The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu has an excellent overall safety rating of 5 out of 5, with top scores in various crash tests including front and side crashes. It comes equipped with standard electronic stability control which helps in maintaining vehicle stability and reducing the risk of skidding. Additionally, it offers an optional forward collision warning system to alert the driver of potential front-end collisions. However, it does not have a lane departure warning feature.
In terms of complaints and recalls, this specific model has had 740 complaints reported and has undergone 10 recalls. Despite these numbers, the overall safety rating and the presence of important safety features make the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu a solid choice for those prioritizing safety in their car selection.
The advanced search lets you search by safety ratings and features. This will return a list of vehicles that match your search criteria.
Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD
ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.
Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.
Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.
Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.
| Test | 2005 Score | 2016 Score | 2024 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Front Crash Rating | Not Rated | 5 | 5 |
| Front Crash Driver Side Rating | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Front Crash Passenger Side Rating | 5 | 4 | 5 |
Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.
| Test | 2005 Score | 2016 Score | 2024 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Side Crash Rating | Not Rated | 5 | 5 |
| Side Crash Drivers Side Rating | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Side Crash Passenger Side Rating | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front | Not Rated | 5 | 5 |
| Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear | Not Rated | 5 | 5 |
| Overall Side Barrier Rating | Not Rated | 5 | 5 |
The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.
| Test | 2005 Score | 2016 Score | 2024 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rollover Rating | Not Rated | 4 | 4 |
| Rollover Possibility % | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Dynamic Tip Result | No Tip | No Tip | |
| Side Pole Crash Rating | Not Rated | 5 | 5 |
This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.
Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.
Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.
Recall:
"general motors llc (gm) is recalling certain model year 2016 chevrolet malibu vehicles manufactured november 18, 2015, to june 7, 2016. the fabric of the side-impact air bag cushion may tear during deployment."Consequence:
If the air bag tears during deployment, the air bag may not perform as designed, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.Remedy:
GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, as necessary, replace the air bag module, free of charge. The recall began October 27, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 16079.
Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > SIDE/WINDOW
Date of incident: 2016-10-26
Recall:
"general motors llc (gm) is recalling certain 2016 malibu vehicles manufactured february 16, 2016, to march 5, 2016. the two weld studs that mount the front and rear side impact air bags may fracture and separate from the air bag during deployment. as such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of the federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) no. 214, "side impact protection.""Consequence:
Fractured weld studs may allow the side air bag to move out of position during deployment, increasing the risk of injury.Remedy:
GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the side air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on April 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 31820.
Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > SIDE/WINDOW
Date of incident: 2016-03-11
This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.
CHEVROLET ranks 2 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.
| Manufacturer | Complaint Count | Recall Count | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
| FORD | 208,358 | 3,259 | 1 |
| CHEVROLET | 111,306 | 2,082 | 2 |
| TOYOTA | 81,019 | 1,852 | 3 |
| HONDA | 61,937 | 1,268 | 4 |
| NISSAN | 56,226 | 930 | 5 |
| DODGE | 45,756 | 827 | 6 |
| HYUNDAI | 44,150 | 649 | 7 |
| GMC | 34,441 | 1,410 | 8 |
| KIA | 29,832 | 501 | 9 |
| CHRYSLER | 27,698 | 254 | 10 |
| TESLA | 26,230 | 730 | 11 |
| BMW | 24,890 | 1,877 | 12 |
| VOLKSWAGEN | 23,125 | 829 | 13 |
| MERCEDES-BENZ | 19,066 | 2,925 | 14 |
| SUBARU | 18,513 | 703 | 15 |
| MAZDA | 10,599 | 364 | 16 |
| PONTIAC | 10,430 | 138 | 17 |
| CADILLAC | 9,434 | 444 | 18 |
| AUDI | 7,865 | 1,093 | 19 |
| BUICK | 7,851 | 279 | 20 |
| SATURN | 7,672 | 84 | 21 |
| MERCURY | 7,374 | 135 | 22 |
| LEXUS | 6,373 | 408 | 23 |
| LINCOLN | 5,897 | 423 | 24 |
| ACURA | 5,722 | 382 | 25 |
| MINI | 5,585 | 366 | 26 |
| INFINITI | 4,000 | 187 | 27 |
| MITSUBISHI | 3,912 | 397 | 28 |
| VOLVO | 3,875 | 727 | 29 |
| PORSCHE | 2,646 | 1,231 | 30 |
| SUZUKI | 2,272 | 123 | 31 |
| FIAT | 2,205 | 80 | 32 |
| SAAB | 1,536 | 76 | 33 |
| JAGUAR | 1,195 | 198 | 34 |
| SMART | 528 | 17 | 35 |
| GENESIS | 436 | 42 | 36 |
| ISUZU | 249 | 37 | 37 |
| ALFA ROMEO | 161 | 37 | 38 |
| MASERATI | 76 | 46 | 39 |
| BENTLEY | 46 | 159 | 40 |
| POLESTAR | 42 | 2 | 41 |
| LUCID | 14 | 6 | 42 |
| CODA | 4 | 2 | 43 |
| MAYBACH | 0 | 0 | 44 |