NHTSA Safety Recalls
2016 Chevrolet Malibu Recalls
The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu has 9 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on August 20, 2021.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 9
- Owner complaints
- 841
- Crashes reported
- 23
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★★
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
2 fires
overall, 5 stars max
On a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
9 recalls on the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
Seat belts: critical fasteners
- Campaign
- 21V649000
- Reported
- August 20, 2021
- Vehicles affected
- up to 402
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2017–2021 Malibu, 1 other model
Air bags: sensor: occupant classification
- Campaign
- 18V400000
- Reported
- June 14, 2018
- Vehicles affected
- up to 66
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2017–2018 Malibu
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- Campaign
- 18V358000
- Reported
- May 31, 2018
- Vehicles affected
- up to 895
- Risk NHTSA names
- fire
- Same campaign
- also 2017–2018 Malibu, 8 other models
Air bags: side/window
- Campaign
- 16V781000
- Reported
- October 26, 2016
- Vehicles affected
- up to 18
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- only the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
Electrical system: ignition
- Campaign
- 16V502000
- Reported
- July 5, 2016
- Vehicles affected
- up to 8,367
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 114, theft protection and rollaway prevention
- Same campaign
- also 2013–2015 Malibu, 6 other models
Electronic stability control (esc)
- Campaign
- 16V272000
- Reported
- May 5, 2016
- Vehicles affected
- up to 66
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 126, electronic stability control
- Same campaign
- only the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
Air bags: side/window
- Campaign
- 16V151000
- Reported
- March 11, 2016
- Vehicles affected
- up to 3,137
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 214, side impact protection
- Same campaign
- only the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
Air bags: frontal
- Campaign
- 16V125000
- Reported
- March 2, 2016
- Vehicles affected
- up to 1,579
- Risk NHTSA names
- injury
- Same campaign
- also 2 other models
Electrical system: software
- Campaign
- 16V084000
- Reported
- February 11, 2016
- Vehicles affected
- up to 139
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 114, theft protection and rollaway prevention
- Same campaign
- also 1 other model
2016 Chevrolet Malibu complaints by year
NHTSA has received 841 owner complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, the newest on October 16, 2026. Of these, 23 describe a crash (3%) and 2 a fire; owners reported 14 injuries and 1 death.
In complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, the component group named most often is the engine (36%), followed by the electrical system (26%) and the power train (20%).
2 of the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu's 9 recalls also concern the electrical system.
Where 2016 Chevrolet Malibu owners gave the mileage (526 complaints), the median was 50,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Engine304
- Electrical System222
- Unknown Or Other175
- Power Train166
- Vehicle Speed Control152
- Service Brakes95
Complaints received, by year
| 2015 | 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 17 | |
| 2017 | 36 | |
| 2018 | 92 | |
| 2019 | 199 | |
| 2020 | 152 | |
| 2021 | 94 | |
| 2022 | 77 | |
| 2023 | 54 | |
| 2024 | 51 | |
| 2025 | 46 | |
| 2026 | 22 |
Complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu peaked in 2019, when NHTSA received 199. 41% arrived between 2015 and 2019, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2016 vehicles, the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu drew 1.7× the complaints of the median Chevrolet Malibu year in the same window: 2nd highest of the 23 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: ★★★★★
- Frontal: 5/5
- Side: 5/5
- Rollover: 4/5
The 841 complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Chevrolet Malibu by model year
Other 2016 Chevrolet models
Newest record on this page: October 16, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted