Chevrolet Malibu check engine light problems: what 679 owners reported

Owners filed 679 NHTSA complaints that mention the check engine light on the Chevrolet Malibu, which is 12.4% of the 5,474 complaints on file for the model. The reports cover model years 2012 to 2023. The 2016, 2017 and 2018 cars have the most, with 140, 130 and 127 reports.

Many of these owners describe the light arriving together with a "reduced engine power" message, a power loss at speed, or a warning about steering or stability control. NHTSA's recall data for these model years has no recall matching this symptom as of 27 October 2026. If this is not your case, read the full Chevrolet Malibu problem report.

TL;DR

• 679 complaints mention the check engine light, 12.4% of the 5,474 Malibu complaints (data of 27 October 2026).
• The worst model years are 2016 (140 reports), 2017 (130) and 2018 (127).
• 2022 has the highest share: 22 of 99 complaints (22.2%).
• 11 reports mention a crash, 0 mention a fire, and the reports list 3 injuries.
• The components named most often are Engine (406), Electrical System (185) and Vehicle Speed Control (159).
• No recall in NHTSA's data for these model years matches this problem.

Which Chevrolet Malibu years have the most check engine light complaints?

The 2016 to 2018 cars form one cluster: together they account for 397 of the 679 reports, and in each of those years roughly one complaint in six or seven mentions the light. The 2013 model year has the most complaints overall (924) but a lower share, so its owners reported many other problems too. 2022 stands out by share, though with only 99 complaints in total the sample is small. The 2024 and 2025 cars have no matching reports, but they have had little time on the road (43 and 11 complaints in total).

What do Malibu owners describe?

The light rarely appears alone. Several owners describe a drop in power while driving:

• Reduced power at speed. A 2017 owner wrote: "The Reduce Power to Engine keeps happening. It shuts my car down and lights up the traction control light, check engine light..." (complaint 11716053). A 2015 owner described a message that the engine power was reducing, then a limit of 25 miles per hour, after which "The car then stopped" (complaint 11683262).
• Throttle and pedal sensors. A 2016 owner wrote: "Check engine light says its throttle bottle sensor and accelerator pedal position sensor" (complaint 11715447). A 2021 owner wrote that the car "won't drive past 25-30mph" and that the dealership indicated a faulty gas pedal (complaint 11731460).
• Turbo. A 2017 owner: "my mechanic states my turbo needs to be replaced" (complaint 11715400). A 2023 owner wrote that a mechanic said the symptoms "may be consistent with diagnostic code P0299 (turbo underboost)" (complaint 11733160).
• Brakes and vacuum pump. A 2018 owner reported: "Code P1101, Vacuum Pump Failure and ECM came up" and "The brakes locked up" (complaint 11768885). A 2022 owner wrote of a loss of braking on the freeway and that the "Break vacuum pump is broken and diagnose by the dealer" (complaint 11762044).
• Several warnings at once. A 2020 owner described dash lights popping on and off at 60 mph, with "warning power steering fault" on the screen (complaint 11754086).
• Exhaust and misfire. A 2012 owner suspected the catalytic converter and exhaust manifold, with "hesitation and skipping" and "Check engine light displays" (complaint 11633324). A 2016 owner quoted a mechanic who found scuffs on a cylinder wall and misfires (complaint 11734369).

These are owner descriptions, not confirmed diagnoses. The components named across all 679 reports are Engine (406), Electrical System (185), Vehicle Speed Control (159), Power Train (125), Fuel/Propulsion System (89) and Electronic Stability Control (69). 11 reports mention a crash and none mention a fire. The reports list 3 injuries in total.

Is there a recall for the check engine light on the Malibu?

NHTSA's recall data for these model years has no recall matching this problem as of the 27 October 2026 data. Recalls for other parts may still apply to your car. Some owners above mention recalls or special coverage (for example a 2022 owner who wrote that the dealer would not perform "the turbo-related recall/special coverage repair" unless paid repairs were done, complaint 11762044), but those are the owners' accounts and they are not in the recall data used here. Check your own VIN on the NHTSA recall page.

What should you do if your Malibu shows the check engine light?

• Check open recalls for your VIN at NHTSA recalls. Owners above were told their VIN was not covered, so check yours rather than assume.
• Write down the date, mileage, any warning message (such as "engine power reduced") and the conditions: speed, temperature, cold start.
• Ask a dealer to read the stored codes and to check for open recalls and manufacturer service bulletins.
• If the car loses power or braking in traffic, switch on the hazard lights, get to a safe place and call for help. I would not keep driving a car that keeps cutting power on a highway.
• Report the problem at NHTSA: report a safety problem. The reports above are the reason this guide exists.

How this guide was made

The data comes from NHTSA's public owner complaint database. Complaints were matched to this symptom by the owner's own text mentioning the check engine light, and the figures are from a data pull dated 27 October 2026. The method is explained on the methodology page. Browse every year in the problem lookup.