NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 270 owner complaints for the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu.
Recalled components: electrical system, air bags, and visibility. Most-described problem: the check engine light coming on (32 complaints, 12%), then loss of power or limp mode (29). Most-reported area: engine (70 complaints, 26%; median mileage when it happened: 66,000).
Fewer complaints than a typical Malibu year
The 2015 drew 48 owner complaints in its first three years, against 65 for a typical Malibu year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.
Years to avoid: 2013 and 2016 to 2018; best years: 2021, 2022, and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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."
Risk: If the key is removed without the transmission in PARK, the vehicle may rollaway as occupants are exiting, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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 listing: MALIBU. Components: Electrical system: ignition; Powertrain: automatic transmission, control module (tcm/pcm/tecm). Chevrolet campaign 50490, 50491.
The affected vehicles have front seat-mounted side impact air bags whose inflator may rupture upon its deployment.
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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2015 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevrolet Camaro, Equinox, Malibu, and GMC Terrain vehicles.
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."
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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles October 24, 2011, to March 5, 2015.
NHTSA listing: MALIBU. Chevrolet campaign 15176.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu.
What owners report
Owners have filed 270 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Malibu. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Check engine light32 · 12%
Median 78,500 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
Loss of power or limp mode29 · 11%
Stalling or shutting off26 · 10%
Median 82,500 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
Median 66,000 miles at failure, from 34 reports with mileage
Electrical system68 · 25%
Median 54,000 miles at failure, from 45 reports with mileage
Air bags49 · 18%
Median 48,000 miles at failure, from 27 reports with mileage
Powertrain31 · 11%
Median 83,000 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
Speed control28 · 10%
Fuel and propulsion system19 · 7%
Brakes16 · 6%
Unknown or other35 · 13%
Median 47,500 miles at failure, from 20 reports with mileage
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Chevrolet Malibu recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2015 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 Malibu drew the most (220) and the 2015 drew 48.
Owner complaints
2015: 270 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Chevrolet Malibu
Model year
Complaints
2010
1,363
2011
978
2012
907
2013
922
2014
363
2015
270
2016
861
2017
724
2018
709
2019
193
2020
198
2021
89
2022
98
2023
70
2024
42
2025
11
Safety recalls
2015: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Chevrolet Malibu
Model year
Recalls
2010
3
2011
3
2012
2
2013
11
2014
6
2015
3
2016
10
2017
4
2018
6
2019
1
2020
1
2021
2
2022
1
2023
2
2024
2
2025
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 270 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu, the problems described most are the check engine light coming on (32), loss of power or limp mode (29), and stalling or shutting off (26). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu.
How do I check if my Malibu has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Chevrolet dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: MALIBU.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.