2016 Chevrolet MALIBU

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2016 Chevrolet MALIBU has 1439 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 18.0x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (21% of all complaints), specifically: tl* the contact owns a 2016 chevrolet malibu. while driving 45 mph, the speed reduced inadvertently and a message that the speed reduced to 25 mph appeared. the check engine warning indicator illuminated. the contact stated that onstar sent an email advising that a critical engine and transmission r. ⚠️ 1 fire report filed.

1 fire report 30 crash reports 25 injuries

1439

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

18.0x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

303 complaints

21%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE SPEED REDUCED INADVERTENTLY AND A MESSAGE THAT THE SPEED REDUCED TO 25 MPH APPEARED. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONSTAR SENT AN EMAIL ADVISING THAT A CRITICAL ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION R
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE ISSUE OCCURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, BUT THE DIAGNOSIS WAS UNKNOWN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN
• TAKATA RECALL- EXPERIENCE ISSUES WITH CAR AFTER TWO WEEKS OF OWNING.CAR BEGAN RATTLE WHEN PARKED, SLOW TO ACCELERATE "DRAGGED". LATER DISCOVER AFTER RETURNING TO SHOP FOR REPAIR , CAR WAS SOLD WITH RECALL ISSUED 25PLUS DAYS PRIOR TO PURCHASE. WAS NOT NOTIFIED BY DEALER

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 5 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE SPEED REDUCED INADVERTENTLY AND A MESSAGE THAT THE SPEED REDUCED TO 25 MPH APPEARED. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONSTAR SENT AN EMAIL ADVISING THAT A CRITICAL ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION R”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

222 complaints

15%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IT WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED TO SAVE FUEL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF
• ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE FUSES IN DASH. EVEN WITH PULLERS NEED TO REMOVE FUSE F-10 AND F-41 IN ORDER TO FLAT TOW VEHICLE BEHIND MOTORHOME.
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THERE WAS A BEEPING SOUND COMING FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE AND THEN A RED LIGHT APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. SHORTLY AFTER, THE BRAKES INVOLUNTARILY DEPRESSED, BUT THEN IMMEDIATELY ENGAGED PROPERLY. THE CONTACT FELT UNSAFE IN THE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 4 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IT WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED TO SAVE FUEL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

176 complaints

12%

• TAKATA RECALL- EXPERIENCE ISSUES WITH CAR AFTER TWO WEEKS OF OWNING.CAR BEGAN RATTLE WHEN PARKED, SLOW TO ACCELERATE "DRAGGED". LATER DISCOVER AFTER RETURNING TO SHOP FOR REPAIR , CAR WAS SOLD WITH RECALL ISSUED 25PLUS DAYS PRIOR TO PURCHASE. WAS NOT NOTIFIED BY DEALER
• WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH BOTH OR ONE REAR WINDOW DOWN IT HAS A BUFFERING NOISE. IT HURTS PEOPLE EARS BIG TIME. SO I DROVE A FORD FUSION AND THAT CAR DOES NOT HAVE THE NOISE. I HAVE TALK TO GM AND THE DEALERSHIPS AND THEY WONT HELP ME OUT. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS TYPE OF CAR
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, WHILE DRIVING, THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY SLIPPED AND HYDROPLANED. ON ANOTHER OCCASION, WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50-60 MPH AND MOVING TO THE RIGHT LANE, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE SPUN LEFT TO

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 3 crashes

“TAKATA RECALL- EXPERIENCE ISSUES WITH CAR AFTER TWO WEEKS OF OWNING.CAR BEGAN RATTLE WHEN PARKED, SLOW TO ACCELERATE "DRAGGED". LATER DISCOVER AFTER RETURNING TO SHOP FOR REPAIR , CAR WAS SOLD WITH RECALL ISSUED 25PLUS DAYS PRIOR TO PURCHASE. WAS NOT NOTIFIED BY DEALER”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

166 complaints

12%

• DURING A MODEST DECELERATION OR WHILE THE CAR IS COASTING TOWARDS A STOP WITH BRAKE DEPRESSED, THE TRANSMISSION WILL AT TIMES SEEM TO DOWNSHIFT IN AN UNSMOOTH WAY. SEEMINGLY SKIPPING GEARS DOWN. THE VEHICLE AT TIMES CAN COAST AT AROUND 1500 RPMS THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE RPMS JUMP TO ALMOST OR AR
• I JUST BOUGHT A 2016 CAMARO WHICH HAD BAD MOTOR MOUNTS. WHICH THE DEALER DENIED. I DECIDED THAT I COULD NOT DRIVE A BRAND NEW CAR WITH BAD MOTOR MOUNTS SO I TRADED THE CAR IN FOR THE 2016 MALIBU. AFTER DRIVING THE MALIBU FOR A COUPLE WEEKS NOW, I NOTICED SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS OF MOTOR MOUNT PRO
• WHILE STARTING OFF OR TRYING TO ACCELERATE, THE CAR HAS NO POWER TO PICK UP SPEED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR EVALUATION AND THEY COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS FROM TIME TO TIME ON FREEWAY OR CITY DRIVING. I HAVE HAD TO MOVE TO THE SHOULDER TO LET CARS PASS BY BECA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 3 crashes

“DURING A MODEST DECELERATION OR WHILE THE CAR IS COASTING TOWARDS A STOP WITH BRAKE DEPRESSED, THE TRANSMISSION WILL AT TIMES SEEM TO DOWNSHIFT IN AN UNSMOOTH WAY. SEEMINGLY SKIPPING GEARS DOWN. THE VEHICLE AT TIMES CAN COAST AT AROUND 1500 RPMS THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE RPMS JUMP TO ALMOST OR AR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

152 complaints

11%

• WHILE MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE LOST ENGINE POWER AND THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. THE INFORMATION PANEL THEN DISPLAYED TWO WARNINGS, INCLUDING "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED" AND WOULD NOT LET THE VEHICLE ACCELERATE MORE THAN 40 MPH. THE INFORMATION PANEL ALSO STATED "SERVICE DRIVER ASSI
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE ENGINE POWER WOULD REDUCE AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE REDUCE POWER MESSAGE DISPLAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A UNDETERMINED FAILURE, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS RE
• WHILE I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT, MY 2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THIS SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION CAUSED MY VEHICLE TO JUMP THE CURB AND STRIKE A TREE, WHICH CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE PASSENGER SIDE FENDER, FRONT GRILL ETC.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 3 crashes

“WHILE MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE LOST ENGINE POWER AND THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON. THE INFORMATION PANEL THEN DISPLAYED TWO WARNINGS, INCLUDING "ENGINE POWER IS REDUCED" AND WOULD NOT LET THE VEHICLE ACCELERATE MORE THAN 40 MPH. THE INFORMATION PANEL ALSO STATED "SERVICE DRIVER ASSI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 1439 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE SPEED REDUCED INADVERTENTLY AND A MESSAGE THAT THE SPEED REDUCED TO 25 MPH APPEARED. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONSTAR SENT AN EMAIL ADVISING THAT A CRITICAL ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION R
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IT WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED TO SAVE FUEL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: TAKATA RECALL- EXPERIENCE ISSUES WITH CAR AFTER TWO WEEKS OF OWNING.CAR BEGAN RATTLE WHEN PARKED, SLOW TO ACCELERATE "DRAGGED". LATER DISCOVER AFTER RETURNING TO SHOP FOR REPAIR , CAR WAS SOLD WITH RECALL ISSUED 25PLUS DAYS PRIOR TO PURCHASE. WAS NOT NOTIFIED BY DEALER
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: DURING A MODEST DECELERATION OR WHILE THE CAR IS COASTING TOWARDS A STOP WITH BRAKE DEPRESSED, THE TRANSMISSION WILL AT TIMES SEEM TO DOWNSHIFT IN AN UNSMOOTH WAY. SEEMINGLY SKIPPING GEARS DOWN. THE VEHICLE AT TIMES CAN COAST AT AROUND 1500 RPMS THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN THE RPMS JUMP TO ALMOST OR AR
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)