Reliable Auto DB

2015 Chevrolet Malibu reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu holds 270 complaints after 12 years, a rate of 16 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Malibu years here — over the median of the other years, which is 14. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Ignition, Side and window, and Sunroof.

2012 Chevrolet Malibu
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

270

Per year

16

Recalls

3

Years on the road

12

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (70 of 270), then Electrical system (68) and Air bags (49). Those filings include 18 that report a crash, 9 that report a fire, 10 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Malibu has 363 complaints, 25 per year, and the 2016 has 75 complaints, 2 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2015 Chevrolet Malibu. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall electrical system, ignition 2016-07-05 · NHTSA campaign 16V502000
Summary 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."
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.
Recall air bags, side and window 2015-10-16 · NHTSA campaign 15V666000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall visibility, sunroof 2015-03-23 · NHTSA campaign 15V164000
Summary 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."
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.

Complaints by component (270 total)

Engine
70
Electrical system
68
Air bags
49
Powertrain
31
Speed control
28
Fuel and propulsion system
19
Electronic stability control (ESC)
16
Service brakes
16
Structure
13
Seats
10
Steering
9
Visibility and wipers
9
Seat belts
8
Visibility
5
Exterior lighting
4
Suspension
3
Wheels
3
Equipment
2
Tires
2
Engine and engine cooling
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Show 13 more Show less
Crash-flagged

18

Fire-flagged

9

Injury reports

10

Death reports

1

Complaints filed per year

320141220151520161820174020184120195220201920212820221320238202413202582026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Fuel sensors failing, codes obd are not fixing issue, auto stop, shuts radio off when brake is applied, resets all electric components in car. Every time braking at a stop or signal."
    Electrical system, Unknown or other, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-24
  • "While driving my 2015 Chevrolet Malibu on a four-lane highway with a posted speed limit of 70 mph, the vehicle displayed an “Engine Power Is Reduced” message and limited the vehicle to less than approximately 25 mph.…"
    Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine · filed 2026-08-16
  • "I was t-boned on the front side panel near the door at a high rate of speed. I would estimate well above the posted limit of 35 mph and my front and side airbags failed to deploy. I have video from the intersection and…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-07-22
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle inadvertently shifted between park(P), drive(D), and neutral(N), and the selected gear…"
    Steering, Powertrain · filed 2026-06-15
  • "Qdeana auto sales in Winchester ky took out my fog lights , 6by 9 speakers and replaced my wheels and tires with 3 18 inch tires that were all different brands and heights and widths and added my 4th tire that was…"
    Wheels · filed 2026-05-04

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2015 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Malibu 2.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 25 36 29 MPG $2250
Malibu 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 21 29 24 MPG $2700

Specs and fitment

8th generation, 2012–2015
Body styles Sedan
Oil 5W-30 (most engines); 5W-20 (2.4L where specified) , 5 qt capacity
Tire size 215/60R16 to 235/50R18 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 15V-164 covers certain 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles: the slide or tilt switch for the roof panel may not be recessed enough, so the roof panel may auto-close unexpectedly and increase pinch-injury risk; dealers update Body Control Module software to remove auto-close for certain switch positions. Recall 13V-024 covers certain 2013 Malibu vehicles: one or more rear suspension bolts may not have been tightened to specification, which can cause sudden handling changes; dealers inspect and retighten the bolts.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu Next year 2016 Chevrolet Malibu See every Chevrolet Malibu model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu holds 270 complaints after 12 years, a rate of 16 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Malibu years here — over the median of the other years, which is 14. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Ignition, Side and window, and Sunroof.

What are common problems with a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (70 of 270), then Electrical system (68) and Air bags (49). Those filings include 18 that report a crash, 9 that report a fire, 10 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 Malibu has 363 complaints, 25 per year, and the 2016 has 75 complaints, 2 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu been recalled?

The 2015 Chevrolet Malibu has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu?

Owners have filed 270 complaints about the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu is 26.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

When did the current Chevrolet Malibu body style debut?

The 9th-generation Malibu launched for the 2016 model year (2016-2025).

What engine oil does a Chevrolet Malibu use?

5W-30 (most engines); 5W-20 (2.4L where specified)

What does NHTSA recall 15V-164 cover on the Chevrolet Malibu?

Recall 15V-164 covers certain 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles: the slide or tilt switch for the roof panel may not be recessed enough, so the roof panel may auto-close unexpectedly and increase pinch-injury risk; dealers update Body Control Module software to remove…