Your vehicle report
2015 Chevrolet Malibu
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 270
- Received Nov 2014 to Aug 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbag warning light stays on21 complaints · 7.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Ignition key sticks or will not turn18 complaints · 6.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed18 complaints · 6.7% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #16V502000General 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."
- Recall #15V666000General 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speedFirst signal: Mar 2021
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 18 crashes, 9 fires, 13 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
1 more problem
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
- Water leaks into cabin during rain
- Glass shatters or cracks without impact
- Tailgate or trunk latch fails
1 more problem
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 3 |
| 2015 | 12 |
| 2016 | 15 |
| 2017 | 18 |
| 2018 | 40 |
| 2019 | 41 |
| 2020 | 52 |
| 2021 | 19 |
| 2022 | 28 |
| 2023 | 13 |
| 2024 | 8 |
| 2025 | 13 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 8 |
| Total | 270 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag warning light stays on | 21 | 7.8% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 18 | 6.7% | – | |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 18 | 6.7% | 18.8× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Mar 2021 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.4% |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 14 | 5.2% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 12 | 4.4% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 9 | 3.3% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 9 | 3.3% | – | NHTSA recall #15V666000 |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 9 | 3.3% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 7 | 2.6% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 7 | 2.6% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 7 | 2.6% | – | |
| Tailgate or trunk latch fails | 6 | 2.2% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Chevrolet Silverado loses power and hesitates | 5 | 1.8% | – | |
| Heater blows cold air, defroster fails | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 4 | 1.5% | – | |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 1.1% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 3 | 1.1% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #16V502000July 5, 20168,367 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition; 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."
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.
NHTSA recall #15V666000October 16, 2015395 vehicles affected
air bags: side/window
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.
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.
NHTSA recall #15V164000March 23, 201587,063 vehicles affected
visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
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."
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.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN