2018 Chevrolet Malibu engine problems
289 of the 709 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 368 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database3 of the 289 reports a crash · 1 a fire · 2 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2018: 6 · 2019: 39 · 2020: 52 · 2021: 62 · 2022: 51 · 2023: 20 · 2024: 19 · 2025: 20 · 2026: 20
Half of the 137 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 29,000 and 64,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
709 complaints in all about the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 20 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Chevrolet Malibu engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Engine lost power on interstate highway. While this did not result in a crash/ rear end collision, the potential for such injury seems high. 1-2 days prior there were some warning lights (check engine light).
The car lost power while I was operating it. I had to put it in park and restart it. I was in the middle of parking it on a city street
Car will lose power when driving. I was turning left crossing traffic and it lost power. Car would not accelerate for 3 seconds essentially it felt like the car stalled even though it was still running. I have had this happen 3 other times as well
I bought my car a few weeks ago, my check engine light come on and off I have a certified warranty. The warning that pops is when I start my car say 'reduce engine power' and it messes with my lights as well as my gas pedal to where I can't go. It's very dangerous, especially when on the highway
The vehicle loses power after warming up. Vehicle sputters during acceleration and sometimes will not accelerate at all. This almost caused me to get into an accident as I pulled out and pressed the accelerator and the car would not move. There are no lights or codes present.
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications368 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P1101 P2138 P050D B3055 B3060 B3935 P0300 P0299
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu
Source: the same files- electrical problems 196 complaints
- transmission and drivetrain problems 175 complaints
- fuel system problems 104 complaints
- brake problems 72 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 289 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (41% of everything owners filed about it), and 368 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 6 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 50,000 miles; half of them between 29,000 and 64,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.