Faulty accelerator position sensor. Part is suppose to last the life of the car. The car has 60000 miles on it. It throws the check engine light and reduces power to the vehicle at highway speeds. This is very dangerous as you cant accelerate to get out of traffic or to get across the lanes. You just have to coast to safety.
2018 Chevrolet Malibu cruise control problems
severe 68 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $600 · see cruise control across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
68
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
3crashes
1injury
When does it fail?
Of the 68 cruise control complaints filed for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 50,000-75,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
Owners have filed 68 cruise control complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Among the 16 model years of Chevrolet Malibu in our records for cruise control problems, this one ranks #3 by owner-complaint volume.
What owners are reporting 6 most recent
I just got a 2018 Chevy malibu. I was driving home from work today and my car just stopped and a reduce engine power message flashed across my screen. I could have been killed when I car cut off in the middle of a busy street. I have just seen all of the messages about these issues and people coming out of hundreds of dollars to fix it. Chevy needs to do a recall on this issues sooner than later,…
We were driving on the freeway and the reduced power light, engine light and traction control light came on. The power was reduced and we pulled over, shut the car off and waited a few minutes. We started it again and the check engine light stays on, but we were able to gain speed to get back in traffic. This happened once a few weeks ago and twice today. It's very scary and dangerous. We were…
I got P2138 code, i replaced the accelerator pedal on my cost because the dealer told me my car VIN is not include in the recall, the code keep coming back even after replacing the pedal. The problem it happen two time were I was driving on thruway "65 mph" the speed suddenly reduced to less than 30 mph which put me and the other drivers safety in dangerous situation
The contact owns a 2018 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MHP, the message "Engine Power Reduced" was displayed and the vehicle decelerated to 30 MPH. The contact stated that the speed would no longer exceed 30 MPH. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was…
My vehicle had the reduced power dash warning and check engine light on while I was driving down the interstate at 65 I lost my power speed reduced to 45 and my stability light came on as well it could have caused a serious accident had it been day time with traffic flying at 70 to 75 mph rear ending me I was able to get off the freeway safely last night when the incident occurred and safely make…
Had cruise control trouble with your 2018 Chevrolet Malibu?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu?
It's a meaningful issue. 68 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $600.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Across the 40 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most cruise control failures cluster between 44,000 and 72,721 miles, with the median around 56,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 44,000; a quarter make it past 72,721. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2018/Chevrolet/Malibu.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.