2022 Chevrolet Malibu: What to check before buying

The car often fails to recognize Park. It shows a "Shift to Park" message, stays powered on, and sometimes beeps until the battery drains. Owners report this between about 28,619 and 44,000 miles, often just past the 36,000-mile warranty, and dealers blame the shifter. A second pattern is turbo underboost (code P0299), with sudden limp mode and power loss while merging on the highway. Some owners describe a jerking, slipping transmission, even after a replacement. Two reports involve crashes, including a delayed throttle response followed by a surge into a curb.

These complaints cover many unrelated faults. The most common is the Shift to Park fault, and one dealer quoted over $600 for an out-of-warranty shifter replacement. Several reports describe the engine cutting out while driving, Engine Power Reduced episodes at highway speed, and check engine lights the dealer could not explain. Others cite Bluetooth that drops daily, a telematics fault that disables OnStar, CarPlay and hands-free calling, and lingering ESC, power steering, and seatbelt tensioner warnings. One owner lost the headlights while using the infotainment system.

Turbocharger failure is the only pattern here. A check engine light comes on with code P0299, power drops, and the car goes into limp mode. Failures cluster around 66,000 miles, shortly after the 60,000-mile powertrain warranty runs out. Owners mention a GM special coverage program for some 2022 cars, but several say their VIN is not included. One owner was quoted 2,200 for the repair. Only 3 complaints fall under this heading.

Turbocharger failure causes stalling or sudden deceleration, then limp mode with the check engine light on. One car could not exceed 40 MPH. Mechanics found failed turbos, including one leaking oil, and one failure came at 110,022 miles. In two cases the dealer neither diagnosed nor repaired the car. Another report links an Engine Overheating warning to a faulty turbo, which came after a whining transmission was replaced. The stalls at road speed create a real risk in traffic.

Airbags fail to deploy in a crash. In one case the car rear-ended another vehicle at 20 MPH with no airbag deployment and no warning light, and a collision shop said the bags should have fired and found a component that was never welded. A second owner reports a restraint system fault that Chevrolet cannot fix. Only 2 complaints are filed here, but one involved a crash.

Power steering assist drops out. One report describes the wheel jerking when pulling away from a stop, along with a "Power Steering Assist Is Reduced" warning. Another describes a full loss of power steering at about 40 MPH, along with poor brake response, RPMs falling to zero, and traction control and check engine lights. That problem returned after a dealer repair. Both cases carry a loss-of-control risk, though there are only 2 complaints.

The car loses acceleration and shows a reduced power warning. In one case it slowed suddenly at 45 MPH and then could not exceed 10 MPH. The dealer traced that failure to the turbocharger at about 62,000 miles, and GM confirmed there was no coverage. Another owner made five dealer visits for a failed accelerator position sensor, and the pedal was replaced twice without a lasting fix. A sudden power loss in traffic is the main hazard.