Problems · NHTSA complaints

2014 Chevrolet Malibu problems

Owners filed 363 complaints about the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu with NHTSA between Jan 2014 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is engine (127).

Complaints
363
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
19
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
17
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine127
  2. Electrical system88
  3. Power train53
  4. Service brakes46
  5. Electronic stability control (esc)36
  6. Steering26
  7. Fuel/propulsion system24
  8. Wheels19
  9. Vehicle speed control17
  10. Air bags16
  11. Visibility/wiper12
  12. Structure11
  13. Visibility11
  14. Suspension9

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 4, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
201433
201522
201620
201720
201834
201960
202067
202122
202223
202314
202421
202521
20266

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine

127 reports1 crash6 fires
“Received vehicle at roughly 181,000 miles. Operated fine for about 5,000 miles and then began to show problems. In most cases when pressing down hard on the accelerator pedal, transmission drops into a lower gear and revs up to 5k rpm, cancelling cruise control, and staying there until accelerator is relieved. This makes accelerating more difficult since too much pressure on the accelerator pedal causes the car to get stuck at 5k rpm and stay at the same speed it is already at. This makes passing cars more dangerous as the car gets stuck at 5k rpm and can't pass the other vehicle, increasing the risk of a head on collision. Service engine and ABS lights are on as well as a service Stabilitrak notification in the driver information center. In addition, the outside temperature thermometer is faulty and shows much lower temperatures, such as -14 degrees during an 80 degree day. Vehicle is up to maintenance as far as my knowledge goes. Car has been previously junked twice and has a rebuilt title. There are no fluid leaks, the engine works well when the problem is not encountered, but it gets stuck at 5k rpm under hard acceleration more than it doesn't.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 11, 2025Power train, Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 11686600

Electrical system

88 reports1 crash5 fires1 related recall
“Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. It was later discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle mileage was 177,918. The contact had owned the vehicle since 2022. After scanning the vehicle with an OBD scanner, the mileage was discovered to be 286,307.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 9, 2026Electrical systemODI 11722946

Power train

53 reports1 crash1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the lights on the gear shifter was flashing, with the power steering assist and parking assist messages displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked violently while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 24, 2025Power trainODI 11644493

Service brakes

46 reports4 crashes
“Car started shaking in the middle of driving it about 30 mph and all the electrical like door locks were going up and down car wasn’t accelerating and an alert came up for stabilizing wheels i believe. It happened for about a couple seconds and then everything went back to normal and randomly happens while I’m driving.Check engine appeared and went to the mechanic shop i usually go to and found out I had ebcm and ecm modules bad. Do some research on the car and noticed it had a recall back in 2014 for EBCM. The problem has resurfaced”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 23, 2026Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Service brakesODI 11712837

Electronic stability control (esc)

36 reports3 crashes
“AUTO/STOP IS HAVING ISSUES. WHEN IN GAUGED IT STALLS THE CAR OUT AND WILL NOT ALLOW IT TO TURN BACK OVER. I HAVE BEEN IN TRAFFIC AT A STOP LIGHT SEVERAL TIMES WHEN THIS HAS HAPPENED AND ALMOST GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF IT. ALSO I AM HAVING AN ISSUE WITH MY RPMS JUMPING AND THE CAR LOSING POWER. I HAVE REPLACED BOTH THE INTAKE AND THE EXHAUST SOLENOID AND STILL LOSE POWER.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 27, 2020Electronic stability control (esc), Service brakes, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11351565

Steering

26 reports3 crashes
“The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40-50 MPH, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the toe links and the suspension needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched and became aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,500.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 17, 2026Steering, SuspensionODI 11757535
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 4, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.