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
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Engine127
- Electrical system88
- Power train53
- Service brakes46
- Electronic stability control (esc)36
- Steering26
- Fuel/propulsion system24
- Wheels19
- Vehicle speed control17
- Air bags16
- Visibility/wiper12
- Structure11
- Visibility11
- 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
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
33
22
20
20
34
60
67
22
23
14
21
21
6
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 33 |
| 2015 | 22 |
| 2016 | 20 |
| 2017 | 20 |
| 2018 | 34 |
| 2019 | 60 |
| 2020 | 67 |
| 2021 | 22 |
| 2022 | 23 |
| 2023 | 14 |
| 2024 | 21 |
| 2025 | 21 |
| 2026 | 6 |
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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
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”
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.”
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.”
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.