Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Chevrolet Malibu owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Engine power reduced defect, causing affected models to lose power while driving at highway speeds. My son's was driving 55 mph and then all of sudden the car decelerated to 20 mph in minutes before his 2016 Malibu stalled on [redacted]. Unfortunately the car did not make it to the emergency lane and as a result a SUV hit his car killing my daughter who was 33 weeks pregnant. The baby survived with lifelong injuries. Despite this recall, GM failed to notify vehicle owners, including the owner of the vehicle involved in the fatal accident on [redacted], in Dallas, Texas, resulting in my daughter's death. This defect has been found in several 2016 Malibus, prompting a class action lawsuit against GM. Plaintiffs in the class action lawsuit reported having to restart their vehicles or replace faulty accelerator pedal position sensors to address the issue. …
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH with the "Engine, Reduced Power" message had displayed. After restarting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was driving rough. The vehicle was later taken to an independent mechanic. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 143,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost power. Additionally, the message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed and determined that the throttle body sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 107,000.
I have a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu and while driving on the highway, my engine light came on and my speed decelerated from 65 mph to 40. I took my car for a diagnostic test and the results were Trouble Codes: P2138, U0401-71 and C0242-00. I have done my research and from what I have found so far, is that several people have made Youtube videos about these codes, complaints and complaints on this website as well, and it has come to my understanding, that if enough people complain that this can be a safety issue, then maybe the "POWERS THAT BE", will help with this issue and possibly resolve it. This is and can be dangerous for an individual to drive at the average speed on most U.S. highways, 65, and they decelerate without warning down to 40 mph. …
I was driving on a highway, when a message appeared on my control panel stating the engine power was reduced, my engine light turned on, and my car slowed significantly (top speed achievable at about 20 mph). With my hazard lights on, I managed to safely exit the highway and find a parking lot to park in while checking my driver's manual. The manual mentioned that if the warning light persisted, the car should be checked by a mechanic. As this made it seem that there were instances where the warning message did go away, and thus the problem may also resolve, I turned off my car and turned it back on. The engine light on my control panel persisted but the engine power message was no longer present. Before reentering the highway, I attempted to reach speeds above 20 mph and was successful in doing so. As such, I cautiously finished my journey to work. …
Was driving home from a job interview about two hours away from home, traveling at 55 mph when the vehicle reduced speed rapidly to ~ 15 mph and on the dash a warning message appeared stating that I had reduced engine power. The situation was incredibly dangerous as there was snow piled on the shoulder, leaving me with no safe way to quickly get out of the way of fast-moving traffic. Once out of the way and after restarting the car and seeing no warning lamps, messages, or anything indicating there were ongoing issues, I turned my hazards off, my turn signal on and made my way back onto the roadway when there was enough distance between myself and the next oncoming car. …
UNKNOWN the air bag on my dash board come on and off ALL THE TIME even if I have no one sitting in my passenger seat.I got this vehicle for the winter thinking it was going to help me save gas and be a good reliable car for my daily routine to work, school, and my kids school. But it's definitely the opposite. I'm struggling financially and In a hole now the engine light is on and I can't get to my destination without going more then 30-40mph because "engine speed reduce" appears on my dash board and reduced the speed and not only is this inconvenient and annoying but also dangerous I dam almost got into accident because of this I was driving in the highway about 65-70 mph when this happen with a 18-wheeler behind me not only was my daughter's life and mine put in danger. But the person driving the 18-wheeler. …
I was driving about 70mph on a highway trying to pass a semi-truck. As I signaled right blinker to merge back into the right lane, the speed reduced to 40mph without notice. I then seen a notification on the dashboard saying "Engine Power Reduced". The car would not accelerate fast enough to clear the truck therefore almost causing a collision of 2 semi-trucks and myself. I was forced to drive off road to help avoid the collision. My fianc was in the passenger seat when this happened on 11/25/2023. He then began telling me this happened to him a few months prior but he didn't mention it because it resolved itself. This was actually the 3rd time it had happened in this car over the last 2 years. …
The engine power reduced came light came on along with service stability trac. The car would stall after going into auto stop and just shut off. In certain instances it would shutoff when slowed down enough. It was brought in for service where the turbo charge solenoid starter and catalytic converter annd alternator all were replaced due to the turbo braking into pieces and being lodged into the converter and engine. Less than a week later the car returned to stalling at the auto stop feature. When brought in for service it was linked to the alternator and engine control module and mass air flow sensor. The car was then serviced again six months later for the alternator again. Now the car is once again stuck in engine power reduced with no direct codes linked to the problem and the starter was replaced and now the engine is remaining in limp mode. …
Out of nowhere, a notification pops up and it says "engine speed reduced" and all of a sudden you can feel the car losing speed. Took the vehicle to the dealership multiple times and either they always say it's a fuel injection problem or they have no idea what's causing it but when they perform that service on the vehicle, it still happens. Dealership even told me once that my car computer system needed to be updated and once updated I wouldn't have the issue and I still have the issue. Each time the engine speed is reduced, a notification pops up that the StabiliTrak needs to be serviced. My safety and life is at risk because I'm going 65 mph down the interstate and all of sudden my engine speed is reduced like I'm not in the middle of traffic with cars going at speeds between 60-75 mph. I almost got ran over by an 18 wheeler because of the engine speed reduction. …
Acceleration complaints in other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu?
NHTSA has 152 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, 18% of the model year's 841 complaints. The component named most often is throttle (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Chevrolet Malibu acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, though it has 9 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 2016 Chevrolet Malibu acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries and 1 death 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.