YearToAvoid

2015 Chevrolet Malibu Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls

Good The 2015 Chevrolet Malibu has a complaint index of 30 and ranks 15th worst out of 21 model years, earning a Good verdict. NHTSA lists 270 complaints, 3 recalls, and 18 crashes, with the top problem area being the Engine at 30% of complaints.

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

YearToAvoid Scorecard

Complaint Index
30/100
#15 of 21 Malibu years
Verdict
Good
vs. other years of this model
Complaints
270
unique NHTSA reports
Recalls
3
distinct NHTSA campaigns
Crashes
18
reported in complaints
Fires
9
Injuries
13
Top issue
Engine
Best nearby year
2021
rated Best
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
26.5
23 city / 32.5 hwy
Injuries / deaths
13 / 1

Top 2015 Chevy Malibu problems

Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Engine81 (30%)
  2. Electrical System71 (26%)
  3. Airbags49 (18%)
  4. Other37 (14%)
  5. Transmission & Powertrain31 (11%)
  6. Brakes28 (10%)
  7. Structure & Body22 (8%)
  8. Fuel System19 (7%)
  9. Visibility & Wipers12 (4%)
  10. Steering9 (3%)

A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.

What owners report

  • Electrical wiring or components have ignited without warning, producing smoke and interior fires that melted dashboards, carpet, and door panels.
  • Side impact air bags have failed to deploy or failed to fully inflate during crashes, including a Takata-related recall issue.
  • Owners report unintended engine surges from low to high speed that required forcing the vehicle into park to stop.
  • Some vehicles rolled backward after being placed in park while the key was still in the ignition and doors unlocked automatically.
  • Smoke and fire from the electrical system have occurred both while parked and while driving at moderate speeds around 25 mph.
2015 Chevrolet Malibu complaints: complaints filed per quarter222014 Q42016 Q22017 Q42019 Q22020 Q42022 Q22023 Q42025 Q3
270 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2014 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2020 Q1 (22).

2015 Chevrolet Malibu recalls

3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 16V502000Jul 5, 2016Electrical System8,367 vehicles

    Electrical system:ignition

    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.

    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.

  2. NHTSA 15V666000Oct 16, 2015Airbags395 vehicles

    Air bags:side/window

    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.

    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.

    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.

  3. 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.

2015 Chevrolet Malibu fuel economy and fuel cost

City
23 MPG
Highway
32.5 MPG
Combined
26.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$2,475
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2015 compared with other Malibu years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2013Caution708351026
2014Good40351628
2015Good30270326.5
2016Avoid75837927
2017Good45702428

All Chevrolet Malibu years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?
NHTSA data gives it a complaint index of 30, the 15th worst of 21 Malibu model years, and it carries a Good verdict relative to other Malibu years.
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu?
Engine complaints make up 30% of reports, followed by Electrical System issues at 26% and Airbag complaints at 18%, according to NHTSA data.
Does the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2015 Malibu, covering the electronic park lock lever, side impact air bag modules, and a roof panel switch software update. None are do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2015 Malibu compare to other bad Malibu years?
The 2015 model's complaint index of 30 is far lower than the 2009 Malibu's index of 100 and the 2010 Malibu's index of 95, which both carry Avoid verdicts.
How many crashes and fires are linked to the 2015 Malibu?
NHTSA data shows 18 crashes, 9 fires, 13 injuries, and 1 death associated with 2015 Malibu complaints.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.