2013 Chevrolet Malibu: engine and transmission complaints
ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
35%
291 of 826 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
35% of relevant owner complaints on the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.
Better than 62% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 96 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 32%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE09/04/2019CRASH1 INJURED
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, IT FAILED TO START AND ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS JUMPSTARTED BY THE CONTACT'S SPOUSE AND DRIVEN TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTO RETAIL STORE AND AN UNKNOWN CHEVROLET DEA…
STRUCTURE,ENGINE04/18/2019CRASH1 INJURED
WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN OUR 2013 CHEVY MALIBU WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, WHEN ABOUT 1/2 WAY INTO THE SPACE I EXPERIENCED AN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION BY THE VEHICLE. THIS CAUSED ME TO CRASH INTO A BOLLARD IN FRONT OF THE CONVENIENCE STORE CAUSING SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. THE AIR BAGS DID N…
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE03/19/20191 INJURED
IF THE KEY IS REMOVED WITHOUT THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK, THE VEHICLE MAY ROLLAWAY AS OCCUPANTS ARE EXITING , INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY
Three of 291 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (10)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to b…
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles October 24, 2011, to March 5, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the Slide or Ti…
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured April 10, 2012, to August 2, 2012. In the affected vehicles, the cons…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
10 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.
