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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2017 Chevrolet Malibu — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 725 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

725
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
17
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
4
Involved Fire
owner-reported
16
Injuries
across all reports
Years to Avoid

Chevrolet Malibu — Complaints by Model Year

Years flagged AVOID have at least twice this model's average complaint count — the strongest public-data signal of a bad year.

1,365 complaints

978 complaints

907 complaints

923 complaints

363 complaints

270 complaints

863 complaints

725 complaints

700 complaints

192 complaints

198 complaints

90 complaints

99 complaints

71 complaints

43 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Engine 256 reports
Electrical System 172 reports
Unknown Or Other 150 reports
Power Train 144 reports
Vehicle Speed Control 136 reports
Service Brakes 73 reports
Fuel/propulsion System 59 reports
Electronic Stability Control (esc) 54 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Unknown Or Other ODI 11707988 12/31/2025

I have had experience with the "SHIFT TO PARK" error and I have had the "reduced engine power" error message resulting in an UNEEDED $2200 dollar repair only for it to break down 2 months later, same message this time with fuel spraying under the hood. I NEARLY BLEW MYSELF UP TRYING TO START MY CAR! How is it that I cant find this DANGEROUS defect on the recall list when I eas…

Electrical System ODI 11633394 12/31/2024

We own a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu plagued with the "Shift to Park" issue. I have read numerous articles regarding this issue and they reference a recall on this problem. However, I have been unsuccessful locating this document. Was a recall actually ever created for this issue; and, if so, where could I find it?

Electrical System ODI 11445733 12/31/2021

Engine Power is Reduced

Vehicle Speed Control ODI 11292218 12/31/2019

WHILE DRIVING GOING AT LEAST 70 MPH I GET A ENGINE POWER REDUCED MESSAGE AND IT START HAPPENING EVERY 10 MINUTES NOW AS SOON AS YOU TURN THE CAR ON IT SAYS ENGINE POWER REDUCED AND WON'T GO OVER 30 MPH. HAD IT HOOKED UP TO A MACHINE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS MY ACCELERATOR WHICH APPARENTLY IS A ISSUE IN THE 2017 MALIBU'S

Power Train ODI 11292254 12/31/2019

MY 2017 CHEVY MALIBU HAS PERIODICALLY SHOWED A REDUCED POWER MODE ALERT IN THE DASH WHILE DRIVING AND THEN THE CAR DROPS DOWN TO UNDER 40 MPH AND WHEN I PUSH THE GAS IT WON'T ACCELERATE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON EVERY TIME BUT WITHIN DAYS IT GOES OFF AND DRIVES FINE UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN WITH NO WARNING. MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING 70 ON THE INTERSTATE WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENE…

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu, or check your exact car by VIN with the free VIN lookup.

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Problems Checker

Any year, make and model: open the Car Problems Checker. Data: NHTSA (US DOT, public domain), cached up to 7 days.

Questions

FAQ

Is the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?
Owners have filed 725 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu, most often about engine. Compare the complaint counts across model years above — a year with far more complaints than the model's average is the strongest 'avoid' signal in public data.
Which Chevrolet Malibu years should I avoid?
The rule of thumb used by analysts: a model year whose complaint count is well above the model's own average (we flag 2× or more) usually had a real manufacturing or design problem — not just noisy reporting. Use the year-by-year strip on this page.
Where do these complaints come from?
Directly from NHTSA, the US government road-safety agency. Any owner can file a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire; NHTSA publishes them as public domain data. We cache each lookup for up to 7 days.
Do complaints mean a recall is coming?
Sometimes. NHTSA opens defect investigations when complaint patterns emerge, and investigations can end in recalls. Check the recalls page for this vehicle to see what has already been recalled.