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8.9

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
32,450 miles
Total Complaints:
11 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (6 reports)
  2. replace cracked piston (3 reports)
  3. engine replaced (1 reports)
  4. turbo system rebuilt (1 reports)
2016 Chevrolet Malibu engine problems

engine problem

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2016 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments

problem #11

Sep 142022

Malibu LS 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 136,000 miles

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

This car had an engine fault light for a misfire from cylinder 1. All plugs were replaced and coil packs were checked. Mechanic says it could be a cracked piston and he will not mess with it. Car is not old enough for this type of problem, but mechanic says it is a common problem for this car. Have checked for recalls on this car for this problem and it seems Chevy is not responding to or addressing this problem. This is just wrong!!!

- Artie M., Albemarle, US

problem #10

Dec 042021

Malibu LT 1.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 90,802 miles

Engine light came on had it checked and it gave code P1101 started researching and found out it was a throttle body issue that I saw my daughter go through before with the Chevy Malibu have not had the engine power reduced yet but have had jerking which is when the light popped on. I’ve read about class action lawsuits for this issue and in those suits it says Chevy charges a lot for fixing but does not fix the problem and they won’t put on a recall. As I stated, I have not had this problem with the losing power but I don’t want to experience it because I’m not sure I would be able to think fast enough to keep myself safe in a situation.

- Karita W., Houston, US

problem #9

Jan 302019

Malibu LT 1.5t

  • Automatic transmission
  • 49,000 miles

On the coldest day of the year, when getting on the interstate the car was not producing power. Read the code and it was turbo over-boost. Cleared it and it came back with under-boost. Of course, parts are on back order and I haven't seen my car in over a week.

- Erik L., Des Moines, IA, US

problem #8

Feb 142018

Malibu LT 1.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 25,000 miles

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

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON, LOSS OF POWER, HESITATION ON ACCELERATION. DIAGONITICS CAME BACK WITH ENGINE MISFIRE.

- eizmahlyfe30, Monroe, US

problem #7

May 122017

Malibu LT 1.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 4,700 miles

I BOUGHT A NEW 2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU OFF THE LOT IN MARCH. SINCE THAT TIME IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 4 TIMES! YES 4 TIMES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON THEN ONSTAR SENDS ME AN E-MAIL STATING THAT THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION NEED ATTENTION RIGHT AWAY WITHIN 7 DAYS... WHY IS A NEW CAR HAVING SO MANY PROBLEMS. THIS IS RIDICULOUS!

EVERY TIME I BRING IT TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET WORK ON IT STAYS THERE AT LEAST 5-7 DAYS. YEA THEY PROVIDE ME WITH A LOANER BUT ITS THE FACT THAT I PAID 30,000 DOLLARS FOR A VEHICLE THAT IS IN THE SHOP MORE THAN IN MY GARAGE AT HOME. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS CURRENTLY ON AND ILL BE BRINGING IT BACK TO THE SHOP ON MONDAY. I'M INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS THIS TIME! COME ON "GM" I ALWAYS HAD CHEVROLET VEHICLES BUT I AM STARTING TO LOSE FAITH IN YOU GUYS!

- Jordan G., gall, LA, US

problem #6

Apr 182017

Malibu LT 1.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 16,800 miles

I've visited the dealer 3 times for this recall issue. The car started to run very rough Easter Sunday and then cleared up the same day. I didn't have any engine lights show Easter, it was just was running rough. Tues 4/18/17 all of a sudden the car started running very rough like it was going to stall. Roughly 30 minutes later the Stabillitrack light came on while running rough. Another 30 min later the check engine light started blinking. After about 5 minutes the lights went off and the car seemed to be running normal again. Driving home about 15 miles the Stabillitrack light and engine light started flashing again and then stayed on permanently. The car felt as if it was going to stall during acceleration while approaching a yellow light so I gave it some gas to get through the light, as I didn't want to come to a complete stop with these issues. I noticed out my back window a cloud of smoke from the exhaust. I checked the oil and was down 1 quart from 3 days earlier when I checked it. It’s at the dealer now and they said 1 piston is damaged and they will be replacing all 4.

Below are the issues I've had with the 2016 Malibu which is now at 16k for miles and purchased Aug 2016.

Moon roof (wiring harness replaced) Rear brakes rubbing (didn’t find anything or hear) Start/Stop (hasn’t worked in months) Engine light (has been on/off 3 times) Rear tire noise at 80mph (dealer won’t drive to that speed to test) Engine misfire cylinder (code P0301 3 times) Service stability track light is on Transmission skip (couldn’t recreate)

- Sean O., Woburn, MA, US

problem #5

Nov 032016

Malibu LS 1.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 22,666 miles

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

I drive for Uber and Lyft first of all. I need my car in order to work. This is the reason I purchased a new car with a good warranty and the full maintenance package. I just had my 3rd oil change about a week ago, and the car had to stay in for an extra couple of hours due to a computer upgrade. Plus, there was a computer chip that was faulty and had to be replaced. Now, at just over 22,000 miles, on Thursday Nov. 3rd. the car begins to sputter when driven over 50 mph.

Then later in the day, began sputtering while stopped (at times when the auto shut off feature did not operate). Even later that day, after taking a break for lunch, I saw that the check engine light was on and the car was sputtering while in idle. I drove only a few miles and the car was no longer in auto shut off mode, sputtering while stopped, and running rough at all speeds. Initially, I called the service center and scheduled to have the car brought in on the following Tuesday, but when the engine light came on, I immediately called and rescheduled for early morning Friday.

The following is what the service department had to say about the problem: The check engine light is on for a misfire condition on cylinder #1. After checking ignition coil and spark plug, ad performing compression test. The tech found low compression on #1 cylinder. There is a service bulletin out for possible cracked pistons. This is what the tech found to be causing the check engine light and misfire. Parts are ordered, but they are currently on back order from the Supplier. It will be a few days before parts are available. Will keep you informed once the parts are in and repairs being performed.

At this point it could take up to two weeks for the repair. In the mean time, I have been given a rental car from Enterprise. A 2015 Malibu - the car is actually smaller inside than mine, but it'll have to suffice for now.

- Rick V., Alpharetta, GA, US

problem #4

Aug 252016

Malibu LS 1.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10,500 miles

It started out with a shimy, and then the check engine light came on. The car has been in the shop for 13 days now and they told me yesterday they are replacing the entire engine!

- Tom G., Stroudsburg, PA, US

problem #3

May 022016

Malibu 1LT 1.4L Turbo

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100 miles

I purchased this brand new 2016 Malibu LT 1.4 turbo on June 28TH from Husker Auto in Lincoln, NE. Also, we purchased everything they were selling to us including under coating and all chemicals for rust protection plus extended warranty ($4,500 package) Have the car for a week then brought it back to the dealership for coating and chemical applications then drove one block. The engine light came on...!! The car has 102 miles...!!

The dealer gave us a loaner car and it was 2016 Malibu LT1. The dealer called the next day and telling us the car has a manufacturing faulty fuel pump and it need to be replace. It will take 2 weeks to get the part since GM have to make the pump. A week later the loaner car has the engine light came on also and I think we drove to grocery store couple times.

I am always a Chevy fans...we own 2006 Impala LTZ and 1998 Chevy Silverado pickup and never has a engine light on...!! I start to question about GM's quality control....what are they doing? Why this is happen to a brand new car? We just make our first car payment this morning without a car to drive....!! GM's your quality is down the drain....!! I hope they can fix our car...!!

- soccerguru, Seward, NE, US

problem #2

Mar 042016

Malibu 1LT 1.5L 4 cyl Turbo

  • Automatic transmission
  • 175 miles

I purchased this vehicle on 3/3/16 and picked it up at 8:30PM. While driving to lunch 16 hours after I got the car, the check engine light came on and the remote start did not work. I called OnStar and the rep told me that I had 2 check engine codes, P3055 and P3056, basically there is a computer communication problem. OnStar stated that this error needs to be taken care of within 7 days, per the code. The dealership is going to check it on Monday. $28,500 Brand new car, 16 hours after I bought the car and 25 miles later I have a check engine light with problems. I have one foot out the door with this car. I have had 10+ new cars in the last 25 years and have never had a check engine light within the first 5 years until now. This is also my first Chevy car. I have owned Chevy Trucks with no issues. I guess there is a reason that the Malibu is not one of the best selling cars in its class. I should have bought a Honda or Toyota. My last Camry had 190,000 on it before the first check engine light for the CAT. Hmmmm, 13 years 207,000 miles and one check engine light. Now I own a Chevy and have a check engine light at the 25 mile mark and a total of 16 hours of ownership. Should have bought another Camry. My only hope is that the problem is fixable with a quick fix. If they can't fix it in a day, I will have to battle the dealership to take the car back. Oh the joy.

- David K., Anaheim, CA, US

problem #1

Feb 192016

Malibu 1LT 1.5L V4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 1,090 miles

I purchased my newly redesigned 2016 Malibu on 1/25/16 and took it into my dealer on 2/17/16 to check the operation of my auto stop on my engine. It appeared to be shutting off the motor excessively while driving. The dealer could not find anything wrong with the operation of the auto stop. Two days later while driving my new $30,000+ redesigned 2016 Malibu on 2/19 the check engine light came on and I only have 1,090 miles on it. I contacted the dealer and they want me to bring the car back to service, they will give me a loaner again to drive while they diagnose the check engine light. I told the dealer that in addition to the check engine light, my auto stop and my remote start stopped workfing, service told me they are disabled when a check engine light comes on. So much for buying a brand new redesigned 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. One of my daugthers drives a 2002 Chrylser Sebring LXI Convertible and the check engine light came on, but the car has 98,000+ miles on it. My daughters having a good laugh over my brand new redesigned 2016 Malibu with a check engine light lit just like her old 2002 Chrysler Sebring.

Thank you Chevrolet / GM!!!!

- Bob M., Mantua, NJ, US

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