2018 Chevrolet MALIBU HYBRID
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2018 Chevrolet MALIBU HYBRID has 22 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.3x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is transmission problems (18% of all complaints), specifically: the car lost power while i was operating it. i had to put it in park and restart it. i was in the middle of parking it on a city street..
22
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
0.3x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
TRANSMISSION
4 complaints- • THE CAR LOST POWER WHILE I WAS OPERATING IT. I HAD TO PUT IT IN PARK AND RESTART IT. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF PARKING IT ON A CITY STREET.
- • The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The shift-to-park warning light was illuminated. The contact could pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was
- • The car has a reoccuring problem where is stalls in the middle of driving the vehicle. A warning comes up to shift to park. The car then restarts, runs extremely rough and stalls out. It then signals to shift to park again. The car is extremely unsafe. I took the vehicle to GM dealer and the
“THE CAR LOST POWER WHILE I WAS OPERATING IT. I HAD TO PUT IT IN PARK AND RESTART IT. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF PARKING IT ON A CITY STREET.”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ELECTRICAL
4 complaints- • THE CAR SAYS IT IS NOT IN PARK WHEN IT IS. IT WILL NOT SHUT OFF BECAUSE IT IS NOT IN PARK.
- • Engine lost power on interstate highway. While this did not result in a crash/ rear end collision, the potential for such injury seems high. 1-2 days prior there were some warning lights (check engine light). Called a dealership Tuesday morning and earliest service appointment was in one week but t
- • As I was driving with cruise control on a freeway at 70 mph the car suddenly displayed a warning to reduce speed. I continued to try to get to the next exit but almost instantly it started reducing my power and slowed me down to a crawl. I pulled over on the freeway and it would not restart. The
“THE CAR SAYS IT IS NOT IN PARK WHEN IT IS. IT WILL NOT SHUT OFF BECAUSE IT IS NOT IN PARK.”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ENGINE
3 complaints- • THE CAR LOST POWER WHILE I WAS OPERATING IT. I HAD TO PUT IT IN PARK AND RESTART IT. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF PARKING IT ON A CITY STREET.
- • Engine lost power on interstate highway. While this did not result in a crash/ rear end collision, the potential for such injury seems high. 1-2 days prior there were some warning lights (check engine light). Called a dealership Tuesday morning and earliest service appointment was in one week but t
- • As I was driving with cruise control on a freeway at 70 mph the car suddenly displayed a warning to reduce speed. I continued to try to get to the next exit but almost instantly it started reducing my power and slowed me down to a crawl. I pulled over on the freeway and it would not restart. The
“THE CAR LOST POWER WHILE I WAS OPERATING IT. I HAD TO PUT IT IN PARK AND RESTART IT. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF PARKING IT ON A CITY STREET.”
— NHTSA complaint filing
FUEL SYSTEM
3 complaints- • THE CAR LOST POWER WHILE I WAS OPERATING IT. I HAD TO PUT IT IN PARK AND RESTART IT. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF PARKING IT ON A CITY STREET.
- • The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to restart. The contact stated while restarting the vehicle, the contact heard a rattling sound. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. The vehi
- • One of my first problems with this car is the “shift to park” error message. This message on the dashboard indicating that my gear is not in P (park) when in fact it is . This error will not allow me to turn off my car even though I am parked. My second issue is just recently I have been experiencin
“THE CAR LOST POWER WHILE I WAS OPERATING IT. I HAD TO PUT IT IN PARK AND RESTART IT. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF PARKING IT ON A CITY STREET.”
— NHTSA complaint filing
OTHER
3 complaints- • Engine lost power on interstate highway. While this did not result in a crash/ rear end collision, the potential for such injury seems high. 1-2 days prior there were some warning lights (check engine light). Called a dealership Tuesday morning and earliest service appointment was in one week but t
- • Shift to park message comes up when driving and car turns off. Also check engine light comes on for code hybrid/EV powertain control module. The car was towed to a dealership and has been in service for 3 weeks and they can't figure out problem. I did pick car up once due to not being able to diagno
- • Noticed the rear center mounted stop lamp was cracked on the left side and found there was a substantial leak of water into the trunk from said lamp. This particular vehicle is the hybrid which makes this dangerous as the water is dripping over the high voltage battery. Vehicle has not yet been insp
“Engine lost power on interstate highway. While this did not result in a crash/ rear end collision, the potential for such injury seems high. 1-2 days prior there were some warning lights (check engine light). Called a dealership Tuesday morning and earliest service appointment was in one week but t”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 22 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐TRANSMISSION: THE CAR LOST POWER WHILE I WAS OPERATING IT. I HAD TO PUT IT IN PARK AND RESTART IT. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF PARKING IT ON A CITY STREET.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ELECTRICAL: THE CAR SAYS IT IS NOT IN PARK WHEN IT IS. IT WILL NOT SHUT OFF BECAUSE IT IS NOT IN PARK.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ENGINE: THE CAR LOST POWER WHILE I WAS OPERATING IT. I HAD TO PUT IT IN PARK AND RESTART IT. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF PARKING IT ON A CITY STREET.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐FUEL SYSTEM: THE CAR LOST POWER WHILE I WAS OPERATING IT. I HAD TO PUT IT IN PARK AND RESTART IT. I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF PARKING IT ON A CITY STREET.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Chevrolet MALIBU HYBRID — Year Comparison
How does 2018 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
Full years-to-avoid analysis →NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 22
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 0
- Crash reports
- 2
- Injury reports
- 0
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2018 Chevrolet MALIBU HYBRID