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2018 Malibu acceleration issues

97K views 70 replies 35 participants last post by  Koffey 
#1 ·
I am having the same issue. I have a 2018 Malibu LT that is having issues accelerating. It generally begins after the car warms up (roughly 10 miles). It accelerates very slowly until it hits 4000 rpms then runs fine until it shifts below 4000rpms. It hasn’t ever had a check engine light on. I have had it to the dealer after proving the issue for 5 weeks and they can not figure out the problem. I would love to know if anyone has had this issue resolved and what it was.
 
#37 · (Edited)
So I had the wife go to the dealership today and they had not done the bulletin update. They had just rebooted the ecm which they told me they had updated the programming. They did not know about the bulletin so they installed the update and now the car is peppy again and so far the hesitation has not reappeared. Thanks guys.

I am also going to add that we were averaging 22mpg during this problem time. I’m curious to see how much the fuel economy increases now that the fuel timing is not being retarded.
 
#38 ·
I'm experiencing the lack of power until 4000 RPM. I dropped it off this afternoon and mentioned the TSB to the service advisor hopefully it fixes it.

In addition to the lack of power I'm getting a rpm surge (500 RPM) when it shifts into 4th when cold.

Has anyone experienced this along with or separate from the lack of power until 4000 RPM?





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#39 ·
I'm experiencing the lack of power until 4000 RPM. I dropped it off this afternoon and mentioned the TSB to the service advisor hopefully it fixes it.

In addition to the lack of power I'm getting a rpm surge (500 RPM) when it shifts into 4th when cold.

Has anyone experienced this along with or separate from the lack of power until 4000 RPM?
1) hopefully the update fixes the lack of power. It has helped other owners of the 2018 1.5T so should get you taken care of.

2) as for the "surge" shifting 3rd to 4th: when cold, if I quickly jump right up to 60mph I get a lousy 3rd to 4th shift. I always called it a flare but surge is good too. It will be around 3600, start the shift, the quickly jump to 3800, then drop to 2500 or so completing the shift. It only does this if I accelerate about 30-50%. If I accel super slow it doesn't, if I accel hard it doesn't. I have wondered if it is hitting a spot it does a double shift, quick to 4 then 5. The bummer is many other 1.5 w/ 6T40 I have driven did this too. Once warm, it's fine. If I warm up the car 2 minutes it's fine. It seems to be the way it's programmed or maybe slightly off on fluid... But I've checked that (annoying plug method) and had the dealer confirm normal levels. I had fluid exchange, no change. I've got a 16 and 62k.
 
#40 ·
Well I got the car back from the dealer yesterday afternoon. They performed the reprograming per TSB 19-NA-032 and it seems to have fixed the lack of power issue.

As far as the surge or flare on the 3 to 4 upshift... I got the famous "Could not duplicate issue" from the tech. The service adviser welcomed me to bring it back in if I keep having the issue and they can dig deeper.

This morning as I'm pulling out of my neighborhood guess what? Yep still getting RPM flare on the 3 to 4 upshift. I guess Ill drive it for a week or so while I contemplate living with it or taking it back in.
 
#41 ·
I am having the same issue with a 2018 Malibu that I bought brand new in November. This is a serious safety issue. I nearly got in an accident trying to make a left turn with oncoming traffic. The car had no power and just slowly rolled out into the middle of the intersection. I'm taking this back in to the dealer tomorrow. Last month they could not find anything. Would appreciate any help/advice in the meantime.
 
#44 ·
I also purchased a 2018 Malibu in August of 2018. Around the 15,000 mi mark the car started having acceleration issues. It ended up stalling out on the highway a few weeks later and the check engine light came on. I had it towed to a Chevy dealer. They informed me that an oxygen sensor was the cause. They claimed to have fixed it. Within a few weekend of getting the car back, the acceleration issues started again. I called the dealership and was told there’s nothing they can do until the light comes back on. So I took it to another dealership and they couldn’t duplicate the problem. And was told to wait until the light comes back on. I have had several instances where I almost got into a car accident because of this. I called GM’s priority care center, and was told the same thing, wait for the check engine light to come on. And then was told to “cheer up, enjoy my day, and enjoy my vehicle”. So I’m stuck driving an unsafe car hoping that nothing happens to me. Gotta love GM!
 
#45 ·
My car is doing the exact same thing. Your description was spot on to what mine was doing. I have a 2018 Malibu and I have had it for 6 months and it hasn't been until the last month that it started acting weird. I did just get a call from my dealership that was taking a look at it and he said that it is what they call Turbo Lag. I do not understand mechanics enough to go into how he described it to me but he made me think that this was a normal thing with these new cars. I am clearly going to research this more and see what I come up with and maybe get a second opinion. Hope this helps just a tiny bit.
 
#46 ·
"Turbo lag" is the delay you feel between stepping on the gas and the car accelerating. It is because the turbo might not be able to supply enough air to accommodate your request for "more power". These new twin-scroll turbos have little or no turbo lag. Ask them to try another lame excuse!
 
#49 ·
I have a 2018 Chevy Malibu LS1 and I have had the same acceleration issues. They almost cost me my life when it happened as I was merging onto the highway recently. It caught me another time at a stop light as I was trying to make a left-hand turn and I almost got T-boned in the intersection. Fingers crossed, I am taking my car to the dealership today and I have already printed the Service Bulletin (thank you to whomever posted it) and I fully intend on making them aware of my knowledge of the bulletin. This is VERY scary. I drive in rush-hour traffic in Kansas City and this car has been a nightmare because of the hesitation/acceleration issues.
 
#51 ·
I have a 2019 Malibu and have the same issue.
My malibu currently has 4,950 miles on it. It hesitates to accelerate around 3,500 to 4,000 RPMs.
The issue occurs when I come to a complete stop and try to accelerate. Is annoying and dangerous..
I have an oil change appointment next week Monday (07/08/19), will let the dealer know about the issue when I go in that day. Will mention the bulletin even though it's for 2018 models.
And yes, I'll update with what they tell me and or do to my car.
 
#52 ·
Hey everyone, my names Danny.
Sonive had my 2019 Malibu for a good 5-6 months now and until recently I've been having acceleration issues.
I currently have 4,970 miles on it.
This particular issue started about a little over a month ago. First noticed it when I would accelerate after first making a complete stop(stop sign/redlight). Has been happening ever since.
Any clue if theres a bulliten on this issue from chevy?
Is there even a fix for this issue?
 
#53 ·
There is a bulletin on the 2018 cars relating to a knock sensor calibration issue. As of a couple weeks ago it didn't include the 2019 but my gut tells me 2019 is affected. Perhaps dealers have updated bulletin info. It is also possible this is a pedal sensor issue. Your 2019 should still be under warranty so I recommend proper diagnosis and free warranty repair at your dealer.
 
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#57 · (Edited)
So glad to have found this forum and this thread! Went to the dealership this morning for an oil change and mentioned the acceleration issue and showed the service writer the service bulletin 19-NA-032 and he knew exactly what I was talking about. They upgraded the ECM software to the latest version and it restored the power back to my 2018 Chevy Malibu. Very happy to have found this topic here!

67191


Print up a copy of the attached bulletin and bring with you to your dealership.

Thank you campb292 for sharing the link to the service bulletin:
 

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#58 · (Edited by Moderator)
So glad to have found this forum and this thread! Went to the dealership this morning for an oil change and mentioned the acceleration issue and showed the service writer the service bulletin 19-NA-032 and he knew exactly what I was talking about. They upgraded the ECM software to the latest version and it restored the power back to my 2018 Chevy Malibu. Very happy to have found this topic here!

Print up a copy of the bulletin to bring with you to your dealership.

View attachment 67191
Oh aye brotha.
Nice. Now I have something to show when I go in Monday morning!
 
#60 ·
I bought a service loaner about a month ago with less than 10,000 miles. I came from an Outlander Sport with a CVT and kind of forgot what it feels like to drive a traditional automatic transmission vehicle so I thought it maybe something I was doing wrong. Fast forward a couple weeks of in town stop and go driving I noticed major hesitation from the engine on several occasions. At first I thought it was the turbo not building up boost or something, then after a few days of normal driving I convinced myself it was me not driving it correctly, then I took a road trip to Austin. After driving to Austin the hesitation was back and worse than ever and it hit in the worst place and time possible. Rush hour on MOPAC. After almost being run over several times and almost not making up a hill I discovered this forum and this thread, I discovered the safety bulletin and made an appointment with my dealership’s service department, after talking on the phone with the service manager he said he’s never seen any issues that I was describing or heard about a safety bulletin, so I printed it and took it with me, 30 mins later it was running like a different car. Thanks Malibu forums.
 

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#61 ·
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posted their acceleration issues on here, I thought maybe I was driving it wrong!! I bought the vehicle in December and had issues with it not wanting to accelerate at all when first starting to drive, it would choke and act like it was going to die. I took the vehicle in for an oil change and my husband talked with them about it, it didn't do it when I got it back. However I have had the exact same acceleration issues with the car as everyone else and I feel like it has been worse over the last couple of months. It is highly, highly dangerous as I have almost been in several accidents due to the issue. I have to merge on to the freeway afterwork every day and the highway can be jammed packed with diesel trucks and cars at that time going the speed limit or more, when having acceleration issues, I am just at 35 to 40 with the vehicle floored trying to merge into that kind of traffic, sometimes the trucks cannot move over. In the same respect there was tons of room for me to get on one day and thought "oh good, I have plenty of time today".....not so much floored and no acceleration, by the time I got on the freeway at 41 mph the trucks and cars had caught up to me and I am pretty positive had to slow down until I got up to speed. I have trouble at lights and intersections. I try of course to allow my self enough time knowing this exists, but sometimes it is hard to avoid.

So again Thank you all so very much for posting here and the bulletin that came out. I am scheduling an appointment on Monday!!!! You all just might be saving lives!!!
 
#62 ·
2018 Malibu LT, Anyone experience significant turbo lag or just general lag in the car AFTER the bulletin repair? I had the bulletin repair done about 1 month ago, it seemed better for about a week and now I am feeling a lot of hesitation, it feels like there is strain on the transmission or maybe the engine. The engine sounds louder going up hills, when you are accelerating and then let off of the pedal, you literally lurch forward its such a choppy ride. It is at the dealership now and they are still looking at it but of course everything is "testing fine so far".
 
#67 ·
@RodDickinson

Did you ever schedule your new appointment? Any luck? It is a little strange the turbo replacement changed behavior for a few days but your other general description makes me think bulletin 19-NA-032 may be applicable. It is specific to 2018 Malibus. Perhaps if your dealer has no luck ask if they checked this bulletin.

 
#68 ·
#69 ·
I do own a 2018 Chevy Malibu 1.5T turbo car, facing acceleration. The car eventually doesn't accelerate after i drive few miles. I found this issue since i brought the car. Now its 10k miles. But day by day the issue is becoming more worsen. When i do fill up the gas tank full, i have a reading of 310-320 miles range, but now it dropped to 210 miles.

I don't have any check engine lights on...Every thing looks good in odometer.

I am making an appointment with nearest dealer to duplicate the issue.

Thanks,
Jeswanth.
 
#70 ·
I am so glad I found this thread. I am also having problems with my 2018 Malibu LT. I purchased this car in January. I started having acceleration problems about a month ago. It is random and I never know when it is going to happen. It can happen when I try to accelerate from a dead stop or even while I am driving. It can take 15 seconds before it will kick in and go. It is pretty scary. My gas mileage also went from getting 23-25mpg in the city to 19mpg. Thank you to the person who posted the bulletin. I have printed it out and will be taking it with me to the dealer.
 
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