2014 Chevrolet Malibu Power Train Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 10, 2026 · 52 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu, 15% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 51,890 miles. The words owners use most often: “auto stop” (12% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Auto stop: mentioned in 6 of 52 complaints (12%)

At what mileage do power train problems happen?

Based on 36 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles5 · 14%
10k–25k miles9 · 25%
25k–50k miles4 · 11%
50k–75k miles5 · 14%
75k–100k miles6 · 17%
100k–150k miles6 · 17%
150k+ miles1 · 3%

How serious are the reports?

Of 52 complaints, 1 mention a crash.

Chevrolet Malibu power train complaints by model year

Peak: 2018, with 171 complaints
1997: 919971998: 501999: 212000: 2620002001: 182002: 52003: 1320032004: 642005: 652006: 4320062007: 472008: 862009: 12120092010: 1332011: 1122012: 4920122013: 542014: 522015: 3120152016: 1662017: 1392018: 17120181712019: 672020: 582021: 2820212022: 232023: 82024: 620242025: 1

n = 1,666 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearPower Train complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2025 Malibu19%—
2024 Malibu614%45,000
2023 Malibu811%30,310
2022 Malibu2323%38,000
2021 Malibu2831%60,000
2020 Malibu5829%72,500
2019 Malibu6735%48,000
2018 Malibu17124%43,150
2017 Malibu13920%48,875
2016 Malibu16620%42,000
2015 Malibu3111%83,000
2014 Malibu5215%51,890
2013 Malibu546%66,500
2012 Malibu495%74,500
2011 Malibu11211%78,225
2010 Malibu13310%74,200
2009 Malibu1218%88,000
2008 Malibu869%88,000
2007 Malibu475%88,921
2006 Malibu434%100,000
2005 Malibu657%88,500
2004 Malibu646%100,000
2003 Malibu132%54,500
2002 Malibu51%114,045
2001 Malibu182%50,000
2000 Malibu263%47,597
1999 Malibu213%60,000
1998 Malibu505%60,000
1997 Malibu92%57,800

When owners reported it

Peak: 2019, with 11 complaints
2014: 6201462015: 5201552016: 2201622017: 4201742018: 3201832019: 112019112020: 7202072021: 3202132022: 4202242023: 1202312024: 4202442025: 220252

n = 52 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (2)

Electrical system:ignition; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)Jul 5, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V502000 · 8,367 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Risk: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

Power train:automatic transmissionFeb 21, 2014 · NHTSA campaign 14V092000 · 355 vehicles

Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Regal, LaCrosse, Verano, and Enclave, and Chevrolet Impala, Malibu, Cruze, and Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjuster may disengage from the transmission shift lever. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." They also fail to conform to FMVSS number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

Risk: If a vehicle's shift cable disengages from the transmission shift lever, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the driver may be able to shift the lever to the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.

Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any affected transmission shift cable adjusters, free of charge. The recall began on April 10, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Buick owners at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC owners at 1-800-462-8782. General Motors' number associated with this recall is 14048.

What owners report

Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.

Received vehicle at roughly 181,000 miles. Operated fine for about 5,000 miles and then began to show problems. In most cases when pressing down hard on the accelerator pedal, transmission drops into a lower gear and revs up to 5k rpm, cancelling cruise control, and staying there until accelerator…

Received Sep 11, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11686600

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the lights on the gear shifter was flashing, with the power steering assist and parking assist messages displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked violently while…

Received Feb 24, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11644493

powertrain there is a problem with auto stop restarting then dying. The transmission not engaging after a complete stop like it is neutral this only happens after the car has been driven a bit everything at temp. today stopped for trash service auto stop engaged got ready to go nothing gunning and…

Received Dec 6, 2024 · NHTSA complaint 11629182
Chevrolet Malibu
Chevrolet Malibu (E2XX). Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Benespit, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently asked questions

Do all 2014 Chevrolet Malibus have power train problems?

No. NHTSA has 52 owner complaints about power train for the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu (15% of the 351 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.

Was there a recall on the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu power train?

Yes: 2 safety recalls list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.

At what mileage do power train problems start?

The median reported mileage is 51,890 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

What do owners say about power train problems on the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu?

The most frequent phrase is “auto stop”, in 6 of 52 complaints.

Other 2014 Chevrolet Malibu problems

See all 2014 Chevrolet Malibu problems or power train problems across all Malibu years.