2019 Chevrolet Malibu: What to check before buying

Acceleration cuts out or lags, often when pulling away from a stop or merging onto a highway. Owners describe the car crawling for several seconds, jerking, or revving high before it surges ahead. Dealers often cannot reproduce the problem. A few reports describe the transmission worn out at 109,330 to 114,000 miles, with rebuilt units quoted at $3500 and up. The second big pattern is a false "Shift to Park" message: the car is in Park but will not register it or shut off. Some owners say the engine stalls in gear.

A false "Shift to Park" message dominates these reports. The engine will not shut off, the doors will not lock, and lights stay on and drain the battery. Owners cite GM service bulletin 19-NA-206, and one dealer replaced the shifter assembly and pigtail for over $700. Failures show up as early as about 13,500 miles. Other reports describe stalling at lights tied to auto stop, reduced engine power, and a failed fuel pump. One fire started in the driver door wiring. The injury crash involved CarPlay in a different GM vehicle.

Sudden power loss hits with a check engine light and a "reduced engine power" warning, sometimes at highway speed. Owners report camshaft actuator and phaser codes, rough running, and stalling. One engine was replaced at about 52,000 miles and the problem came back. Another pattern is the intake hose or turbo charge pipe popping off the throttle body, which kills power. A crash with one injury followed an auto stop restart that revved the engine and surged the car forward while the brake was held. Some cars would not shut off.

The brake vacuum pump fails without warning. The pedal turns hard and stopping distances grow, and two cars ended up in ditches. Failure often comes with reduced engine power, codes P0014, P0017 and P0556, and a car that will not restart. Several shops say pump debris damaged the camshaft or the whole engine, and some quoted full engine replacement. One repair of the pump and camshaft cost 1700. Owners cite service bulletin 21-NA-268. One report notes failure at 60,000 miles. A separate complaint describes rear calipers that keep hanging up.

Power drops without warning, often with no warning lights on. Owners describe pressing the accelerator and getting a slow, delayed response at stop lights and in turns. One car stalled at 10 mph at about 53,713 miles. The dealer did not diagnose or repair it. One report here is really the false "Shift to Park" problem: the car would not shut off for about 30 minutes. The dealer called it common and charged $400 to fix it. Only 4 complaints fall in this category, so patterns are thin.

Airbag and restraint warning lights come on, usually alongside other faults rather than from an airbag failure itself. One car stalled repeatedly with airbag, check engine, and ABS lights lit, and neither shop could reproduce it. Another lost power when the intake hose blew off the throttle body, and the dealer replaced the throttle body and the airbag clock spring. A third owner reports the restraint warning going off repeatedly. No deployment failures or injuries are reported in this category.

The car shudders and pulls under braking. In one case the brakes grabbed at about 30 mph and the car jerked left. Check engine, stability, power steering, and ESC lights came on. Another owner reports the wheels pushing to one side on the freeway and the steering wheel shaking when slowing or braking. The front lug nuts had to be retightened, and the problem came back days later. With only 2 complaints, there is no clear pattern.