Home · 2019 Chevrolet Malibu Eco · Complaints

What 188 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 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 (188)Crash / fire / injury (9)Transmission & drivetrain (65)Electrical system (61)Engine (61)Brakes (24)Fuel system (18)Speed control (12)Airbags (6)Lights (4)Driver assistance (3)Body & structure (2)

18 of 188 complaints match · Fuel system · clear filters

Nov 25, 2025Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel system

My 2019 Chevrolet Malibu has severe safety defects involving the engine, powertrain, and speed control. The vehicle will sometimes accelerate on its own with my foot off the gas, and other times it loses all power while pulling into traffic. This creates an immediate risk of a crash. Multiple diagnostic codes appear repeatedly, including P0299 (turbo underboost), P0101 (mass air flow performance), P1101 (intake airflow performance), and P0506 (idle control RPM too low). The charge-air hose repeatedly blows off the throttle body while driving, causing sudden loss of power. The vehicle was sold to me by a dealer as safe and reliable, but these defects appeared shortly after purchase. The unintended acceleration and sudden loss of power make the car dangerous to drive. This appears to be a serious mechanical and safety-related defect that could cause an accident.

NHTSA ODI 11701612

Nov 21, 2025Transmission & drivetrainFuel system

I was traveling down i-25 at 75 mph because that is what the speed limit here in Colorado. I was traveling south heading to Colorado Springs to visit family and i was entering near Castle Rock and my vechile would not go at all forward and it seemed as if I lost power to acceleration and I believe it was 2 or 3 lanes to exit off an off ramp as cars pasted me by honking their horns it was very scary as I pulled over to the side of the road letting it glide or coast to a stop very slowly I finally came to a stop.. as I have been reading some recalls due too a transmission issues for these types of vechiles I really hope I'm going about it right and someone reaches out to me about what it is that might be going on because even though my car does not have it listed by a Vin number I still believe that my 2019 Chevy Malibu has been subject to recalls for issues including a faulty rear seat belt retractor and a transmission problem that could lead to a loss of propulsion. The rear seat belt recall involves improperly secured retractors, and the transmission recall is due to a start-stop accumulator endcap with missing bolts, which could cause a leak and a loss of propulsion or a fire risk. And would like to have this addressed and or hits the right people concerning this not only for myself but safety for other people traveling at high speeds like myself that night... I was 5 days past my dealership warranty when I purchased the vechile from them and made it 6 days because I could get ahold of anyone on the 5 day when this incident occurred and then I called GM because I believe it would of fell under a drive train warranty but they said which was only 5 years warranty on this vechile from the day it was purchased its first time my vechile only has 82000 miles on it and I got it from a dealership here in Colorado with 64 or 62000 miles and since then I'm paying on a vechile that is no longer in service parked Sincerely and hopefully this reaches the right person...

NHTSA ODI 11700712

Sep 22, 2025EngineFuel system

Throttlebody hose pops off of the throttlebody due to a missing gasket ring as well as the retention clip/spring clip. The plastic pieces on the spring clip have popped off since the issue has been presented. Cannot accelerate past 3 1/2 RPMs without throttlebody hose popping off from the pressure produced by the turbo charger.

NHTSA ODI 11688966

Sep 16, 2025Electrical systemEngineFuel system

Car was running fine then next day wont turn over. Code reader said fuel injectors weren’t injecting fuel. And ECM failed

NHTSA ODI 11687750

Jun 10, 2025EngineFuel system

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that on two occasions while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There were no warning lights illuminated; however, the contact determined that the failure was due to the throttle body. The vehicle was repaired. The local dealer was not contacted but had not diagnosed or repaired the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted, and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

NHTSA ODI 11665970

Dec 29, 2023EngineFuel system

Camshaft issues/brake to park sensor issue/brake booster to engine vacuum

NHTSA ODI 11562619

Apr 16, 2023Electrical systemFuel system

Check engine light lit up on the dashboard. Did not go away, took car to dealership next day. Turns out that the fuel pump system (P & A Fuel Pump & Sending System) was faulty and also needed an ECM update to the programming system. The fuel pump breaking down confuses me because the car will only be 4 yrs old at the end of May, with only a little bit over 31,000 miles on it. This system should not have needed replacing this soon in the cars usage.

NHTSA ODI 11517343

Feb 20, 2023Transmission & drivetrainEngineFuel system

Vehicle lost power while driving without warning which could have caused an accident. Dealer says the ECM failed.

NHTSA ODI 11508251

Sep 15, 2022Electrical systemEngineFuel system

Numerous times while driving my car both my son and I have experienced the same issues. Trying to get on the highway and pressing the gas pedal the car isn’t responding appropriately to the level of which the gas is being pressed. It isn’t accelerating appropriately. Than at stoplights or just trying to make a left hand turn from a stop position. You take your foot off brake and press the gas to go and it rolls a bit and you’re pressing the gas to go and the car isn’t responding. It’s just sitting there. Like paused. Then all of a sudden the car engages and takes off. It is very dangerous to not have the car respond to pressing the gas. And I don’t want to get into an accident because I’m trying to make a turn and get hit cause I’m just sitting there. Rather than it going when I’m pressing the gas. I am not getting any codes popping up on the dash. So the dealership has nothing to look at other than me saying this is happening to me and my son. I’m finding issues similar to this on previous models. But nothing on the 2019 that I can find. And with no error codes registering. But the issues occurring is highly concerning to me. There isn’t just one date this has occurred. This has happened now many times over the last 6mos.

NHTSA ODI 11484598

Aug 1, 2022Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemFuel system

The car stalls out an sometimes deads an say no key fab. The ecm has been reprogram even before the car was sold to me back in 2019.

NHTSA ODI 11477034

Jul 13, 2022Electrical systemEngineFuel system

https://autoforums.carjunky.com/Automotive_Repair_C1/General_Discussions_F5/2019_Chevy_mailbu_LS_constantly_changing_spark_plugs_P209221/ That’s the mechanic forum I posted with my issues. It’s gotten so bad the vehicle is stalling out while driving and in busy roads and the highway. Here is the service bulletin: https://www.tsbsearch.com/Chevrolet/PIP5598#:~:text=Summary%3A,Cranks%20But%20Does%20Not%20Run%22

NHTSA ODI 11473769

Mar 25, 2022Electrical systemFuel system

The throttle body charge pipe popped off there was a recall that on this car says it’s fixed. We replaced o ring and clip on charge pipe drove car. When we sped up to pass a car the charge pipe popped off car shut off. We had to push the car out of traffic. The car would not start. Error code check engine and engine power loss. Three hours under a Houston TX bridge got a tow. Only to be told that the gasket and clip needed to be replaced. Replaced again gm parts, car still can’t go up hills or sped up. Charge pipe will pop off. The throttle body was checked and the lip on throttle body is still good. But there is too much oil build up on throttle body it appears and the charge pipe can’t stay on. Causing engine failure. This almost got us killed on the highway. Very unsafe please help.

NHTSA ODI 11458395

Mar 7, 2022EngineFuel system

The turbo charge pipe keeps popping off while driving and the car loses power.

NHTSA ODI 11455467

Oct 31, 2021Electrical systemFuel system

Unknown car shutdown without warning an will haste when given it fuel.

NHTSA ODI 11438802

Mar 25, 2021LightsSpeed controlFuel system

WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE ON THE HIGHWAY AND MERGING IF I GET CLOSE TO 3 RPM TO GET UP TO 60-65 MPH M ENGINE LIGHT APPEARS ON THE DASH AS WELL AS MY TRACTION SENSOR LIGHT AND MY CAR WILL NO LONGER ALLOW ME TO ACCELERATE. ALSO AFTER THIS HAPPENS IT WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO USE MY CRUISE CONTROL. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS. I TOOK IT TO MY DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT FIXED TWICE THE FIRST TIME THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG THE SECOND TIME THEY DISCOVERED 3 OF MY FUEL INJECTORS WERE BROKEN. I STILL EXPERIENCE THIS ISSUE AND IT IS VERY SCARY NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCELERATE ON THE HIGHWAY WITH BIG SEMIS AND OTHER VEHICLES COMING BEHIND ME.

NHTSA ODI 11404791

Apr 17, 2020EngineFuel system

AT 7473 MILES, REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. DIAGNOSTIC CODE: P0013. CAR WAS TOWED 50 MILES TO A DEALER FOR REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT OF EXHAUST CAMSHAFT POSITION ACTUATOR. CAR WAS DRIVEN 4 TIMES BEFORE THE REDUCED ENGINE POWER LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. MILEAGE UNDER 8000. DIAGNOSTIC CODE: P0013. IN BOTH CASES, THE CAR STILL RAN BUT IT MISSES AND CUTS OUT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11321403

Sep 16, 2019EngineFuel system

NEW CAR. 500 MILES ON MOTOR. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. P2097. NOTICED DECREASED ENGINE POWER WHEN PRESSING GAS PEDDLE. CAR STALLED ON START. FELT SLIGHT SHIMMY FROM MOTOR WHILE SITTING IDLE.

NHTSA ODI 11255637

Jul 8, 2019Electrical systemFuel system

FAULTY FUEL PUMP COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND KEY KOB READER

NHTSA ODI 11230268

Working with the data? Download all 188 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 2019 Chevrolet Malibu Eco verdict →