Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 Chevrolet Malibu owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The car ran well but not for long, after like 21/2 years the battery had some issues. The car did not start at all. I ended buying a new one, even though the old one could be charged. Like 9 months ago same situation battery not good. As if no electricity is throughout the system, bought a second battery. In 2 occasions the car did start properly. Two weeks ago driving, the car stopped at a traffic light because it just turned off for no reason! Driving again the next week it stopped in the middle of the road. I had to pay for a tow truck.the car has not started properly but it then shuts down when I get it started, driving in my parking lot. I've had to push it back to my parking spot. At the end this car has left me in the road a lot of times.
On March 30th, my ABS lights came on my vehicle. I took my car to the dealership. I was told not to drive the vehicle. My car was serviced for the wheel bearings and ABS brake system $1085. After picking up my vehicle, I received a diagnostic report from OnStar stating that my vehicle still had brake and ABS problems. I picked up the car from the dealership. Two days later while driving 40 MPH my brakes went out completely out and I crashed into a van.
My auto stop and start has not worked in 6 months and now the stabilitrak light comes on and my car stalls as I am driving so many parts have been changed and now no one knows what to do its been in three different shops
Since I have purchased this vehicle I have had issue after issue with trim, ABS, stability track, heating system, transmission, and wheel bearings. I have had the stability track fixed twice, transmission was leaking (covered under a recall). Wheel bearings in rear both sides have been replaced before 80000 miles. Wiring harness to wheels, the dealer ship had to splice ( I still cant see how wiring harness is not a covered component. For a manufacture based out of a state that has snow, and to provide a vehicle that has a stability sensor that gets dirty because of salt that will error is beyond my comprehension. Same for the default wheel bearings one winter in michigan and they had to be replaced (also not a covered feature). Trim that blows off on the express way. I lost my window trim and the front black cover. …
The reason for this complaint is because I believe Chevrolet has defective ABS sensor embedded in the wheel hub of this vehicle. We purchased two of these Chevrolet Malibu cars a couple months apart and have experienced the same problem with each. One of our vehicles was out of warranty (VIN [redacted]) and repairs come at a cost of $450.00 plus per occurrence with under 65 thousand miles. We have suffered the same failure twice with the out of warranty vehicle less than 2 months and 3 thousand miles apart. After doing minimal research and comments made by the mechanic at our small dealer I believe this is a much larger problem than a coincidence. People purchase these vehicles with the ABS - traction control and expect them to function properly without expensive repairs as regular maintenance. I believe this should be investigated further. …
The vehicle is regularly requiring a jump start due to a low battery voltage. While operating my car whenever I come to a stop the auto start/stop feature activates and my engine is shut off. As I release my foot from the brake and the engine restarts all power to my vehicle is completely lost temporarily, including the power to my steering wheel which instantly locks up. It's been very scary and concerning to say the very least. I've also lost power to other systems on my car like the climate control system being unresponsive entirely, not being able to adjust it at all. The climate control section underneath the radio controls were completely blacked out and non-functioning. There was no buttons illuminated nor were the ambient lighting around it illuminated. I tried restarting my vehicle and that didn't work. The climate control eventually was functioning again shortly after. …
On 1/2/2019 I was driving in my car and two warning messages suddenly popped up on my console warning about the stability control and ABS systems. There is a sensor that reads a "speed ring" on the rear of the wheel hubs. It seems Chevy cars are known to have this ring crack and sections break off. When this happens the sensor can no longer read it and your stability control and ABS systems will immediately stop working. The only way to resolve this problem is to replace the entire hub. Not only is this a serious safety issue but a considerable design flaw. You should only ever have to replace a hub if the bearing wear out because it is a very expensive repair. The other rear hub on my car is showing cracks in this ring and will need to be replaced as well. Chevy is fully aware of this issue. …
Just like every other complaint for this model year - ABS/brake sils come on w/routine driving @40 MPH off highway and then service warnings about stabilitrak and brake systemscome on; this happened in February where the dealership claimed it was a cracked wheel hub (owned less than 1 year and not covered) and said it needed replacing. Replaced at ~$600. Afterwards, brakes were real shaky (whole steering column shakes) when braking over 55mph - dealership said it couldn't possibly be related to replacing the wheel hub. Now, three months later, it's happening again - this time @30mph getting on highway on-ramp have to take car in, pay diagnostic and then repair costs. Chevrolet knows [redacted] well what's going wrong with their design flaw (speed ring wear/malfunction) and needs to be redesigning/replacing system components. …
The check engine light came on and vehicle was taken to dealership to get a diagnostic of the problem. Turns out the code is p0014 a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) for "camshaft position b - timing over-advanced or system performance (bank 1)". I was informed on September 7, 2019 at the dealership that the part was on back order but I needed to pay for the part and once the part came in and to not drive the vehicle until it is repaired. Also, I would be informed and then I would come in and pay the labor fees. I've called Chevrolet numerous times and have been told the part is still on back order nationwide with no estimated timeframe of when the part will come in. They stated it could be about 1 month. I started doing some research and found the 2013 model of the Chevrolet Malibu had a recall for this same reason. …
While driving appx 70 MPH on the freeway a "service stabiltrack, reduced engine performance" message came on. Immediately the car began a rapid deceleration until it came to a complete stop. Luckily we were barely able to safely move across 3 lanes of 70 MPH traffic & onto the shoulder where we became stranded. After waiting about 10 min we were able to start the car and slowly make it about a mile to a freeway exit where the same event repeated itself except this time the car would not restart. This is the 2nd time we have experienced the same problem. A Chevy dealer had claimed to fix the problem about 3 weeks ago. We have been very fortunate to avoid an accident as the situation was similar to slamming on the brakes in the middle of the freeway and both occurrences resulted in us being at a dead stop in the middle of a road needing to push the vehicle to safety.
Traction Control complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are traction control problems on the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 31 complaints about the stability & traction control of the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu, 9% of the model year's 351 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2014 Chevrolet Malibu traction control problems?
No. NHTSA lists no stability & traction control recall for the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2014 Chevrolet Malibu traction control problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 70,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to stability & traction control problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.