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2015 Chevrolet Malibu

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
3
on record
MPG
29
combined

Fatalities reported

Owner complaints to NHTSA include 1 report involving a death. Read the complaint record closely.

Vehicle Summary

2015 Chevrolet Malibu

3 recalls
267 complaints
29 MPG combined
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 3 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 17 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 267 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
3
Owner complaints
267
Complaints citing a crash
17

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

3 Recalls on Record

These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

3 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 16V502000high

    Electrical issue

    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, 2013-2014 Buick Verano, 2011-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, 2010-2013 Chevrolet Equinox 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu, and 2011-2013 GMC Terrain vehicles may have been serviced with similar defective replacement electronic park lock levers. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

    Consequence

    If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy

    GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and if necessary replace the key cylinder lock housing, free of charge. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

    Full campaign record
  • 15V666000high

    Airbag system issue

    AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The affected vehicles have front seat-mounted side impact air bags whose inflator may rupture upon its deployment.

    Consequence

    In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

    Remedy

    GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side impact air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 01320.

    Full campaign record
  • 15V164000high

    Visibility issue

    VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

    General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles October 24, 2011, to March 5, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the Slide or Tilt switch for the roof panel may not be adequately recessed to prevent the switch from inadvertently being pressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 118, "Power-Operated Window, Partition, and Roof Panel Systems."

    Consequence

    The Slide or Tilt roof panel switch may inadvertently be pressed and the roof panel may auto-close unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a pinch injury.

    Remedy

    GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the Body Control Module (BCM) software to remove auto-close feature for certain switch positions, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15176.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu.

  • Frontal crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    4 / 5
  • Side crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
    Side pole
    5 / 5
  • Rollover

    Rollover risk
    11.1%
    Dynamic tip
    No Tip

Driver-assistance technologies

Electronic stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
Optional
Lane departure warning
Optional

What the ratings mean

NHTSA gives the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu 5 out of 5 stars overall, level with the 5-star median for the 21 comparable 2015 vehicles NHTSA rated in this class.

NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.

NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 11.1% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.

NHTSA crash tests

2015 Chevrolet Malibu Frontal crash crash test
Frontal crash Video
2015 Chevrolet Malibu Side crash crash test
Side crash Video
2015 Chevrolet Malibu Side pole crash test
Side pole Video

Fuel economy & emissions

EPA figures for the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.

25

City

36

Hwy

29

Comb

Annual fuel cost
$2,100
Tailpipe CO₂
308 g/mi

How this compares

At 29 MPG combined, the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu ranks 5th of 23 midsize cars EPA rated for 2015 — 5 MPG better than the 24 MPG median for that group.

That places it in the upper third of its class. Fuel cost is unlikely to be the deciding factor against its direct rivals.

EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,100, $450 less than the $2,550 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $10,500, a $2,250 difference against a class-median vehicle.

Tailpipe CO₂ is 308 grams per mile — about 4.6 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.

Consumer complaints

267 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

267
Total
17
Crashes
9
Fires
12
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE91
  • AIR BAGS48
  • ELECTRICAL32
  • OTHER27
  • BRAKES15

Serious Concerns

267 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves a death. 12 reports involve injuries. 17 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)91
airbag concerns (warning light, deployment issues)48
electrical issues (battery, wiring, infotainment)32

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu, newest first.

  1. Recall

    Recall 16V502000

    If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

  2. Recall

    Recall 15V666000

    In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

  3. Recall

    Recall 15V164000

    The Slide or Tilt roof panel switch may inadvertently be pressed and the roof panel may auto-close unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a pinch injury.

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Sedan
Drive type
FWD
Engine
2.5L 4-cyl
Fuel type
Regular Gasoline
Transmission
Automatic
Seats
5

Fuel economy

25

City

36

Hwy

29

Comb

Annual cost
$2,100
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Recall

    Recall 16V502000

    If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.

  2. Recall

    Recall 15V666000

    In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of one or both of the side impact air bags, the air bag's inflator may rupture and the air bag may not properly inflate. The rupture could cause metal fragments to strike the vehicle occupants, potentially resulting in serious injury or death. Additionally, if the air bag does not properly inflate, the driver or passenger is at an increased risk of injury.

  3. Recall

    Recall 15V164000

    The Slide or Tilt roof panel switch may inadvertently be pressed and the roof panel may auto-close unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a pinch injury.