2016 Chevrolet Malibu Problems

The rear seat belt retractors may be held in place with loose or missing fasteners. In a crash, a retractor that is not secured properly may not work as it should, which raises the risk of injury.

Fix: The dealer will inspect the rear seat belt retractors and tighten them as needed, free of charge.

During servicing, a Passenger Presence System (PPS) may have been installed that was not correctly calibrated to the vehicle's seat type. As a result, the PPS may not properly identify an adult passenger from a child passenger in the front passenger seat, potentially causing the air bag to not deploy when it should, or causing the air bag to deploy when it shouldn't. In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger PPS seat service kit, free of charge.

The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line. A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge.

The fabric of the side-impact air bag can tear when it inflates. A torn bag may not protect you as designed, which raises the risk of injury in a crash.

Fix: Dealers will inspect the air bag module and replace it if needed, free of charge.

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." 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.

A memory chip in the brake control module can fail, turning off anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control. The regular brakes still work, but losing these systems raises the risk of a crash, especially on slippery roads.

Fix: A dealer will install a replacement brake control module at no cost to you.

The metal studs that hold the front and rear side air bags in place can break during deployment. If that happens, the air bag can shift out of position, raising the chance of injury in a crash.

Fix: A dealer will replace the side air bag modules at no cost to you.

The driver's frontal air bag may not inflate correctly during its second stage in a high-speed crash. An improperly inflated air bag raises the risk of injury to the driver.

Fix: The dealer will replace the driver-side frontal air bag module at no charge.

The radio may not sound the audio warning when the key is left in the ignition with the door open, or when the driver's seat belt is not fastened. Without that reminder, an unbelted driver faces a greater risk of injury in a crash.

Fix: The dealer will update the radio software at no cost to you.