2021 Chevrolet Malibu Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report a "Shift to Park" warning that appears when the shifter is already in park, which can keep the car from fully shutting off and drain the battery. A second cluster of complaints describes jerking, delayed or lost acceleration from the transmission, and some owners report sudden loss of engine power or stalling while driving. Reports are spread from very low mileage up past 100,000 miles, and several owners mention dealer visits where the problem could not be reproduced.

1. 1
   Other or unknown

   Shift to Park warning, car won't shut off

   • 48 complaints (53%)
   • median 54,000 mi at 4.5 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • owner-quoted repair $569 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe a "Shift to Park" or "put car in park" message appearing on the dash even though the shifter is already in park. The engine may shut off but the electrical accessories stay powered, or the car will not turn off at all until the shifter is wiggled repeatedly. Complaints mention the battery draining as a result, and several owners say a dealer either could not reproduce the problem or told them the VIN was not covered by any recall. Reported at mileages ranging from a few thousand to over 110,000, often described as intermittent at first and then occurring nearly every time the car is parked.

   What to check: Before buying, start and shut off the car several times in park and watch for the Shift to Park message or accessories staying on. Ask whether the shifter assembly or park-position switch has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am reporting a safety concern with my 2021 Chevrolet Malibu that is experiencing a “Shift to Park” failure.The vehicle displays a “Shift to Park” warning message even when the gear selector is fully placed in Park. Because the vehicle incorrectly detects that it is not in Park, it will not allow me to properly turn the vehicle off. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11753858, filed 2026-07

   “When I parked my car and tried to turn off the ignition, a warning buzzer kept beeping and a warning on the dash was telling me to “shift to park”. I moved the shifter numerous times to make sure it was in park, but the warning continued. This happened several times now. A few times the warning went off after I wiggled the shifter knob numerous times, but not always.”

   NHTSA complaint #11550058, filed 2023-10
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Jerking, delayed or lost acceleration (transmission)

   • 34 complaints (38%)
   • median 44,100 mi at 4.5 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Complaints describe the car hesitating or refusing to move when shifted into drive, then lurching or slamming into gear, along with grinding or jerking at speed. Some owners report the vehicle dropping into limp mode or losing motive power entirely, and one complaint notes a stretched drive chain with metal debris in the transmission. Repairs mentioned include transmission replacement and shifter or transmission control replacement. Mostly reported between roughly 6,000 and 100,000 miles, sometimes shortly after purchase.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: During a test drive, shift between reverse and drive several times and note any delay, clunk or hesitation. Ask for transmission service records and whether any shifter or control module work has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I own a 2021 Chevy Malibu and I have been having issues with my transmission since November 5,2024. I was driving along at about 30 miles per hour When all of a sudden the car would not accelerate so I put the car in park and put the car back in drive and accelerated but only revved up but still would not move. I called a mechanic to look at my vehicle and he checked that I had transmission fluid and it was full. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11645214, filed 2025-02

   “The computer was not recognizing my car being in the correct gear shift. It did this for a few days until finally, I couldn't drive it. The car would not recognize any part of the gear being in the correct position. The car would not move forward or reverse, resulting in a tow. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11594654, filed 2024-06
3. 3
   Engine

   Reduced engine power / stalling while driving

   • 12 complaints (13%)
   • median 36,500 mi at 2.2 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2022–2026

   Owners report a "reduced engine power" or "Service ESC" message followed by the car slowing, refusing to accelerate past a low speed, or shutting off completely in traffic. Some complaints describe the power steering and brakes becoming ineffective when the engine cuts out. Dealers cited a failed throttle body, a faulty accelerator pedal or wiring issues, and in some cases the problem returned after repair. Reported from around 5,000 miles up to about 98,000, often at speed or when accelerating from a stop.

   What to check: Ask for any stored diagnostic codes and whether the throttle body or accelerator pedal has been replaced. A longer test drive including highway acceleration can help reveal hesitation.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving when coming to a stop, my brakes became stiff causing me to almost hit the vehicle in front of me. Also, the car has been stopping while I am driving and on busy roads when I am at a stop light and press the accelerator to proceed, the vehicle just stop and cuts off completely leaving me stranded while trying to restart the vehicle. Also the vehicle has a long crank before it starts. I have been without my vehicle for a month now and it’s very inconvenient due to these issues. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11696003, filed 2025-10

   “A screen popped up saying “reduced engine power” I was already Omw to the shop to get one thing fixed. When they tried to pull my car in they say they he car wouldn’t drive and it was hard to accelerate and they had to put it in Neutral to get it in the shop. They said they fixed the problem but when I left to go into the main road, my car wouldn’t accelerate to the speed I needed and cars were coming. They were beeping and thank God they were able to slow down because they’ve would’ve hit me. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11749779, filed 2026-07
4. 4
   Electrical system

   Electrical faults: body control, battery drain, blower fire

   • 8 complaints (9%)
   • typically at 5.0 yrs old
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2021–2026

   Owners describe the body control module not recognizing the gear position, dash lights cycling, the odometer or radio behaving oddly, and the battery running down because accessories stay powered. One complaint reports smoke and fire at the blower motor area while the car was parked in a driveway. Dealers in these reports had not always diagnosed the cause. Spread across the sample with no single mileage range, including low-mileage vehicles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check that all electrical accessories shut off when the car is turned off, and ask whether any body control module or blower motor repairs have been recorded.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car has about 82000 miles and while driving it stated that I was shifted to neutral and needed to be restarted. After a few seconds the steering wheel locks up and I can’t press the gas anymore, even though the car is still in drive. This happened about 6 times on the half mile drive home. I haven’t been able to diagnose it yet since the dealership is backed up for a month. I think it’s the neutral safety switch”

   NHTSA complaint #11687339, filed 2025-09

   “I went to do an errand pulled in to parking spot put car into park shut it off. Car dash repeatedly said put car into park. All dash lights, would go on from left to right and shut off, this included the center console. I tried over and over to start car and shift but it wouldn’t go. It just kept repeating shift into park. It took 95 mins before the car would start. Then the RPMS would rev way past what they should. I lived 30 miles away. I made it home slowly. The next morning I took to my son tha is a GM certified mechanic. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11729503, filed 2026-04
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Fuel pump control module failure and no-start

   • 12 complaints (13%)
   • median 68,000 mi at 3.6 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2023–2026

   Complaints describe a check engine light, long cranking, stalling or a no-start condition traced to the fuel pump power control module, with codes such as P023F noted. Several owners mention being referred back to the dealer after the module failure, and one reports hesitation from a stop with a throttle body code that recurred after replacement. Emissions recall bulletins in the input describe this same module condition. Reported from roughly 15,000 to 72,000 miles, sometimes after a stop or during a restart attempt.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask the dealer to confirm whether the fuel pump power control module campaign or software update applies to the VIN and has been completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving on the highway and the check engine light came on. The car slowed down due to lack of power. I got off at the nearest exit and the car stalled. I tried to start it but it kept clicking rapidly. The car died at a dangerous intersection so I put my hazard lights on and called 911. The police arrived and asked me to put the car in neutral, but it wouldn't shift. The officer was able to start the car, and I drove it to a mechanic. He ran a diagnostic and the fault code is P023F, Fuel Pump Secondary Circuit/Open. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11724988, filed 2026-03

   “I was driving and car suddenly reduced speed,engine light came on and message came across dash “engine power reduced” and a text was sent to tell me I have a transmission issue. Now car won’t drive past 25-30mph dealership indicated this is a faulty gas pedal which cost over $600 to repair. Did my research and this is apparently a “known” problem common in 2016-2022. Vehicles but is not an official recall. Also dealership said only “certain” vin numbers with this problem are covered. I have a 2021 and I am not one of them. Not fair. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11731460, filed 2026-04

Buying note. These reports center on the park-position message and transmission behavior, so test the shifter and drive quality carefully and ask for service history on the shifter, transmission and fuel pump control module. Confirm which open campaigns apply to the specific VIN before purchase.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.