Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Chevrolet Malibu owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I was driving back home from Harrisburg, PA on the highway traveling at around 72 mph and my car dashboard said Engine Power is Reduced speed Reduced to 45 mph and it instantly slowed to that speed. It took quite a while to find a place to pull of to the side of the road because of the area I was in. It was quite frightening because everyone else is going the actual speed limit of 70 mph or over. By the time I found a place to pull over my car was reduced to less than 25 mph. As usual, I turned off my car, waited for a bit and then turned it back on, it still said Engine Power is Reduced, so I turned it back off and waited again. I turned it back on and it still said Engine Power is Reduced so I had to turn it back off again and wait. I turned it back on and it was fine again.
I was on the highway traveling at around 68 mph and my car dashboard said Engine Power is Reduced speed Reduced to 45 mph and it instantly slowed to that speed. Fortunately I was able to pull of to the side of the road quickly and I turned off my car, waited for a bit and then turned it back on, it still said Engine Power is Reduced, so I turned it back off and waited again. This was at night, in the dark and it was not a pleasant experience to be pulled to the side of the road with your hazard lights on while traffic just buzzes by and your vehicle is disabled. This happened three times in one day during one trip. It's absolutely ridiculous and numerous other people have the same issue.
I was driving to Harrisburg, PA on the highway traveling at around 68 mph and my car dashboard said Engine Power is Reduced speed Reduced to 45 mph and it instantly slowed to that speed. Then it counted down very quickly to 35 and then 25 before I could find a safe place to pull off to the side of the road. I turned off my car, waited for a bit and then turned it back on, it still said Engine Power is Reduced, so I turned it back off and waited again. I turned it back on and it still said Engine Power is Reduced so I had to turn it back off again and wait. Sitting along side the road on the highway is not pleasant. I turned it back on and it was fine again.
My vehicle dashboard says Engine Power Reduced then proceeds to slowing to 35 then counts down quickly. This morning I was in an area that I couldn't pull off to the side for about 1/2 mile. It slows down to the point that it's frightening then it goes to zero and will not move! Fortunately I was in an area where I could finally pull off to the side of the road when it got to that point. This has happened numerous times in this vehicle. A quick search on Google shows that this is a HUGE problem with this make, model and year. This is extremely dangerous. I have to turn my car off for about 5 minutes before my car is back to working condition.
I had almost gotten to the exit from the highway to get to my job, I was driving at approximately 56 mph. And my car dashboard started saying Engine Power is Reduced and then it started to flash slowing to 52 mph, slowing to 48 mph, etc. Fortunately I was able to safely make my exit and pull into a parking lot where I turned my car off and waited for 5 minutes and turned it back on it still said Engine Power is Reduced, so I repeated that procedure of turning off and turning on and was finally able to go to work. This is insane and needs to be recalled.
I was almost to work on the highway and my car dashboard said Engine Power is Reduced. It quickly started powering down from 74 directly to 50 then 40, then 35 and finally to 26 before I could safely pull off to the side of the road. This issue is getting worse it takes at least 10 minutes of waiting and turning my car off and on before it is back to normal. Others have said that they have gone to the garage and had it replaced and it just continues to happen. This needs to be a recall and not just a change of parts every few months.
Wheel hubs causes car to think that it's going faster(200mph) causing car to drop speed, locks steering wheel making it impossible to turn away from traffic and drive it's an accident waiting to happen not sure why there isn't a recall. Also batteries causes the battery system warning to be a major problem even if alternator is good. I'm not sure if the two batteries is a good idea. The stop/start feature can cause radio issues it's like cutting the car off and turn it back on when brake is released radio comes back on.
My vehicle dashboard says Engine Power is reduced. This has happened to me before and I know that it starts slowing down quickly and then just stops. I turned off my car and waited for three minutes, and turned my car back on - it still showed Engine Power is Reduced, so I turned it back off for about 5 minutes and turned it back on and then it was back to normal. I've reported this before. This is extremely dangerous on a regular road and it could be catastrophic if it would happen on the highway.
P16cf dtc and check engine light after some engine noise and an incident where I was trying to accelerate around an obstacle but was unable to. The car bottomed out and would not accelerate until I took my foot off the gas and tried again more slowly. It's an issue with the intake solenoid rocker arm (oil control valve). The issue with this particular part was noted on earlier Malibu models but not mine. I have not taken it to the dealer yet as I am out of the power train warranty.
I was on my way to work and my car dashboard said Engine Power is Reduced. I was in road construction and only going about 5 mph. I turned off my car and waited for about a minute as I just happened to be stopped waiting for the sign to turn for me to go and turned it back on, but it still said Engine Power is Reduced. I turned it back off and waited for another few seconds and turned it back on and it was ok again. This happens so frequently it's appalling.
Acceleration complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu, 10% of the model year's 270 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2015 Chevrolet Malibu acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu, though it has 3 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 2015 Chevrolet Malibu acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 85,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to speed control & acceleration 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.