Print this page

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
38,290 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2016 Chevrolet Malibu electrical problems

electrical problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2016 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments (Page 1 of 10)

problem #186

Dec 132023

Malibu

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Shift to park message while in park position when attempting to shut off car; I can't cut off car without making many tries. this has happened before dealer repairing the problem and within two years dealer installing new "fix.".

- Hartford, CT, USA

problem #185

Jul 052021

Malibu

  • miles
Shift to park message appears on dash screen when car is attempting to shut off ignition when shifter is in park position. Can't turn off car.

- Hartford, CT, USA

problem #184

Dec 182023

Malibu

  • miles
*Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor- It is available upon request. * Due to the malfunction of the accelerator Pedal Position Sensor, the check engine light comes on and it flashes "engine reduced power" which slows the car down to a very low rate of speed not allowing the driver to go any faster. I was on the highway going speeds of around 75mph and that light came on and slowed my vehicle down which caused the car behind me to almost run into the back of my vehicle. I've had this occurrence with this problem several times. * UNKNOWN *UNKNOWN, absolutely nothing prior to the check engine light and "engine reduced power". The issue is sporadic and happens at any given moment. There is no warning that alerts when this happens.

- Sapulpa, OK, USA

problem #183

Apr 062023

Malibu

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My car enters a reduced engine power mode causing my car to slow down during high speeds with a potential acciden-??. the Malfunction Indicator Light (Check Engine Light) will illuminate, the -??Engine Power is Reduced-?? message will display. I have called GM and was told it wouldn't be covered, I have talked to the dealer and taken it in before but I can't afford to keep paying a $150 fee to have my car looked at. I have been having this issue since April

- Clarksville, TN, USA

problem #182

Nov 082023

Malibu

  • miles
My 2016 Chevy Malibu that does not have many miles on it is shifting into, Reduced Engine Power Mode. When this comes on I cannot accelerate up to speeds and can only go about 25 MPH. It is dangerous that my car can go from highway speeds to this slow. I have had 0 issues before this started happening and other Malibus have been recalled for this same issue.

- Little Chute, WI, USA

problem #181

Oct 012023

Malibu

  • miles
I'm having a problem with the car going into park. When it's in park, the doors will not lock in the vehicle will Just drain the battery.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #180

Sep 252023

Malibu

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2016 Malibu is a piece of sh*t. Randomly, and this cannot be anticipated or reproduced, I will be driving and the car will say "engine power has been reduced". This is dangerous! It takes me from 70 mph on the highway to 15 mph almost immediately. I cannot speed up. It has almost caused at lease 5 accidents. It happens on the freeway, regular roads etc. and Chevrolet refuses to issue a recall to fix it. I can't take it into a dealership because it cannot be reduced and Chevrolet was EXTREMELY rude. They said you issue recalls and I need to contact you. The most recent date this happened was 9/25/2023 but it has happened many other times.

- Topeka, KS, USA

problem #179

May 012018

Malibu

  • miles
When the vehicle is shifted (manual transmission) from any gear into park, and the vehicle is turned off, the "Shift into Park" warning appears. I verified it was in the park. Warning stays on from 1-5 minutes, leaving all outside marker and headlights on until the sensor engages and the vehicle returns to proper state (outside marker and headlights shut off and interior dome light turns on for exiting the vehicle. This occurs each time the vehicle is driven, and the malfunction has caused a reduced battery power (eventually replacement) and outside light replacement from unnecessary use. Losing battery power has left us stranded, and the loss of outside lighting reduces our visibility for other drivers to see the vehicle. Upon research, this has been reported and reproduced numerous times to the manufacturer, dealers, and NHTSA with no solutions reached except charging the customer to repair the issue (this is unacceptable). There were no warnings and the symptoms started approximately 2-3 years after purchased in 2016 and still continue (brand new car).

- Goodyear, AZ, USA

problem #178

Jun 022023

Malibu

  • miles
Shift to park displayed when gear was already in park I was traveling on the highway when I felt the speed decline and engine speed reduced was then displayed. Thank you.

- Hampton Falls, NH, USA

problem #177

Jun 042023

Malibu

  • miles
Ever time I put car in park it say sh*t to park I have to restart the car 3 or 4 time and move shift stricken more then 3 time to finally make it go off

- Glenmora, LA, USA

problem #176

Mar 012023

Malibu

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving, my car will read reduce power engine, and go to 40mph and then i have to pull over and turn off my car and restart, sometimes it will dismiss the problem and drive normal but sometimes it goes right back to reduce power engine and 40mph again. My gears sometimes will be stuck in park.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #175

Mar 192023

Malibu

  • miles
Intermittent "Shift to Park" message started to show up when attempting to turn off vehicle. GM does have a special bulletin 19-NA-206 but doesn't have the coverage stated in it. There is also class action law suits as well so this is a common concern.

- Bay City, MI, USA

problem #174

Dec 102022

Malibu

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that she noticed water markings located on the inner hood lining of the vehicle and water had saturated the trunk of the vehicle. As a result, the alarm started to malfunction. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a body shop where it was determined that water had entered the vehicle by the windshield enclosure. The contact stated that she had the windshield replaced and the screws were tightened; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was notified of the failure however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #173

Feb 192023

Malibu

  • miles
Problem with losing power in auto stop

- Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

problem #172

Dec 012022

Malibu

  • 53,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and decelerated with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that an electrical failure and power train failure was present. No additional information was available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 53,000.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #171

Nov 012019

Malibu

  • miles
My vehicle accumulates moisture and has done so for the past three years or more. As a result there was mildew in the vehicle which was covered under the manufactures warranty and the vehicle was cleaned. Now fast forward a few years there-€™s a problem with the electrical system as a result of the moisture accumulating in the vehicle. I believe there is a manufacture defect with the Chevrolet model that is causing moisture to accumulate in the vehicle does causing electrical issues with the car

- Sanford , FL, USA

problem #170

Oct 222022

Malibu

  • miles
Numerous times my vehicle has not allowed me to shut it off, start it, or move the vehicle because it says that the vehicle is not in park when it very clearly is. I googled the issue and found that numerous other owners have had this issue, and the tech advisor at the dealer confirmed numerous people have had this issue as well. The issue was a faulty switch in the transmission control. 2 different major safety concerns resulted because of this. First, I was unable to start my car in a very bad neighborhood for over a half hour because it kept saying shift to park to start vehicle. Second, I could not shut the car off while parked in the garage because it said shift to park to shut off the vehicle. Both times I was fully in park. This problem is widespread as a simple google search will confirm, however, GM continues to deny it is a problem.

- Westfield, IN, USA

problem #169

Aug 082022

Malibu

  • miles
The engine light has illuminated due to a cylinder 1 misfire and ECM lost connection with the fuel pump which also caused problem with the pistons on the vehicle. All of these issue are related to the engine and it-€™s only 94,343 miles on the car

- Naperville , IL, USA

problem #168

Aug 222022

Malibu

  • miles
I was sitting at a stop light and all the sudden my car just died in the middle of the road. I turned my car off and tried to turn it back on and my brake pedal was very hard to push down and on the dashboard it said Engine Power is Reduced. I was not able to start my car at all and had to be towed.

- Kokomo, IN, USA

problem #167

Jul 302022

Malibu

  • miles
When the vehicle is in drive, the display will say "reduced engine power" and will drop the car to 25mph even on the highway. I've almost wrecked from this issue. I've seen where GM has had class actions on this prior but it was never recalled.

- Tahlequah, OK, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?