2015 Chevrolet Malibu Engine Problems
24 owner-reported engine complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Owner Complaints (24)
Your car displays a "Reduced Engine Power" warning that suddenly limits your speed to 20-25 mph regardless of how hard you press the gas pedal. The only way to clear this warning is with a diagnostic scan tool, but it returns shortly after. The scan tool indicates a faulty accelerator pedal position sensor, but replacing it hasn't permanently solved the problem—the same warning and sensor fault reappear even after installing a second new sensor.
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When driving at highway speeds the car will show “Engine reduced power” and will either drop to 20-40 mph or shut off completely. Engine codes show as cam shaft sensor, crankshaft sensor and fuel pressure regulator. I had the cam shag and crank shaft sensors replaced and it stopped for a few months. It started doing it again this week and today it did it then shut off completely and won’t restart
My car keeps cutting out while I'm driving I've taken it to the Chevy dealership and they did a diagnostic test and it comes up with air intake system cat is running to lean
At 2:30AM car was sitting in driveway and the engine caught on fire burning the engine, front left tire etc.
Vehicle caught fire in the engine compartment while parked and unoccupied.
The car is stalling upon acceleration, which causes a jerking sensation. It has been diagnosed as an Intake Rocker Arm Solenoid Valve (oil). I have researched and notice that this has been a recall on previous models such as the 2014 Chevy Malibu. I don't understand why the 2015 Malibu would not be included in this recall. I am preparing to have this item fixed at the dealership, fearing that if I don't I could have an accident. The dealership is not inexpensive and times are hard. This is a hardship for me trying to pay for these repairs. I feel that Chevrolet/GMC needs to do something about this situation. Obviously, the problem is still not fixed.
Several times my vehicle has said Engine Power is Reduced (I have a photograph) then it says reducing speed to 35 etc. It reduces speed very quickly and continues to do so. It's a safety hazard and I've had to pull off the side of the road so that I don't cause an accident.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated the vehicle failed to start without warning. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 82,496.
The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle started jerking with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle failed to accelerate properly while driving to the residence. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the rocker arm oil flow control valve was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The local dealer replaced the part and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,500.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT. THE CONTACT RAISED THE HOOD AND JIGGLED SOME UNKNOWN WIRES AND THE VEHICLE RESTARTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED THE FIRST TIME, IT WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE AN UNKNOWN SENSOR, ALTERNATOR, THE BATTERY, AND THE BATTERY CABLES WERE REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000.
GM PART NUMBER 12633613 VVT REAR OIL CONTROL SOLENOID IS FAULTY CAUSING ENGINE JERKING. GM DOES NOT HAVE THIS PART AVAILABLE OR ANY AFTERMARKET PART, AND APPEARS TO HAVE STOPPED PRODUCING IT.
MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON TOWARDS THE BEGINNING OF DEC 2019. I TOOK IT TO A CHEVY DEALERSHIP WHO STATED IT WAS DUE TO THE ROCKER ARM OIL CONTROL VALVE AND THAT THEY NEEDED TO ORDER THE PART. I WAITED UNTIL FEB 2020 WITH NO UPDATE ON WHEN THE PART WOULD ARRIVE SO I TOOK MY MALIBU TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP WHO STATED IT NEED THE SAME PART AND THAT IT SHOULD BE THERE WITHIN A WEEK. AS OF MAY 2020 MY CAR IS STILL AT THAT DEALERSHIP WITHOUT AN ESTIMATED DATE IN WHEN THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE. I CALLED GM AND THE ONLY THING THEY CAN DO IS OFFER $2500 TOWARDS A NEW CAR.
RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION ON THE DASH, ENGINE LIGHT. TOOK IT TO GET CHECKED & IT'S THE ROCKER ARM CONTROL VALVE. I'VE BEEN WAITING ON THIS PART SINCE LAST YEAR. I'M NOT ABLE TO USE MY REMOTE STARTER AS A RESULT, & I'M NOT ABLE TO GET A PLATE STICKER BCZ THE CAR WON'T PASS EMISSIONS. I FEEL THIS WILL START TO MESS UP THE ENGINE, & GM IS SAYING THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN THE PART WILL BE AVAILABLE. I'M READING A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE, & FEEL THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, SEVERAL UNKNOWN WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE ABNORMALLY. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WAS CONTACTED AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE VARIABLE TIMING CONTROL VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE DRIVEN UNTIL REPAIRED. THE PART WAS ORDERED BUT WAS STILL ON BACK ORDER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER OFFERED $2,500 TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF A NEW VEHICLE. THE CONTACT DECLINED THE OFFER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
MY CAR WAS DRIVING PERFECTLY FINE. IT HAD JUST PASSED THE ADMISSIONS TEST, AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE. I STARTED DRIVING MY CAR IN THE CITY LIMITS, AND WHILE AT A STOP LIGHT I SMELLED SMOKE. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE CAR BEHIND ME. AS I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT I REALIZED THAT IT WAS MY CAR THAT WAS SMOKING. UPON LIFTING MY HOOD I SEEN OIL EVERYWHERE AND MY ENGINE WAS SMOKING. AN ALERT CAME ACROSS MY SCREEN URGING ME TO DECREASE SPEED AND ADD OIL. AFTER INVESTIGATING IT WAS TOLD TO ME THAT IT IS MY ENGINE VARIABLE TIMING OIL CONTROL VALVE, AND GM IS CURRENTLY NOT MAKING ANYMORE AND THIS PART IS SOLD OUT EVERYWHERE. I NEED THIS PART IN ORDER FOR MY CAR TO RUN!!!!!
MY VARIABLE VALVE TIMING SOLENOID WENT OUT ON MY CAR. THE PART NUMBER IS 12633613. IT HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR 10 DAYS AND CHEVY HAS FAILED TO EVEN GIVE THE SHOP AN ETA ON THIS PART. NOT ONE CHEVY DEALER IN THE COUNTRY HAS THE PART. ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE BUSINESS PRACTICE.
THE ROCKER ARM CONTROL VALVE HAS TO BE CHANGED ON MY CAR. GENERAL MOTORS AND CHEVEROLET CONTINUES TO SAY THEY DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY ARE GOING TO GET THE PART. MY CHECK LIGHT HAS BEEN ON AND I NEED THIS MATTER CORRECTED. I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO BUY THE PART AND GET IT FIXED. I HAVE BEEN WAITING SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2019. THE PART NUMBER IS 12633613.
MY ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON 9/4/19 AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT I NEED THE ROCKER ARM SELANOID VALVE REPLACED. THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED ME IT'S BEEN ON BACK ORDER SOME JUNE 2019. IT IS NOW 1/28/2020 AND CHEVY HAS YET TO PROVIDE ANY INFORMATION ON WHEN PART WILL BE MANUFACTURED AND AVAILABLE. NO DEALERSHIP IN THE COUNTRY HAS THIS PART. VEHICLES MOSTLY AFFECT ARE 2014-2015 BUT MY DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN RECEIVING CALLS UP TO YEAR 2017. THE DEALERSHIP HAS ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE AFTER MARKET VERSION OF THE PART IS BEING PULLED FROM THE MARKET. CHEVY HAD YET TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND ISSUE A RECALL OR EVEN MANUFACTURER A NECESSARY PART FOR THE ENGINE!
I OWN A 2015 MALIBU THAT HAS A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT IS ON. IT NEEDS A PART (#12633613) THAT HAS NOT BEEN PRODUCED BY GM SINCE AT LEAST LAST AUGUST WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FIRST CAME ON. CONSEQUENTLY MY CAR WILL NOT PASS INSPECTION SO I CANNOT GET LEGAL LICENSE PLATES. GM IS AWARE OF MY SITUATION. I HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED A CASE NUMBER [XXX]. MY CASE HAS BEEN 'ESCALATED'. I HAVE SPOKEN TO MY CASE MANAGER, [XXX], FOR A MONTH NOW AND THIS WEEK WAS TOLD I HAVE NEW CASE MANAGER, [XXX], WHO IS HIGHER UP THAN [XXX]. WELL TODAY [XXX] FROM GM CALLED. SHE HAD NO ANSWERS FOR ME ON THE CAR. THE ONLY POSITIVE POINT IS THAT SHE CALLED ME FROM DETROIT. SO IT LOOKS LIKE I FINALLY GOT TO SOMEONE AT HEADQUARTERS. 'SHE UNDERSTANDS WHY I AM UPSET', AND WISHES THERE WAS SOMETHING MORE SHE COULD DO FOR ME BUT UNFORTUNATELY ALL SHE COULD TELL ME WAS 'THAT MY CASE HAS BEEN ESCALATED.' ADDITIONALLY, SHE COULD NOT TELL ME MY PART WAS BEING PRODUCED. SHE COULD NOT GIVE ME ANY SIGN THAT GM PLANNED TO DO ANYTHING TO HELP RESOLVE MY PROBLEM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
WHILE DRIVING THE VVT SOLENOID MALFUNCTIONED AND ALL THE OIL SPILLED OUT OF THE CAR RENDERING THE NON OPERABLE. THIS PART CAN NOT BE FOUND ANYWHERE. I WAS TOLD BE THE SEVERAL DEALSHIPS THAT THIS PART HAS BEEN SO BACK ORDER SINCE JUNE 2019 LEAVING ME WITHOUT A CAR AND WITH A CAR NOTE. GM SHOULD OFFER A CREDIT BACK TO THEIR CUSTOMERS!!
PURCHASED A NEW 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU 1LT WITH 8 MILES FROM IMPERIAL CHEVROLET IN MENDON MA. AT 44 MILES THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO IMPERIAL CHEVY. SERVICE FOR A MASSACHUSETTS STATE INSPECTION STICKER. THE BRAND NEW 2015 CHEVY. MALIBU FAILED THE EMISSIONS PORTION OF THE STATE INSPECTION TEST AND I WAS INFORMED BY THE IMPERIAL SERVICE DEPT. THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED THE STATE INSPECTION AND HE (SERVICE DEPT.) DID NOT KNOW WHY THE VEHICLE FAILED BUT I WAS INSTRUCTED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AROUND FOR APPROX. 100 MILES AND AFTER THE 100 MILES TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK AND IMPERIAL WOULD RE-TEST THE VEHICLE. AFTER DRIVING AROUND FOR APPROXIMATELY 100 MILES I RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE VEHICLE PASSED THE STATE INSPECTION AFTER THE SECOND TEST. AT APPROX. 3,000- 30000 MILES (AT TIMES) THE VEHICLE WOULD INDICATE (VIA INDICATION PANEL) THAT THE GAS CAP OF THE VEHICLE WAS LOOSE. THE 'TIGHTEN GAS CAP' INDICATOR LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND GO OFF DURING OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. DURING SEVERAL OIL CHANGES TO THE VEHICLE, I INFORMED THE SERVICE DEPT. OF THE 'TIGHTEN GAS CAP' INDICATION BUT DUE TO THE LIGHT NOT BEING ON DURING THE OIL CHARGES THE SERVICE DEPT. COULD NOT FIND ANY ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE. AT APPROX. 33,000 MILES THE "TIGHTEN GAS CAP" INDICATOR STAYED ON AND AFTER A WHILE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO CAME ON. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO IMPERIAL CHEVY. SERVICE AND THEY FOUND THE "VENT SOLENOID STICKING" "CODE 0455" AND REPLACED THE VENT SOLENOID. AT APPROX. 40,000 MILES THE SAME ISSUE STARTED AGAIN, THE VEHICLE WOULD INDICATE THAT THE GAS CAP WAS LOOSE, THE MESSAGE WOULD COME ON AND THEN GO OFF. AT 45,000 MILES ONCE AGAIN, THE LIGHT CAME ON ALONG WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. ONCE AGAIN, THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT TO CHEVY FOR SERVICE AND ONCE AGAIN THE VENT SOLENOID WAS FOUND TO BE STICKING AND THE SAME PART (VENT SOLENOID) WAS REPLACED. SAME ISSUE 3 TIMES.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS IN ECO-BOOST MODE, THE AUTO STOP FUNCTION FAILED. ALSO, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CLASSIC CHEVY SUGAR LAND (13115 SOUTHWEST FWY, SUGAR LAND, TX 77478, (281) 969-4132) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNSURE OF THE ORIGIN OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 44,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
AFTER FOUR MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP MY ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING. I TOOK IT IN, THEY SAID IT WAS A BALANCER SHAFT ASSEMBLY WITH TIMING CHAIN AND SPROCKET. THE SOUND IS STILL THERE BUT THE DEALERSHIP STARTED THE WORK IS DONE AND REFUSES TO TOUCH IT. THE NOISE IS EXTREMELY ANNOYING BUT DOES NOT AFFECT RUNNING. I AM OF COURSE WORRIED THE ENGINE MAY DIE, BUT WITH THE REFUSAL TO DO ANYTHING I DON'T WANT TO VOID THE REST OF THE WARRANTY.
DRIVING DOWN I-65 SOUTH IN NASHVILLE TN MIDDLE LANE WITH NO COMPROMISING ROAD CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, I GOT A WARNING ABOUT THE STABILITRAC SYSTEM AND THEN WITHIN 25-30 SECONDS THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. I WAS NEARLY REARENDED BY NUMEROUS VEHICLES AS THIS IS A VERY BUSY INTERSTATE. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR -IT WOULD NOT GO OVER 25 MPH AND GET TO THE SHOULDER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. *TR