2017 Chevy Malibu won’t start. pops on saying service stabilitrak and engine reduced power mode

Asked by alexisericksonn Jan 21, 2020 at 01:47 PM about the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu LT FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a 2017 Chevy Malibu that I bought about a
year ago. it has 76,000 miles on it. It started going
into engine reduced power mode once winter
started and it got cold, it did it once last winter after
i bought it and then didn’t do it all summer, until lile
i said it got cold out... now it does it every time i
drive. i ordered the accelerator pedal sensor as
that’s what i was told would fix the limp mode
issue.. today my car wouldn’t start. the radio and
lights and everything come on and it says service
stabilitrak and engine reduced power mode. I tried
jumping it and that didn’t work and my battery
should be good. It sounds like it wants to start it
just can’t. It basically just turns over for a couple
seconds and then shuts off.  Any ideas what it is?

5 Answers

200

I've been having this problem for months, my car recently has been doing it more often, no low power mode because I paid for the gas pedal assembly to be replaced over a year ago. The car clicks with bo connect over and over for about 5 to 10 seconds before shutting down and saying service stabilitrak system. Eventually I can get the car to start recently it began shutting down and not restarting after auto stopping leaving me stuck in the middle of the street. I finally got in contact with someone at chevy saying they believe there is a bulletin on the issue now, and that it is a computer update. This car is scary and not knowing if it will restart every time it auto stops is absolutely awful. 2017 Chevy Malibu LT 93k miles

20 people found this helpful.
200

I took my 2018 Chevy Malibu in because as I was driving on the highway I got an alert saying “Reduced Engine Warning” and it said to service the Stabilitrack. My speed went from 60-20mph in the matter of seconds which was very dangerous!! When I took it in to get it serviced I received a call back saying that I had a cracked piston in my engine and it was going to be over 6k to repair. They suggested I get a new vehicle and trade it BUT they were only going to compensate me for only $500 maybe $1000. Are you kidding me? This is a 2018 with about 60,000 miles and I paid it off and I’m only getting compensated for that amount? I went on to get a 2nd opinion from a close friend that knows about car engines. He came to a conclusion that all it was Mass Air Flow Sensor. That was only a $50 repair. All he did was clean it and unplug everything and reset the codes and now my car works just fine. First check to see if you get a compression reading on your engine. Second, unplug the Mass Air Flow Sensor, clean it and reset the codes before you plug it back in. My car works just fine now and is back to running smooth. If they say you have a cracked piston buy a camera and look doing the spark plugs to see if you have a cracked cylinder. That’s how we solved our problem.

20 people found this helpful.
70

Our 2017 Malibu Premier just towed minutes ago same reasons. Only 15,000 miles. Lights on dash Stabilitrack, weird noise from speakers even though the radio is off.

3 people found this helpful.
90

The battery needs replaced!!! Your vehicle requires A LOT of power from your battery in order to engage StabiliTrack, power brakes, and power steering! Replace your battery, preferably with one that is rated for colder weather. You’re welcome!

9 people found this helpful.
70

We've had the battery replaced. Then it started in again, engine lights. They took it for awhile, and did some transmission sensor replacement. It's back doing it again, and like a lot of Chevy issues, can't do anything until the engine light or it pops another code. If you search this issue, it's been going on for years now with Malibus. This is her first Chevy, and it's likely to be replaced soon with another Toyota.

4 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Malibu

Looking for a Used Malibu in your area?

CarGurus has 24,268 nationwide Malibu listings starting at $1,500.

ZIP:

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

2017 Chevrolet Malibu

Review another car

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Gene Arnett
    Reputation
    4,600
  • #2
    T_S_T
    Reputation
    4,410
  • #3
    tenspeed
    Reputation
    4,150
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Chevrolet Impala
220 Great Deals out of 3,850 listings starting at $1,995
Used Honda Accord
1,522 Great Deals out of 30,102 listings starting at $1,200
Used Toyota Camry
2,124 Great Deals out of 43,930 listings starting at $1,150
Used Nissan Altima
1,529 Great Deals out of 36,228 listings starting at $995
Used Dodge Charger
819 Great Deals out of 14,534 listings starting at $2,500
Used Honda Civic
1,297 Great Deals out of 26,038 listings starting at $997
Used Ford Fusion
647 Great Deals out of 8,709 listings starting at $975
Used Chevrolet Cruze
418 Great Deals out of 6,094 listings starting at $400
Used Chevrolet Equinox
2,307 Great Deals out of 65,465 listings starting at $995
Used Chevrolet Silverado 1500
4,160 Great Deals out of 123,229 listings starting at $1,999
Used Chevrolet Camaro
655 Great Deals out of 8,355 listings starting at $3,240
Used Toyota Corolla
1,396 Great Deals out of 27,607 listings starting at $1,450
Used Hyundai Elantra
901 Great Deals out of 29,563 listings starting at $1,495
Used Nissan Maxima
229 Great Deals out of 3,375 listings starting at $2,000
Used Jeep Grand Cherokee
2,319 Great Deals out of 50,257 listings starting at $1,796

Used Cars For Sale

2022 Chevrolet Malibu LT FWD For Sale
179 Great Deals out of 2,734 listings starting at $11,790
2021 Chevrolet Malibu LT FWD For Sale
57 Great Deals out of 742 listings starting at $8,067
2020 Chevrolet Malibu LT FWD For Sale
59 Great Deals out of 884 listings starting at $7,650

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.