2016 Chevrolet Malibu: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 859 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 9 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
859
Complaints
9
Recalls
23
Crash reports
2
Fire reports
17
Injuries
32.6
Severity index
Severity index 32.6 - Low. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 140 2016 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu ranks 111 of 140 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 21% of its model-year peers. See the full 2016 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 309 | 36.0% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 233 | 27.1% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 179 | 20.8% |
| POWER TRAIN | 174 | 20.3% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 158 | 18.4% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 106 | 12.3% |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 77 | 9.0% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 51 | 5.9% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 309 of 859 complaints (36.0%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 17 |
| 2017 | 38 |
| 2018 | 95 |
| 2019 | 203 |
| 2020 | 154 |
| 2021 | 98 |
| 2022 | 79 |
| 2023 | 54 |
| 2024 | 54 |
| 2025 | 50 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 16 |
Complaint volume is declining, consistent with a defect that was addressed by recall or that affected early builds.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18V400000 | 14/06/2018 | AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. During servicing, a Passenger Presence System (PPS) may have been installed that was not correctly calibrated to the vehicle's seat type. As a result, the PPS may not properly identify an adult pa |
| 18V358000 | 31/05/2018 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from |
| 16V272000 | 05/05/2016 | ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured March 7, 2016, through March 12, 2016. The memory chip in the electronic brake control module (EBCM) may fail and cause the loss of electronically controlled brake systems includi |
| 16V781000 | 26/10/2016 | AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured November 18, 2015, to June 7, 2016. The fabric of the side-impact air bag cushion may tear during deployment. |
| 16V502000 | 05/07/2016 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Buick Verano and 2016 Chevrolet Malibu as the electronic park lock lever may allow the ignition key to be removed without the transmission being in PARK. Also, certain 2013 Buick Encore, 2011 Buick Regal, 2013-20 |
| 16V084000 | 11/02/2016 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE | Genera Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Camaro, Malibu, Silverado and GMC Sierra vehicles. The radio may intermittently fail to provide an audio warning when the key has been left in the ignition and the door is opened or when the driver does not fa |
| 16V151000 | 11/03/2016 | AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016 Malibu vehicles manufactured February 16, 2016, to March 5, 2016. The two weld studs that mount the front and rear side impact air bags may fracture and separate from the air bag during deployment. As such, these vehicles fail t |
| 16V125000 | 02/03/2016 | AIR BAGS:FRONTAL | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2016 Chevrolet Colorado vehicles manufactured January 19, 2016, to February 2, 2016, Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured January 9, 2016, to January 26, 2016, and 2016 GMC Canyon vehicles manufactured January 21, 2016, to |
| 21V649000 | 20/08/2021 | SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERS | General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.