2017 Chevrolet Malibu transmission problems

Filed Sep 9, 2026 · Transmission · MI

Turbo cooler and turbocharger failure, diagnosis and replacement on February 4 and February 17, 2026 by a certified GM dealership. Replacement of these parts was not included in service bulletin N222372590 (issued 12/22/22), which covered 100% replacement for the exact parts for the exact engine for a number of other GM vehicles manufactured from 2016-2022. The total repair cost for these two part replacements was $4,951.11 for a car that was purchase just two months prior for $17,000. A great disappointment! Code for issue in both cases was P0299. The failed parts resulted in significant engine power loss, which made it unsafe to drive as acceleration away from intersections and on entering the highway was poor!

Filed Jul 9, 2026 · Electrical, Transmission · TX

When the vehicle is shifted into Park and the ignition button is pressed, the vehicle fails to shut down. The dashboard displays a "Shift to Park" warning message, indicating the vehicle does not recognize that the gear selector is physically in the Park position.To shut the engine off, the driver must repeatedly wiggle, slam, or cycle the gear shifter back and forth into Park until the electrical sensor finally registers the connection. This creates a severe safety hazard, as the vehicle can roll away if left unsecured, drains the car battery, and prevents the doors from locking properly.Crucially, this defect traps drivers inside an operational vehicle for extended periods while they repeatedly struggle to force it to shut down. This poses an immediate risk of heat-related illness or death (hyperthermia), especially in high-temperature environments, during heatwaves, or for vulnerable occupants like children and the elderly who cannot exit the vehicle safely until it is off.

Filed Jun 7, 2026 · Electrical, Transmission · AZ

Shift to park error on dash. GM is aware of this issue and won't do anything about it. This causes stress and can cause battery drain. The issue lies within the microswitch that reads that the shifter is in park. The metal arm that activates the switch wears down or the wiring is faulty. Several Malibus, as well as other models have this issue and Chevy dealerships want hundreds to thousands of dollars to fix this. If it's a known, repetitive issue on several models, it should be a recall. This causes owners to try to fix this issue themselves, which can cause more damage and more money.

Filed May 12, 2026 · Transmission · SC

The SHIFT TO PARK warning light comes on when shifting to park and WILL NOT allow you to shut the vehicle off. This is a WIDELY KNOWN DEFECT in multiple GM vehicles and yet there’s still no recall! WHY?! It causes the vehicle to not completely shut down, killing the battery and could potentially cause the car to roll. It’s been WIDELY REPORTED and it’s absolutely a defect with a part inside the shifter! It’s an expensive repair that consumers SHOULD NOT have to pay when it’s a DEFECT on GM!!! PLEASE RECALL!!!!!! After researching this issue, there’s MULTITUDES OF COMPLAINTS and even a class action lawsuit (of which I wasn’t aware of) but it shouldn’t have to turn into a lawsuit when the NHSTA has the ability to force GM to MAKE THIS RIGHT by REPAIRING IT!

Filed Feb 16, 2026 · Brakes, Transmission · GA

In the last 6 months I’ve had to put 3 Brake Boosters on my 2017 Chevy Malibu and it’s NOT cheap…. I don’t know what else to do.

Filed Dec 13, 2025 · Engine, Transmission · MI

Reduced engine power. Car will not accelerate over 35 mph. Almost rear ended. Will be the second time in dealer for same problem. Also, Shift to Park. Also second time at dealer for same problems. You cannot get out of car until you keep moving the shifting handle.

Filed Aug 27, 2025 · Transmission · 50,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle was shifted to park, but failed to turn off. The shift to park message was displayed. The contact wiggled the gear shifter, and the vehicle eventually turned off. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the gear shifter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no warranty coverage and referred to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

Filed Jul 16, 2025 · Transmission · FL

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that on several occasions after shifting the gear shifter to park(P), and turning off the vehicle, the contact observed a dinging notification and the message "Shift to Park" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed May 15, 2025 · Transmission · 13,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2017 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the gear shifter failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the gear shifter was shifted to park(P); however, the shift to park message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact was informed that it would be several days before the diagnostic results could be provided. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.

Filed Feb 23, 2025 · Electrical, Transmission · MD

Every time I shift the car into park, I receive a "shift to park" warning on the informational display. I am unable to turn car off until the car recognizes it. Can sometimes take 10 minutes before I can get car to recognize. This was fixed once before while under warranty and fix lasted 3 years. They cleaned the park switch contacts and installed an online shifter jumper harness but will not cover the fix now that it is happening out of warranty. It's a known issue that mechanics say is so common a recall should be issued.