2018 Chevrolet Malibu: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 689 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 6 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
689
Complaints
6
Recalls
23
Crash reports
4
Fire reports
17
Injuries
36.6
Severity index
Severity index 36.6 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 121 2018 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu ranks 79 of 121 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 35% of its model-year peers. See the full 2018 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 275 | 39.9% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 190 | 27.6% |
| POWER TRAIN | 168 | 24.4% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 148 | 21.5% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 110 | 16.0% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 83 | 12.0% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 69 | 10.0% |
| STEERING | 40 | 5.8% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 275 of 689 complaints (39.9%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
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) | 37 |
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 |
| 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. |
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.