What 74 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu

Blower motor area caught fire while sitting in the driveway. Car door was opened about 20 minutes prior to my security camera catching smoke billowing from the vehicle

NHTSA ODI 11738610

Took my car for an oil change 4/17/2026 dealership stated I had a recall on the 21 chevy malibu for Fuel injection module, They could not do the recall repair because they did not have the part. So the lady called me. 4/21/2026 to make appointment for recall for 4/23/2026. But later that day on 4/21 my engine light came out and my car started having problems. When ran a diagnostic it gave a code for the fuel injection

NHTSA ODI 11733506

This vin is most likely affected by the aftermarket DTN inflator wheel airbag. Please let the final owner know of this. This vehicle was sold to Rightway Automotive credit from Tallmadge Ohio on October 19, 2022 who then sold it to the current owner.

NHTSA ODI 11732348

This vin is most likely affected by the aftermarket DTN inflator wheel airbag. Please let the final owner know of this. This vehicle was sold to Bargain Auto Sales Inc from West Palm beach on August 25, 2021.

NHTSA ODI 11732351

This vin is most likely affected by the aftermarket DTN inflator wheel airbag. Please let the final owner know of this. This vehicle was sold to Auto Boutique LLC from Jacksonville Florida on November 23, 2022.

NHTSA ODI 11732352

This vin is most likely affected by the aftermarket DTN inflator wheel airbag. Please let the final owner know of this. This vehicle was sold to Auto Boutique LLC from Jacksonville Florida on August 31, 2022.

NHTSA ODI 11732353

This vin is most likely affected by the aftermarket DTN inflator wheel airbag. Please let the final owner know of this. This vehicle was sold to Auto Boutique LLC from Jacksonville Florida on January 11, 2023 who then sold it to the current owner.

NHTSA ODI 11732355

I was driving and car suddenly reduced speed,engine light came on and message came across dash “engine power reduced” and a text was sent to tell me I have a transmission issue. Now car won’t drive past 25-30mph dealership indicated this is a faulty gas pedal which cost over $600 to repair. Did my research and this is apparently a “known” problem common in 2016-2022. Vehicles but is not an official recall. Also dealership said only “certain” vin numbers with this problem are covered. I have a 2021 and I am not one of them. Not fair. It’s a known problem it should be fixed.

NHTSA ODI 11731460

My car stalls, jerks, and shuts off when in drive. More specifically when I turn it on, shift it in reverse, reverse, shift into drive. I press on the gas and nothing. Car doesn't move. I put it back in park sometimes it'll shut off most of the time it'll jerks and jerk while I tap on the gas, then make a big stutter like power is low gas doesn't seem to be working with the pedal then it makes a huge jerk before it goes into drive. This has become an everyday thing. Car has shut off when auto off is on while at a stop. There's a huge creaking coming from the under body. Almost feels like something is going to fall out from under me. Every turn, bump, speed bump sometimes just at a stop then going into drive will create the loudest sound. Also sometimes it says I need to shift into park when I am in fact in park. When looking up common potential recalls my car checks almost every box that were stated online.

NHTSA ODI 11730300

The engine light was on and had my vehicle was stalling while driving in traffic. The service code P1101 was on and had my vehicle fixed. The light stayed off for few months then same service code is back on. I've read that there was a recall for 2019 models with same issue. My vehicle is a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu LT and has same engine as the 2019 models.

NHTSA ODI 11730366

I went to do an errand pulled in to parking spot put car into park shut it off. Car dash repeatedly said put car into park. All dash lights, would go on from left to right and shut off, this included the center console. I tried over and over to start car and shift but it wouldn’t go. It just kept repeating shift into park. It took 95 mins before the car would start. Then the RPMS would rev way past what they should. I lived 30 miles away. I made it home slowly. The next morning I took to my son tha is a GM certified mechanic. I’m not sure what he did but it’s running smoothly again.

NHTSA ODI 11729503

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse(R), there was a loud popping sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 126,000.

NHTSA ODI 11727272

I was driving on the highway and the check engine light came on. The car slowed down due to lack of power. I got off at the nearest exit and the car stalled. I tried to start it but it kept clicking rapidly. The car died at a dangerous intersection so I put my hazard lights on and called 911. The police arrived and asked me to put the car in neutral, but it wouldn't shift. The officer was able to start the car, and I drove it to a mechanic. He ran a diagnostic and the fault code is P023F, Fuel Pump Secondary Circuit/Open. There are no open recalls on the vehicle, but this is a major safety issue. If I hadn't been able to get off the highway it could have caused a major accident. Also, when I put the car in park and turn it off, the dashboard tells me Shift To Park even though the car is already in park.

NHTSA ODI 11724988

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for a recall repair related to the fuel pump control module. After the repair was completed, the contact experienced a new failure. While attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle became inoperable and could not be turned off. The message “Shift to Park” was displayed while the vehicle was shifted to park. The contact stated that the vehicle unexpectedly turned off after the contact exited the vehicle. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the shift lever had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 123,000.

NHTSA ODI 11710885

Vehicle has a repeated issue recognizing that it is in park when trying to turn vehicle off. This causes concern that the vehicle may not actually be in park, will not fully power down therefore draining the battery and leaving driver stranded, or lead to other body control module/shifting problems. This is a known issue with GM spanning multiple years and multiple models. The only official fix is to replace the entire shifter assembly with an updated version which can be a couple of thousand dollars. GM refuses to cover the cost knowing that they installed a faulty part during assembly.

NHTSA ODI 11704551

The component is D automatic transmission shift to park switch. The vehicle is and will be available for immediate inspection upon request. Safety was put at risk when the car lost power while they’re celebrating install in the floor of traffic, causing other cars to swerve around and blow horns. The underlying issue with the car was confirmed by independent service center. There was no reason to have your vehicle inspected all by manufacturer , police insurance for others the warning sign once the car installed and attempted to like it was gonna turn off with service ESC and the light stayed on for four hours

NHTSA ODI 11702394

Transmission failed to engage gear properly after backing up. Grinding sounds heard when vehicle was in drive. Problem has been confirmed and inspected by Chevrolet dealership. Vehicle is available for inspection. Occupants safety was at risk because gears could have locked up during commute causing vehicle to be undriveable, leaving driver and passengers stranded. Blind spot feature is unavailable randomly, which can cause a possible side swipe crash. When radio is playing suddenly switches to bluetooth randomly.

NHTSA ODI 11702470

While driving when coming to a stop, my brakes became stiff causing me to almost hit the vehicle in front of me. Also, the car has been stopping while I am driving and on busy roads when I am at a stop light and press the accelerator to proceed, the vehicle just stop and cuts off completely leaving me stranded while trying to restart the vehicle. Also the vehicle has a long crank before it starts. I have been without my vehicle for a month now and it’s very inconvenient due to these issues. It has been to the dealership where they quoted me over 8,000 to fix the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11696003

Dear NHTSA: I am submitting this complaint because my vehicle, a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu (VIN [XXX] ), is included in Emission Recall N252516900 issued by General Motors concerning the Fuel Pump Power Control Module. Despite that inclusion, I have experienced the following: - A prior near-fatal incident in 2023 when the vehicle unexpectedly shut off while stopped at a red light (engine stall) due to the root defect. - The dealer has informed me I now need a new 12-V battery (just over one year old), a new AC compressor, and a new drive/serpentine belt. - The defect referenced in the recall (interruption of fuel flow) is reasonably the root cause of these consequential failures (battery stress, accessory drive stress). - I have been without the vehicle for 11 days, have not been provided adequate interim mobility support, and have not received timely resolution from GM under my Case #XXX (agent Jasmine who has followed her company's protocol while remaining helpful and empathetic; supervisor Stephanie called October 17, 2025). Requested relief: 1. That GM be required to pay for the recall work (module replacement) **and** reimburse/cover the consequential damage (battery, compressor, belt). 2. Interim remedy: loaner vehicle or rental reimbursement for days without vehicle. 3. Acknowledgment of the safety risk posed by the defect and record of the stall incident. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11695082

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate after a stop, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted before slamming into gear. The contact stated that when the vehicle slammed into gear, the contact was violently pushed into the back of the seat. No warning lights were illuminated, but the message “Shift to Park” was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that during the failure, the brake pedal was depressed to reboot, and the contact had to manually move the leather cover on the shift lever to move the lever. The contact stated that whenever the temperature on the transmission was at 180 degrees, the transmission would downshift. The vehicle was taken to several dealers; however, the dealers were unable to replicate that failure. The solenoid valve was replaced on the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact related the failures to Technical Service Bulletin: PIP5819B. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,300.

NHTSA ODI 11693964

I own a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. Recently upon arriving at my destination and shifting the vehicle into park, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed with the gear shifter already in park(P). The primary engine was off but the electrical features remain on/operating. After abruptly jerking the vehicle into park a few times, I was able to turn off the vehicle. The most recent time, after several attempts to have the car read that the car was in park, I was unable to disengage. I searched the internet and read that this is a common issue with the Malibu and instructed how to open the center console to work with the wires and a button to force it to turn off. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle has been taken to the dealer for repair. They agreed that this is not an unusual occurrence, but confirmed there was no recall for the issue. I will also be contacting GM/Chevrolet for further assistance/complaint. The failure mileage was 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 11693337

Took my car to the dealer for a "shift to park" problem. Vehicle would not turn off and twice it restarted itself without the button being pushed. I checked my VIN number and there was no recall regarding this but Chevy stated that they were aware of the problem since the 2018 Malibu cars. Mine is a 2021. Apparently there was also a class action regarding this but I was never notified on one. I have not had to pay $481.86 to have this safety feature repaired and don't feel that this is my responsibility since Chevy was aware of the problem prior to me buying this care new. I'm asking to be reimbursed for the cost of this repair. Please assist me as to how I can make this happen as there was not even any warning light on the dash to notify me of this problem. Thank you, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11691171

My car has about 82000 miles and while driving it stated that I was shifted to neutral and needed to be restarted. After a few seconds the steering wheel locks up and I can’t press the gas anymore, even though the car is still in drive. This happened about 6 times on the half mile drive home. I haven’t been able to diagnose it yet since the dealership is backed up for a month. I think it’s the neutral safety switch

NHTSA ODI 11687339

After shifting into park and turning vehicle off -warning beep "place vehicle into park" comes on. It takes several "jerks" of gear shift to turn off. I'm scared its not in park and may roll.

NHTSA ODI 11680910

The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated while responding. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where DTC: P1101 (Throttle body failure). The contact was informed that the throttle body had failed and needed to be replaced. The part was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where DTC: P1101 was retrieved, and the dealer informed the contact that the throttle body needed to be cleaned. The vehicle was serviced; however, the failure recurred less than a month later. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under the Manufacturer's warranty. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11673295