Used 2018 Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A) Consumer Reviews
Used Malibu for sale
Do Not Buy
JB, Elkridge, MD, 09/15/2021
Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Bought this car in 2018, it’s now 2021 1st it was a shifter in the gear shift in 2019 here we are in 2021 same problem paid out of pocket cost here it is 2 weeks later and now my dash is display steering assist decrease drive with care and steering wheel locking, I would never purchase this car again
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Don’t buy this car!!!!
Disappointed , Rensselaer, NY, 08/26/2020
Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
I am currently leasing this vehicle. It has been towed to the dealer 5 times!!! Key fobs aren’t detected, fuel injector, fuel injector harness is cracked....most recently pulling out into traffic the POS car gave out and wouldn’t accelerate (fuel injector) check engine light came on. Was able to get to a safe place get it towed again to the dealer and shocker nothing wrong with it yet again. The dealership makes you feel like a crazy person because they say nothing is wrong with your car. But at the same time tell you it’s unsafe and they wouldn’t put their family in the vehicle!!! So long story short DO NOT BUY THIS CAR AND CHEVY DOES NOT HELP THEIR CONSUMERS. Also depaula Chevrolet in Albany Ny has the WORST customer service skills I’ve ever encountered... zero ratings across the board
Nice try GM! Love your trucks but HATE your cars.
Kim, Dover, DE, 02/18/2022
Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Traded in an '06 Acura TL because my mileage was high. It was very reliable, just didn't like the dash cracks and failed Bluetooth module in the roof draining the battery after a couple days of sitting. Thought I'd buy a new 2018 Malibu because I liked the last Malibu we rented on a trip, big mistake! Not too long into ownership I experienced the dreaded shift into park notification on the dash and the car wouldn't shut off (push forward really hard to get it to go away). There's a good YouTube video showing why that happens and how to fix it (poor design). Then it had trouble detecting my key fob. Developed a low tapping noise right after purchasing which for Chevy's is common (lifter), but the last day I drove it that tap was very loud after I had already made it to work. My only goal was to get home after leaving and my husband couldn't just leave work to come rescue me. No check engine light when I left and oil level was good. Made it less than 5 miles from home and got a sudden engine performance reduced notification on my dash with a check engine light, car still drove fine so my thought was just make it home and throw a scanner on it, went one more mile south and the brake pedal was rock hard and the car was trying to shut itself off, thankfully nobody was near me and I changed lanes, pressed on the pedal with the full weight of my body and parked it in a lot. Tried to restart it and it wouldn't, but it kept trying until I pushed the button again to try and stop it from starting (sounded awful). Didn't touch the button again and had to call for a tow. Was contemplating taking it to the dealer and even set up two appointments at two different dealerships, but I used to own a shop and I'm not dealing with the diagnostic charge bull when I could very easily do it myself and with all dealerships being short staffed right now (thanks COVID!) I would have had to wait weeks for a diagnosis anyway - if they got it right. Scanned the codes and did my homework - ladies and gentlemen, if you get a P0556 code that is the ONLY code you need to be focused on. The vacuum pump controls the brakes and a few other things, and it is a cheap part manufactured in China. When it fails, large shards of metal will be ejected into your motor under the valve cover. This could mean engine replacement worst case scenario if many things are damaged, plus replacing the pump itself. If you're lucky, ripping the valve cover off and removing the metal pieces/doing a pressurized flush while correcting the timing might work. Oh yeah, drop your oil pan while you're at it cause sure enough you'll find pieces there too. All major work nonetheless. Wanna guess if the replacement pump is improved? It is to a certain degree. These cars are known to sludge up internally and the wise folks at GM decided to remove a mesh screen in an oil passage on the pump to increase flow. This is not the only part they quietly improved oil flow on, and if you change the timing components you'll see what I'm talking about. Is the car fully repaired? No, after all of that work I still have codes in spite of the engine sounding better than new (tap is gone gone gone which makes me wonder if the car was damaged since birth) and driving fine but I don't trust it. I refuse to sink anymore money into it because people have had multiple vacuum pumps fail on them. Had I been just 1/4 mile down the road I could have wound up in a lake. This car is not safe, teenagers wouldn't have the know how to prevent a collision like I do. GM should be ashamed of themselves. Also look up gas pedal warranties, they did that for a reason. I plan to trade it in on a Honda product ASAP, and I refuse to buy anything with a vacuum pump ever again. Beware though, other high end manufacturers are implementing the same design, but maybe their parts are higher quality so perhaps they'll last longer. Mileage at the point of failure? 56,000 miles with most oil changes done at the dealership using free oil changes and My Chevrolet Rewards points and a few done at home since I wasn't trying to catch COVID. Still owe quite a bit on this car, so getting rid of it will be a struggle. And I'm sure someone will fix it and sell it, just like all the other Malibu's in this year range. Don't buy this car, and especially don't buy it used or you'll wind up with my reject or someone like me with the same issues.
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Decent Ride
John Dz., Gansevoort, NY, 11/10/2020
Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
I picked this up right as the '19 models were about to come out because there was a nice discount. I was also driving a 2000(!) Malibu at the time that was literally about to destroy itself. But before this, it was a freaking tank for ages. Anyhow, the car has been solid since I've owned it. Not perfect, but solid. Pros and cons: Pros: 1) Quiet and sleek 2) USB ports and touchscreen are nice. 3) Loads of room inside 4) Passable MPG 5) Backup camera has changed the way that I drive. 6) Decently priced Cons: 1) Acceleration is acceptable, but not anything great. 2) Gear shifting is uh, let's say it does shift, but sometimes you really notice it trying harder than it should have to.
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Terrible
GJ, Satsuma, AL, 12/09/2022
Chevrolet Malibu LS 4dr Sedan (1.5L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Have a 2018 malibu that I purchased new. Have less than 20,000 miles. Had to replace both fuel pumps (2,000). Had to replace a sensor module (900). Had to replace the gear shift assembly (900). What next? The car is a joke…….my son has same vehicle…same gear shift repair. Implies my car was in the shop 5 months getting repaired…..I need to get rid of it
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