What 689 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the "Shift to Park" message was displayed, and the vehicle would not turn off. The contact had to disconnect the battery to turn off the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

NHTSA ODI 11439739

My ‘18 Malibu LT has over 39K miles , and just tonight, i started my car , the engine light and traction control light both came on, followed by a message saying “Engine Power Reduced”. I then decided to drive for a little to see if i notice any problem. After driving for about 4 minutes , my car went from 37mph down to 20mph . It felt like the engine was forcing itself . So i then pulled over to the side of the curb, turn the car off, then back on. i noticed the warning engine light was still there but the traction light weren’t there no more. So i drove back to my place , turned my engine off. Then i plugged my diagnostic device to see what code(s)were they, and 1 code came up and it was P2138. Which is Throttle/Pedal Position Sensor. Oh by the way, I also would like to mention one more thing which is the “Shift to Park” message i started seeing whenever i park my car (putting the gear in park) and this first happened when my car was at 38K Miles (about a month ago).

NHTSA ODI 11434448

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that shifting the gear shifter into PARK and turning off the vehicle, the engine would continue to run. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that she readjusted the gear shifter for the vehicle to shut-off as needed. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000.

NHTSA ODI 11434027

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after placing the gear shifter into PARK, the "shift gear lever to park" warning message was illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that while the vehicle was turned off, the battery remained active. The dealer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure and was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.

NHTSA ODI 11434098

My 2018 Malibu has the "Shift to Park" issue. I have an appointment with a Chevy dealer this week. I hope I don't have to pay for the repair.

NHTSA ODI 11430280

The car is in park but a message shows, on the instrument panel, "shift to park". The car cannot be locked and the warning message stays on because the car thinks it's not in park. This is a recurring problem that was corrected by pushing on the shifter but now the message is staying on.

NHTSA ODI 11424802

When car restarts after being in Auto stop start mode the steering wheel jerks uncontrollably. The car obviously has a suspension problem. Dealership failed to repair issue properly after several attempts. Also appears dealer made false diagnosis to prevent repairs under bumper to bumper warranty. GM Dealer also refused to repair issue under Power train warranty. Another dealer wanted $555 just to check issue. A couple of weeks ago I suddenly lost control of the vehicle. I was at a red light. Car went into auto stop start mode. When light changed and car restarted, as I proceeded to take off the steering wheel jerked away from my hands, and I lost control of the wheel and car. Luckily it was a single turning lane and no other vehicle was next to me turning. I pulled off side of the road in shock. I drove about half mile and warning light displayed on dash. Warning Message States STEERING ASSIST REDUCED DRIVE WITH CARE" what was a brand new 2018 Chevrolet Malibu purchased in 2019 is now unsafe and inoperable. This steering component issue along with several others were brought to dealerships attention and were not acknowledged and were dismissed. After several other failed attempts this dealership purposely ignored this issue months ago while car was still under bumper to bumper warranty. Dealership also refused to repair this issue under powertrain warranty. 2018 Chevy Malibu has had 5 recalls to my knowledge. This has been spontaneously producing white smoke from underneath the hood on several occasions. I have video and witnesses. This car was sold as a brand new car. This car had recalls at the time of purchase and never disclosed the recall information. Also be advised that I cranked the car today just to keep the battery in tack because car has been sitting since June 10. The car choked, head lights went flickering, car could barely stay on. it appears to be an engine issue. These cars should not be on the road. They are not safe.

NHTSA ODI 11422076

There was an issue with the Engine and Transmission System. My Engine light came on and I received a warning that the Engine Power is Reduced and I had to pull over because the speed of the car reduced to 20 miles an hour. This happened a month again and then the car would not start. We bought a new battery and everything was fine until today were it happened again. I have to travel on the highway a lot and cannot have that happen again or I can be in trouble by causing an accident.

NHTSA ODI 11417763

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THIS MORNING AT OVER 65 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY MY 2018 MALIBU STARTED SLOWING DOWN AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATOR. I SAW THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT WERE ON AND THERE WAS A MESSAGE SAYING "ENGINE POWER REDUCED." WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE PAST 30 MPH. HIGHWAY WAS BUSY BUT WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE FAST LANE OVER TO THE FAR RIGHT LANE AND GET TO WORK. AFTER A FEW HOURS, I STARTED CAR AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON, BUT THE "ENGINE POWER REDUCED" MESSAGE WAS GONE. AFTER SEEING SO MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THIS ISSUE, I FEEL GM SHOULD PERMANENTLY FIX THIS ISSUE AS IT COULD HAVE DANGEROUS CONSEQUENCES.

NHTSA ODI 11414625

WHILE OPERATING MY VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH ON A BUSY HIGHWAY I RECEIVED A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT AND A WARNING THAT THE ENGINE POWER HAS BEEN REDUCED. AFTER ALL OF THOSE WARNINGS MY VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY SLOWED TO 20 MPH AND WOULD NOT SPEED UP.

NHTSA ODI 11413530

WHEN PUTTING THE CAR IN PARK THE (SHIFT TO PARK LIGHT APPEARS ON THE DASH). IT HAPPENS AT LEAST 9 TIMES A WEEK. VERY FRUSTRATING WHEN I CAN NOT TURN THE CAR OFF.

NHTSA ODI 11413143

CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION AND WOULDN'T RESTART FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 MINUTES. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER ON DASH CLUSTER WAS VISIBLE WHEN IT RESTARTED. DEALERSHIP PLACED NEW BATTERY & IT WENT AWAY FOR ABOUT A WEEK THEN RETURNED WHILE DRIVING IN THE 45 MPH RANGE, REDUCED ENGINE POWER, THEN SLOW ACCELERATION FROM A STOP SIGN. SEEMS THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE CLASS ACTION LAWSUITS FOR THIS ISSUE WITH NO RECALL IN PLACE AT THIS TIME.

NHTSA ODI 11395587

I STARTED TO ACCELERATE AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND REDUCED ENGINE POWER WAS ON MY INFORMATION DISPLAY AND MY CAR WOULD NOT GO OVER 30 MPH. JUST HAPPENED OUT OF THE BLUE. I HAVE APPROXIMATELY 64,000 MILES ON MY MALIBU. THIS HAPPENED ON A CITY STREET AND NOT IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, BUT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS, IF I WAS ON A HIGHWAY. THEN AFTER I LIMPED THE CAR HOME I TURNED IT OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT SEEMED NORMAL, BUT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON. I AM GETTING RID OF THIS CAR HAS HAD 5 RECALLS OF VARIOUS PROBLEMS SO FAR. ON ONE OCCASION THE DEALERSHIP HAD MY CAR FOR 2 WEEKS...TRYING TO FIX A PROBLEM WITH THE ACCELERATOR.

NHTSA ODI 11394349

WHILE IN MOTION THE ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED THEN THE CAR SLOWED TO A SPEED OF 20 MPH. UPON STARTING M VEHICLE A WEEK A LATER THE ENGINE REDUCTION WARNING CAME ON AGAIN. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED NOW I'M BEING TOLD IT'S THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POSITION SENSOR . WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS.

NHTSA ODI 11390436

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS FIANC WAS DRIVING BETWEEN 30-35 MPH, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO DECELERATE WITH THE ENGINE POWER REDUCED MESSAGE DISPLAYED WHILE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS BEING DEPRESSED. THE DRIVER COASTED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROADWAY, TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL DRIVING HOWEVER, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT AND ENGINE POWER REDUCED WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE RECURRED WHILE HE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON ANOTHER OCCASION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ARMEN CHEVROLET SERVICE & PARTS DEPARTMENT (41 GREENFIELD AVE, ARDMORE, PA 19003) BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 62,000.

NHTSA ODI 11390057

MY CAR HAS A LITTLE OVER 62,000 MILES AT ABOUT 28,000 MILES THE WARNING WAS COMING ON REDUCED SPEED I'D BE ON THE ROAD AND THE CAR WOULD START SLOWING DOWN AND EVEN SOMETIMES ON THE INTERSTATE AND RECENTLY STARTED COMING ON AGAIN I COULD FEEL A POPPING LIKE IN THE GAS PEDAL. THEN THE OTHER DAY I WAS SITTING IN A PARKING LOT AND THE SHIFT TO PARK MESSAGE CAME ON WHEN I WENT TO PULL OFF IT JUST JUMPED. THERE WAS NO WAY TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL TO BACK IT UP I WASN'T EVEN ABLE TO TURN THE CAR OFF. I HAD TO LEAVE MY CAR RUNNING IN THE PARKING LOT FOR HOURS UNTIL IT DIED. THEN BEFORE THIS THE CAR MOVED SO SLOW IT HARDLY TOOK OFF. OTHER CARS HAVE TO GO AROUND ME. I HAVE HAD THIS CAR FOR TWO YEARS AND JUST SEEMS LIKE ISSUE AFTER ISSUE. GM SHOULD BE ASHAMED AND REIMBURSE PEOPLE FOR THESE VEHICLES.

NHTSA ODI 11389595

WHILE GOING HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON MY 2018 MALIBU, I RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION ON MY DASH THAT SAID MY ENGINE WAS LOSING POWER. AFTER CLEARING THE NOTIFICATION, MY CAR DROPPED IN MPH AND I COULDN'T GO FASTER THAN 60MPH. AFTER A MINUTE OR TWO AFTER THAT, MY MPH DROPPED AGAIN AND I COULDN'T GO FASTER THAN 25 MPH WHILE MY RPMS WERE SPIKING AT 4000. I TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID THE ACCELERATION SENSOR IS BAD AND I HAD TO REPLACE MY ACCELERATOR AND WAS FOREWARNED THAT THIS IS IS GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN BECAUSE IT'S A FACTORY DEFECT. I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM GIVEN THERE'S A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ALREADY OUT THERE. BUT I WANTED TO ADD TO THE MASSES SO CHEVY IS FORCED TO FIX THIS ISSUE BEFORE PEOPLE GET SERIOUSLY HURT.

NHTSA ODI 11387219

REDUCE POWER MESSAGE APPEARED WHILE IN TRAFFIC REDUCING SPEED DRAMATICALLY. WAS NOT ABLE TO GO MORE THAN 13 MPH IN A 50MPH ZONE.

NHTSA ODI 11386269

TAKING MY FIANC TO THE AIRPORT SO THAT HE CAN REPORT FOR DUTY AND THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY COMES TO A SPEED OF 20MPH ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSE A VEHICLE BEHIND ME TO COME TO A CLOSE CONTACT WITH MY CAR. REPLACED SENSOR AND PEDAL AS INSTRUCTED BECAUSE I AM FRESH OUT OF MY WARRANTY AND A MONTH LATER. THE ISSUE RETURNED. I CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY 200 TO 500 EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS OR MO THE TO FIX THIS ISSUE. CHEVY IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE AND HAS ELECTED TO DO NOTHING. IT HAS BEEN REOCCURRING IN2016 TO 2018 VEHICLES.

NHTSA ODI 11385601

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.

NHTSA ODI 11385665

ANY TIME I'VE USED MY CRUISE CONTROL AFTER MY CAR HAD BEEN SERVICED FOR THE INITIAL RECALL FOR THE ECM OVER A YEAR AGO, I KEEP GETTING THE 'REDUCED ENGINE POWER' NOTIFICATION. THIS ISSUE DIDN'T BEGIN UNTIL AFTER THE PART WAS REPLACED. I'VE TRIED TAKING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT THEY CAN'T FIX ANYTHING WHEN THE LIGHT ISN'T ACTIVE. I'VE JUST STOPPED USING THE CRUISE CONTROL FEATURE BUT I'VE BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE WHILE THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER NOTIFICATION COMES ON AND MY CAR SLOWS.

NHTSA ODI 11385094

WHILE DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON WITH ALERT "REDUCED ENGINE POWER". THE IDLE IS HIGH. PLACED CAR IN PARK AND THE ENGINE KEEPS REVVING ON ITS OWN.

NHTSA ODI 11383181

2018 CHEVY MALIBU. FIRST STARTED WITH CORRODED WIRES UNDER THE CAR WHICH HAS LEAD TO THE USB PORT MELTING MY CELLPHONE CHARGER WHICH WAS FIXED BUT AFTER THAT THE AC/HEATER ONLY WOULD BLOW OUT THE DEFROSTER THAT GOT FIXED. CAR HAD ABOUT 20,000 MILES. MY CAR HAD A RECALL FOR THE ECM MODULE NEEDED UPDATED BUT AUTO NATION SAID IT DIDN'T NEED TO BE UPDATED AFTER GETTING MY CAR BACK IT WOULDN'T START I WOULD HAVE TO LOCK IT UNLOCK IT OPEN THE DOOR A FEW TIMES AND THEN IT WOULD START, SO MY BATTERY GOT FRIED BECAUSE SOMETHING WAS DRAINING IT PAID 200$ FOR A NEW ONE BECAUSE AUTO NATION SAID THEY DIDN'T TOUCH THE CAR BECAUSE IT DIDN'T NEED AN UPDATE BUT WHAT GETS ME IS THEY HAD TO PLUG INTO IT TO FIND OUT IT DIDN'T NEED AN UPDATE, THEN THE CAR STARTED SAYING (SHIFTER TO PARK) GOT GM CORPORATE INVOLVED AND THEY MADE AN APPOINTMENT 1/13/2020 AT CHAPMAN FOR ME TO TAKE MY CAR IN TO FIGURE OUT THAT I NEEDED A NEW WIRING HARNESS FROM THE SHIFTER TO THE TRANSMISSION AND THEY UPDATED THE ECM MODULE BUT YET AUTO NATION SAID IT DIDN'T NEED THE UPDATE, SO BASICALLY THE AUTO NATION DOESN'T WANT TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CAR MESSING UP. I SAT AT AUTO NATION FOR 45 MINUTES AND THEY DIDN'T TOUCH MY CAR. SOMETHING ISN'T RIGHT AND NO ONE WANTS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. YESTERDAY I PICKED MY CAR UP FROM CHAPMAN 1/27/2020, THEY REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS FROM THE SHIFTER TO THE TRANSMISSION, TODAY 1/28/2020 I'M GETTING THE SAME MESSAGE 'SHIFT TO PARK'. I'M GETTING TIRED OF THE RUN AROUND WITH BRITTANY AND HAVING 3-4 OTHER PEOPLE CALL THAT DOESN'T KNOW THE SITUATION AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THIS SITUATION. SO NOW THE MILES ARE AT 59,000 MILES NO WARRANTY. THIS ISN'T A RELIABLE CAR. GM SAID IS OUR FAULT WHY THIS HAPPEN THAT IS WHAT TAYLOR THE ADVISOR TOLD US TODAY 2/3/2020. STILL HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE PARK TO SHIFT AS OF 11/24/2020.

NHTSA ODI 11376166

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.

NHTSA ODI 11373259

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.

NHTSA ODI 11372366