2021 Chevrolet Malibu transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

No recalls on file.

What owners say

1. Filed Aug 21, 202696,035 miGATransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed; however, the RPM was extremely elevated. The vehicle then lost motive power and went into LIMP Mode, and the vehicle failed to exceed 15 MPH. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on three separate occasions. After the first failure, the dealer stated that the failure was caused by an inoperable sensor, and the fuel pump was reprogrammed. The…

   NHTSA complaint #11758483 · source
2. Filed Aug 14, 2026GAOther / UnknownTransmission & Drivetrain

   Failure - B000A-00 Body Control Module Error code - Shift Lever Position not plausible . Safety - This causes the car to upon attempting to turn off the car say "Shift into Park" on the dashboard and the car refuses to turn fully off. This can cause the battery to drain excessively from repeated constant start/stop attempts and leaves the car in an impossible state. You cannot safely leave the car in this state but you have no choice until you get lucky enough to hope an…

   NHTSA complaint #11757048 · source
3. Filed Jul 9, 2026113,674 miINTransmission & Drivetrain

   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 contact that the failure was a known condition with pending repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was…

   NHTSA complaint #11749345 · source
4. Filed Apr 10, 2026CAFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionSuspensionTransmission & Drivetrain

   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 make a big stutter like power is low gas doesn't seem to be working with the pedal then it makes a huge jerk before it goes into drive. This has become an everyday thing. Car has…

   NHTSA complaint #11730300 · source
5. Filed Jan 14, 2026123,000 miNCTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for a recall repair related to the fuel pump control module. After the repair was completed, the contact experienced a new failure. While attempting to turn off the vehicle, the vehicle became inoperable and could not be turned off. The message “Shift to Park” was displayed while the vehicle was shifted to park. The contact stated that the vehicle unexpectedly turned off after…

   NHTSA complaint #11710885 · source
6. Filed Dec 2, 2025NCDriver Assistance & Safety TechElectrical SystemTransmission & Drivetrain

   Transmission failed to engage gear properly after backing up. Grinding sounds heard when vehicle was in drive. Problem has been confirmed and inspected by Chevrolet dealership. Vehicle is available for inspection. Occupants safety was at risk because gears could have locked up during commute causing vehicle to be undriveable, leaving driver and passengers stranded. Blind spot feature is unavailable randomly, which can cause a possible side swipe crash. When radio is playing…

   NHTSA complaint #11702470 · source
7. Filed Dec 2, 2025LATransmission & Drivetrain

   The component is D automatic transmission shift to park switch. The vehicle is and will be available for immediate inspection upon request. Safety was put at risk when the car lost power while they’re celebrating install in the floor of traffic, causing other cars to swerve around and blow horns. The underlying issue with the car was confirmed by independent service center. There was no reason to have your vehicle inspected all by manufacturer , police insurance for others…

   NHTSA complaint #11702394 · source
8. Filed Oct 16, 20256,300 miALTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate after a stop, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. In addition, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted before slamming into gear. The contact stated that when the vehicle slammed into gear, the contact was violently pushed into the back of the seat. No warning lights were illuminated, but the…

   NHTSA complaint #11693964 · source
9. Filed Jul 11, 202554,000 miMOTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that upon arriving to her destination and shifting the vehicle into park, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed with the gear shifter already in park(P). The contact was able to turn off the vehicle however, the electrical features remained operable. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were…

   NHTSA complaint #11672836 · source
10. Filed May 20, 2025LAEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

    It says that my engine had a problem. It told me to press my brake to start my car. But then it just kept shaking like it was trying to start. I have also had a notification saying to put my car in park when it already was. Today my car just stopped in the middle of the road in heavy traffic. We could have been hit getting out of the car or someone could have hit my car. It was towed to the local Chevrolet dealership to get checked out to see if it could be a recall. I don’t…

    NHTSA complaint #11662242 · source
11. Filed May 20, 202598,600 miILTransmission & Drivetrain

    The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that when the vehicle was shifted into park(P), the message “Shift to Park” was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that during the failure, the contact was unable to turn off the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the…

    NHTSA complaint #11662036 · source
12. Filed May 7, 2025CADriver Assistance & Safety TechElectrical SystemTransmission & Drivetrain

    Shifter error - screen reads shift to park once car is turned off already the car takes time to turn off even when its off. In an emergency you can't get out of your car to lock it no no the check engin light is on but it reads for a filter

    NHTSA complaint #11659472 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology