2021 Chevrolet Malibu power train problems
26 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu — 32% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that when shifting the gear selector into park (P), the "Shift To Park" warning message was displayed on the instrument panel, even though the vehicle was already parked. The failure was recurrent. A dealer was contacted and informed the…”
filed Jul 9, 2026
“My car stalls, jerks, and shuts off when in drive. More specifically when I turn it on, shift it in reverse, reverse, shift into drive. I press on the gas and nothing. Car doesn't move. I put it back in park sometimes it'll shut off most of the time it'll jerks and jerk while I tap on the gas, then…”
filed Apr 10, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Power Train problems in other Malibu years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Malibu | 5 | 15% |
| 2023 Malibu | 7 | 12% |
| 2022 Malibu | 23 | 25% |
| 2020 Malibu | 57 | 29% |
| 2019 Malibu | 65 | 35% |
| 2018 Malibu | 168 | 24% |
| 2017 Malibu | 138 | 20% |
| 2016 Malibu | 166 | 20% |
| 2015 Malibu | 31 | 12% |
| 2014 Malibu | 52 | 15% |
| 2013 Malibu | 53 | 6% |
| 2012 Malibu | 49 | 5% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.