2014 Chevrolet Malibu Engine Problems

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.

NHTSA ID

11686600

Incident

Sep 8, 2025

Automatic Start/Stop feature is faulty! When it activates, it prevents the engine from restarting for several minutes. This puts myself and others in my car at a major risk of getting in an accident. I have so far been lucky and avoided any accidents. Several thousand has ben spent to try and fix the issue, with no luck.

NHTSA ID

11675623

Incident

Oct 1, 2021

The headlights burn out frequently the air conditioner does not work the ignition had to be replaced there's always a code of p0171 the start/stop feature does not work the brakes make the car shake. When does stuff takes place I have to pull the vehicle over cousin me to put others in danger by being on the shoulder of the road broke down. Yes the car is available for inspection. The radio randomly turns on and off therefore the backup camera does not work as it should why this vehicle has not been recalled is beyond me.

NHTSA ID

11670354

Incident

Oct 2, 2023

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and jerked with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 213,310. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11657903

Incident

Apr 30, 2025

Mileage

213,310 mi

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that upon driving four miles at approximately 35 MPH, the engine overheated. The message "Engine Overheating" was displayed. The temperature gauge increased to Hot. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact added water to the vehicle, but the water drained out. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the heater coil had failed. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 105,670.

NHTSA ID

11652738

Incident

Apr 3, 2025

Mileage

105,670 mi

This is now the THIRD time this has happened, and GM doesn't seem to care, because when my mechanic "fixed" my auto stop problem, it was because GM themselves got the code to "fix" my car. My auto stop worked one time, before today, after my repair last week. I was at a stop light where my auto stop turned on. My brakes WERE STUCK AND COULDN'T BRAKE so I put it in park! THE SAME ISSUE WITH THE WHEEL AND BRAKE LOCKING OCCURRED. GM FIX THIS!

NHTSA ID

11646105

Incident

Mar 3, 2025

When I was on auto stop, my car never started back up. The steering wheel and brakes were frozen, and I could barely pull off the road I was on. Turning the key did not help, as the engine wouldn't turn back on.

NHTSA ID

11642755

Incident

Feb 13, 2025

I am filing a complaint regarding a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu that I purchased from a dealership on November 22, 2024. The vehicle was advertised as being in “excellent condition” at the dealership’s site. During the test drive, I raised concerns about potential transmission issues, but the dealership assured me that the vehicle was “clean” and safe to drive. Unfortunately, this assurance turned out to be false, as the vehicle has since displayed significant mechanical failures, including overheating issues, that pose serious safety risks. Within a week of purchase, the vehicle broke down twice: first on November 29, while driving to work, and again on November 30, while on I-10 Katy freeway. The second breakdown created a life-threatening situation as the vehicle suddenly lost power in traffic. I incurred towing costs of $125 to return the vehicle to the dealership. After an attempted repair, the vehicle was returned to me on December 5, 2024. However, it broke down again on December 8, 2024, requiring another tow. Since that time, the vehicle has remained at the dealership, yet no adequate resolution has been provided. Additionally, I have since discovered that the vehicle has persistent overheating issues that were not disclosed at the time of sale. These overheating problems pose a serious safety risk as they could result in a fire or explosion, endangering my life and the lives of others on the road. The dealership’s negligence in addressing these critical safety concerns demonstrates a disregard for consumer safety. I believe the dealership knowingly sold me a defective vehicle with significant mechanical issues that were either hidden or misrepresented. The sudden and repeated breakdowns, particularly in hazardous driving conditions, and the risk of fire or explosion due to overheating, warrant immediate attention from the NHTSA.

NHTSA ID

11632052

Incident

Nov 30, 2024

powertrain there is a problem with auto stop restarting then dying. The transmission not engaging after a complete stop like it is neutral this only happens after the car has been driven a bit everything at temp. today stopped for trash service auto stop engaged got ready to go nothing gunning and gunning never died like no power though finally moved no more stops till home a problem sitting in road can not move. have not taken to shop yet money for it now not.

NHTSA ID

11629182

Incident

Dec 6, 2024

P0420 code

NHTSA ID

11628204

Incident

Dec 2, 2024

When Stopping/Coming To A Stop. The Auto Start Feature Kicks In And Causes My Locks To Unlock And Lock Back And The Car To Stall For A Second Or So

NHTSA ID

11597797

Incident

May 1, 2024

When the Auto Start/Stop engages at a stop sign or light it causes the car to turn off. I have trouble turning it back over. Sometimes it starts. Other times it does not. I have changed the mass airflow sensor, mass air pressure sensor, vvt solenoid. It has been in and out of a couple shops without an answer of why it is doing this. It is readily available for an inspection. There were not any warning lights or messages produced on the dash. This started happening about 3 months ago. My child and myself is in danger every time it dies at a stop light.

NHTSA ID

11593179

Incident

Jun 8, 2024

When I come to a stop at a red light & the car is idling the car turns off & I have to put the car in park and turn the car on so over again. This happens in busy intersections

NHTSA ID

11592498

Incident

Jun 4, 2024

my car which i own shuts down while driving its showing po6dc on code reader

NHTSA ID

11590440

Incident

May 1, 2024

Reduced power and coolant system My safety was put a risk when my car stop on me in the middle of traffic

NHTSA ID

11587087

Incident

May 4, 2024

While driving 60 MPH on the highway my car started stuttering then lost all power. It threw 3 codes P0131, P2097 and P0171. I have spent over $1,000.00 and a month later they tell me it was my intake bolts that were loose. They replaced every part PCV valve, MAF sensor, O2 sensor and car still wouldn't run right. PLEASE address this issue as that is UNSAFE for a car to just stop on the highway.

NHTSA ID

11581909

Incident

Mar 11, 2024

Mileage

167,611 mi

I bought the car back in 2022 and since then the stop/start started malfunctioning. At first it would stop then be hesitant to start back up then 6 months later it completely would stall at lights and stop signs. Now the aux battery is draining my main battery and I’ve had to tow my car 3 times because I’ve been left stranded. I’m now in that same predicament and it’s 2/26/24

NHTSA ID

11574067

Incident

Sep 13, 2022

6 months ago our car’s auto stop/start feature started to malfunction. The car will stall and sputter on the start after coming to a stop. This is very dangerous! On multiple occasions, the car would not accelerate through a turn on a light stalling out in the intersection. we have also been nearly rear-ended at red lights because the vehicle will not accelerate on a green light. This issue is well discussed on the Internet with many owners reporting the same issue. Chevrolet should be held accountable for this repair. This is not an isolated event with my vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11562822

Incident

Jun 9, 2023

Variable valve timing system Rocker arm oil control valve solenoid Need help asap! My car is unsafe!

NHTSA ID

11556157

Incident

Jul 1, 2023

When I stop my auto stop kicks in and when I take my foot off the brake my car rolls up a little and ends up dying. I have to turn it off and start it up giving it gas to get it going. There have been a couple instances when making a left turn I have almost gotten hit. I am no longer comfortable driving my car. There are several people posting about it online but no reason or fix for it as far as I know of. I have called the dealer and if course they want me to bring it in but I have no money for someone to go on a wild goose chase with my car. I think this should be something Chevrolet needs to figure out.

NHTSA ID

11545855

Incident

Jun 1, 2022

The automatic start and stop function does not work properly. When the car comes to a stop and auto stops, the vehicle shuts off and does not power up when you hit the gas. My safety is put at risk due to the car shutting off and the possibility of someone hitting me. The vehicle has been inspected countless times. I was told it was an electrical issue. Then told it was the battery. Brand new battery and issue isn’t fixed. The car cut off once and all the lights came on. Now no lights comes on it just cuts off.

NHTSA ID

11535754

Incident

Aug 1, 2023

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and started jerking. The contact stated that on one occasion the contact veered to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure persisted and self-corrected while driving. The check engine warning light illuminated on one occasion but independently reset before taking the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer was not able to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was not available.

NHTSA ID

11513053

Incident

Mar 30, 2022

The contact owns a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power and stalled. After restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local service center who diagnosed that the intake cam shift solenoid control circuit and the variable valve solenoid intake and the variable valve solenoid exhaust were faulty and needed to be replaced. The intake cam shift solenoid control circuit, variable valve solenoid intake, and variable valve solenoid exhaust were replaced but the failure recurred with the cold start engine rattling noise and loss of power failure persisting. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.

NHTSA ID

11512123

Incident

Feb 23, 2023

Mileage

75,000 mi

My 2014 Chevrolet Malibu has been shutting off quite frequently in traffic. Causing danger to my family and to other motorist by this malfunction. I have taken it to my local GM dealership for this to be resolve but to no success and charge for the service. I have also spoken with GM corporation but to no avail. I have researched this problem with compliance with this make and model this seem like an issue that GM should investigate. But I would like to keep driving my vehicle. Who can help me with this problem this is our transportation for now until we can afford another. Thanking you in advance. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

11507165

Incident

Feb 13, 2023

The AutoStop/Start feature malfunctioned while at a busy intersection. The AutoStop engaged but failed to start the engine, once pressure was released from the brake pedal. This has been an issue for about a year now. I have replaced both batteries, both VVT sensors, and the oil pressure sensor in the last year, thinking this would solve the issue. This vehicle has not been inspected by a mechanic, just scanned with a handheld scanner at a parts store, every time there is a check engine indicator light on. There are no dash indicators when this malfunctions, I just have to turn the vehicle completely off, or pump the accelerator in order for it to start.

NHTSA ID

11505218

Incident

Jan 20, 2023