- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 6
- on record
- MPG
- 30
- combined
Open recalls on record
6 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2018 Chevrolet Malibu
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 6
- Owner complaints
- 690
- 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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
6 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
6 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.
Consequence
In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger PPS seat service kit, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18208.
- 18V576000high
Brake system issue
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 pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.
Consequence
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.
- 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.
Consequence
A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.
- 19V642000high
Electrical issue
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.
Consequence
Disabled fuel injectors would prevent the engine from starting and may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192221960.
- 20V668000high
Drivetrain issue
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 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.
Consequence
Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
Full campaign recordRemedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.
- 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.
Consequence
An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Full campaign recordRemedy
Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2018 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
- 10.2%
- 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 2018 Chevrolet Malibu 5 out of 5 stars overall, level with the 5-star median for the 16 comparable 2018 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 10.2% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
27
City
36
Hwy
30
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,050
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 292 g/mi
How this compares
At 30 MPG combined, the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu ranks 6th of 24 midsize cars EPA rated for 2018 — 3.5 MPG better than the 26.5 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 $2,050, $550 less than the $2,600 typical for the class. Over five years at 15,000 miles a year that is roughly $10,250, a $2,750 difference against a class-median vehicle.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 292 grams per mile — about 4.4 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
690 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 690
- Total
- 23
- Crashes
- 4
- Fires
- 17
- Injuries
Most reported components
- ENGINE362
- OTHER110
- BRAKES67
- ELECTRICAL58
- FUEL SYSTEM29
Notable Issues
690 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 17 reports involve injuries. 23 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, newest first.
- Recall
An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Recall
Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
- Recall
Disabled fuel injectors would prevent the engine from starting and may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
- Recall
In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
- Recall
A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
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
27
City
36
Hwy
30
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,050
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Compare with
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Recall
Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
- Recall
Disabled fuel injectors would prevent the engine from starting and may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.
- Recall
In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.