT NOW A COUPLE MONTHS LATER ITS DOING IT AGAIN. WHILE DRIVING THE TRACTION LIGHT AND THE ENGINE LIGHT COME ON AND POWER AND SPEED IS REDUCED, WITHOUT WARNING AND WON'T ALLOW ACCELERATION. USUALLY ON THE HIGHWAY. VERY DANGEROUS!

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THE POWER SHIFTER IN THE CAR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AS WITH MANY OF THE OTHER RECENT COMPLAINTS I SEE ON HERE, WHEN I WENT TO TURN OFF THE CAR IT POPPED UP THE "SHIFT TO PARK" WARNING EVEN THOUGH I WAS ALREADY IN PARK AND WOULDN'T POWER OFF THE RADIO OR LIGHTS. IT APPEARS THIS IS A CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THE 2018 MALIBU'S AND SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

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WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN PARK THE SHIFTER DOES NOT FULLY ENGAGE RESULTING IN THE INABILITY TO PARK THE CAR OR TURN IT OFF. THE MESSAGE ON THE DASH SAYS "SHIFT INTO PARK" EVEN THOUGH THE SHIFTER IS ACTUALLY IN PARK.

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WHILE DRIVING IN SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC, I WILL GET A WARNING ON THE DASH THAT STATES "STEERING ASSIST REDUCED, DRIVE CAREFUL" THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES, WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG.

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WHILE DRIVING IN COLDER WEATHER ALONG THE INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH FOR 5 MILES OR LONGER THE STEERING WHEEL SLIGHTLY LOCKS IN AT THE TOP POSITION CAUSING A SLIGHT OVER CORRECTIONS WHEN NEEDING TO TURN THE WHEEL TO CHANGE LANES

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THE LOCKS WILL LOCK/UNLOCK ON THEIR OWN. THE BATTERY HAS TO BE CONSTANTLY JUMPED. THE CAR REJECTED THE ECW MODULE UPDATE.

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THE SHIFT SENSOR ISN'T BEING TRIGGERED WHEN VEHICLE IS IN PARK. I HAVE A FRIEND WITH THE SAME VEHICLE AND SAME PROBLEM. HAVE LOOKED IT UP ON YOUTUBE AND MANY OTHERS ALSO DEAL WITH THIS PROBLEM. WHEN THE CAR IS IN PARK IT DOESN'T READ AS SUCH, MAKING THE BATTERY STAY RUNNING AND DRAIN OR YOU CANNOT TURN YOUR CAR BACK ON UNTIL IT THE SENSOR IS JAMMED.

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MY CAR WAS RECALLED FOR A REDUCED POWER ISSUE IN APRIL 2020. THE VEHICLE WAS EXPERIENCING LOW POWER WHEN DRIVING, CAUSING SLUGGISHNESS AND TURNING OFF WHEN STOPPED AT TRAFFIC SIGNALS. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO OURISMAN CHEVROLET IN MARLOW HEIGHTS, MD ON APRIL 4TH AND THE RECALL WAS ADDRESSED. AS OF THIS WRITING, I AM EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE OF LOW POWER WHEN DRIVING/STOPPING AND AM CONCERNED THAT THE ISSUE (1) WAS NOT PROPERLY ADDRESSED, OR (2) WAS MISDIAGNOSED BY CHEVROLET. WHAT IS MY RECOURSE HERE? I HAVE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE LOOKED AT, AGAIN, AT A CHARGE OF $190, WHICH I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR.

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