| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Chevrolet Malibu repairs by problem area
Engine (24%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (6%)
Brakes and Traction Control (6%)
Suspension and Steering (24%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (26%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (9%)
Other (5%)
Select a problem area
- Engine
- Transmission and Drivetrain
- Brakes and Traction Control
- Suspension and Steering
- Electrical and Air Conditioning
- Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim
- Other
Chart based on 1073 repairs.
Chevrolet Malibu transmission repair cost distribution
$2500+ (13%)
$1000 - $2499 (11%)
$500 - $999 (2%)
$100 - $499 (25%)
< $100 (49%)
Chart based on 61 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2013 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
197-horsepower 2.5L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 56500 mi | Right side axle seal on the transmission was leaking. Repaired under warranty. |
2012 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
169-horsepower 2.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 75000 mi US $350 |
REPLACE WORN SEAL THAT CAUSED TRANSMISSION TO LEAKE REPLACE AXLE BENT |
| 53940 mi C $1600 |
replace transmission |
| 155000 mi US $2200 |
Transmission failure required replacement |
| 109 mi US $4000 |
Full transmission rebuild |
2011 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
169-horsepower 2.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 23000 mi | Leak, torque converter seal. Dealer replaced and repaired torque converter seal. |
| 4000 mi | Had to replace the transmission at 4400 miles. Junk this car has had every module and electrical part replaced. This is the worst car I have ever bought GM will Buy this car back as a lemon. |
| 90447 mi US $4100 |
Vehicle slowed and stopped moving while driving city street. Engine rpm would speed up but vehicle would not move. Shut engine off for 5 minutes then tried moving the car again, was able to get off road then stopped moving again. Had towed to Chevrolet dealership. Problem diagnosed as major internal failure. Replaced transmission with GM Serta remanufactured transmission. Also replaced rear engine crankshaft seal while transmission was out - leaking. |
2010 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
252-horsepower 3.6L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 22000 mi US $32 |
Vibration beginning at 42MPH. After unsuccessful rebalance of tires, dealer believed issue was warped left front axle. Replaced axle. Wife drove car from dealer to trip to Texas, so I have not validated that problem is fixed. |
| 35000 mi | The dealer, working with the technical folks at GM, replaced the drive axles/reprogrammed transmission. Vibration better, but not perfect. The dealer replaced the tires with Michelin's. The vibration is gone. Now minor xmission shift issue. |
| 2000 mi | trans line broke,faulty clamp. |
2010 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
169-horsepower 2.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 28000 mi | noticed abrupt downshifting when coming to stops in car. No CE or other light on, but when took car for 25k service, asked dealer to look. They opened up and overhauled transmission--new clutch packs, TCM valve assembly, fluid |
| 88000 mi | Loss of a couple forward gears and reverse gear on the 6-spd Daewoo automatic. Technician found fractured wave plate, broken gears metal shards and liquid was gray and fouled within the transmission. Entire rebuild was needed. |
| 65000 mi | At a resting position, checked engine light came. While depressing accelerator to 20-30 mph, tach rpm went to 5-6k. Car would bucked forward. Car was towed. 3-5 wave plate damaged tranny. |
| 80000 mi | power train seal |
| 14000 mi | I had the right drive axle seal replaced, anyway that is what was on the RO. Now that same seal is leaking more now than before the repair. |
| 16000 mi | Transmission Cooler lines leaking trans. fluid. Lines had to be replaced (2). Parts had to be ordered. |
| 16300 mi | The dealer replaced both transmission cooler lines. Two days due to no parts. Had to send for them. |
| 92000 mi US $70 |
Transmission coolling line needed replacement |
2010 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
169-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 32000 mi US $150 |
transmission fluid cooler lines between transaxle and radiator leaked and needed to be replaced. |
2009 Chevrolet Malibu
Engine not specified
| 63000 mi | Complete transmission overahaul performed. No warning when the transmission failed on a busy city street. Able to return home in first gear but had to be towed to dealership because couldn't get the car to go in reverse. |
2009 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
252-horsepower 3.6L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 3000 mi | Powertrain shudder and growling usually from 40-50 that often continues into a constant rumble and shake at, above, or below that speed. GM Engineers tested it, but nothing would occur for them, so a portable data recorder was installed to monitor. |
| 3000 mi | Transmission does not shift properly. |
2009 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
169-horsepower 2.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 29000 mi | Shuddering with transmission. |
| 29000 mi | Previously they reflashed the transmission and engine control module to fix the stuttering around 40 mph. All they did was shift the shutter to 50 mph. At this point I assumed I had a lemon and got rid of it. Good riddance GM! |
| 42600 mi | transmission control module |
| 70000 mi US $3000 |
transmission failed. replaced with a manufactured rebuild. |
| 27200 mi | When driving the car first thing in the morning, the engine RPMs would go up to 4k-5k before it would shift into 2nd gear. Transmission software was updated and reprogrammed which fixed the issue. |
| 69000 mi US $3400 |
Transmission was slipping in first and reverse. Transaxle replaced. Transmission was rebuilt by the dealer in January 2014 for known defect. Transmission wave plate fractured. |
| 71000 mi US $114 |
The transmission was shifting abruptly and slipping when warm. Transmission reprogrammed and 1 quart of fluid added. |
| 71000 mi | Transmission began to shift abruptly. |
| 807 mi | I had to take in due to leaking seal on transmission, dropped off part was ordered and repaired, rental car provided for 2 days while being fixed, not sure of the cost,covered by warranty |
2009 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
169-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 130000 mi US $100 |
Replace Transmission Fluid |
| 41000 mi | Transmission seal (right) where drive shaft emerges was leaking |
| 48000 mi | The right front driveshaft bearing backed most of the way out of its seat and was leaking. |
| 48900 mi | right driveshaft seal backing out again |
| 49500 mi US $289 |
The dealer replaced the axle seal and stub shaft sleeve. Learned from GM that if use a tool that's not in spec the seal will back out. |
| 43000 mi | Replaced leaking front axle shaft output seal. Took two days due to dealer not having the proper tools. Repaired leaking front axel shaft output seal |
2009 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
164-horsepower 2.4L I4 Hybrid 4-speed automatic FWD
| 64480 mi C $231 |
The right-front transmission seal was leaking and a new kit was installed. |
2009 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
| 77700 mi US $1500 |
Transmission required rebuild |
2008 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
252-horsepower 3.6L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 135000 mi US $1200 |
3 5 R wave plate broke |
| 58000 mi | Transmission had to be completely rebuilt.. It was covered under the powertrain warranty. |
2008 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
169-horsepower 2.4L I4 4-speed automatic FWD
| 72300 mi | Shifting oddly. Ran diagnostics and looked for service bulletins. Did not reflash, but it is ok. |
2007 Chevrolet Malibu
Engine not specified
| 81000 mi US $225 |
Shift link cable broken. This part was also changed in 2014 by Auto Nation as part of a recall. |
2007 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
145-horsepower 2.2L I4 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 18000 mi | shaft within steering column replaced--to cure clunk noise when turning |
2007 Chevrolet Malibu 4-door
6-cylinder automatic 2WD
| 187100 mi US $2300 |
Transmission rebuilt |
2006 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
201-horsepower 3.5L V6 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 112000 mi US $200 |
Bad RF wheel bearing |
| 54000 mi US $4000 |
Had no foward gears, only reverse |
2006 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Hatch
201-horsepower 3.5L V6 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 67700 mi US $400 |
replaced half shafts |
| 34100 mi C $380 |
Part replaced. |
2005 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
200-horsepower 3.5L V6 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 118300 mi US $1400 |
R and R first to second shift solenoid and second to third shift solenoid. |
| 110980 mi C $28 |
2-3 shift solenoid replacement on the 4t45-e transaxle. Car lost 3rd and 4th gear. |
| 110980 mi C $2500 |
Transmission completely failed - no gears in forward or reverse |
| 130200 mi C $50 |
passenger side axle seal leaked fixed - replaced seal and sleeve on the 4t45e |
2005 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
145-horsepower 2.2L I4 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 82000 mi US $2200 |
Automatic transmission stuck in second gear. Solenoid open circuit was the trouble code. Transmission removed and rebuilt. |
2005 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Hatch
200-horsepower 3.5L V6 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 83000 mi US $3000 |
Transmission stop going forward. Only reverse worked. Transmission was rebuilt. Could have used a transmission fluid change a few miles ago. |
| 183000 mi US $3000 |
Transmission was slipping. We decided to junk the car instead of repair it. |
| 173000 mi | Rebuild Transmission |
2004 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
200-horsepower 3.5L V6 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 88000 mi | Leaky transmission pan gasket. |
| 131000 mi | Transmission shuddered and shifted hard between 1st-2nd gears and 3rd-4th gears. My theory is that initial damage was done when a dealer changed the trans fluid at 50K, didn't install the pan gasket correctly, resulting in a long term leak. |
| 195000 mi US $200 |
transmission shift cable fracture recall |
| 71300 mi C $200 |
The right axle was leaking, I saw it wet but condition must have been there for months or even a year, might have been from hitting something. |
2004 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Hatch
200-horsepower 3.5L V6 4-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 60000 mi US $142 |
Transmission shifting problem, solved by adding transmission fluid and possibly resetting shift points. |
| 119100 mi US $225 |
Replaced both failing CV axles. |
| 179000 mi US $195 |
Replaced leaking transmission pan gasket, filter, and transmission flush |
2003 Chevrolet Malibu 4dr Sedan
170-horsepower 3.1L V6 4-speed automatic FWD
| 120900 mi US $700 |
Left axle leaked oil and needed to be replaced |
See TrueDelta's information for all Sedans
See TrueDelta's information for all Chevrolet models.
