Model year record

2015 Chevrolet Malibu

3 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 437 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 16V502000

Electrical system: ignition

Component
Electrical system: ignition
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Vehicles affected
8,367
Reported to NHTSA
2016-07-05
Owners notified
2016-10-14

Defect description

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."

Safety risk

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

Manufacturer 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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 15V666000

Air bags: side/window

Component
Air bags: side/window
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Vehicles affected
395
Reported to NHTSA
2015-10-16
Owners notified
2015-10-19

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

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.

Manufacturer 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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 15V164000

Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly

Component
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
Manufacturer
General Motors LLC
Vehicles affected
87,063
Reported to NHTSA
2015-03-23
Owners notified
2015-04-21

Defect description

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."

Safety risk

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.

Manufacturer 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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Engine7362,000 mi
Electrical system7248,000 mi
Air bags5048,000 mi
Unknown or other3947,000 mi
Power train3680,000 mi
Vehicle speed control2885,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system2248,300 mi
Service brakes1740,000 mi
Electronic stability control (ESC)1641,000 mi
Structure: body1239,567 mi
Seat belts1050,000 mi
Seats1010,100 mi
Steering1065,000 mi
Visibility/wiper941,000 mi
Wheels548,922 mi
Exterior lighting46,000 mi
Suspension4100 mi
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly323,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission2151,000 mi
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/TECM)2151,000 mi
Tires25,000 mi
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module1106,000 mi
Air bags: SRS malfunction warning lamp/light1
Electrical system: ignition: anti-theft: control module175,000 mi
Electrical system: ignition: anti-theft: immobilizer/proximity: key/sender1150,000 mi
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system: pump191,500 mi
Equipment: appliance: air conditioner120,000 mi
Equipment: electrical: radio/tape deck/CD etc.114,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking1
Structure: body: door153,000 mi
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system1132,000 mi
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system: heater core11,000 mi

The 2014 model has about half as many complaints as this one. The 2016 model has about a quarter as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.