2018 Chevrolet Malibu problems and recalls
Owners have filed 695 complaints on the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, and NHTSA has issued 6 recalls. The most cited component is the Engine (279 complaints).
695
Complaints
6
Recalls
23
Crash reports
4
Fire reports
17
Injuries
39.4
Severity index
Severity index 39.4 Low. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.
Ranked 97 of 122 by severity index among 2018 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 20% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2018 ranking.
Components cited in complaints
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 279 | 40.1% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 191 | 27.5% |
| POWER TRAIN | 169 | 24.3% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 151 | 21.7% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 111 | 16.0% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 84 | 12.1% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 70 | 10.1% |
| STEERING | 40 | 5.8% |
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 |
| 2018 | 12 |
| 2019 | 85 |
| 2020 | 120 |
| 2021 | 126 |
| 2022 | 104 |
| 2023 | 84 |
| 2024 | 56 |
| 2025 | 64 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 43 |
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 0.6x those in 2020 to 2022 (204 against 350).
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 |
| 18V576000 | 30/08/2018 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pisto |
| 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 |
| 19V642000 | 06/09/2019 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles equipped with 1.5L turbo engines. An error in the Engine Control Module (ECM) software may result in the fuel injectors being disabled. |
| 20V668000 | 29/10/2020 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadill |
| 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. |
Other Chevrolet Malibu model years
Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 13 years side by side.
- 2012sev 61.5
- 2013sev 53.9
- 2014sev 78.1
- 2015sev 89.4
- 2016sev 35.5
- 2017sev 34.1
- 2019sev 53.6
- 2020sev 66.8
- 2021sev 39.9
- 2022sev 43.3
- 2023sev 61.3
- 2024sev 58.2
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-09-06. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.