Chevrolet bulletin 21-NA-186
What it saysThis service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of Service Engine Soon Illuminated in DIC and/or a Malfunctioning Fuel Gauge with DTC U0076/U18A2/P1001/P1434 or Other Message Counter… NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Chevrolet filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jan 7, 2025, received Sep 7, 2022, about the engine — 3 documents under this number. It names 6 model years (2020–2025). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationThis service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of Service Engine Soon Illuminated in DIC and/or a Malfunctioning Fuel Gauge with DTC U0076/U18A2/P1001/P1434 or Other Message Counter Incorrect Codes Set.
Trouble codes it names: P1001 P1434 U0076 U18A2
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21-NA-186 | Service bulletin | Jan 7, 2025 | 11013026 | PDF, 177 KB |
| 21-NA-186 | Service bulletin | Feb 27, 2024 | 10251352 | PDF, 70 KB |
| 21-NA-186 | Service bulletin | Aug 26, 2022 | 10219289 | PDF, 98 KB |
The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Doing the repair yourself, or pricing it before the shop does? Search the part by fitment on eBay Motors — the listing and the price are the seller’s.
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Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 6 model years this bulletin names have filed 508 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 330 of them name Electrical System, Engine, Fuel/Propulsion System — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
On the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu, the 18 owners who gave an odometer reading for Engine reported it at a median of 82,010 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
while driving down a mountain in monterey tenessee from visiting a friend the car started blowing white smoke and all dash lights flickered before car shut off no brakes or steering while coasting down mountain almost got rear ended by pickup this was around 9pm it was dark i coasted into a gas station after a few attempts to start car .
2020 Chevrolet Malibu · Fuel/Propulsion System · filed with NHTSA Apr 20, 2022
MY 2023 CHEVY MALIBU HAS A MISSING TURBOCHARGER SCREW THAT RANDOMLY CAME OFF FROM UNDER A METAL PLATE ON ITS OWN, GMC HAS A RECALL ON 2022 -2023 CHEY MALIBU WITH TURBO CHARGER ISSUES BUT THEY WONT COVER MINES BECAUSE IT DIDNT COME FROM A CERTIAN FACTORY ALTHOUGH THEY KNOW A HELL OF ALOT OF CHEVY MALIBU OWNERS HAVE TURBO CHARGER ISSUES…
2023 Chevrolet Malibu · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Feb 11, 2026
The esc light came on, air conditioner fan speed went high then low and my screen flickered out momentarily. The esc light came on three more times, 10-15 seconds each time with no lights remaining on after and no other changes. The next time I drove, when turning the esc light came on and the steering locked up for about 5 seconds
2025 Chevrolet Malibu · Electrical System · filed with NHTSA Aug 6, 2026
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the engine
Source: same model, same component group33 other manufacturer communications filed against the Chevrolet Malibu under the same component group (engine), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Chevrolet list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| N252508360 | Warranty extension | Nov 3, 2025 | Special Coverage. Certain vehicles listed above may have a condition that could cause the turbocharger to fail. If this condition occurs… |
| 00-06-01-026R | Service bulletin | Jun 5, 2025 | This service bulletin provides information on replacing the intake manifold when the engine is replaced after severe internal engine damage. |
| 23-NA-153 | Service bulletin | May 15, 2025 | The service bulletin advises the tech of a normal transmission shift condition and the delay in throttle response when the throttle plate is… |
| 15-NA-010 | Service bulletin | May 7, 2025 | This service bulletin provides information to dealership personnel for new vehicles with less than 1,000 miles that may not pass California… |
| 25-NA-100 | Service bulletin | Apr 18, 2025 | This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information on vehicles outside of a California Emissions State who move to and regist… |
| 18-NA-069 | Service bulletin | Apr 10, 2025 | This service bulletin provides a service procedure to correct conditions of Poor Engine Performance in Extremely cold weather conditions, CA… |
| 21-NA-139 | Service bulletin | Apr 2, 2025 | This service bulletin provides a repair procedure to correct a customer concern of a Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) Illuminated - DTC P305… |
| PIP6053 | Service bulletin | Apr 1, 2025 | This Preliminary information communicates a possible folded seal on the rear crankshaft |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Chevrolet, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Chevrolet 21-NA-186 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the 21-NA-186 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way.
Which vehicles does 21-NA-186 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years: 2025 Chevrolet Malibu, 2024 Chevrolet Malibu, 2023 Chevrolet Malibu, 2022 Chevrolet Malibu, 2021 Chevrolet Malibu, 2020 Chevrolet Malibu. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone.