2014 Chevrolet Malibu Visibility & Wipers Problems
NHTSA lists 16 Visibility & Wipers complaints for the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu, 5% of that year's 351 total complaints. Owners mainly report defroster/HVAC failures fogging the windshield and sunroofs shattering while driving. A related recall (15V164000) covers a roof panel switch issue, not the defroster problems.
- Visibility & Wipers complaints
- 16
- 5% of 351
- Crashes reported
- 0
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 0
- Median mileage
- 69,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 1
Typical visibility and wiper symptoms owners report
- Windshield defogger and HVAC blower intermittently stop working, leaving the windshield fogged or frosted while driving, especially in rain or humid conditions.
- Some owners report the HVAC fan control becomes unresponsive at startup, with no power indicator light and no airflow, disabling the defrost function.
- Several complaints describe the sunroof shattering or exploding without warning while driving at highway speed, scattering glass inside the cabin.
- Dashboard reflections onto the windshield and glare from the rear-view mirror light were reported as obscuring the driver's view.
- Owners note the HVAC issue can recur intermittently over months, sometimes returning after a dealer reset of the vehicle's computer.
When 2014 Chevrolet Malibu visibility and wiper complaints were filed
First complaint Jun 20, 2014, latest Sep 10, 2026.
Visibility & Wipers recalls for the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu
- NHTSA 15V164000Mar 23, 2015Visibility & Wipers87,063 vehicles
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."
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.
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.
Visibility & Wipers complaints by Malibu model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many visibility and wiper complaints does the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu have?
- NHTSA records 16 Visibility & Wipers complaints for the 2014 Malibu, making up 5% of the 351 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu windshield or defroster problems?
- There is a related recall, campaign 15V164000, but it addresses a roof panel slide/tilt switch issue, not the defroster or HVAC fogging problems owners describe.
- At what mileage do these visibility problems typically occur?
- The median mileage at failure for Visibility & Wipers complaints on the 2014 Malibu is 69,000 miles.
- Did any of these visibility complaints involve crashes or injuries?
- No. NHTSA data shows 0 crashes, 0 fires, and 0 injuries linked to these 16 complaints.
- Is the 2014 Malibu worse than other years for this issue?
- The 2014 model year's 5% share of complaints in this area is higher than most other Malibu years, which range mostly between 0% and 4%, based on NHTSA data.