Problems · by component
2009 Chevrolet Malibu engine problems
61 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu cite engine, 4% of all 1,511 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
61
4% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“My car is having issues driving over 60miles per hr, I have to keep pressing the gas to get the car to move, the car battery is dead and won’t turn on, I got the car repaired twice and the second time I got it repaired, it just was even worse then before . The car smells like gas , the salesman only told me that I needed a value cover gasket and he had someone repair it , but when I went to auto zone , it was still cracked, I have a oil leak and my car eats up gas.”
“I purchased the car used and been driving one week. I was driving at approx 55-60 and attempted to accelerate going over hill. The car rpm went up to about 3000 and was reving high until I let of gas. I attempted again to push pedal which repeated same acceleration of rpm. I stopped and checked Trans fluid and oil both were fine. Pulled into drive and turned off ignition to check fluids again. Which were ok. Got back in car to move and had no reverse. Car would slowly go forward but Nothing else. In searching onstar ran codes and I found info about 3/5-r wave plate “service bulletin”. Had car towed to dealer who confirmed and said metal flakes in tranny and was due to “common issue of wave plate” Contacted gm several times and gm will not cover cost of tranny replacement because my car is inoperable. This is a “common problem” with 09 Malibu. Why isn’t it recalled tranny. Very sad I feel I’ll never buy a Chevy/gm product again”
“As I drive on highway and go a certain speed it slows down and engine power reduced and service traction pops up on my dashboard if cut it off it will not crank back up until I let the car cool down”
“CURRENTLY MY CAR HAS ABOUT 86,000 MILES ALWAYS HAVE KEPT UP WITH ANY FIXES THAT NEED TO BE MADE RANDOMLY I START HEARING THIS NOISE LIKE A WHEEL BEARING SO I FIX ALL MY WHEEL BEARINGS COME TO FIND OUT IT'S MY TRANSMISSION BEARING. IT WENT OUT AND IT'LL BE 3,800. MECHANIC SAID THEY SENT OUT THE CAR AT THE MANUFACTURER PLANT KNOWING FULL WELL IT WAS GOING TO GO OUT BECAUSE THESE THINGS DON'T JUST GO OUT.”
“I WAS DRIVING ON THE PARKWAY MY VEHICLE STARTED MAKING A LOUD SOUND IDLING HIGH THEN IT MADE A LOUD POP SOUND THEN BEGAN TO SMOKE BY THE TIME I PULLED OVER SMOKE WAS COMING THROUGH THE VENTS AND FIRE WAS COMING FROM THE HOOD I WAS ABLE TO GET MY TWO SMALL BOYS OUT BEFORE IT COMPLETELY WENT UP IN FLAMES”
“WHEN I BOUGHT IT WORKED GOOD FOR BOUT 2 DAYS AND I STARTED NOTICING A LIGHT WOULD BE BLINKING LIKE THE ENGINE LIGHT AND A LIGHT WITH LIKE A EXCLAMATION MARK IN SIDE OF LIKE A BOWL AND THE SPEED WOULD REDUCE AND THEN IT WOULD JUST QUIT EVEN WHILE YOUR IN TRAFFIC AT A STOP LIGHT ,GOING UP A HILL IT WOULD DO IT JUST WHEN IT GOT READY”
Showing 6 of 61 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.