About this problem
On some vehicles the car shows "Shift to Park" even when the lever is already in Park, and refuses to turn off. The cause is a worn switch inside the shifter that tells the car it is in Park. Drivers end up jiggling the lever or leaving the car running to stop the battery from draining, and the fix is replacing the switch or shifter assembly.
Across all owner complaints filed about the Chevrolet Malibu since 2012, 617 (11.3%) describe "shift to park" message, the second most reported problem we track on the Malibu. The reports cluster on the 2016, 2017 and 2018 model years, and the 2018 drew the most, with 166. It tends to show up in the middle years of ownership: half of the owners who gave a mileage were between 29,000 and 64,000 miles. 8 reports describe a crash or fire linked to it. No recall covers it, but Chevrolet has sent dealers service bulletins about it, listed below.
What owners report
Owners of the 2016 to 2018 Malibu report a 'Shift to Park' message staying on after they have put the car in park, which can stop the car from turning off or locking. The fault is usually a worn switch inside the shifter.
How it gets fixed
GM issued a service bulletin and extended coverage for the shifter on some years. Dealers replace the shifter switch or the shifter assembly.
Typical cost: Repairs are often covered. Out of warranty, the shifter repair costs about $200 to $600.
Complaints by model year
In owners' words
"Beginning several months ago, the vehicle would occasionally display a "shift to park" error message after the "start/stop" button was pressed to turn off the parked vehicle. Although the engine would turn off, all of the electrical systems would remain on."
2017 Chevrolet Malibu, 38,000 miles
"When placing the car in park to shut off the vehicle, a message appears stating "action required" "shift to park." the car is in park. Shifting in and out of park does not solve the issue. This intermittent problem occurred over about 3 months."
2016 Chevrolet Malibu, 16,200 miles
"I put my car into park and turn the car off. The dashboard tells me that I need to 'shift to park' even though my car is in park. The radio and dashboard will not turn off until I get my car to register that it is in park."
2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 53,000 miles
Excerpts from public owner complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, lightly trimmed.
Service bulletins
Chevrolet has sent dealers 24 bulletins that mention this problem on the Malibu. A bulletin tells technicians how to fix a known fault. It is not a recall, so the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty or covered by an extension.
This service bulletin provides service procedure information to correct a customer concern of Shift to Park Displayed on DIC When Vehicle is in- Park, No Start - DTC B000A Set.
This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have a Shift to Park message on the Driver Information Center.
This technical bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of seeing an intermittent Shift to Park message displayed while vehicle is in park.
This service bulletin provides repair information to correct a customer concern of seeing an intermittent Shift to Park message displayed while vehicle is in Park.
This engineering informational bulletin ends the need for information from the field on vehicles that have the condition of Shift to Park Message Displayed.
This engineering informational bulletin is requesting information from the filed on vehicles that have the condition of Shift to Park Message Displayed.
Before you buy a Malibu
- Shift into park several times and turn the car off; make sure the message clears.
- Ask whether the shifter repair was done.
- Check the VIN for service bulletins.
Questions
Which Chevrolet Malibu years have "shift to park" message?
Complaints are highest for the 2016, 2017, 2018 model years. The 2018 drew the most, with 166 reports.
At what mileage does it usually start?
Among owners who gave a mileage, the middle figure was about 40,000 miles, and half reported it between 29,000 and 64,000 miles.
How much does it cost to fix?
Repairs are often covered. Out of warranty, the shifter repair costs about $200 to $600.