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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
17,976 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.

2018 Chevrolet Malibu steering problems

steering problem

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2018 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #32

Jan 012019

Malibu

  • 50,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that a "shift to park turn the vehicle off" message was displayed while the vehicle was in the park position. While driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle stalled. The steering wheel was tight. After slowing down, the driver depressed the start/stop button, and the vehicle shut off and restarted. The vehicle was randomly shut down. After waiting, the vehicle restarted. While depressing the brake pedal, there was an abnormal, unidentifiable noise detected, and the vehicle came to a sudden halt. While driving at 55 mph, the vehicle suddenly stopped, and she hit her head on the steering wheel but medical attention was not provided. The vehicle was pulsating while driving. There was a sound of water going through the vehicle. The vehicle was slow to accelerate and then moved violently. All the instrument warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or reported. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Capital Chevrolet, at 9820 Capital Blvd., Wake Forest, NC 27587, where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was not safe to be on the road. The oil throttle body and vacuum pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V668000 ( Power Train), and NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V642000 (Electrical System Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine). The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

- Clayton, NC, USA

problem #31

Nov 072023

Malibu

  • miles
My car will stall in the middle of driving will say it is not in drive, the power steering is reduced, and I cannot use the brakes properly. This is a safety issue. As I drive on interstates and highways on my commutes.

- Monticello, IN, USA

problem #30

Sep 122023

Malibu

  • miles
My car has auto stop and every time it cranks back up my radio blinks off, my lights blink off, all the lights on my dashboard come on and the error message Steering Assist is Reduced comes on the message center. Sometimes it doesn-??t want to crank back up. Today when all that happened the message service stabilitrac also came up. I can-??t find any recalls.

- Saltillo, MS, USA

problem #29

Aug 102023

Malibu

  • miles

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

My check engine light will come on, a message will pop up on the screen saying, "steering assist reduced drive with care." When i come to a stop and my car goes into auto stop the car will completely shut down. This can be in the middle of the street or during traffic. It will take my car awhile to start back up. I was told it is a sensor that is going bad consistently, this has happened to me 3 times. This is a known issue with a lot of Chevy Malibu.

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #28

Oct 302022

Malibu

  • miles
The steering wheel is jerking when in the position to turn, and waiting at a light. The STOP ENGINE Feature seems to make the jerk motion and also sends an ALERT MESSAGE which is a quick flash STATING "Steering Assist is REDUCED- Drive with Care". According to a SERVICE BULLETIN Provided by GM BULLETIN #19-NA-182 AUGUST 2019. This is a problem that needs to be corrected, for the safety of my family and others in the vehicle and on the road. Next, the car shut off and the command center went blank,

- Woodbridge, VA, USA

problem #27

Dec 012021

Malibu

  • miles
Vehicle is experiencing a electrical issue. When auto stop stops the car, it displays the message "drive assistance reduced, drive with care". The Vehicle does not jave any light displaying a issue but the car is loosing power once it starts after auto stop.

- Lithia Springs, GA, USA

problem #26

Nov 012021

Malibu

  • 85,379 miles

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

The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the steering wheel would jerk to the left. Additionally, the vehicle inadvertently rolled backward while at a full stop. The steering assist warning message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,379.

- Mauldin, SC, USA

problem #25

Oct 252021

Malibu

  • miles
Reduced power steering warning pops up for approximately 3-5 seconds then disappears. No noticeable operating issues while driving.

- Neosho , MO, USA

problem #24

Sep 062021

Malibu

  • miles
Recently my car had been shutting off at stops. I know chevys shut down when at stops but now it shuts down my radio lights go off locks on doors unlock then lock. then when it turns back on it says driving assist is reduced drive with caution. Then another alert pops up saying doors are unlocked. Now when I-€™m driving sometimes it slows down on its own and won-€™t let me go faster. It-€™s very scary when on freeway cause I-€™m worried it-€™s not going to speed back up and I-€™m going to get rear ended. Another alert With the first letter S comes on but it turns off so fast I can-€™t see what the word is. It been stalling when I-€™m at a stop. It does turn back on after a few seconds. The engine light comes on periodically and eventually turns off. Also when I go from drive to reverse it does not change gear smoothly sometimes it will jerk the entire car and make a loud noise as I-€™m putting into reverse. There has been two times my radio screen has gone completely black and won-€™t turn on for several hours. I use my car everyday to commute to and from work. I have two jobs so I do spend a lot of time driving and this is scary not knowing if my car is truly safe to be on the road. I trust the Chevy name that-€™s why I chose it but now I-€™m not so sure it is safe.

- Delano, CA, USA

problem #23

Aug 112021

Malibu

  • miles
The steering wheel is jerking when in the position to turn, and waiting at a light. The STOP ENGINE Feature seems to make the jerk motion and also sends an ALERT MESSAGE which is a quick flash STATING "Steering Assist is REDUCED- Drive with Care". According to a SERVICE BULLETIN Provided by GM BULLETIN #19-NA-182 AUGUST 2019. This is a problem that needs to be corrected, for the safety of my family and others in the vehicle and on the road. Technicians must replace or reprogram the POWER STEERING control module with the latest and most up to date one. I am aware there in no specific RECALLS but this issue is new and I do not feel SAFE and I would like it corrected.

- Altamonte Springs, FL, USA

problem #22

Jun 102021

Malibu 4-cyl

  • miles

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

When car restarts after being in Auto stop start mode the steering wheel jerks uncontrollably. The car obviously has a suspension problem. Dealership failed to repair issue properly after several attempts. Also appears dealer made false diagnosis to prevent repairs under bumper to bumper warranty. GM Dealer also refused to repair issue under Power train warranty. Another dealer wanted $555 just to check issue. A couple of weeks ago I suddenly lost control of the vehicle. I was at a red light. Car went into auto stop start mode. When light changed and car restarted, as I proceeded to take off the steering wheel jerked away from my hands, and I lost control of the wheel and car. Luckily it was a single turning lane and no other vehicle was next to me turning. I pulled off side of the road in shock. I drove about half mile and warning light displayed on dash. Warning Message States STEERING ASSIST REDUCED DRIVE WITH CARE" what was a brand new 2018 Chevrolet Malibu purchased in 2019 is now unsafe and inoperable. This steering component issue along with several others were brought to dealerships attention and were not acknowledged and were dismissed. After several other failed attempts this dealership purposely ignored this issue months ago while car was still under bumper to bumper warranty. Dealership also refused to repair this issue under powertrain warranty. 2018 Chevy Malibu has had 5 recalls to my knowledge. This has been spontaneously producing white smoke from underneath the hood on several occasions. I have video and witnesses. This car was sold as a brand new car. This car had recalls at the time of purchase and never disclosed the recall information. Also be advised that I cranked the car today just to keep the battery in tack because car has been sitting since June 10. The car choked, head lights went flickering, car could barely stay on. it appears to be an engine issue. These cars should not be on the road. They are not safe.

- Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

problem #21

Apr 062021

Malibu

  • 48,000 miles
During auto stop feature of 20108 Malibu, car will pop up with "steering assist reduced, please drive with care" message and disappear. Car will also shut off at various times during auto stop. Chevy dealership will not calibrate car to fix issue.

- Daytona Beach, FL, USA

problem #20

Jan 112021

Malibu

  • 50,000 miles
Check engine light, tracking light, steering wheel locks up, low engine and can't exceed 45 ~ 50 mph all happens when in motion

- Manchester, NH, USA

problem #19

Jan 042021

Malibu

  • 49,600 miles
2018 Chevrolet Malibu lt, while driving at highway speed on a flat smooth road the steering wheel will stick in the straight position. It requires extra effort to break free from this position, causing the vehicle to jerk and extra correction is needed to keep the vehicle in control. It has happened almost everyday since beginning of January 2021.

- Grafton, OH, USA

problem #18

Nov 212020

Malibu

  • miles
Delayed eccel electrical steering an battery loss. Tire low warning reset for all tires continue to come on, battery dies brought car to dealer they sai it had only 1 recall an it was fixed

- Victorville, CA, USA

problem #17

Nov 122020

Malibu

  • 70,952 miles
When car shuts down while waiting for green light to change, car shuts off and when it turns back on, I have a warning sign that appears on my dashboard that says "steering assist is reduced, drive with care" and then it disappears. No issues with car just that warning sign.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #16

Nov 092020

Malibu

  • 62,000 miles
I was driving my car this morning this happened 4 times, I was in a stop when I would restart the car to go my steering wheel would do a quick shift to the left then back to its original position then I would get the steering assist reduced sign for second then disappear. It did it 4 times in a matter of an hour and a half. And did it once last week with no massage display.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #15

Sep 102020

Malibu

  • 53,801 miles
Car is stationary while waiting for red light to change, the car will shut off and reduced driving assistance error message will pop up before turning back on. The radio will also cut out in process of car turning back on frim auto shut off. It has been happening for over a month and seems to get worse. Engine light came on today aswell

- Surprise, AZ, USA

problem #14

Aug 252020

Malibu

  • 15 miles
While driving in colder weather along the interstate at 65 mph for 5 miles or longer the steering wheel slightly locks in at the top position causing a slight over corrections when needing to turn the wheel to change lanes

- Demotte, IN, USA

problem #13

Aug 252020

Malibu

  • 8 miles
While driving in slow moving traffic, I will get a warning on the dash that states "steering assist reduced, drive careful" this has happened many times, when taken to the dealership they cannot find anything wrong.

- Demotte, IN, USA

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