2014 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Recalls & Reliability

563 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 25/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 80,000 miles.

563Complaints
25/100Trouble index
6Recalls
65,000Typical trouble mileage

Typical

Where 2014 sits among all Malibu years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Engine 128 complaints (23%) · typically ~80,000 miles
“As I was driving, “Engine Power Reduced” came up on my dashboard. Then my vehicle slowed down and would not let me accelerate over 20 mph.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Malibu
Electrical 91 complaints (16%) · typically ~64,550 miles
“When my auto stop function initiates my battery loses power and cuts off my car completely.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Malibu
Other 85 complaints (15%) · typically ~70,000 miles
“On several occasions starting a month ago my car when stopped shuts completely off when i disengage auto stop, and then it stalls”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Malibu
Transmission & drivetrain 52 complaints (9%) · typically ~56,000 miles
“Since we purchased 02/2016 chevy malibu the engine light has been on and off and the dealer has fixed the problem many times and still has the same problem . I noticed the gear is weak specially when i'm on the freeway”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Malibu
Brakes & stability 46 complaints (8%) · typically ~61,000 miles
“When auto stop kicks in my brakes on driver side start cluncking when i apply brakes car only has 89,345 miles on it 2014 malibu ls”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Malibu
Steering 26 complaints (5%) · typically ~38,866 miles
“When I was on auto stop, my car never started back up. The steering wheel and brakes were frozen, and I could barely pull off the road I was on. Turning the key did not help, as the engine wouldn't turn back on.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2014 Malibu

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 337 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 65,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 35,000 and 90,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (6)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 16V502000 2016

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…

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…

VISIBILITY 15V164000 2015

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…

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.…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 14V247000 2014

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…

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…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 14V240000 2014

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…

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…

POWER TRAIN 14V092000 2014

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…

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…

VISIBILITY 13V567000 2013

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…

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…

Technical service bulletins

1,724 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2014 Malibu TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2014peak 105 in 20202026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?

The 2014 Chevrolet Malibu drew 563 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 25/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).

What are the most common 2014 Chevrolet Malibu problems?

The top reported problems for the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu are engine (128 complaints), electrical (91), and other (85).

At what mileage do 2014 Chevrolet Malibu problems show up?

Owners most often report 2014 Chevrolet Malibu problems around 65,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 35,000 and 90,000 miles.

Does the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu have recalls?

6 recall campaigns apply to the 2014 Chevrolet Malibu. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

← 2013 Malibu All Malibu years 2015 Malibu →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.