That is a strange one. I have heard to a single fob going haywire but a replacement or reprogramming usually fixes. Are these fobs totally useless? Meaning no communication and no ignition start? If so, that is pretty devastating considering a keyless start and a system that actually can malfunction. They probably need to replace the car-side receiver.

Setting aside the inconvenience a sudden failure of this nature has on a car with keyless start, if your dealer is reputable and has provided a loaner let them keep your car. Miles on loaner and not your Malibu. The dealer has called GM, right?

EDIT: I removed your duplicate thread in the gen7 section. This one is right where it should be.

 

The fobs are useless as far as entering the car. I must remove the key from the fob, open the door handle, pry the plastic cap off, etc etc.. only way to start the car is to place the key fob inside the middle console in the back side in the slot(assuming thats where there is a receiver at?) then i can start the car. But simply trying to start the car as normal with my foot on the break and pushing the "start' button does not work. The key must be in the middle console. so technically the key fobs are recognized enough to be able to start the car this way but are not recognized when trying to enter the car or trying to start the car as normal.

Car is at dealership still and i have a loaner car. Unsure if they have contacted GM at this point but I have called everyday wanting an update and will ask them today.
They also mentione that after hooking the car up to the computer that it needed a "software update" of some sort. They didn't go in depth as to what it was regarding nor did they give me the name. But as of now they tried 2 anti-theft modules, 2 receivers in drivers side door, downloaded some sort of new software aparently and 2 new key fobs.

 

Please keep us updated. This info could be helpful to others should this occur.

 

Will do. Called dealership again and they still are not sure what the issue is. Said they would contact me once they determine a solution for the problem. Will keep you updated as I know more

 

Wow, well our 2017 malibu has 750 miles on it and today we got locked out. (See my thread) .... I had to call on star unlock the car, but after that the car wouldn't recognize the key fob and wouldn't start....I waited about 10mins and it finally stated.

Sent from my SM-T550 using Tapatalk

 

Two cases of this on brand new 2017s so close together? One with less than 3000 and the other 750 miles. No reports on 2016 or previous 2017s. I am thinking there is a defective batch of receivers or wiring. Perhaps a new software used in production that is having problems?

What are your final assembly dates? Curious if they are the same or close.

 

Two cases of this on brand new 2017s so close together? One with less than 3000 and the other 750 miles. No reports on 2016 or previous 2017s. I am thinking there is a defective batch of a module or wiring. Perhaps a new software used in production that is having problems?

What are your final assembly dates? Curious if they are the same or close.

How do i find the final assemble days?

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Got my car back from dealership Friday. Said they had fixed the problem but didn't explain what they had did any different than they had tried the previous 8 days it was in the shop. Just returned home from a birthday party and pulled in the drive way, put car in park, hit the stop button.......... "No remote detected"

Here we go again. Same issue as before. However now, my 'spare' key fob wont work either. cannot lock/unlock car, pop trunk, no panic button...

have to put it in the middle console again to get it to start. below is the things that were "replaced" on the car at the dealership:

FP #
13508771 Transmitt 10.526 Warranty
13508008 Module 10.485 Warranty
13595511 Receiver 10.485 Warranty
13508771 Transmit 10.526 Warranty

"Customer states key not recognized by vehicle. Found Key transponder Failure. Replaced transponder, all ok" This is what is written on my invoice from them.

 

Wow, that sucks! I've only seen this this "no remote/transmitter detected" the one time and I hope I don't see it again....i hate car problems, especially to a new car. I would be angry by now I were you....hope you get things cleared up.

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It looks like they replaced both key fobs, the receiver and module. Odd it worked for a couple days then stopped again. How long was it working normally before the first failure?

Take it back, give them another chance and have them keep the car for a couple days beyond the fix. Troubleshooting is a process; they just haven't found the cause yet. At least the secondary slot is still working.

 

Does the key fob recognition problem always start happening in your driveway or any other specific locations? Maybe there's a source of interference that's affecting the authentication handshake.

 

That's a really good point. If you do a search, you'll find several reports of radio interference affecting key fobs. Turn off any devices you have in the car and see if the key fob works in another location. That may help isolate the problem.

 

We had that problem intermittently. Seemed to happen when my wife would use the car and stop at certain places. I thought it was an interference issue like I have encountered with other vehicles that use proximity keys. It never happened to me personally.
When my wife took her Volt in for an oil change, she brought it up to the dealer and they told her there was a bulletin on it and to bring the car in. Didn't happen that often so I waited till the Malibu needed the first oil change. I just had it done this week and have only driven the car a couple times.
It was so intermittent it'll probably be a while before I know if it fixed the problem.
Paperwork indicates that the dealer referred to document ID# 4630808 and replaced the remote control door lock receiver part # 55594652
If they already did this to your car, it sounds to me like they need to be looking at harness connectors to make sure all pins are seated properly.

 

This has me thinking, since it has happened to me once a few weeks ago. My wife and I stopped at our Home Depot, parking out at the edge of their lot away from everything. She waited in the car while I went in, so I left the fob sitting in the tray on the console. She just sat there, reading a book. When I got back to the car, I went to start it and "no fob present" or some such. I eventually had to stick it into that internal console slot so it would start. When we got to our next stop and left the car, it locked from the fob at a fair distance...and has been fine ever since.

Then, yesterday I went out to the driveway to start the car, which it did just fine, but the C.E.L. was on steady. I took it to the dealer and they pulled a code that said there was some kind of an inter-module communication fault. They followed the test procedure, which basically had them checking/disconnecting/reconnecting a bunch of connectors...and found nothing. So, they called GM and were told to check the connector for the grill slat actuator for water intrusion...which they did, and found no problem. Now at a loss, they cleared all the codes and told me to call them if/when it reoccurs. Reading this thread, I'm now wondering if there may be a communication problem between the canbus and the fob receiver module...

My Hybrid is a '17 that was built around mid/late November of 2016. I've had it just over 5 months and it now has almost 8,000 miles on it.



Update: 5/30/'17...
C.E.L. came on again the day after I returned from the dealer. Took it back there today. Their story changed, suspiciously. I was told on the first visit that they followed GM's advice and checked the grill shutter actuator connector for water intrusion and found nothing. This morning I dropped the car with them and left it there. Several hours later they called and said it was ready. When I got there, the service writer told me that they checked the shutter connector and found water inside it...with damaged seals on the connector. They ordered a new connector, but they're back-ordered all the way to the manufacturer so I took the car and will await their call.

Which is it? Did they check and find nothing the first time, or did they check and find water the second time? I'm not as confident in their honesty or abilities anymore...

 

Where are you guys putting your transponders in the cases where they don't work? Have had my '16 since February of '16 and it now has almost 21,000 miles on it, never had a key fob issue until last week, mostly because I always keep the fob in my front packet.

When I got the car washed I pulled the fob out and set it in the tray under the dash. Once I got back in I left it there but plugged my phone back in and that tray is where it normally sits so I plugged it in and set the phone on top of the key.

Guess what happened? Had all sorts of key fob errors and couldn't shut the car off when I got to my destination until I moved the phone. Wouldn't restart start either with the fob sitting on top of the phone.

So I ask, those with issues, was your key near your phone at the time? That may be the missing "factor" in its randomness.

 

This is interesting...
In the incident I described above, I had left the fob in the long slot next to the shift lever...and my wife's phone was sitting in one of the cup holders right next to it. Hmmmm...

I got the "transmitter not found" error for the first time Saturday. I've had the car for 6 months, 9k miles. Key was in the cubby under the climate controls. Phone was not in the car. I had pulled the car out of the garage, parked in the driveway to get my bike out, went for bike ride, returned home and got the error when trying to start the car to put it back in the garage. The key stayed in the car the whole time I was on the bike ride and car was left unlocked. I put the key in the center console slot and it started. I've started the car 4 times since with no issues. Gotta love intermittent issues.

This is also interesting...as the only time I've had trouble with "key not found", etc., is when I left the fob (and my wife) in the car while I went into a store. I wonder if there is something hard coded into the firmware that somehow shuts off the fob or the car's recognition of the fob whenever the fob is present for more than X-number of minutes with the car shut off. Maybe it kills the fob in order to save the fob's battery whenever the fob is present for an extended period of time while the car is off? If so, I would think removing the fob completely (out of range) from the car and then re-entering the car's sensor range would probably reset the relationship. The next time this happens to me I'll have to remember to try that.

 

I got the "transmitter not found" error for the first time Saturday. I've had the car for 6 months, 9k miles. Key was in the cubby under the climate controls. Phone was not in the car. I had pulled the car out of the garage, parked in the driveway to get my bike out, went for bike ride, returned home and got the error when trying to start the car to put it back in the garage. The key stayed in the car the whole time I was on the bike ride and car was left unlocked. I put the key in the center console slot and it started. I've started the car 4 times since with no issues. Gotta love intermittent issues.

 

Update: after the key fob issue with my first car, it was deemed a lemon and I did a MSRP swap for a new 17' malibu. Gm nor the dealership could duplicate the error but after many attempts, it met the specifications to be deemed un fixable.

I got the new malibu roughly 3 months ago, maybe a little less. Guess what????? Just last week I started to have identical problems. Took bak to dealership and again, can't duplicate problem due to it being electrical. Have yet again contacted gm and filed a complaint yet again. Dealership told me to 'drive' car for a month and then come back and they would know how to fix it. Said they still have my initial lemon on site and a mechanic would come in from gm and find issue. Unbelievable.
Won't fully turn off, won't turn on, 'no remote detected', key fob won't lock or unlock doors... Same as last time. No rhyme or reason when it happens or why but it is sporadic to say the least. Have had 4 issues today alone. Gm offered rental car for 3 days only and dealership offered no loaner of any kind.

Just wanted to share more info since it seems others are having a me problem as I was.

 

Zharr, was the issue seen in the same location with both cars (like at home, at work, at a particular shopping center, etc.) or just anywhere?

Also, was there something specific you carry with you, like a certain brand of mobile phone and put in a specific location within both cars? Reason I ask is since it happened to two cars it sounds like some kind of RF interference may be the culprit, which is also why the dealership can't reproduce the problem.

A regular old key sure sounds better every day when I hear stuff like this. Knock on wood so far I've not run into the same issue (yet).

 

Happens anywhere and everywhere. The only thing I carry is a wallet and my iPhone. Nothing else in my pockets ever. Nothing in the car either than just the basics, but nothing electronic. I took it back to the dealership I bought it from since they were aware of situation from first car. I have checked for magnets, garage door openers, everything under the sun. They even tried to start the car in front of me twice at the dealership and it didn't start. They went to get computer to hook up..... Boom, fired right up with no errors.

 

On top of that, I was driving approximately 2 weeks ago and got an error message "Reduced Engine Power" that came up on my display and I went from 45mph to 15mph in a matter of 1-2 seconds. Had to drive to dealership 15mph only to find out they had to replace the Gas Pedal due to a malfunction. Assured me it was fixed and that I wouldn't be driving 70mph down the interstate and the same thing happen again.

Will update more in a week or so. Just got off a 43 minute call with GM just now and explained the issues to them again and they are contacting the dealership and will get in touch with me in a few days they said.

If anyone has anymore advice or diagnosis, please let me know. Anything helps.

 

I've had "Reduced Engine Power" twice in my Gen7. Both times it was immediately after a storm came through and it went from really muggy in the 90's to less muggy in the 70's. Both times it cured itself overnight, both times the CEL came on and went off a couple days later, both times it never came back.

Search this site for "fretting corrosion" in the Gen7/Problems... section. It's a sticky. That might help explain it some and maybe offer some assistance in fixing or preventing it. Or not.

Either way, I believe it's a poor connection on a GM-LAN, which is very low current and very susceptible to poor connection issues.

Regarding your key fob, let me relate an incident from a guy at work with a high-end Jeep. He parked at his home under a car port for a couple of years and never had an issue with his remote anywhere. Then suddenly he started being unable to use his remote within about 50 feet of his covered parking and discovered that parking on the street allowed it to work, but he wanted to park where it was covered. His dealership could find nothing wrong, and when he was over 50 feet from his carport it would work. He thought he was gonna have to move, thinking that maybe a neighbor had some kind of antenna or radio that was creating interference. He finally discovered that his newly-replaced remote sensor for his weather station, with its BT antenna mounted on top of the carport, was continually searching for a signal to connect to. When he got it to "see" his weather station inside his home, his fob started working as before.

Check to be sure you don't have a stuck button on a garage opener, another key fob, or some other RF device, including a BT phone or OBD dongle or tablet or laptop, etc. "Something" has to be causing the issue and it could be external to the car or within the car itself. Once the general location is found, it's then a matter of tracking it to its source. But that's just general debugging for anything.

Hope some of this helps. If not, at least you're not the only one who's been there.

 

Expanding on what DrivenDaily said, about Bluetooth:

When the car acted up in the dealership, were you near the car? And when it went away, were you still at the same location with the car next to you or did they pull the car inside the service bays, not near you? There is a reason I ask and it's not implying your car hates you.

I noticed you mentioned an iPhone. Yes, they are ubiquitous but try turning off the Bluetooth in it for a while. I'm not saying that is a solution (or even the problem) but it's just to troubleshoot. This sure sounds like interference to me. Is there anything else in the car that's electronic you put in there, like a radar detector or garage door opener? If so, move the door opener location, perhaps drive around without the detector for a while. I have a Valentine One in my Malibu and that one doesn't cause interference since it's pretty well shielded by design (V1 makes the claim, it's to keep cop radar detector sniffers from finding it via EM emissions).

I'm an engineer in the electronics industry (I design power management ICs) so I have to chase down EM interference items like this occasionally. They're one of the most hateful types of troubleshooting around.

 

For my 1st car that was a lemon: It acted up when I was by it when I dropped it off. But they had it for 3 weeks an the same problems persisted when I was back home in Cincinnati.

This car I have now was in the shop for about 3 hours last week when I took it initially but I was on site while they were working on it. However, I was quite a distance away from it when they had it back in the shop. They had an issue starting it but it did not present an error code: only displayed that the key fob wasn't present in the car. So they technically couldn't "duplicate" the error I was having from what they told me. They called the GM tech who flew in to work on my initial car to let him know the same problem was happening with this one and apparently he laughed and said I have no idea. So they are sending him back out to look at the initial car which is still at the dealership to try to diagnose it again.

I personally never use Bluetooth and it is always turned off at all times. There is nothing else in the car at all lol. Insurance/registration, maybe a pack of bubble gum, some jumper cables in the trunk and some shoes. Nothing else electronic. I have no garage nor any types of antennas or radio's in my house. Neighbor has nothing as well as I asked him after I was advised to check for those things.

Even today, I switched up my key fobs and used my "alternate" one, aka the one in my drawer in my kitchen, and the car started up perfectly fine. got to work; wouldn't turn off completely. Finally got it turned off. stepped out of the car and when I was approximately 10-15ft away, i hit the lock button:...... nothing... trunk button...... nothing... etc.. had to go in and manually lock the door by pushing the button on the door.

so when i go back out for lunch, i'll probably have to pop off the plastic piece on the handle and access the car that way.

 

Well there goes that idea shot to pieces. Keep us updated on what they find, this is really a puzzler.

 

I went trolling the forum search and found 7 similar user reports (remote issue). Sometimes there is never feedback/updates or it was single occurrence, other times parts are replaced similar to your parts in post #9 and issue resolves. Three reports involving a Hybrid, three Premier, one LS so it doesn't seem year or trim specific. For something so rare it is wild and unpleasant for it to occur again on a totally different car. If it can happen to one car it can happen to another but these odds are unreal. Or aliens are involved.

Couple questions: You said this second car went almost three months before the gas pedal issue which was followed by the remote not detected thing? The dealer does reproduce the remote not found message but gets no code?

 

I swear a key sounds better every day. Sometimes newer isn't better.

 

When I got this Malibu at first I thought my Crosstrek was a dinosaur for having a key. But it is always that dinosaur I take to trailheads that are at the end of 15 mile dirt roads with no cell service (thanks to my paranoia and things I read here).

 

Will do.

I appreciate everyone's input thus far. Hopefully there is some sort of conclusion that can help others in my same/similar scenario going forward.