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2015 Chevrolet Malibu

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 310.5.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

160 reports with mileage · 110 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 70 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 68 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 49 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

18 crash reports9 fire reports10 injury reports

What owners actually said

270 reports
67,700 miles · Aug 27, 2020
Air Bags

MY AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND I CAN'T IT TO JIM TAYLOR CHEVROLET THEY SAY IS NOT A RECALL ON THAT LS CHEVROLET MALIBU

NHTSA ODI #11351687

70,000 miles · Jul 29, 2020
Engine

GM PART NUMBER 12633613 VVT REAR OIL CONTROL SOLENOID IS FAULTY CAUSING ENGINE JERKING. GM DOES NOT HAVE THIS PART AVAILABLE OR ANY AFTERMARKET PART, AND APPEARS TO HAVE STOPPED PRODUCING IT.

NHTSA ODI #11342065

86,000 miles · Jul 28, 2020
Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKING TO MALCOLM CUNNINGHAM CHEVROLET LOCATED AT 2031 GORDON HWY, AUGUSTA, GA 30909, WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED,…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING OUT OF THE PARKING LOT, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKING TO MALCOLM CUNNINGHAM CHEVROLET LOCATED AT 2031 GORDON HWY, AUGUSTA, GA 30909, WHERE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPAIRED, NOT REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE SAME DEALER AGAIN REPAIRED THE TRANSMISSION. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT BACK TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 86,000.

NHTSA ODI #11341820

40,000 miles · Jun 19, 2020
Service BrakesVehicle Speed ControlCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP; THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY ONCE HIS FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL AND CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF HIM WITHOUT WARNING. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND TH…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE AT A COMPLETE STOP; THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY ONCE HIS FOOT SLIPPED OFF THE BRAKE PEDAL AND CRASHED INTO THE VEHICLE AHEAD OF HIM WITHOUT WARNING. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY AND NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AWAY FROM THE SCENE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SEAT HAD BROKE AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. THE CONTACT LINKED THE FAILURE TO THE AUTO ENGINE IDLE STOP FEATURE ON THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO KEYES CHEVROLET (5949 VAN NUYS BLVD, SHERMAN OAKS, CA 91401) ABOUT DISABLING THE AUTO ENGINE IDLE STOP FEATURE ON THE VEHICLE AND HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE FEATURE COULD NOT BE DISABLED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD YET TO BE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD YET TO BE REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. *DT*JB

NHTSA ODI #11329771

40,000 miles · Jun 17, 2020
Air Bags

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON STARTING HER VEHICLE, SERVICE AIR BAG MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED INTERMITTENTLY ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HENDRICK CHEVROLET BUICK GMC SOUTHPOINT (127 KENTINGTON DR, DURHAM, NC 27713) WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE WITH A DEFECTIVE PA…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON STARTING HER VEHICLE, SERVICE AIR BAG MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED INTERMITTENTLY ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO HENDRICK CHEVROLET BUICK GMC SOUTHPOINT (127 KENTINGTON DR, DURHAM, NC 27713) WHO DIAGNOSED THE VEHICLE WITH A DEFECTIVE PASSENGER PRESENT MODULE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE WAS FILED. THE CONTACT WAS THEN NOTIFIED THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THE REPAIR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 40,000.

NHTSA ODI #11329332

Mileage unknown · Jun 8, 2020
Air Bags

WHEN I TURN MY CAR ON IT SHOWS SERVICE AIRBAG AND THE SENSORS ARE GOOD AND HASN'T BEEN IN A WRECK. I'M AFRAID THAT IT WILL DEPLOY WHEN I'M DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD OR THEY WON'T DEPLOY IF I WAS TO BE IN A WRECK. IT COMES ON AS SOON AS YOUR TURN THE CAR ON. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11327839

65,000 miles · May 26, 2020
Air BagsElectrical SystemPower TrainCrashFireInjury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE VEHICLE STARTED TO DRIVE TO THE RIGHT AND THE WHEELS BEGAN TO LOSE TRACTION BEFORE THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE THEN SPUN OUT AND CRASHED INTO…

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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH THE VEHICLE STARTED TO DRIVE TO THE RIGHT AND THE WHEELS BEGAN TO LOSE TRACTION BEFORE THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME DIFFICULT TO TURN CAUSING THE DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING. THE VEHICLE THEN SPUN OUT AND CRASHED INTO A DITCH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL AIR BAGS DEPLOYED EXCEPT FOR THE DRIVER'S FRONTAL AIR BAG. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED LOWER BACK AND LEFT SHOULDER INJURIES HOWEVER HAD NOT SOUGHT MEDICAL ATTENTION DUE TO COVID-19. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A POLICE OFFICER WAS DRIVING BEHIND HER AND STOPPED TO ASSIST. POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TOWED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. ALSO, THE VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS WHICH CAUSED THE DOORS, LOCKING THE DRIVER INSIDE THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED AT THE TIME OF THE ELECTRICAL FAILURE THERE WAS A BURNING ODOR COMING FROM THE VENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO LYNCH CHEVROLET OF MUKWONAGO (280 EAST WOLF RUN MUKWONAGO, WI 53149) WHO REPLACED AN ELECTRICAL HARNESS AND MODULE. NO FURTHER INFO WAS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED A SHIFT TO PARK FAILURE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CONTROL ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE WOULD STILL OCCUR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000. *DT*JB

NHTSA ODI #11325954

80,000 miles · May 20, 2020
EnginePower Train

ON JANUARY 15TH. AT 08:26AM WHILE DRIVING TO WORK MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ON JANUARY 19TH. THE CAR WAS DROPPED FOR SERVICE AT WESTGATE CHEVROLET IN EDMONTON, AB. AFTER TWO WEEKS OF TESTING AND MULTIPLE PART CHANGES THE DEALER ESTABLISHED THAT MY CAR HAS A FAULTY "INTAKE OIL CONTROL VALVE". THIS IS A WELL KNOWN FAILURE OF…

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ON JANUARY 15TH. AT 08:26AM WHILE DRIVING TO WORK MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ON JANUARY 19TH. THE CAR WAS DROPPED FOR SERVICE AT WESTGATE CHEVROLET IN EDMONTON, AB. AFTER TWO WEEKS OF TESTING AND MULTIPLE PART CHANGES THE DEALER ESTABLISHED THAT MY CAR HAS A FAULTY "INTAKE OIL CONTROL VALVE". THIS IS A WELL KNOWN FAILURE OF THE GM ECOTEC 2.5 LKW ENGINE. GM HAS BEEN TRYING TO REDESIGN THE PART SINCE SEPTEMBER OF 2019. AS OF TODAY MAY 20TH, 2020 THE REPLACEMENT PART HAS STILL NOT BEEN MADE AVAILABLE AND MY CAR HAS BEEN SITTING AT THE DEALER FOR 4 MONTHS NOW. MULTIPLE OWNERS OF 2014 AND 15 MALIBU'S AND IMPALA'S ARE SUFFERING THE SAME FAITH. LATELY GM CORPORATE HAS NOT EVEN RETURNED E-MAILS FROM MY DEALER AS TO WHEN THE NEW PART WILL ME MADE AVAILABLE. THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR ON PART OF GM. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11325347

41,000 miles · May 18, 2020
Electrical SystemElectronic Stability Control (esc)Engine

I OWN A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU LTZ AND I CAN BE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE 'SERVICE STABILITRACK' LIGHT WILL COME ON, THEN IT WILL SAY 'REDUCED ENGINE POWER'. I WILL HAVE TO PULL OVER, TURN CAR OFF, AND LET IT SIT FOR A MINUTE OR TWO, THEN CRANK BACK UP AND THOSE LIGHTS WILL GO OFF, BUT THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME O…

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I OWN A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU LTZ AND I CAN BE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND THE 'SERVICE STABILITRACK' LIGHT WILL COME ON, THEN IT WILL SAY 'REDUCED ENGINE POWER'. I WILL HAVE TO PULL OVER, TURN CAR OFF, AND LET IT SIT FOR A MINUTE OR TWO, THEN CRANK BACK UP AND THOSE LIGHTS WILL GO OFF, BUT THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO DO THIS EVERY 5-10 MILES, DEPENDING ON THE DISTANCE OF MY DESTINATION, WHICH POSES A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME, ESPECIALLY IF I'M TRAVELING AT NIGHT. THIS MOSTLY HAPPENS WHEN I'M DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11325072

122,000 miles · May 15, 2020
Electrical System

RUNS RUFF AND DIES AT STOPS (RED LIGHTS) IT'S HAPPENED 6 TIMES. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11324724

Official recalls

3

16V502000 · Electrical System:ignition; Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

Jul 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."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

Additional source detail variants (2)

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."

Consequence: 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.

Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

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."

Consequence: 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.

15V666000 · Air Bags:side/window

Oct 16, 2015

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

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.

15V164000 · Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly

Mar 23, 2015

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."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: 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.

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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.