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2022 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Complaints

Updated May 30, 2026
Daniel Wilson
2022 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Complaints

Complaint Summary

The 2022 Chevrolet Malibu has 94 reported complaints.

  • Top issues involve electrical system and unknown or other.

Reliability Score

Reliability Score

7.5/ 10

Based on 94 complaints

Most Frequent Issues

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

23 24.5%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

22 23.4%

POWER TRAIN

19 20.2%

ENGINE

7 7.4%

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

5 5.3%

Quick Insights

  • The top category is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, accounting for 24.5% of all complaints.

  • Owners have reported issues across 15 distinct vehicle systems.

  • Note: Complaint data reflects owner reports and may not always indicate a verified defect. Compare with Recalls and TSBs for a complete picture.

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Complaint Summary

What owners keep reporting on the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu

The 2022 Chevrolet Malibu has 94 owner complaints in this dataset. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM is the most common complaint category, representing about 24% of the reports shown here.

Most common complaint categories

The top complaint groups for the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu are ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (23), UNKNOWN OR OTHER (22), POWER TRAIN (19).

Are these complaints a serious red flag?

Potentially. 46 complaint reports involve higher-attention systems like brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components, which is enough to justify a focused inspection.

What should buyers inspect on a used 2022 Chevrolet Malibu?

Start with the top complaint systems, compare them against the recall report, then inspect service records for evidence that those same areas were already repaired or monitored.

Read the full buyer guideRecall report and remedy notesMaintenance costs and intervals2021 Malibu complaints2023 Malibu complaints2020 Malibu complaints

Detailed Complaint Log

Showing 15 of 15 systems

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

23 Reports24% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving and attempting to use the Infotainment System, the headlights became inoperable. The contact stated that the cell phone was extremely hot while connected to Bluetooth. The contact stated that while using the radio the failure would not occur. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the headlight was repaired however, the Infotainment System was not repaired or replaced. The manufacturer was contacted however, no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 1,900.

5/13/2022

My vehicle engine light came in around 20k miles. It would come on and go off at that time. When I went in for my oil change, I was told that it was an air filter issue and Chevrolet would fix it. That was not the case when I tried to have it fixed. I begin to experience the engine light coming on and staying to which I took it back to be looked at and was told that nothing was wrong other than I needed the oil changed. I took it back to the dealership after it started to wobble and shake as well as cut itself all the way off while driving. I had disabled the auto stop/start so that wasn’t an issue. The dealership ran a full diagnostic test and told me that I needed an oil change which I did and it might be a throttle issue but they wasn’t sure. The vehicle is now not only stopping while driving but it is making a ticking noise like an explosive. I’ve called GM and made a complaint and have yet to speak to anyone about this issue. The vehicle had electrical issues when I first got it and I had to have a jump start very early in my ownership of the vehicle

9/14/2023

21 more complaints are available in this category.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

22 Reports23% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

My vehicle engine light came in around 20k miles. It would come on and go off at that time. When I went in for my oil change, I was told that it was an air filter issue and Chevrolet would fix it. That was not the case when I tried to have it fixed. I begin to experience the engine light coming on and staying to which I took it back to be looked at and was told that nothing was wrong other than I needed the oil changed. I took it back to the dealership after it started to wobble and shake as well as cut itself all the way off while driving. I had disabled the auto stop/start so that wasn’t an issue. The dealership ran a full diagnostic test and told me that I needed an oil change which I did and it might be a throttle issue but they wasn’t sure. The vehicle is now not only stopping while driving but it is making a ticking noise like an explosive. I’ve called GM and made a complaint and have yet to speak to anyone about this issue. The vehicle had electrical issues when I first got it and I had to have a jump start very early in my ownership of the vehicle

9/14/2023

When trying to stop park and turn off my car it will display an error message saying shift to park. This first started about a week ago and I constantly have to turn the car on and off while I am trying to wiggle the shifter in an effort to get it to acknowledge that the car is parked so I can get out. This has also caused me to be stuck in the car for about 5 minutes on a good day to 20 minutes on a bad as I am unable to turn the car off. I am worried that when I leave the car it will roll away into traffic or stop at working in a busy intersection.

10/22/2023

20 more complaints are available in this category.

POWER TRAIN

19 Reports20% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

While my daughter was attempting to exit a parking lot, she put the car in drive pressed accelerator pedal and there was no response from car. Pressed accelerator again and car took off and hit a 13 inch curb causing major front end damage to vehicle. An initial diagnostic scan revealed a transmission fault code of P0826 Shift up and down failure. Vehicle is now body shop waiting for Chevrolet dealer to take car in for further diagnostics before repairs can be done.

3/3/2023

My transmission is jerking and slipping. When accelerating the car acts like it doesn’t want to go. When I take ,my foot off the gas pedal the transmission jerks hard. The car has had the original transmission replaced by Beaver Chevy and now the new transmission is having the same issue. The car never had any check engine lights or any lights come on.

4/27/2023

17 more complaints are available in this category.

ENGINE

7 Reports7% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

I have issues with my 2022 Malibu trying to accelerate while applying the brakes. I was in a parking lot looking for a parking space with the brake down (my foot nowhere near the accelerator), and the engine was revving to over 3000 rpms. I called the dealer today and the service department closed right before I called. I will be on the phone early Monday morning. This car is currently unsafe to drive

7/15/2023

My vehicle engine light came in around 20k miles. It would come on and go off at that time. When I went in for my oil change, I was told that it was an air filter issue and Chevrolet would fix it. That was not the case when I tried to have it fixed. I begin to experience the engine light coming on and staying to which I took it back to be looked at and was told that nothing was wrong other than I needed the oil changed. I took it back to the dealership after it started to wobble and shake as well as cut itself all the way off while driving. I had disabled the auto stop/start so that wasn’t an issue. The dealership ran a full diagnostic test and told me that I needed an oil change which I did and it might be a throttle issue but they wasn’t sure. The vehicle is now not only stopping while driving but it is making a ticking noise like an explosive. I’ve called GM and made a complaint and have yet to speak to anyone about this issue. The vehicle had electrical issues when I first got it and I had to have a jump start very early in my ownership of the vehicle

9/14/2023

5 more complaints are available in this category.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

5 Reports5% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

The car had multiple components fail, mostly electrical. But the main malfunction is the “Oil Pump” as stated by the dealership service team. Yes it is currently available for inspection upon request. The oil pump failure is the main concern since it is a key component to the vehicle’s engine and performance, this put my safety at risk since it caused several electrical malfunctions causing the car to decrease its engine power while driving on the highway, not only putting the drivers safety at risk but also those around, potentially causing a collision since engine could experience catastrophic failure due to this issue. The problem has been addressed and confirmed by a dealer and manufacturer, but it has not been solved and it has been well over a month now to which they have found no solution since the part was “discontinued.” There were not symptoms or warning signs before hand, except the car engine revving up at stops prior to the to the failure and check engine light coming on the day it was taken to service at the dealership.

4/10/2024

Engine reduce power power keeps coming on been to 5 dealers they say 200 hundred and 1 to 2 days on it but can't pay that to them on fixed income. Had two strokes been to dealer to gets parts .and also parts stores still the same part from different places still engine reduce power keeps coming on. On 8/10. Had throttle body taken of and cleaned l am at wit end Had to with this car oh l mean lemon

8/11/2024

3 more complaints are available in this category.

AIR BAGS

4 Reports4% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

Unknown safety restraint system failure that Chevrolet can not fix

4/12/2023

My safety restraint system keeps failing out and says it’s a seatbelt tensioner problem. Gm has repaired many times and still fails out.

3/11/2024

2 more complaints are available in this category.

SERVICE BRAKES

3 Reports3% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

I have issues with my 2022 Malibu trying to accelerate while applying the brakes. I was in a parking lot looking for a parking space with the brake down (my foot nowhere near the accelerator), and the engine was revving to over 3000 rpms. I called the dealer today and the service department closed right before I called. I will be on the phone early Monday morning. This car is currently unsafe to drive

7/15/2023

The service ESC and service power steering light stays on, the MPH hands flicker back and forth, brakes are applied without me pressing the brakes, shift to park when the car is already in park. I have taken it to dealership for service and they say nothing is wrong with car when clearly something is. Clearly there's and electrical issue going on with this car. Had testing ran on car and it listed 2 pages of different codes that popped up and it shows engine failure

6/7/2025

1 more complaint is available in this category.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

2 Reports2% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving and attempting to use the Infotainment System, the headlights became inoperable. The contact stated that the cell phone was extremely hot while connected to Bluetooth. The contact stated that while using the radio the failure would not occur. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the headlight was repaired however, the Infotainment System was not repaired or replaced. The manufacturer was contacted however, no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 1,900.

5/13/2022

Chevy, and many GM vehicles love to illuminate the white “reverse” lights when parked. This is a fundamental departure from what it means when these *white* lights are illuminated, i.e., the car is in reverse and pedestrians and other vehicles should prepare for the vehicle to back up. However, with the above auto manufacturers, that rule is broken and now there are tens of thousands, or millions of vehicles on the road, and myriad parking lots/garages where these fundamental tenets for the expectation of a potential vehicle behavior has been broken. The notion that this is a “safety” feature to illuminate the area around the vehicle is inherently flawed. Other automobile manufacturers have seemed to fare just fine without this departure of what white lights mean on the back of a vehicle. When something has a long-standing specific meaning (i.e., I might go in reverse), and then that rule is changed, or augmented in ways that are non-uniform across automobile manufacturers, it renders the original intended purpose to be futile. At what point will somebody become severely injured and/or die because the white lights of a Chevy were ignored, and a car, did in fact, go in reverse. Going in reverse is now the exception when white lights illuminate on these cars, not the rule, and this is a terrible “feature” for alerting others about the intended behavior of the vehicle. The NHTSA should clarify the intended purpose of when white (reverse) rights are allowed to illuminate before the meaning of these lights becomes even more degraded.

5/10/2024

SEAT BELTS

2 Reports2% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

Unknown safety restraint system failure that Chevrolet can not fix

4/12/2023

My safety restraint system keeps failing out and says it’s a seatbelt tensioner problem. Gm has repaired many times and still fails out.

3/11/2024

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

2 Reports2% of total

Previewing the first 2 complaint summaries.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while operating the vehicle, there was a whining sound coming from the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the transmission. Later while operating the vehicle, the message "Engine Overheating" was displayed, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed that the turbocharger was faulty and needed to be replaced. The turbocharger was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. Recently, while driving, the message "Shift to Park" was displayed and the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the gear shifter was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,000.

1/23/2025

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled and then went into LIMP Mode with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the turbo charger had failed, causing oil to leak into the turbo charger. The contact was informed that the turbo charger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

12/17/2025

BACK OVER PREVENTION: AUTOMATIC SYSTEM BRAKING

1 Report1% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving and attempting to use the Infotainment System, the headlights became inoperable. The contact stated that the cell phone was extremely hot while connected to Bluetooth. The contact stated that while using the radio the failure would not occur. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the headlight was repaired however, the Infotainment System was not repaired or replaced. The manufacturer was contacted however, no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 1,900.

5/13/2022

STEERING

1 Report1% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH while driving. Additionally, the contact stated while his mother was driving approximately 40 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact's mother was able to pull to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to roll to a stop. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the failure was related to the vehicle tracker. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact stated that the RPMs dropped to zero. The traction control and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer however, the failure could not be replicated. Additionally, the dealer replaced the gear shifter, the harness, and the jumper; however, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission made an abnormal grinding sound and the vehicle jerked while shifting into gear. Additionally, the brakes engaged unintendedly nearly causing the vehicle to come to a stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer sent a field investigator who later informed the contact's mother that the dealer had determined that the failure was related to the rims. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 29,901.

9/17/2024

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

1 Report1% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH while driving. Additionally, the contact stated while his mother was driving approximately 40 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact's mother was able to pull to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to roll to a stop. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the failure was related to the vehicle tracker. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact stated that the RPMs dropped to zero. The traction control and the check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer however, the failure could not be replicated. Additionally, the dealer replaced the gear shifter, the harness, and the jumper; however, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission made an abnormal grinding sound and the vehicle jerked while shifting into gear. Additionally, the brakes engaged unintendedly nearly causing the vehicle to come to a stop. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer sent a field investigator who later informed the contact's mother that the dealer had determined that the failure was related to the rims. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 29,901.

9/17/2024

WHEELS

1 Report1% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

Was going about 30 car felt like it was sliding and not getting traction

11/11/2024

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

1 Report1% of total

Previewing the first 1 complaint summaries.

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the reduced power warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed accelerator position sensor. The contact was informed that the accelerator position sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure had occurred several times, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer five times due to the failure. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal had been replaced two times within eight months. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure,e and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

5/5/2025

About This Data

Data and Methodology

MethodologyHow we score →

Scores are derived from NHTSA recalls and owner complaints, normalized by vehicle segment averages.

FAQ

What are the most common owner complaints for the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu?

The most reported complaint category for the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, with 23 owner reports. That is about 24% of all complaints logged here. Other recurring themes include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, POWER TRAIN.

Are complaints about the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu a serious warning sign?

Potentially. 46 complaint reports fall into higher-attention systems such as brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components. That does not prove every vehicle has a defect, but repeated complaints in those systems justify a more careful pre-purchase inspection.

How should buyers use complaint data for the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu?

Use complaints as an early pattern to investigate, not a standalone verdict. Start with the top complaint categories, compare those themes against the recall report and maintenance guide, then inspect service records for evidence that the same problem areas were already addressed. If the same issue appears repeatedly across complaints and recalls, treat it as a real ownership-risk flag.

Are complaints about the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu severe?

46 complaint reports involve higher-attention systems such as brakes, steering, engine, powertrain, fuel, suspension, airbags, or electrical components, which is enough to justify a focused inspection before purchase.

Complaint list entries are sourced from owner-submitted NHTSA ODI records.

Read complaint summaries

Chevrolet Malibu: How should complaint data influence buying decisions?

Use complaint patterns together with recalls and maintenance guidance to estimate ownership risk and inspection priorities.

Carfocal links complaint data directly to recall and maintenance routes for the same model year.

Return to full vehicle report
Complaint entries
94
Top-topic view
5 grouped topics shown
Primary source
NHTSA ODI owner complaint records

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In this guide

  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Common Problems
  3. 03Owner Complaints
  4. 04Data and Methodology

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