What 268 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Chevrolet Malibu Eco

No airflow or heat from the windshield defroster. Happened on a cold morning and the windshield fogged up and blocked vision of the road.

NHTSA ODI 11565577

The contact owns a 2015 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle a broken white plastic gear part was found on the front driver’s side floorboard. The contact later discovered the air condition selector switch was inoperable and the defroster could not be used to defrost the windows. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the air conditioner mode switch actuator had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 132,000.

NHTSA ODI 11492537

THE BACK DEFROSTER QUIT WORKING OVER A YEAR AGO. FRONT DEFROSTER IS BLOWING OUT THE FRONT VENTS WHEN SET ON FULL DEFROST OR FEET AND DEFROST. NOTICED IT WHEN I STARTED MY CAR AND IT WASN'T WORKING ON THE WINDOWS AND IT WOULDN'T CHANGE.

NHTSA ODI 11390062

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE THE SUN ROOF WAS OPEN, THE CONTACT CLOSED THE DRIVER'S WINDOW AND THE SUN ROOF CLOSED WITHOUT WARNING. ROGER DEAN CHEVROLET (101 SW PINE ISLAND RD, CAPE CORAL, FL 33991, (239) 574-3326) WAS CONTACTED AND REQUESTED THAT THE CONTACT BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V164000 (VISIBILITY). THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 23,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11288731

MY DEFROSTER STOPPED WORKING ON MY 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD WHILE DRIVING, WHEN I TURN ON FRONT WINDOW DEFROST IT BLOWS OUT OF THE FRONT VENTS AND NO AIR COMES OUT OF MY DEFROST. IT'S A HEADACHE AND I FEEL A HAZARD TO TRY TO DRIVE WITHOUT THIS, I USUALLY HAVE TO ROLL DOWN MY SIDE WINDOWS TO GET ANYWHERE WITH VISIBILITY. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF I AM PARKED, DRIVING, ETC. IT JUST DOES NOT WORK AT ALL EVER AND IT'S SCARY TO DRIVE WITH THIS ISSUE. MY VEHICLE HAS 77,000 MILES ON IT SO I FEEL THIS PROBLEM SHOULD NOT BE OCCURING.

NHTSA ODI 11174567

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SUN ROOF WOULD NOT PROPERLY CLOSE AND REMAINED OPENED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE LOCAL DEALER (HOWARD GMC CHEVROLET, 364 W. GRAND AVENUE, ELMHURST, IL) AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

NHTSA ODI 11173870

NHTSA ID NUMBER 10113609 MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION NUMBER - P114464 MOISTUIRE / ICE FORMS ON INSIDE WINDSHIELD AND WINDOWS WATER PUDDLES DRIVERSIDE FRONT & REAR FLOORBOARDS

NHTSA ODI 11173028

WITH 2015 MALIBU STATIONARY, OVERNIGHT EXPERIENCED LOSS OF BATTERY CHARGE AND WOLD NOT START. UPON RECHARGE, IT WILL NOW START. HOWEVER, THE HVAC CONTROL IS NOW INOPERATIVE. THE HVAC SYSTEM STILL RUNS WITH THE LAST SETTINGS IT HAD. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO RECALL 13V567000 (CHEVROLET 13380) THAT APPLIED TO 2014 MODEL CHEVROLETS. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE ONE CAN NO LONGER SET THE WINDSHIELD TO DEFROST FOR WINTER DRIVING. FURTHERMORE, THIS BELONGS TO A CHAIN OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES THE CAR HAS HAD - LOSS OF BATTERY CHARGE ON 4 OCCASIONS, ENGINE STOPPAGE AFTER HARD BRAKING ON TWO OCCASIONS WITH WARNING MESSAGE TO CHECK ABS SYSTEM, INTERMITTENT LOSS OF CENTER CONSOLE DISPLAY PANEL. OBVIOUSLY, IF THE ENGINE STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AFTER HARD BRAKING, THIS IS ALSO A SAFETY ISSUE. DEALER HAS REPLACED BOTH REAR BATTERY AND FORWARD BATTERY, HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS HAS CLEARLY NOT BEEN DONE.

NHTSA ODI 11170393

BLIND SIDE..NOT EASY TO LOCATE VEHICLES ON EITHER SIDE.AND IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE CHILD IN REAR WITH REAR VIEW CAMERA.

NHTSA ODI 11124199

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHEN THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE, THE REAR WINDOW SHATTERED SPONTANEOUSLY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE TOP QUALITY BODY SHOP WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE NOT THE ONLY VEHICLE OWNER WHO EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 24,000.

NHTSA ODI 11000046

AT 8:00 P.M. I STARTED MY CAR TO WARM UP. IT WAS 27 DEGREES OUT AND WHEN I TURNED MY HEAT ON, NO AIR WOULD BLOW OUT. THE CAR WAS IN PARK. AFTER I LET IT WARM UP FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES, I NOTICED THE AIR WOULD STILL NOT BLOW OUT. I SHUT MY CAR OFF AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE AIR STILL WOULD NOT BLOW OUT. THE LIGHT ON THE KNOB INDICATING IT WAS ON, WAS NOT LIT UP. ALL OTHER ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS WERE WORKING FINE IN MY VEHICLE. ONCE I STARTED DRIVING FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES, ALL OF A SUDDEN THE AIR KICKED ON AND STARTED BLOWING OUT. AND FUNCTIONED FINE FOR THE REST OF THE DRIVE. MY CAR HAS 20K MILES ON IT AND WAS PURCHASED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10934007

I PURCHASED MY VEHICLE ON MARCH 2015 OFF THE SHOWROOM FLOOR OF A CHEVROLET DEALERSHIP. ON JUNE 18, 2016 MY CAR CAUGHT A FIRE WHILE IT WAS PARKED AND I WAS NOT IN THE VEHICLE. I HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE CAR WITH THE AIR BLOWING FROM THE DEFROSTER FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. I DROVE TO THE STORE AND CAME BACK HOME. I GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND STOOD ON THE PORCH TALKING TO MY FAMILY. WITHIN IN 10 MINUTES OF ME EXITING MY CAR, IT WAS ON FIRE. I RAN TO THE CAR AND COULD SEE THAT THE FIRE WAS COMING FROM RIGHT ABOUT WHERE THE WINDSHIELD ENDS AND WHERE THE HOOD OF THE CAR BEGINS, RIGHT WHERE THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE. I CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHO PUT THE FIRE OUT. THEY USED THE JAWS OF LIFE TO PLY THE HOOD OPEN AND CUT THE MAIN WIRE TO THE CAR. I THEN CONTACTED THE GM MANUFACTURING COMPANY CHEVROLET AND STARTED A CLAIM WITH THEM TO DO AN INVESTIGATION ON MY VEHICLE AS TO WHAT HAPPENED AND WHY TO THIS BRAND NEW CAR. ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE FACT THEIR WAS NO ONE IN THE CAR AT THE TIME IT CAUGHT FIRE, THANK GOD AND AS TO NO ONE COULD OF STARTED THE FIRE BECAUSE I WAS STANDING OUTSIDE THE ENTIRE TIME. THE ALLEGED INVESTIGATION TOOK ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF TO COMPLETE. I RECEIVED A CALL A WEEK PRIOR TO GM CHEVROLET MANUFACTURING MAKING A DECISION FROM ONE OF THEIR REPRESENTATIVES ASKING ME HAVE I EVER GOTTEN THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR REPLACED BEFORE. I STATED TO HER NO I HAVEN'T AND REMINDED HER THAT THE CAR WAS PURCHASED NEW OFF THEIR SHOWROOM FLOOR AND THAT I HADN'T HAD ANYTHING REPLACED OR ALTERED ON THAT CAR. ON JULY 29TH I WAS CALLED BY A GM CHEVROLET REPRESENTATIVE AGAIN TELLING ME MY CLAIM WAS BEING DENIED BECAUSE OF A WINDSHIELD WIPER ISSUE. I STATED TO HER THAT I WOULDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT. SHE THEN CHANGES THE REASON AND STATES THAT GM CHEVROLET REALLY CANT DETERMINE WHAT HAPPENED AND THEY WERE DENYING MY CLAIM. THEIR HAD BEEN SEVERAL RECALLS ON GM CARS

NHTSA ODI 10896661

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, A LOUD ABNORMAL SOUND WAS HEARD. THE CONTACT NOTICED A HOLE THE SIZE OF A FOOTBALL IN THE SUN ROOF AREA AND THE GLASS WAS SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE GLASS BUCKLED UP AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6,800.

NHTSA ODI 10790032

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE FRONT WINDSHIELD HEATER WAS ACTIVATED AND THE ENTIRE WINDSHIELD BECAME FOGGY. THE FAILURE OCCURRED DURING EXTREMELY FRIGID WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000. UPDATED 3/31/15*CN

NHTSA ODI 10683256