2016 Chevrolet Malibu Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 166 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 42,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “shift park” (39% of reports).
- 166power train complaints
- 42,000median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 63%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Shift park: mentioned in 65 of 166 complaints (39%)
- Turn off: mentioned in 39 of 166 complaints (23%)
- Engine power: mentioned in 31 of 166 complaints (19%)
- Instrument panel: mentioned in 15 of 166 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 107 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 166 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet Malibu power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Malibu | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2024 Malibu | 6 | 14% | 45,000 |
| 2023 Malibu | 8 | 11% | 30,310 |
| 2022 Malibu | 23 | 23% | 38,000 |
| 2021 Malibu | 28 | 31% | 60,000 |
| 2020 Malibu | 58 | 29% | 72,500 |
| 2019 Malibu | 67 | 35% | 48,000 |
| 2018 Malibu | 171 | 24% | 43,150 |
| 2017 Malibu | 139 | 20% | 48,875 |
| 2016 Malibu | 166 | 20% | 42,000 |
| 2015 Malibu | 31 | 11% | 83,000 |
| 2014 Malibu | 52 | 15% | 51,890 |
| 2013 Malibu | 54 | 6% | 66,500 |
| 2012 Malibu | 49 | 5% | 74,500 |
| 2011 Malibu | 112 | 11% | 78,225 |
| 2010 Malibu | 133 | 10% | 74,200 |
| 2009 Malibu | 121 | 8% | 88,000 |
| 2008 Malibu | 86 | 9% | 88,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 47 | 5% | 88,921 |
| 2006 Malibu | 43 | 4% | 100,000 |
| 2005 Malibu | 65 | 7% | 88,500 |
| 2004 Malibu | 64 | 6% | 100,000 |
| 2003 Malibu | 13 | 2% | 54,500 |
| 2002 Malibu | 5 | 1% | 114,045 |
| 2001 Malibu | 18 | 2% | 50,000 |
| 2000 Malibu | 26 | 3% | 47,597 |
| 1999 Malibu | 21 | 3% | 60,000 |
| 1998 Malibu | 50 | 5% | 60,000 |
| 1997 Malibu | 9 | 2% | 57,800 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system:ignition; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: 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.
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My car will rev up to 4000 rpmâs and my car will not go about 20 mph. My cruise stopped working after my car went into reduce engine power. The dealership said they fixed all issues but was back to doing the high rev within a week. It started this week telling me to shift to park even though my…
I am reporting a recurring safety defect related to GMâs known âShift to Parkâ issue. My vehicle displays a âShift to Parkâ warning even when the vehicle is already in park, preventing the car from shutting off properly and creating a safety risk. This issue has been widely reported and…
The contact owns a 2016 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after driving vehicle and shifting into park(P), there was a dinging alert sounded, with the âShift to Park" message displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to turn off. There were no warning lights illuminated. The…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2016 Chevrolet Malibus have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 166 owner complaints about power train for the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu (20% of the 838 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu power train?
Yes: 1 safety recall list power train. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 42,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “shift park”, in 65 of 166 complaints, followed by “turn off” (39).
Other 2016 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 2016 Chevrolet Malibu problems or power train problems across all Malibu years.