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Recall Campaigns
6
Federal recall campaigns
Urgent Safety Directives
0
Zero urgent stop-drive alerts
Affected Subsystems
5
Air Bags & Restraints, Brakes & Traction Control
Authorized Remedy
100% Free
Mandated dealer repair by law
Federal Safety Campaign Analysis

Executive Recall Findings

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists 6 official safety recall campaigns for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu in AutoUtility's current federal dataset. The primary affected vehicle systems include Air Bags & Restraints, Brakes & Traction Control, Electrical System.

VIN Specificity Notice: Safety recall campaigns apply to specific production date ranges and vehicle identification numbers (VINs). Check your 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov or with an authorized dealer to verify whether a safety repair is open.
Campaign Status & Legal Rights
  • • Federal Authority: Recalls administered under 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301.
  • • Free Dealer Remedy: Under federal law, safety defect repairs are performed free of charge by franchised dealers.
  • • Latest Campaign Filing: Recorded on August 20, 2021.
Federal Directives

Official NHTSA Recall Campaigns (6)

Complete safety campaign filings including defect descriptions, safety hazards, and free dealer remedies

NHTSA Campaign #21V649000 SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERS
Filed: August 20, 2021

What is defective?

General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.

Safety Risk / Consequence

An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Authorized Free Dealer Remedy

Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.

Manufacturer Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #20V668000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Filed: October 29, 2020

What is defective?

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Cruze and Buick LaCrosse, 2018-2020 Chevrolet Equinox, Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Terrain, 2018 Chevrolet Malibu, 2019-2020 Buick Encore, Buick Enclave, Cadillac XT4, Chevrolet Blazer and GMC Acadia, and 2020 Cadillac XT6 vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing bolts.

Safety Risk / Consequence

Missing bolts on the start-stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission oil leak and may progress to a loss of propulsion, increasing the risk of a crash. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.

Authorized Free Dealer Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the start-stop transmission accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing, free of charge. The recall began December 15, 2020. Owners may contact GMC customer service at 1-888-988-7267, Buick Customer service at 1-866-608-8080, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N202313440.

Manufacturer Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #19V642000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Filed: September 6, 2019

What is defective?

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles equipped with 1.5L turbo engines. An error in the Engine Control Module (ECM) software may result in the fuel injectors being disabled.

Safety Risk / Consequence

Disabled fuel injectors would prevent the engine from starting and may cause a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Authorized Free Dealer Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the ECM software, free of charge. The recall began October 16, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-630-2438. GM's number for this recall is N192221960.

Manufacturer Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #18V576000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
Filed: August 30, 2018

What is defective?

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Chevrolet Equinox, Impala, Cruze, Volt and Bolt EV vehicles, GMC Terrain vehicles, Buick Lacrosse and Regal vehicles, Cadillac XTS and XTS Professional vehicles and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rear brake caliper pistons may have an insufficient coating causing gas pockets to form, potentially reducing rear brake performance.

Safety Risk / Consequence

A reduction of braking performance can increase the risk of a crash.

Authorized Free Dealer Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will bleed the vehicle's brake system, free of charge. The recall began October 11, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18279.

Manufacturer Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #18V400000 AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
Filed: June 14, 2018

What is defective?

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. 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.

Safety Risk / Consequence

In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.

Authorized Free Dealer Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger PPS seat service kit, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18208.

Manufacturer Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #18V358000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Filed: May 31, 2018

What is defective?

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.

Safety Risk / Consequence

A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

Authorized Free Dealer Remedy

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.

Manufacturer Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Subsystem Scope

Vehicle Systems Involved in Recalls for 2018 Chevrolet Malibu

Distribution of official safety recall campaigns across automotive subsystem domains

01 2 CAMPAIGNS

Air Bags & Restraints

Safety campaign directives specifically targeting components within the Air Bags & Restraints subsystem.

16 Consumer Complaints →
02 1 CAMPAIGN

Brakes & Traction Control

Safety campaign directives specifically targeting components within the Brakes & Traction Control subsystem.

86 Consumer Complaints →
03 1 CAMPAIGN

Electrical System

Safety campaign directives specifically targeting components within the Electrical System subsystem.

191 Consumer Complaints →
04 1 CAMPAIGN

Fuel & Propulsion System

Safety campaign directives specifically targeting components within the Fuel & Propulsion System subsystem.

101 Consumer Complaints →
05 1 CAMPAIGN

Powertrain & Transmission

Safety campaign directives specifically targeting components within the Powertrain & Transmission subsystem.

168 Consumer Complaints →
Fleet History

Recall History for Chevrolet Malibu

Official safety recall campaign volume across sibling model years (2015–2025)

Model Year NHTSA Recalls NHTSA Complaints Detailed Report
2015 Chevrolet Malibu 3 270 View 2015 Recalls →
2016 Chevrolet Malibu 9 859 View 2016 Recalls →
2017 Chevrolet Malibu 4 722 View 2017 Recalls →
2018 Chevrolet Malibu Current Page 6 694 Current
2019 Chevrolet Malibu 1 188 View 2019 Recalls →
2020 Chevrolet Malibu 1 195 View 2020 Recalls →
2021 Chevrolet Malibu 2 87 View 2021 Recalls →
2022 Chevrolet Malibu 1 91 View 2022 Recalls →
2023 Chevrolet Malibu 2 65 View 2023 Recalls →
2024 Chevrolet Malibu 2 37 View 2024 Recalls →
2025 Chevrolet Malibu 1 10 View 2025 Recalls →
Consumer Checklist

VIN-Specific Recall Verification

How to confirm whether an individual vehicle requires an authorized safety repair

Safety recall campaigns apply to specific vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and manufacturing date ranges. To verify if your individual vehicle has an uncompleted safety recall:

  • Locate your 17-character VIN on the driver's side door jamb or dashboard.
  • Enter the VIN into the official NHTSA recall lookup at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
  • Contact any franchised Chevrolet dealership to schedule a free remedy appointment.
NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 711)
Related Workstations

Related Official Reports for 2018 Chevrolet Malibu

Explore owner problem reports and crash safety ratings for this model year

← 2018 Chevrolet Malibu Overview

Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.

2018 Chevrolet Malibu Owner Complaints (694) →

NHTSA defect complaints breakdown across all vehicle subsystems and recurring symptoms.

2018 Chevrolet Malibu Safety & Crash Ratings →

NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover ratings.

2018 Chevrolet Malibu MPG & Range →

EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Safety Recalls & Federal Directives for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu

How many safety recalls are on file for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu?

The 2018 Chevrolet Malibu is associated with 6 official NHTSA safety recall campaigns, affecting systems including Air Bags & Restraints, Brakes & Traction Control, Electrical System.

A recall campaign listing indicates that a safety defect or noncompliance standard was determined for specific production runs of this vehicle model year.

Source: NHTSA Safety Recalls Database (49 U.S.C. 30118)

Are there urgent 'Do Not Drive' or 'Park Outside' directives for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu?

No official 'Do Not Drive' or 'Park Outside' safety advisories are associated with recall records for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu in AutoUtility's current dataset.

Urgent directives apply to critical safety risks; standard recall campaigns require timely inspection and remedy at an authorized dealer.

Source: NHTSA Safety Recalls Database

Are recall repairs free for the 2018 Chevrolet Malibu?

If your individual vehicle is affected by an open safety recall, NHTSA advises owners to contact an authorized franchised dealership for the recall remedy at no charge.

Federal law (49 U.S.C. Chapter 301) requires manufacturers and franchised dealers to provide authorized safety recall repairs at no cost to the vehicle owner. Because campaigns apply to specific production runs and option packages, vehicle owners must verify their 17-character VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls or through an authorized dealership to confirm individual applicability.

Source: National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (49 U.S.C. Chapter 301)

Does a recall campaign apply to every 2018 Chevrolet Malibu?

Not necessarily. Model-year recall campaigns typically apply to specific vehicle production date ranges, assembly plants, or optional equipment packages.

AutoUtility's model-year records describe campaign scope; owners must check their individual 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls or through an authorized dealership to confirm if an open recall applies to their specific vehicle.

Source: NHTSA VIN Lookup Service
Official US Government Data Provenance

Recall records published on this page are retrieved directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Safety Recalls Database under 49 U.S.C. 30118.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.