Your vehicle report
2017 Chevrolet Malibu
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 705
- Received May 2017 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Gear shifter fails to register Park136 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed105 complaints · 15% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Ignition key sticks or will not turn39 complaints · 5.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #21V649000General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.
- Recall #18V400000General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. During servicing, a Passenger Presence System (PPS) may have been installed that was not correctly calibrated to the vehicle's seat type. As a result, the PPS may not properly identify an adult passenger from a child passenger in the front passenger seat, potentially causing the air bag to not deploy when it should, or causing the air bag to deploy when it shouldn't.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Gear shifter fails to register ParkFirst signal: May 2019
- Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speedFirst signal: Jan 2019
- Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedalFirst signal: Sep 2021 · Recent surge
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 16 crashes, 4 fires, 14 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
- Power steering cuts out while driving
- Tires blow out or tread separates
- Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly
1 more problem
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 11 |
| 2018 | 49 |
| 2019 | 143 |
| 2020 | 139 |
| 2021 | 91 |
| 2022 | 96 |
| 2023 | 53 |
| 2024 | 46 |
| 2025 | 56 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 21 |
| Total | 705 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gear shifter fails to register Park | 136 | 19% | 31.5× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: May 2019 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.9% |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 105 | 15% | 14.7× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jan 2019 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.1% |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 39 | 5.5% | 13.1× | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 38 | 5.4% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 35 | 5.0% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 29 | 4.1% | – | |
| Brake booster fails, leaving stiff pedal | 26 | 3.7% | 12.6× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Sep 2021 · Recent surge Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 1.8% |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 23 | 3.3% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 15 | 2.1% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 13 | 1.8% | 2.1× | |
| Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates | 11 | 1.6% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 8 | 1.1% | – | NHTSA recall #21V649000 |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 7 | 1.0% | – | NHTSA recall #18V358000 |
| Power steering cuts out while driving | 7 | 1.0% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 6 | 0.9% | – | NHTSA recall #16V870000, #18V400000 |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 6 | 0.9% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 6 | 0.9% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 6 | 0.9% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 6 | 0.9% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 5 | 0.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #21V649000August 20, 2021402 vehicles affected
seat belts: critical fasteners; seat belts: rear/other: retractor
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.
An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
NHTSA recall #18V400000June 14, 201866 vehicles affected
air bags: sensor: occupant classification
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. During servicing, a Passenger Presence System (PPS) may have been installed that was not correctly calibrated to the vehicle's seat type. As a result, the PPS may not properly identify an adult passenger from a child passenger in the front passenger seat, potentially causing the air bag to not deploy when it should, or causing the air bag to deploy when it shouldn't.
In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger PPS seat service kit, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18208.
NHTSA recall #18V358000May 31, 2018895 vehicles affected
fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.
NHTSA recall #16V870000December 2, 2016113 vehicles affected
air bags: side/window
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017 Malibu vehicles manufactured on November 10, 2016. The right-hand rear side air bag inflator manifold may have insufficient welds.
Insufficient welds could cause the inflator to separate and propel air bag debris into the cabin during a crash. Also, the inflator could fail to inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear side air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 16146.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN