2016 Chevrolet Malibu: start-stop system problems

Filed Dec 1, 2020 · Electrical, Engine · 65,000 miles · DC

I get routine service to my car & my engine is clicking, loudly. The check engine light continuously goes on & off & I was told by chevrolet service department that they could not even run a diagnostics to see what the problem is because the check engine light was off when I got to the dealership. Sometimes 'service battery charging system' will illuminate but it too picks and chooses when to illuminate. Sometimes it shows 'battery saver activated' and this is the third battery I've purchased! The entire car will stall/shut off but the green light is illuminated to show the car is on but when I accelerate it won't budge! Dangerous considering my car could stall at anytime and cause a collision. I've nearly gotten t-boned twice coming out a gas station entering a road because my car stalled in the middle of the street while traffic was coming from both directions! A service man at the chevy dealership asked me was I experiencing issues with my auto start/stop when I told him what was happening. Yes! My car picks and chooses when it wants to do it. And when it does 'restart' the entire car reboots, the locks re-click, lights flicker, it'll be in drive and roll backwards until the ignition turns over! Chevy or at least the service techs are fully aware of an issue and won't fix it. Sometimes the car just won't start, all the power will go out. What happens when I'm out & the entire electrical system and engine won't start after at least starting 20 minutes prior! I've already got new pistons, a new alternator, 3 new batteries & get the routine maintenance. I have a mychevy account & every month my diagnostics report, shows an issue! If I'm in an accident & my child or I are injured, who is liable because my car decides to malfunction in the middle of a busy highway? Chevrolet for neglecting to service my car because the freaking check engine light isn't on!

Filed Jun 3, 2020 · Acceleration, Electrical · DC

It's amazing me reading all the complaints about this issue and gm hasn't issues a recall. However, I purchased a 2016 chevy malibu used about a year ago. Within the year, I've had my acceleration pedal be faulty, my car speed will drastically reduce from 60-70mph to 20-25mph which as I'm sure everyone knows is a safety hazard. Then less than 2 weeks later, the same thing happened but this time it was the alternator. Now not even 2 months later, my stop/start is malfunctioning. If I brake and the car turns off, my 'start' function does not start! I have to shift the car to park, turn the car on, then shift back to drive. All of which is dangerous! Obviously, these complaints are not being read or are not being taken serious because I just read multiple complaints similar to this. On top of it all, because of everything I don't feel safe driving a car I paid for! And none of these issues are not my doing yet I'm the one in the dealership paying for it.

Filed Sep 29, 2019 · Electrical, Engine · 5 miles · MD · crash

I own a 2016 chevy malibu and one of its features is an auto stop/start feature in the car. When this car enters this mode when I take my foot off of the break it is supposed to start again but when I take my foot off of the break it will just completely shut down, when I try to start the car again it will just stall. I was involved in an accident on june 9th 2019 where the car cut off and rolled back into another vehicle. This is just one occasion of the car cutting off on me and becoming immobile. I was told it was a battery issue and a wiring issue I've gotten both addressed but it still happens. I've received a letter from chevy that may address the issue but I have to see. My car currently won't start. Today is september 24,2019

Filed Sep 11, 2019 · Brakes, Engine · 95,000 miles · AR

Tl* the contact owns a 2016 chevrolet malibu. While driving 70 MPH with the cruise control activated, the vehicle failed to stop or slow down when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact had to drive onto the shoulder at speeds of more than 55 MPH in order to avoid crashing into oncoming traffic. During the incident, a 911 call was made and police responded by pushing the vehicle into a median in order stop it and prevent the vehicle from crashing into other vehicles. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the emergency brake did not operate and the stop/start button was pressed, but did not turn off the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to bale chevrolet (13101 chnal pkwy, little rock, ar) where it was diagnosed that the engine vacuum fractured and caused the braking system to fail. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 9-531-1269174. No further assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 95,000.

Filed Aug 17, 2019 · Electrical · 88,245 miles · AZ

Since I bought this car new in 2016 I have had to replace the vcm 4 times. Nothing seemed to fix the problem. The stop/start never worked right. Three times over the last month, after various repairs at the dealership, the car has completely stopped while driving and would not start again. The doors unlocked and locked, vehicle jumped 3 times, all kinds of warning lights and messages on the dash....then nothing but a dead car in the middle of the road on a sunny dry day. I could've been the cause of accidents while stopped in the roadway and many people could've been seriously injured. The car was fixed the fourth time yesterday and the mechanic took it out to test before returning the vehicle to me. It died on him again and had to be towed back to the service center. Serious safety hazard and the certified gm techs can't figure out what's wrong. P3055 and p3056 are the error codes that come up every time. New battery, new vcm, new wiring harness....each time the problem got worse until it completely stopped running. No recall and the car is out of warranty so chevy is not willing to help at all.

Filed Jul 21, 2017 · Engine · 17,000 miles · NJ

Engine auto start/stop extreme safety issue (when at standstill in drive shift position) engineering modification needed engine auto start/stop needs to have a driver detector (in seat) added to prevent the car from inadvertantly driving foward without driver in the driver seat. It is especially crucial for those new drivers not used to the fuel saving start/stop engine. It happened to me recently and I was unaware car was not in park as engine was in "auto stop position" and silent. As I got out and shut door, car started to accelerate with nobody in the car. Luckily I was fast enough to chase after it, open door, and slam on the brakes without incident. This has almost happened several times prior and needs to be addressed. I would reccomend putting some kind of chip in the driver seat which would deactivate the engine if driver seat is empty while car is in drive shift position. If not corrected the car could cause serious injury to pedestrians and bystanders. This should be implemented accross entire gm line as well as other manufacturers.

Filed May 3, 2017 · Electrical · MI

I purchased the car in june of 2016 and have had multiple electrical/software issues with the vehicle. The latest issue is a complete shutdown of the entire infotainment center, including causing the blinkers to go silent. Some of the issues with the car seem to pose much more of a critical safety issue and I feel obligated to report to the federal safety agency regarding my issues with engine power failure. There have been multiple recalls regarding the ignition stop/start function, the battery monitor module timer, and even the entire engine control module. I was on the highway and the engine power failed, fortunately I was able to exit I-94 safely. This vehicle and entire experience has me feeling financially violated and physically unsafe.