2017 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Malibu years
- About as many complaints as other years 16th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 4 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 703 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. That ranks 16th out of 29 Malibu model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (253 complaints, 36%), typically at around 56,114 miles. Complaints mention 16 crashes, 4 fires, 14 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.
_13.jpg){kind=link}
- 703owner complaints
- 4safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 16complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2017 Chevrolet Malibu problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 253 | 36% | 56,114 | “engine power” (41%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 161 | 23% | 50,000 | “shift park” (34%) | — |
| Unknown or Other | 147 | 21% | 36,034 | — | — |
| Power Train problems | 139 | 20% | 48,875 | “shift park” (40%) | $710 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 135 | 19% | 58,000 | “engine power” (48%) | — |
| Service Brakes problems | 68 | 10% | 56,000 | “vacuum pump” (41%) | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 57 | 8% | 51,500 | “engine power” (26%) | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) problems | 53 | 8% | 55,000 | “engine power” (26%) | — |
| Steering | 47 | 7% | 65,782 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 21 | 3% | 51,888 | — | — |
| Structure | 19 | 3% | 52,898 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 14 | 2% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 10 | 1% | 47,140 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 7 | 1% | 10,350 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 7 | 1% | 59,555 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 7 | 1% | 32,325 | — | — |
| Wheels | 7 | 1% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 6 | 1% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 1% | 60,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 1% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 3 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 0% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 2 | 0% | 39,800 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 2,700 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2017 Chevrolet Malibu recalls (4)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:rear/other:retractor; seat belts:critical fasteners
Problem: 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.
Risk: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
Problem: 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.
Risk: In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: 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.
Risk: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Air bags:side/window
Problem: 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.
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving on the tollway at 75 mph when I saw stopped traffic ahead of me, and when I tried to apply the brakes, they went from soft to hard and completely stopped working; I had to swerve across lanes into the grass to avoid a massive accident and to save my life, as well as the lives of my…
Turbo cooler and turbocharger failure, diagnosis and replacement on February 4 and February 17, 2026 by a certified GM dealership. Replacement of these parts was not included in service bulletin N222372590 (issued 12/22/22), which covered 100% replacement for the exact parts for the exact engine…
The vehicle is experiencing an apparent fuel-system malfunction. The vehicle has a very strong raw gasoline odor, significant difficulty starting, and appears to be consuming fuel at an abnormally high rate. After filling the fuel tank completely, I drove approximately 20 miles at most and the fuel…
I have a 2017 Chevy Malibu that in 2022 had a shift malfunction causing it to become stuck in reverse and roll backwards. It ended up having to be towed and was repaired in May 2022. On August 25 and 26, 2026 the car is now experiencing another SHIFT TO PARK malfunction whereby the vehicle DOES NOT…
While driving my 2017 Chevrolet Malibu LT equipped with the 1.5L turbocharged engine, the brake vacuum pump failed due to the pumpâs mechanical drive/tang shearing. The failure resulted in loss of vacuum assistance to the power brakes, creating a significantly harder brake pedal and a serious…
Other Chevrolet Malibu years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Malibu | 11 | 1 |
| 2024 Malibu | 43 | 2 |
| 2023 Malibu | 71 | 2 |
| 2022 Malibu | 98 | 1 |
| 2021 Malibu | 90 | 2 |
| 2020 Malibu | 198 | 1 |
| 2019 Malibu | 192 | 1 |
| 2018 Malibu | 700 | 6 |
| 2017 | 703 | 4 |
| 2016 Malibu | 839 | 9 |
| 2015 Malibu | 270 | 3 |
| 2014 Malibu | 351 | 6 |
| 2013 Malibu | 836 | 10 |
| 2012 Malibu | 907 | 2 |
| 2011 Malibu | 978 | 3 |
| 2010 Malibu | 1,363 | 3 |
| 2009 Malibu | 1,509 | 5 |
| 2008 Malibu | 989 | 4 |
| 2007 Malibu | 977 | 3 |
| 2006 Malibu | 1,116 | 6 |
| 2005 Malibu | 975 | 3 |
| 2004 Malibu | 1,147 | 6 |
| 2003 Malibu | 569 | 2 |
| 2002 Malibu | 567 | 2 |
| 2001 Malibu | 721 | 2 |
| 2000 Malibu | 922 | 3 |
| 1999 Malibu | 789 | 1 |
| 1998 Malibu | 976 | 3 |
| 1997 Malibu | 443 | 4 |
See all Chevrolet Malibu problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
Similar Chevrolet models
Embed this 2017 Chevrolet Malibu badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners most often report engine, electrical system, unknown or other problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 253 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu?
Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Malibu model years, the 2017 has about as many complaints as a typical year, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.