What 689 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

MY CAR RANDOMLY DISPLAYED A MESSAGE ON THE DASHBOARD THAT SAID "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" TRACTION LIGHT AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED AND IT BROUGHT MY SPEED LIMIT TO AROUND 20 WHILE I WAS ON A BUSY STREET. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND GOT THE POWER BACK BUT HAS DONE IT 3 MORE TIME IN 2 DAYS. VERY SCARY WITH 2 BABIES IN THE CAR.

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WE WERE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE REDUCED POWER LIGHT, ENGINE LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. THE POWER WAS REDUCED AND WE PULLED OVER, SHUT THE CAR OFF AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES. WE STARTED IT AGAIN AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GAIN SPEED TO GET BACK IN TRAFFIC. THIS HAPPENED ONCE A FEW WEEKS AGO AND TWICE TODAY. IT'S VERY SCARY AND DANGEROUS. WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD. IF TRAFFIC WOULD HAVE BEEN HEAVY IT MAY NOT HAVE TURNED OUT THIS WAY. THIS IS MY SECOND MALIBU WITH THIS PROBLEM. WE HAD IT REPAIRED IN OUR 2016 MALIBU AND THE DEALERSHIP SPLIT THE COST OF THE REPAIRS. THIS TELLS US THEY KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM.

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AFTER 2 MONTHS OF HAVING THIS CAR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND AFTER THE STABILITRAK LIGHT WOULD COME ON WHICH REDUCED THE SPEED OF THE CAR . THIS WOULD COME ON WHEN I'M DRIVING OR EVEN IF I JUST CRANK THE CAR UP FROM IT SITTING OVER NIGHT . I GOT IT TESTED AND THE SHOP DOESN'T KNOW WHY IT KEEPS COMING ON . THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS READS THAT THE THROTTLE NEED TO BE CHANGED BUT THAT'S NOT THE ONLY ISSUE . MY BOYFRIEND BELIEVES THAT THE HUB BEARING NEEDS TO BE FIX BUT WE DON'T KNOW . THE CAR DOES NOT PICK UP SPEED WHEN THE TRACTION LIGHT IS ON . THE TRACTION LIGHT ALSO READS 'ENGINE POWER REDUCE ' BEFORE THE LIGHT COMES ON . I JUST GOT THIS CAR AND I'M NOW HAVING TO SPEND 1,000+ DOLLARS ON A CAR THAT'S 'NEW' . NONE OF THE ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH MY CAR HAS BEEN RECALLED AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY .

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WHILE DRIVING, VEHICLE WITH RANDOMLY DISPLAY ERROR CODE SAYING 'ENGINE POWER REDUCED'. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, THE CAR'S SPEED REDUCES TO ~25 MPH AND IT'S INCREDIBLY HARD TO ACCELERATE PAST THAT. THIS REDUCED ENGINE POWER WARNING COMES ON FREQUENTLY, AND WITHOUT WARNING. SOMETIMES IT WILL GO WEEKS WITHOUT DOING IT, AND SOMETIMES IT WILL DO IT MULTIPLE TIMES A TRIP. EVERY TIME IT HAPPENS, THE ENGINE LIGHT & TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON. THE ONLY THING THAT TEMPORARILY FIXES THE CAR IS PULLING OVER, TURNING THE ENTIRE CAR OFF, THEN TURNING IT BACK ON. THIS OBVIOUSLY IS VERY DANGEROUS WHILE DRIVING WITH ANY TRAFFIC AROUND YOU. ONCE I TURN MY CAR BACK ON, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINS ON (TRACTION LIGHT TURNS OFF), AND THEN EVENTUALLY TURNS OFF BY ITSELF (GRANTED IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN SOON AFTER). AFTER SPEAKING TO OTHER CHEVY OWNERS, I'VE LEARNED THIS IS VERY COMMON & I'VE EVEN BEEN ABLE TO FIND POSTS ON ONLINE FORUMS REGARDING THIS ISSUE.

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THE VEHICLE ENGINE REDUCED POWER WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSING ABRUPT DROP IN SPEED TO LOWER THAN THE SPEED LIMIT ALMOST CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND A BUMPER TO BUMPER COLLISION.

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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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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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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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ON THE FREEWAY GOING ABOUT 70MPH.ENGINE POWER REDUCED LIGHT CAME ON. MY SPEED DROPPED TO 20MPH. VERY SCARY ESPECIALLY WITH A CHILD IN THE CAR. GLAD IT WAS NOT HEAVY TRAFFIC. I WENT TO AUTOZONE. (ERROR CODE P2138)...I CALLED THE WARRANTY DEPARTMENT AND IT IS NOT COVERED.

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WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET I GOT AN ALERT ON THE DASH INDICATING 'ENGINE POWER REDUCED' CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. CAN'T ACCELERATE. CAN'T GO MORE THAN 30 MPH. NO OPEN RECALLS IN MY VEHICLE, BUT SEEMS A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING SAME ISSUE? *TR

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THE RECALL ECM CAUSED ENGINE TO STALL AS I WAS DRIVING UP A HILL, I ACCELERATED TO MAKE UP FOR THE DELAY AND VEERED INTO A PARKED CAR CAUSING MY CAR TO OVER TURN ON THE HOOD. I WAS INJURED AND CAR RENDERED TOTALLED. THIS WAS MY SECOND ACCIDENT. I WAS SIDESTEPPED ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSING DAMAGE TO MY ENTIRE SIDE OF VEHICLE. ALSO HAD NEAR ACCIDENTS ON HIGHWAY WHEN CAR LOST POWER DUE TO ECM MALFUNCTION. (RECALL ISSUE THAT WAS LOOKED AT BUT NEVER RESOLVED). I HAVE PHOTOS AVAILABLE. I HAVE ASKED VARIOUS DDEPARTMENTS AT THE DEALERSHIP AND GM FINANCIAL FOR ASSISTANCE WITH THIS ISSUE BUT TO NO AVAIL.

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MY CAR REDUCED ITS ENGINE POWER AND SLOWED DOWN FROM 60 MILES DOWN TO 20 MILES WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGH WAY WITH A TANK TRUCK BEHIND ME. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO SCARED IN MY LIFE. THE ENGINE REDUCED ITS POWER THREE TIMES NOW! I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A RECALL ON THIS AND THE ISSUE WAS FIXED BUT CLEARLY IT WASN'T! I HAVE CHILDREN AND I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE MY CAR NOW BECAUSE OF THIS!!!!!

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WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT SPEEDS OF UP TO 80 MPH AT RANDOM TIMES THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY SLOW ITSELF DOWN TO 20 MPH AND THE DASH WILL MESSAGE THAT ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED. IT'S A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT IS DANGEROUS TO NOT ONLY THE PEOPLE IN THE VEHICLE BUT ALL OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD ALSO.

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AT A STOP LIGHT, WHEN LIGHT TURNED GREEN, PRESSED ACCELERATOR, "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED" MESSAGED FLASHED, ENGINE AND TRACTION LIGHTS CAME ON. UNABLE TO ACCELERATE OVER 25MPH, RPM WOULD NOT GO ABOVE 3. RECALL MAINTENANCE FOR ECM WAS COMPLETED ON 01/11/2020.

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LOW FUEL, ENGINE LIGHT, SERVICE STABILITY TRACK, SHIFT TO PARK LIGHTS COME ON. THE LOW FUEL LIGHT COMES ON FIRST. THE NEXT DAY THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON SOMETIMES IT STAYS ON THEN GOES OFF. THIS HAPPENS WHEN I'M DRIVING. I'VE HAD ALL THE RECALLS DONE. ECM REPLACED. 2 WEEKS LATER THE SAME THING. ALL DIALS GO TO ZERO. SLOW TAKE OFF AFTER I'VE STOPPED AT RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN. IS AS IF THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING OUT. IF I PUT ON BRAKES THEY WILL THROW ME IN THE DASH LIKE I'VE CRASHED INTO SOMETHING. WHEN I TAKE IT DEALERSHIP-NO CODES ARE FOUND. TRYING TO TURN CAR OFF, IT SAYS SHIFT TO PARK. IT'S ALREADY PARKED. I'VE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES FOR THIS SAME PROBLEMS-NO CODES. I'VE GOTTEN A RENTAL (FOR A WEEK)SO THEY CAN KEEP THE CAR TO TRY AND RECREATE IT- THEY CAN'T. THIS CAR WAS BOUGHT NEW IN AUGUST OF 2018.CHEVY MALIBULS 4DR SDN BLACK. THE DATE BELOW "WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN" OUTS THE LATEST DATE.

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CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER VEHICLE WON'T ACCELERATE ON HIGHWAY IN TRAFFIC

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WHILE DRIVING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND CONTROL PANEL SAYS ENGINE POWER REDUCED. THE CAR SLOWS DOWN AND YOU ARE NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE.THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE I HAVE BOUGHT THE CAR AND TYPICALLY HAPPENS WHILE ACCELERATING.

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WHILE IN MOTION CARS REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHTS UP ON DASHBOARD AND CAR LOOSES POWER WHILE DRIVING

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FAULTY ACCELERATOR POSITION SENSOR. PART IS SUPPOSE TO LAST THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THE CAR HAS 60000 MILES ON IT. IT THROWS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND REDUCES POWER TO THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AS YOU CANT ACCELERATE TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC OR TO GET ACROSS THE LANES. YOU JUST HAVE TO COAST TO SAFETY.

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I JUST GOT A 2018 CHEVY MALIBU. I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK TODAY AND MY CAR JUST STOPPED AND A REDUCE ENGINE POWER MESSAGE FLASHED ACROSS MY SCREEN. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED WHEN I CAR CUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY STREET. I HAVE JUST SEEN ALL OF THE MESSAGES ABOUT THESE ISSUES AND PEOPLE COMING OUT OF HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX IT. CHEVY NEEDS TO DO A RECALL ON THIS ISSUES SOONER THAN LATER, THIS COULD BE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH FOR SOMEONE.

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I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE DOING 74 MILES AN HOUR WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR JERKED AND STARTED SLOWING DOWN. THE DISPLAY SCREEN SHOWED A MESSAGING SAYING ENGINE POWER REDUCED. I PULLED OVER ON THE SHOULDER BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T LET ME ACCELERATE AND HAD SLOWED THE CAR DOWN TO 50 MPH. I SAT THERE FOR A MINUTE AND WAS GOING TO TRY TO DRIVE ON THE SHOULDER TO THE NEXT EXIT. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR THE MESSAGE WAS NO LONGER THERE BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS STILL ON. THE CAR HAS DONE THIS MORE THAN 10 TIMES SINCE THIS DAY.

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I PURCHASE A 2018 CHEVY MALIBU IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019 AND NOT EVEN A MONTH AFTER HAVING IT, MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO GIVE ME ISSUES. AT UNANNOUNCED TIMES WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, A MESSAGE THAT READS 'ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED' DISPLAYS ON THE DASH AND THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE WILL IMMEDIATELY DROP TO 20MPH. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS ON A CITY STREET WITH A STEEP INCLINE GOING 40MPH IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC AND ALMOST CAUSED A COLLISION WITH THE SUDDEN SPEED CHANGE AND I COULD NOT GO OVER 20MPH. I HAD TO TURN MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS ON AND TRY TO MAKE IT UP THE HILL SAFELY. THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY DRIVING 70MPH IN THE FAST LANE AND THE SPEED DROPPED WITHOUT WARNING TO 20MPH AND WOULD HAVE PUT ME IN A BAD COLLISION IF I DIDN'T THINK QUICK AND TURN THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS ON AND PULL OVER THE SHOULDER ON MY LEFT HAD SIDE. THIS ISSUE IS A VERY SERIOUS AND DANGEROUS MATTER AND COULD RESULT IN MAJOR INJURY OR DEATH. THE CODE THAT IS RELATED TO THE PROBLEM I AM SPEAKING OF READS P2138.

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IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH, MY CAR ACCERATION SHUT DOWN AND I STARTED LOSING SPEED EVEN THOUGH I WAS PRESSING ACELLERATOR. AT THIS TIME MY CAR STARTED TO DOWN SHIFT AND THE MORE I STEPPED ON THE ACCELLERATOR NOTHING HAPPENED. MY CAR THEN TURNED OFF ON THE HIGHWAY. I IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED TO PARK AND STARTED THE VEHICLE AGAIN BECAUSE I WAS IN FEAR OF GETTING REAR ENDED. WE HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES FOR THEM TO FIX IT AND THE LAST TIME, THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. WE STILL HAVE EXCELERATION ISSUES WITH THIS VEHICLE. WE GOT A RECALL NOTICE OF SOFTWARE FROM CHEVROLET BUT THE DEALER SHIP IS UNAWARE OF THE REPAIR AND I DO NOT BELIEVE THEY CAN CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. WE BOUGHT THIS CAR NEW AND IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 4 TIMES FOR THIS RECALL. WE WISH TO RECEIVE A NEW CAR FOR SAFETY REASONS. WE ARE TAKING THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN TODAY BUT I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE.

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THIS ISSUE HAPPENED TWICE IN ONE DAY...THE FIRST TIME I WAS GOING 55 MPH DOWN THE ROAD WHEN MY CAR LOST ALL POWER FROM THE GAS PETAL. I COASTED OFF THE ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO SHIFT BETWEEN REVERSE AND THEN BACK TO DRIVE TO GET THE GAS PEDAL TO WORK AGAIN. A COUPLE OF HOURS LATER THAT DAY I WAS GOING DOWN THE ROAD ABOUT 40 MPH WHEN I LOST POWER FROM THE GAS PETAL. ON THAT OCCASION, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER INTO A GAS STATION BUT BEFORE I COULD GET COMPLETELY STOPPED THE CAR STALLED OUT. I CALLED ONSTAR TO DO A DIAGNOSTIC REPORT ON THE VEHICLE, IT CAME BACK WITH A P0137 CODE THAT SAYS THE EMISSIONS SYSTEM IS NOT PERFORMING AS EXPECTED. AFTER DOING MORE RESEARCH ON THE PROBLEM I FOUND THAT THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL NUMBER 19V642 THAT IS THE TRUE ISSUE. THIS RECALL STATUS IS SHOWING INCOMPLETE, REMEDY NOT YET AVAILABLE.

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45-50 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE HESITATED. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE VIBRATED ABNORMALLY WHILE DRIVING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO PETRO CHEVROLET (4012 14TH ST, PASCAGOULA, MS 39567, (228)813-0262) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO RETRIEVE A FAULT CODE OR DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20.

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