2018 Chevrolet Malibu Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 192 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 27% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 46,560 miles. The words owners use most often: “shift park” (33% of reports).
- 192electrical system complaints
- 46,560median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 51%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Shift park: mentioned in 64 of 192 complaints (33%)
- Shut off: mentioned in 36 of 192 complaints (19%)
- Power reduced: mentioned in 17 of 192 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 59 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 192 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 2 a fire.
Chevrolet Malibu electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Malibu | 4 | 36% | — |
| 2024 Malibu | 18 | 42% | — |
| 2023 Malibu | 12 | 17% | 31,000 |
| 2022 Malibu | 33 | 34% | 15,901 |
| 2021 Malibu | 30 | 33% | 53,100 |
| 2020 Malibu | 57 | 29% | 22,324 |
| 2019 Malibu | 62 | 32% | 43,500 |
| 2018 Malibu | 192 | 27% | 46,560 |
| 2017 Malibu | 161 | 23% | 50,000 |
| 2016 Malibu | 222 | 26% | 51,650 |
| 2015 Malibu | 68 | 25% | 54,000 |
| 2014 Malibu | 86 | 25% | 64,550 |
| 2013 Malibu | 376 | 45% | 76,904 |
| 2012 Malibu | 291 | 32% | 87,830 |
| 2011 Malibu | 235 | 24% | 80,000 |
| 2010 Malibu | 295 | 22% | 85,000 |
| 2009 Malibu | 368 | 24% | 90,000 |
| 2008 Malibu | 233 | 24% | 82,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 113 | 12% | 118,850 |
| 2006 Malibu | 142 | 13% | 97,980 |
| 2005 Malibu | 180 | 18% | 102,500 |
| 2004 Malibu | 151 | 13% | 90,000 |
| 2003 Malibu | 289 | 51% | 80,000 |
| 2002 Malibu | 259 | 46% | 78,000 |
| 2001 Malibu | 285 | 40% | 88,000 |
| 2000 Malibu | 199 | 22% | 80,000 |
| 1999 Malibu | 144 | 18% | 86,000 |
| 1998 Malibu | 130 | 13% | 91,500 |
| 1997 Malibu | 87 | 20% | 88,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Engine; electrical system:software; fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system:injectors
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles equipped with 1.5L turbo engines. An error in the Engine Control Module (ECM) software may result in the fuel injectors being disabled.
Risk: Disabled fuel injectors would prevent the engine from starting and may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192221960.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I was driving in town through a stoplight when I noticed my brakes stopped working. Also when I had stopped the car still in drive and the car had shut off completely in the middle of the road and was not able to turn back on. The car would keep trying start but none were successful. My car also…
A software error in 1.5L turbo model disable fuel injectors, preventing the engine from starting or causing a sudden stall while driving. Itâs been confirmed to be an previously opened recall that was fixed by previous owner. But, is happening again to me. Yet Iâm being told It has been closed…
Just bought the car and the car is receiving error: "shift to park". This appear to be a know issue for 2018 chevy malibu hybrid. Car cut off in middle of traffic
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2018 Chevrolet Malibus have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 192 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu (27% of the 700 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 2018 Chevrolet Malibu electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 46,560 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “shift park”, in 64 of 192 complaints, followed by “shut off” (36).
Other 2018 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 2018 Chevrolet Malibu problems or electrical system problems across all Malibu years.