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2014 Chevrolet Malibu

Buyable, but go in with open eyes: this car has specific known issues to check before money changes hands.

Recalls, complaint breakdown & inspection checklist — a shareable PDF

361 owner complaints · 6 recalls · data verified July 10, 2026 · source: NHTSA

Cautionwillitcar.com

Why caution?

Engine problems dominate (35% of complaints, typically reported near 75k miles).

The math, shown

Full methodology →
Complaint volume (40%)75
Severity (30%)61
Recall load (20%)56
Trend (10%)76

Complaints filed per year

Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.

20142026

The road ahead

What breaks on a 2014 Chevrolet Malibu, plotted where owners report it happening.

030k mi60k mi90k mi120k miEngine~75k mi · 127 reportsElectrical system~77k mi · 88 reportsTransmission & drivetrain~92k mi · 53 reportsBrakes~57k mi · 49 reportsElectronic Stability Control (esc)~54k mi · 36 reports

Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint — a rough guide, not a schedule.

Engine

35%

127 complaints · typically near 75k mi · 9 in the last 2 years

Automatic Start/Stop feature is faulty! When it activates, it prevents the engine from restarting for several minutes. This puts myself and others in my car at a major…

Electrical system

24%

88 complaints · typically near 77k mi · 12 in the last 2 years

Unknown, The ignition switch turns on when off position or restart engine when in off selection on ignition switch And the radio is powered back on if key left in the …

Transmission & drivetrain

15%

53 complaints · typically near 92k mi · 5 in the last 2 years

powertrain there is a problem with auto stop restarting then dying. The transmission not engaging after a complete stop like it is neutral this only happens after the …

Brakes

14%

49 complaints · typically near 57k mi · 7 in the last 2 years

Car started shaking in the middle of driving it about 30 mph and all the electrical like door locks were going up and down car wasn’t accelerating and an alert came up…

Recalls (6)

Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.

Electrical System · 16V502000

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."

Risk: 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. The recall began on October 14, 2016. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, Buick 1-800-521-7300, and GMC 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 50490 and 50491.

Visibility · 15V164000

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."

Risk: The Slide or Tilt roof panel switch may inadvertently be pressed and the roof panel may auto-close unexpectedly, increasing the risk of a pinch injury.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the Body Control Module (BCM) software to remove auto-close feature for certain switch positions, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15176.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 14V247000

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."

Risk: If the hydraulic boost assist is disabled, slowing or stopping the vehicle will require additional brake pedal effort and a lengthened stopping distance. Both of these effects increase the risk of a crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic brake control module software, free of charge. The recall began on July 3, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020. General Motors number for this recall is 14201.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 14V240000

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.

Risk: If a brake pad detaches from caliper, there may be a sudden reduction in braking, lengthening the distance required to stop the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the front brake rotors, and install the correct rotors with new brake pads, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 20, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-521-7300 (Buick) or 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet). GM's number for this recall is 14128.

Power Train · 14V092000

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."

Risk: If a vehicle's shift cable disengages from the transmission shift lever, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the driver may be able to shift the lever to the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.

Fix: General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace any affected transmission shift cable adjusters, free of charge. The recall began on April 10, 2014. Chevrolet owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-222-1020, Buick owners at 1-800-521-7300, and GMC owners at 1-800-462-8782. General Motors' number associated with this recall is 14048.

Visibility · 13V567000

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."

Risk: The inability to turn on the windshield defroster may decrease the driver's visibility thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will update the electronic climate control module software, free of charge. The recall began during December 2013. Owners may contact GM at 1-800-521-7300. GM's recall campaign number is 13380.

Before you hand over money

Verify the recall work was done

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Get a pre-purchase inspection

A $150–$250 independent inspection of this exact 2014 Chevrolet MALIBU beats every score on the internet, including ours.

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What owners say

Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score — if they disagree, that’s worth knowing.

The fine print: this verdict is computed from public NHTSA complaint and recall records for the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu as a model, not for any individual car. A well-maintained example of an “Avoid” can outlast a neglected “Buy”. Informational only — always get a professional pre-purchase inspection.