2019 Chevrolet Malibu Reliability Report

Most of these reports describe the same false "Shift to Park" message. The car sits in Park, but it will not shut off or lock, keeps chiming, and leaves lights on that drain the battery. Owners shift back and forth repeatedly, sometimes for many minutes, to clear it. Dealers call it a known problem, and one shifter replaced under warranty failed again later. Reported mileages fall between 38,000 and 55,000. A smaller group describes stalling at stops when auto stop fails to restart the engine.

The brake vacuum pump fails without warning. The pedal turns hard and stopping distances grow, and two cars ended up in ditches. Failure often comes with reduced engine power, codes P0014, P0017 and P0556, and a car that will not restart. Several shops say pump debris damaged the camshaft or the whole engine, and some quoted full engine replacement. One repair of the pump and camshaft cost 1700. Owners cite service bulletin 21-NA-268. One report notes failure at 60,000 miles. A separate complaint describes rear calipers that keep hanging up.

Power drops without warning, often with no warning lights on. Owners describe pressing the accelerator and getting a slow, delayed response at stop lights and in turns. One car stalled at 10 mph at about 53,713 miles. The dealer did not diagnose or repair it. One report here is really the false "Shift to Park" problem: the car would not shut off for about 30 minutes. The dealer called it common and charged $400 to fix it. Only 4 complaints fall in this category, so patterns are thin.

Airbag and restraint warning lights come on, usually alongside other faults rather than from an airbag failure itself. One car stalled repeatedly with airbag, check engine, and ABS lights lit, and neither shop could reproduce it. Another lost power when the intake hose blew off the throttle body, and the dealer replaced the throttle body and the airbag clock spring. A third owner reports the restraint warning going off repeatedly. No deployment failures or injuries are reported in this category.

The car shudders and pulls under braking. In one case the brakes grabbed at about 30 mph and the car jerked left. Check engine, stability, power steering, and ESC lights came on. Another owner reports the wheels pushing to one side on the freeway and the steering wheel shaking when slowing or braking. The front lug nuts had to be retightened, and the problem came back days later. With only 2 complaints, there is no clear pattern.