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2016 Chevrolet Malibu

Verified July 23, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
9
on record
MPG
26
combined

Fatalities reported

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

Recalls9
Complaints859
Safety
Fuel

Vehicle Summary

2016 Chevrolet Malibu

9 recalls
859 complaints
26 MPG combined
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 9 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 23 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 859 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
9
Owner complaints
859
Complaints citing a crash
23

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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

9 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

9 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 18V400000high

    Airbag system issue

    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 passenger from a child passenger in the front passenger seat, potentially causing the air bag to not deploy when it should, or causing the air bag to deploy when it shouldn't.

  • 18V358000high

    Fuel pump may fail

    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 its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.

  • 16V272000high

    Electronic stability control (esc)

    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 including anti-lock brakes (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC). As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."

  • 16V781000high

    Airbag system issue

    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.

  • 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."

  • 16V084000high

    Electrical issue

    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 fasten their seat belt. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection", and/or 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

  • 16V151000high

    Airbag system issue

    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 to comply with the requirements of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 214, "Side Impact Protection."

  • 16V125000high

    Airbag system issue

    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 February 4, 2016. The driver frontal air bag may improperly inflate during second-stage deployment in the event of a high speed crash.

  • 21V649000high

    Safety restraint issue

    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.

Consumer complaints

859 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

859
Total
23
Crashes
2
Fires
17
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE402
  • OTHER136
  • BRAKES106
  • ELECTRICAL78
  • STRUCTURE29

Serious Concerns

859 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 1 report involves a death. 17 reports involve injuries. 23 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)402
miscellaneous issues136
brake problems (soft pedal, noise, failure)106

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

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

Fuel economy

22

City

32

Hwy

26

Comb

Annual cost
$2,300
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Data sources

Explore related

Adjacent model years

All Chevrolet Malibu years

Common problems

Chevrolet Malibu problems

3,169 owner complaints analyzed

Compare with

Systems recalled

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Recall

    Recall 21V649000

    An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

  2. Recall

    Recall 18V400000

    In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.

  3. Recall

    Recall 18V358000

    A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

  4. Recall

    Recall 16V781000

    If the air bag tears during deployment, the air bag may not perform as designed, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

  5. 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.