2017 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Electrical system Problems
- Complaints
- 11about this part
- Share
- 50%of 22 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 14,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 11 complaints about the electrical system of the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, 50% of the 22 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 14,000 miles.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Within 1 year I bought brand new hybrid malibu car from chevy dealer, I had experienced dead 12v battery. Dealer replaced the battery which I paid even though I thought it should be within warranty. Last night I experienced 3rd dead battery again after I parked the car for 7 hrs office work. The 2nd time dead battery occured was last june 2019 only, dealer also replaced the battry. Its a 3rd time that I experience dead battery (stationary/parked) for brand new car 2017 hybrid malibu within 2 years. Obviously its not the battery issue but its design of electrical system. …”
NHTSA complaint #11291559, filed 2019-12, 9 miles“After trip of a few miles and after turning off the start/stop(keyless) switch, the screen messaged that the remote key was not detected, even though it was still in the car. Neither remote keys would not perform any function nor would manually pushing door locks or switch. After about 20 minutes remote key operation returned.this happened again about 2 weeks later. The dealer cannot find the problem. I am worried that this will stop the engine in a critical situation.”
NHTSA complaint #11170929, filed 2019-01, 14,000 miles“Two times in 24 months and approximately 62,000 miles the primary 12 volt battery has failed. This failure causes the trunk lock to become inoperable. The trunk cannot be accessed in this situation. Because the trunk will not open there is no access to the failed 12 volt battery. Also there is no way to fold the rear seat backs as the release levers are located in the trunk. This situation is both a safety dangerous hazard and inconvenience. Both of these occurrences happened while the car was parked in our garage.”
NHTSA complaint #11300988, filed 2020-01, 62,400 miles“In 2019 I took my vehicle under warranty to the purchasing dealership to fix a shift to park reading after the vehicle is parked. It precludes turning off the car. Repeatedly restarting the car and shifting to park and/or jiggling the controller in park usually stopped the reading. The dealer replaced the control shifter, which fixed the problem for many years. This August, the problem started recurring and I have been attempting to make an appointment in the last week, but none of the local dealers say they can repair this for some time. …”
NHTSA complaint #11544252, filed 2023-09“the secondary battery that sits in the trunk, above the back driver side tire had a short. the cable bunt out and my car reduced speed and it had me pull over. I did not know this is what had happened until i drove it again and i could no longer start it. the shift knob is locked and cant put it on drive or neutral. initializing wait to shift, theft deterrent system, transport mode on, stabilitrak, among other things popped up. Had that short sparked up into an actual fire, yes, my life could have been at risk as the car could have caught on fire. …”
NHTSA complaint #11524202, filed 2023-05Related service bulletins
- 11024324Sep 4, 2025This Warranty Administration service bulletin provides Lithium-Ion battery Exchange Process and Transaction Submission information.
- 11023365May 14, 2025This Warranty Administration service bulletin provides Lithium-Ion battery Exchange Process and Transaction Submission information.
- 11017595Apr 3, 2025This service bulletin provides information on the proper Reflective High Temperature Heat and/or Insulating Tape to use for certain repairs, such as Wiring Harness Repairs.
- 11017244Mar 31, 2025The intent of this service bulletin is to identify aftermarket ALDL or DLC interface devices as potential sources for causing multiple customer concerns that do not have other…
- 11017207Mar 21, 2025This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on Service Programming System (SPS) Error Codes E4398, E4399, E4401, E4403, M4404, M4413, M6954, M6955, E4414…
- 11017031Mar 12, 2025This service bulletin provides information to diagnose batteries that have set for a long period of time and/or cold weather climates and testing those batteries.
- 11014230Jan 31, 2025This bulletin advises the dealers to maintain the vehicle stock on hand by doing a full inspection on the vehicles before being sold (prepping) to the customer.
- 11013239Jan 14, 2025This Warranty Administration service bulletin provides Lithium-Ion battery Exchange Process and Transaction Submission information.
- 11013069Jan 9, 2025This bulletin provides information on identifying Non-GM Engine Calibrations for Gasoline Engines using the Tech 2 or GDS 2.
- 11012929Jan 7, 2025This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information on the requirements for 12V battery testing and warranty replacements.
Electrical system: other model years
Other parts of the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
5 complaintsEngine
3 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsFuel system
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsVehicle speed control
1 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology