Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine125
- Electrical system86
- Unknown or other54
- Power train52
- Service brakes42
- Electronic stability control (esc)31
- Steering26
- Fuel/propulsion system24
- Wheels18
- Vehicle speed control17
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 17 injuries and 1 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 89 2014 Malibu vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 43 people died inside them, and 7 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu failed the safety check 2.21% of the time — 4% less often than the average 2014 passenger car (2.30%). Median odometer at inspection: 94,972 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Registered new in Europe in 2014
282 new Chevrolet Malibu cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2014; the largest markets were Italy (84), Austria (50), Spain (45).
- Average mass
- 1,723 kg
- Average power
- 119 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 85% · Petrol 15%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
In Finland
21 of these cars first registered in 2014 were in use in Finland on 30 Jun 2026, with an average of 187,000 km on the odometer at their last inspection.
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency), open data on vehicles in use · CC BY 4.0
In New Zealand
1 2014 cars are on the New Zealand register; 100% arrived as used imports, 0% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; 1 of 1 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | ★★★★★ | 11.1 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Optional
- Lane departure warning
- Optional
- Best overall rating
- 5 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 8.0–9.9 L/100 km (about 24–29 mpg US), CO₂ 184–228 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malibu · Mid-size · Regular gasoline | 9.3 | 6.4 | 8.0 |
| Malibu · Mid-size · Premium gasoline | 11.5 | 7.9 | 9.9 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
6 Transport Canada recalls for the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu.
| 2019420 21 Aug 2019 | Other Issue: This recall is for aftermarket replacement rear window glass produced by Vitro Automotriz. Certain rear window glass may not have been properly tempere… |
| 2015118 18 Mar 2015 | Structure Certain vehicles equipped with power-operated sunroof systems may fail to conform to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 118 - Power-Operated Window, P… |
| 2014171 14 May 2014 | Brakes Certain vehicles equipped with a 2.5L engine and Auto Stop/Start fail to comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 135 - Light Vehicl… |
| 2014168 9 May 2014 | Brakes On certain vehicles, the front brake assembly may have been equipped with a rear brake rotor instead of a front one. During braking, higher heat will be generat… |
| 2014054 25 Feb 2014 | Powertrain Certain vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions may fail to conform to Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (CMVSS) 102 - Transmission Control Functions… |
| 2013402 13 Nov 2013 | Heater And Defroster Certain vehicles may not comply with Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 103 - Windshield Defrosting and Defogging. The heating, ventilation and air conditioni… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
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."
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."
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through May 2, 2014, and equipped with a 2.5L engine with the auto stop/start option. The affected vehicles may experience a complete loss of brake vacuum assist, disabling the hydraulic boost assist. As such, these vehicles do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Lacrosse vehicles manufactured January 29, 2014, through March 31, 2014 and 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured February 7, 2014, through March 31, 2014, and equipped with 17 inch front brake rotors. The affected vehicles may have had brake rotors intended for the rear of the car accidentally installed on the front. The rear rotors, while the same diameter, are thinner and may result in a front brake pad detaching from the caliper.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Buick Regal, LaCrosse, Verano, and Enclave, and Chevrolet Impala, Malibu, Cruze, and Traverse, and GMC Acadia vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions. In the affected vehicles, the transmission shift cable adjuster may disengage from the transmission shift lever. As such, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 102, "Transmission Shift Lever Sequence, Starter Interlock, and Transmission Braking Effect." They also fail to conform to FMVSS number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2014 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured June 12, 2013, through November 5, 2013. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) control in these vehicles may intermittently become inoperable when the vehicle is started, preventing the windshield defroster from working. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 103, "Windshield Defrosting and Defogging Systems."
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Chevrolet told its dealers about the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11011989 | This service bulletin provides information on the harmful effects of ethylene glycol in transmission fluid. |
| 11011900 | This diagnostic tip bulletin provides additional information on how to diagnose a possible valve, lifter or camshaft issue. |
| 11011805 | This Preliminary information communicates a GM part number forreflective high temperature heat or insulating tape when repairing wiring harnesses. |
| 11011782 | This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads. The J-35616-64B is the latest test probe released for checking tension or probing the .64 series terminals. The test probe terminal has been released in the terminal repair kit (J-38125-620H) located in Lear Tray 7 part number 963716-2. There are 5 terminated leads in a package part number is 13505346, which can be ordered through your normal General Motors Customer Care and Aftersales parts channel. |
| 11011709 | This bulletin advises the dealers to maintain the vehicle stock on hand by doing a full inspection on the vehicles before being sold (prepping) to the customer. |
| 11011444 | This Preliminary information communicates to the dealer a process for accessing the procedure to add attachments to a GM technical assistance case using the dealer case management tool. |
| 11011205 | This informational bulletin explains Unscheduled Supplemental Services and the importance of GM Simplified Maintenance Schedules. |
| 11011119 | This Preliminary information communicates to dealers GM is working on a solution for outdated Apps |
| 11010651 | This service bulletin informs the technician of an alternate lift procedure that has been developed when the lift plate does not fit the top of the transmission case for 6T30, 6T35, 6T40, 6T45, and 6T50 Transmissions. |
| 11010545 | This service bulletin provides information on key code security rules and information on GM keycode look-up applications (U.S). |
| 11010491 | This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information for GM courtesy transportation and roadside assistance programs. |
| 11010490 | This service bulletin provides guidelines and diagnostic/repair information to technicians regarding vehicle engine oil consumption. |
| 11010421 | This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information on the requirements for 12V battery testing and warranty replacements. |
| 11009764 | This service bulletin provides information on Concerns or Questions Regarding Installation of Dealer Installed Accessories. |
| 11009756 | This bulletin provides information on Policies Applicable to All U.S. Dealers for Engine and Transmission Assembly Replacement Under Warranty, Policy or Customer Enthusiasm and information on Submission of Warranty Transaction in Global Warranty Management. |
| 11009532 | This service bulletin provides information for maintenance cleaning of the fuel injectors and gasoline detergent additive. |
| 11009531 | This service bulletin provides information for maintenance cleaning of the fuel injectors and gasoline detergent additive. |
| 11009170 | This Preliminary information communicates additional information on how a LIN bus operates and diagnostic tips when working on a LIN bus. |
| 11009156 | This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or updating operating software for the Tire Pressure Monitor, Active Fuel Injector tester, multi media tester, PICO Scope, GR8 starting/charging tester and Vehicle Data Recorder tools, giving website address and step by step instructions to complete the update. |
| 11009088 | This service bulletin provides information on some vehicles that may rock or move slightly forward or rearward while in Park at start up after cold soak. This condition may be accompanied by a clunk noise. This is a slight movement that is more often seen visually, rather than felt, when viewed from the outside and using the auto-start feature, if equipped. |
| 11009039 | This warranty administration bulletin provides policy information, proper labor operation selection and causal part identification for warranty transactions (U.S. Only). |
| 11009037 | This service bulletin provides information on Enhancing Field Product Reports with Digital Pictures. |
| 11008986 | This Preliminary information communicatesdirection and examples when diagnosing multiple DTCs, one of which includes U**** Byte 71 DTC. |
| 11008956 | This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on When and How to Submit a Field Product Report (FPR) (U.S. and Canada Dealers Only). |
| 11008906 | This service bulletin provides graphics, information and guidelines for engine component wear to assist service personnel as a guideline to perform necessary engine repairs and prevent unnecessary engine replacement. |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)