2016 Chevrolet Malibu
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 861 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 12th highest complaint count among 26 Malibu model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 24 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 17 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Seat belts, critical fastenersAug 20, 2021
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.
An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 21V649000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classificationJun 14, 2018
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.
In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 18V400000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpMay 31, 2018
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.
A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
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.
Campaign 18V358000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/windowOct 26, 2016
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.
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.
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.
Campaign 16V781000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, ignitionJul 5, 2016
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."
If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 16V502000 on NHTSA.gov
Electronic stability control (ESC)May 5, 2016
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."
If the EBCM fails the primary braking system will still function, however, the loss of ABS and ESC increase the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 16V272000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, side/windowMar 11, 2016
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."
Fractured weld studs may allow the side air bag to move out of position during deployment, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 16V151000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalMar 2, 2016
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.
An improperly inflated air bag increases the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 16V125000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, softwareFeb 11, 2016
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."
An unbelted driver is at a greater risk of injury in a crash.
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.
Campaign 16V084000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
861 reports, newest first.
Power train, Apr 21, 2022
My vehicle is stuck on “shift to park message” and can’t turn vehicle off. The vehicle has been displaying this message even thought the car is already on park.
Other or unspecified, Apr 14, 2022
I was driving down the highway and the gas pedal came completely off. It completely unattached.
Structure, Apr 12, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that there was water leaking through the panel housing of the third brake light onto the headliner and the rear seats and trunk of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the third brake light panel housing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Mar 28, 2022
I was driving to the clinic I go to everyday in the mornings I was in the freeway going about 70mph when suddenly I get a msg saying “engine power reduced” also engine light came on and the car starts slowing down and it’s not letting me go more than 20mph on the FREEWAY! I could have caused an accident, (this is very unsafe specially since my 2 and 4 year old were in the car with me) I got off on the next exit and pulled in to a gas station and turned the car off and waited about 10 mins I turned the car back on and the msg was gone but the engine light was still on about a minute or 2 later the msg comes back on so I have to pull over again, it did it about 5x before I can make it to my destination not to mention the way back home I had to stop about 3x more. This is very unsafe and something has to be done as it is not only my car with this problem.
Power train, Mar 28, 2022
I can be driving and "drive assistance system" and "engine reduced power" comes up and then the car starts to slow down even on the highway and that is ridicoulous.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Mar 24, 2022
I was driving my car home from work and all of a sudden my car starting showing in the dash engine power reduced. My car literally couldn't go anywhere. So I pulled over and shut the car off for a minute started it back up and it was running great and then I happen again a few minutes later. So I took it to the dealership were i purchsed it and they replaced the gas pedal they said a sensor was bad and that was causing the problem.So picked up the car a couple days later and it happen again about two weeks later...
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Mar 24, 2022
May car loses power when acceleration I don't why but there is something going on
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Mar 21, 2022
My problem started with the engine first sending me a code “reduced engine power” and this code would appear one week and gone the next. I have taken it to mechanics and had parts replaced and temporary fixes. After getting it back from the mechanic and them telling me that the cylinder one isn’t holding the correct pressure and the exhaust value is burnt due to the consistent auto engine shutoff. The day I got it back on the road the engine went full shutdown at a stop light and would not turn on immediately. I was lucky enough to get it running long enough to crawl into a gas station and get a tow truck to come pick it up and tow it back to the mechanic shop and that’s where it’s been sitting there till I find a new engine to replace it.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Mar 9, 2022
Seem to be a common problem... Backup camera stops working. Creates a safety problem at Busy shopping centers. GM will not cover the repair.
Air bags, Seat belts, Mar 9, 2022
Purchased vehicle from Car Key Autoplex at 13546 Method St, Dallas TX 75243 (214) 210-9998 in March 2020. Vehicle was involved in previous wreck and owner purchased this vehicle and made repairs. Repairs were verified cause the air bag light stopped coming on. In December 2021 vehicle was involved in a wreck. Auto body shop looked into replacing seat belts. Noticed that seat belts had deployed, one of the seat belts was the wrong one for the vehicle as well as an incorrectly installed bolt for the SRS. Had to replace both seat belts and pretensioners and airbag control module installed ($2,250). Then the auto body shop noticed that pigtails were missing and spliced together. Had this fixed at a dealership for $1,800 along with programming of the airbag control module to the vehicle. Owner of Car Key Autoplex said that vehicle was repaired 100% when it wasn’t. He committed fraud and sold us a vehicle that was unsafe for the road and cost me over $4,000 to fix all of this.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Mar 8, 2022
Driving on highway at speed of 70mph during rush hour very very busy when my car shows a warning engine power reduced and slows all the way down to 20mph lucky I was able to get over the 3 lanes of traffic without causing an accident but this is very unsafe I looked to see if there was a recall on the vehicle but there’s not so I had a mechanic look at the car and they said nothing is wrong with it ??? Well today on my way home it did it again!! I’m sorry but how is nothing wrong with it if my car is slowing to a dangerous speed this issue could cost someone their life
Service brakes, Mar 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, she depressed the brake pedal however, the brake failed to engage as needed. The contact stated that additional force was needed to stop the vehicle. While stopped, the vehicle inadvertently started rolling backward. The contact stopped the vehicle and then turned off the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle started shaking and the brake pedal was soft. The brake pedal had to be depressed to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic determined that the brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Engine, Mar 2, 2022
When driving the car it will cut off on it's own, shutting down after the reduce engine power light comes on and it fails to re-start. It happens when you are decreasing speed befor e the auto stop can be engage and come to a complete stop. There are approximately 62,000 miles on the vehicle. This caused a safety issue because it just came to a dead stop in the middle of the street. No warning what so ever. No notice to be able to move to side of the road. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone. The reduced engine power light comes on when starting up the car however no other symptoms were present prior to this incident happening. There was no warning messages or any symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. This happened March 1, 2022. I contacted Bosak Chevrolet in Hammond, Indiana this morning and they advised it is a known problem however no formal recall has been issued for this serious problem.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Feb 26, 2022
While driving several times I had the problem where the car out of nowhere slows down and the message comes on engine reduce power, I have been on the highway with my family and out had to pull over turn my car on and off several times for it to come off and be able to drive my care pass 20 miles per hr. This is very dangerous because it happens suddenly and cars are going by fast I almost got into an accident and was rear-ended on the highway. There needs to be a recall on his engine this is ridiculous that GMC/Chevrolet keeps getting away with this until someone is seriously injured or killed because of this failure!
Engine, Feb 25, 2022
2nd time, check engine light came on, low tire warning, loss of power down to 30 mph while driving. Turned car off and started working again. First time it happened when I took to garage nothing showed up in code reader.
Engine, Feb 20, 2022
Engine power reduced showed up on dashboard out of no where in the middle of driving , I get no gas , car slowed all the way down in the middle of a busy road.
Structure, Feb 18, 2022
I was traveling home on JTB near Hodges coming from Jax Beach way at about 4:45-4:50pm today. In the far left lane. when I saw a vehicle in front of me swerve and then I saw a roll of carpet but it was to late for me to move over so I ran over it and it damaged my front end
Vehicle speed control, Feb 16, 2022
Driving along and Reduced Engine Power warning message came on said can not go above 20 mph but yet car still could be accelerated above 20mph. Pulled over when could. Stopped car and turned it off and on. message gone but engine warning light still on. OBD2 stated P2122 error. Upon reviewing internet there are class action lawsuits going on because can create a very dangerous scenario if car suddenly stops in the middle of the highway.
Seat belts, Feb 11, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated the driver’s side seat belt was inoperable. The contact attempted several times but the seat belt had seized in place and was not retractable. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the seat belt retractor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Feb 8, 2022
Three times now I have had the warning “engine reduced power” pop up on my panel all times that I drive to my military base for work. Thankfully I haven’t been involved in an accident yet, my highway speed has went from 60mph to 35-40mph due to this issue. I was told I needed to purchase another pedal because of it not responding to the engine but after a second opinion I was told there was something wrong with the computer itself. That there’s faulty wiring which I don’t have the funds to cover because how much it would have cost. I also don’t have the funds to drop on another vehicle so at this point I’m driving a human boobie trap not only for myself but for other drivers around me. I pray no harm is done to anyone else who also owns this vehicle and having the same issues.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Feb 8, 2022
Engine power reduced, reduced power to the vehicle regardless of speed.
Vehicle speed control, Feb 8, 2022
Was driving home from a job interview about two hours away from home, traveling at 55 mph when the vehicle reduced speed rapidly to ~ 15 mph and on the dash a warning message appeared stating that I had reduced engine power. The situation was incredibly dangerous as there was snow piled on the shoulder, leaving me with no safe way to quickly get out of the way of fast-moving traffic. Once out of the way and after restarting the car and seeing no warning lamps, messages, or anything indicating there were ongoing issues, I turned my hazards off, my turn signal on and made my way back onto the roadway when there was enough distance between myself and the next oncoming car. Upon re-entering the roadway and reaching 24 mph, the car display the same message and reduced speed to max of 12 mph and I was nearly rear-ended by the driver I entered the roadway in front of (with more than ample time and distance to safely reach the speed limit). After several more attempts, I placed hazards on and continued on side of roadway as far as possible. Drove to an AutoZone where they were able to scan my car and informed me that the code I received (have printed doc of code being thrown with date of incident from AutoZone) was very common in the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu's and he recommended that I see if I can return the car to the dealership (had just purchased less than 60 days prior with 78,000 miles on it).
Engine, Feb 7, 2022
Warning message appeared after incident happened It read "Engine power is reduced". I was driving on the highway at 70 mph and the power in my car was reduced to almost nothing. I could not accelerate. The cars around me barely missed hitting me. I could have gotten hit and hurt or possibly killed along with the cars around me. It was extremely scary. I pulled over and took out my owner's manual and looked up the error message . It said you may drive the car however speed and acceleration would be reduced. I got off the highway and since I was close to home I drove the car at the reduced speed (as far to the edge of the road as I could get) to my home (2/5/22) I called my dealership to tell them what happened and they told me not to drive it and that if my insurance or roadside assistance would not cover the tow they would come and pick it up for me. My car was towed to my dealership and when I spoke to them and told them what happened, they didn't sound like it was a big deal. I asked if there was a recall on what happened to my car and they said no. They advised they would diagnose it first thing Monday morning (2/7) and would probably repair it the same day. I never received a call back that day and I tried to reach out three times and was not able to speak to anyone about it. In the meantime I had to pay for an Uber to get me to a location to pick up a rental car which I also had to pay for on my own. I feel that this was a very dangerous thing that happened to me while driving my car and just thinking of what could have happened is very upsetting. What happened is a big deal to me. My car is in the shop now and honestly I am upset and I'm not sure if I will feel safe when or if it is repaired. I also am concerned about the cost. On top of what I have already spent, I was advised that I would have to pay for the diagnosis and the repair since my car is out of warranty. I am not a mechanic by any means but it sounds like a manufacturer's defect to me.
Steering, Visibility/wiper, Jan 31, 2022
Issue 1: The rear backup camera is not viewable as the Infotainment Touch Screen will not power on. The soft-reset procedure did not work. I am unsure I can avoid hitting an individual while backing up. Issue 2: The steering wheel is very hard to turn. I am unsure if I could avoid a collision with a car or person.
Other or unspecified, Jan 28, 2022
Water seeps into the third break light n could cause being shocked . and wets the headliner which causes mold in the cabin of vehicle . water also seeps into spare tire