2016 Chevrolet Malibu Transmission & Powertrain Problems
NHTSA lists 166 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu, 20% of all 837 complaints filed for the year. The median mileage at failure is 42,000 miles, and no related recalls are on file for this area.
- Transmission & Powertrain complaints
- 166
- 20% of 837
- Crashes reported
- 3
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 2
- Median mileage
- 42,000 mi
- Related recalls
- 0
Typical transmission symptoms owners report
- Owners report the transmission getting stuck in neutral while shifting into reverse, causing the vehicle to roll and, in some cases, crash into another vehicle.
- Some describe an unsmooth downshift during light deceleration or coasting, where RPMs suddenly jump from around 1500 to around 3000, producing a bucking sensation.
- Several report sudden loss of power while accelerating or merging, with no dashboard warning, forcing the driver to pull over or move to the shoulder.
- A common pattern involves a 'reduced engine power' message paired with a check engine light while driving at highway speed, causing the car to slow sharply from around 70 mph to around 40 mph.
- Owners describe the vehicle stalling and losing all power more than once while driving at moderate speed, with dealerships unable to duplicate the issue.
When 2016 Chevrolet Malibu transmission complaints were filed
First complaint May 9, 2016, latest Mar 21, 2026.
Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu
No safety recalls on record for this model year.
Transmission & Powertrain 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 transmission and powertrain complaints does the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu have?
- NHTSA lists 166 complaints in the Transmission & Powertrain area for the 2016 Malibu, which is 20% of the 837 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu transmission?
- No related recalls are listed in this data for the Transmission & Powertrain area on the 2016 Malibu.
- At what mileage do 2016 Malibu transmission problems usually appear?
- The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 42,000 miles.
- Did the 2016 Malibu powertrain issues cause any crashes or injuries?
- NHTSA data links 3 crashes and 2 injuries to Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2016 Malibu, with no fires reported.
- How does the 2016 Malibu compare to other years for this problem area?
- The 2016 Malibu's 166 complaints and 20% share are higher than most earlier model years like 2012 (49 complaints, 5%) and 2013 (53 complaints, 6%), but similar to 2017 (139 complaints, 20%) and lower than 2018 (170 complaints, 24%).