Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the
exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (9)
Seat belts: rear/other, retractor
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: 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.
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: 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.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the air bag module, free of charge. The recall began October 27, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 16079.
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."
Risk and remedy
Risk: 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.
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."
Risk and remedy
Risk: If the EBCM fails the primary braking system will still function, however, the loss of ABS and ESC increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install a replacement EBCM, free of charge. The recall began on June 17, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020). GM's number for this recall is 39440.
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."
Risk and remedy
Risk: Fractured weld studs may allow the side air bag to move out of position during deployment, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 31820.
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, and GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 28030.
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."
Risk and remedy
Risk: An unbelted driver is at a greater risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the radio software, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 15808.
Canadian recalls (8)
Show 8 Canadian recalls
Seats and restraints
2021-08-20 · campaign 2021-522 · 24 vehicles
Issue:
On certain vehicles, a bolt that attaches the rear seat belt retractor(s) may be missing. As a result, the seat belt may not work as designed in a crash.
Note: On Chevrolet Malibu models, the right rear seat belt could be affected. On Cadillac XT4 models, both the left and right rear seat belts could be affected.
Safety Risk:
A seat belt that does not work properly could increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Corrective Actions:
General Motors will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to check that the rear seat belt retractor bolts are properly installed. The dealer will replace or tighten the bolt(s), as required.
Other
2019-08-21 · campaign 2019-420
Issue:
This recall is for aftermarket replacement rear window glass produced by Vitro Automotriz. Certain rear window glass may not have been properly tempered. If the window breaks, the glass may separate into large pieces instead of very small ones.
Note: This is a voluntary recall that is not being conducted under the requirements of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Safety Risk:
Glass that breaks in to large pieces could create a risk of injury.
Corrective Actions:
The company will notify consumers by mail and instruct them to inspect the designation code marked on the rear window glass. Products affected by this recall have the designation “DOT 287” along with the lettering “VMR” (Replacement Market) and a date code that is before July 2019. This information is printed on the bottom corner of the glass. Consumers should contact Vitro's customer service at 1-412-995-6457 or argbacklites@vitro.com to arrange for replacement of the glass.
Airbag
2018-06-15 · campaign 2018-322 · 4 vehicles
On certain vehicles that had the front passenger presence system (PPS) replaced, the replacement parts may have been incorrectly calibrated. This could cause the PPS not to properly identify certain children and small adults seated in the front passenger seat. If the vehicle was involved in a crash, this could cause the airbag to deploy when it should not, or could cause the airbag not to deploy when it should. Either of these outcomes could increase the risk of injury to the seat occupant. Correction: Dealers will replace the front PPS.
High voltage
2016-07-07 · campaign 2016-351 · 33 vehicles
On certain hybrid vehicles, the manual service disconnect (MSD) may not have been properly installed and may not be locked in position. This could cause the MSD to become loose and disconnect while driving, which could cut off all high-voltage power to the vehicle. The loss of high-voltage power could cause the vehicle to stall without warning, which would result in lost propulsion which, in conjunction with traffic and road conditions, and the driver's reactions, could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect and seat the MSD connector properly. The dealer will also install an updated calibration to monitor if the high voltage interlock loop is incomplete.
Powertrain
2016-06-30 · campaign 2016-341
Certain vehicles may fail to conform to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 114 - Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention. The Electronic Park Lock (EPL) lever in the steering column electrical assembly may have been damaged during manufacturing. As a result, the ignition key could be removed when the vehicle’s transmission is in a position other than park. This could cause unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will inspect the vehicle and, if necessary, replace the key cylinder lock housing.
Brakes
2016-05-05 · campaign 2016-199 · 56 vehicles
Certain vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 126 - Electronic Stability Control Systems. 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 a result, the vehicle could be more difficult to control in situations where these brake systems would normally be engaged, which could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will install a replacement EBCM. Note: This condition does not affect the primary braking system; the service brakes will operate normally.
Structure
2016-03-11 · campaign 2016-116 · 105 vehicles
Certain vehicles may not comply with the side impact protection requirements of United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 214, which is voluntarily-adopted in Canada. The two weld studs that mount the front and rear side impact airbag (“SIAB”) inflators to the seat frame may fracture and separate during airbag deployment. If the vehicle is involved in a crash that warrants side airbag deployment, and both weld studs were to fracture, the inflated cushion may not remain in its intended position and may separate from the seat, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants. Correction: Dealers will inspect and replace the affected side airbag modules as necessary, which may include any combination of left, right, front, and/or rear side airbag modules.
Airbag
2016-03-02 · campaign 2016-102 · 161 vehicles
On certain vehicles, the second stage of the driver frontal airbag may not deploy properly in certain high speed crashes. If the vehicle were to be involved in a high speed crash that triggers the second-stage deployment of the driver frontal airbag, the second stage of the inflator may not fill the airbag as completely and as quickly as designed, which could increase the risk of injury to the driver. Correction: Dealers will replace the driver frontal airbag module.
Owner complaints (841)
Owners filed 841 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu (23 crashes, 2 fires, 14 injuries, 1 deaths reported). Among 40 model years of this model, it ranks #12 for the most complaints (median 443).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Engine | 304 | |
| Electrical system | 222 | |
| Unknown or other | 175 | |
| Power train | 166 | |
| Vehicle speed control | 152 | |
| Service brakes | 95 | |
| Electronic stability control (esc) | 76 | |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 51 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2016 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ | 4★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2016 Chevrolet Malibu version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Malibu 1.5 L Automatic 6-spd | 27 | 36 | 30 | $2,250 |
| Malibu 2.0 L Automatic (S8) | 22 | 32 | 26 | $2,600 |
| Malibu Hybrid 1.8 L Automatic (variable gear ratios) | 47 | 46 | 46 | $1,450 |
| Malibu Limited 2.5 L Automatic (S6) | 23 | 33 | 27 | $2,500 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-29.