
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
In Brief 5
In Brief
Instrument Panel
Instrument Panel Overview . . . . . . 6
Initial Drive Information
Initial Drive Information . . . . . . . . . . 8
Stop/Start System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Remote Vehicle Start . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . 12
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 12
Safety Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Passenger Sensing System . . . 13
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 14
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . . . 16
Climate Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Vehicle Features
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Radio(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Satellite Radio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Portable Audio Devices . . . . . . . . 20
Bluetooth
®. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 21
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Driver Information
Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Front Automatic Braking (FAB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . 23
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . 23
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 23
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Automatic Parking Assist (APA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Universal Remote System . . . . . 24
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Hybrid Features
Hybrid Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
High Voltage Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Regenerative Braking . . . . . . . . . . 26 Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 27
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 28
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
In Brief 7
1.Air Vents 0212ii.
2. Turn Signal Lever. See Turn
and Lane-Change Signals
0 164
ii.
3. Instrument Cluster (Base
Level) 0110
iior Instrument
Cluster (Uplevel) 0112ii.
Driver Information Center (DIC)
(Base Level) 0129
iior Driver
Information Center (DIC)
(Uplevel) 0132
ii.
4. Windshield Wiper/Washer
0104
ii.
5. Light Sensor. See Automatic
Headlamp System 0163
ii.
6. Infotainment 0168
ii.
7. Climate Control Systems
0206
ii.
Dual Automatic Climate Control
System 0209
ii(If Equipped).
8. Hazard Warning Flashers
0164
ii.
9. Power Outlets 0107
ii.
10. Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control 0241
ii. Assistance Systems for
Parking or Backing
0253
ii(If
Equipped).
11. Shift Lever. See Automatic
Transmission 0234
ii.
12. Electric Parking Brake 0238
ii(If
Equipped).
13. USB Port 0181
ii.
14. ENGINE START/STOP Button. SeeIgnition Positions 0226
ii.
15. Steering Wheel Controls
0103
ii.
Driver Information Center
Buttons. See Driver Information
Center (DIC) (Base Level)
0 129
iior Driver Information
Center (DIC) (Uplevel) 0132ii.
16. Horn 0104
ii.
17. Steering Wheel Adjustment
0103
ii.
18. Cruise Control 0243
ii.
Heated Steering Wheel 0104
ii(If Equipped).
Forward Collision Alert (FCA)
System 0257
ii(If Equipped). Lane Keep Assist (LKA)
0265
ii(If Equipped).
19. Hood Release. See Hood
0 282
ii.
20. Data Link Connector (Out of View). See Malfunction
Indicator Lamp (Check Engine
Light) 0120
ii.
21. Exterior Lamp Controls 0161
ii.
22. Instrument Panel Illumination
Control 0165
ii.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
14 In Brief
Exterior Mirrors
To adjust a mirror:1. Press
}or|to choose the
driver or passenger mirror.
2. Press the arrows on the control pad to move each mirror in the
desired direction.
See Power Mirrors 047
ii.
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever down.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down.
3. Pull or push the steering wheel closer or away from you.
4. Pull the lever up to lock the steering wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Interior Lighting
Dome Lamps
The dome lamp controls are in the
overhead console.
To operate, press the following
buttons:
+ ON/OFF : Press to turn the dome
lamps on manually.
jOFF : Press to turn off the
dome lamps when a door is open.
An LED indicator on the button will
turn on when the dome lamp
override is activated. Press
j
OFF again to deactivate this feature

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
102 Instruments and Controls
Instruments and
Controls
Controls
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . 103
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . 103
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . 104
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Windshield Wiper/Washer . . . . 104
Compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Clock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Wireless Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Warning Lights, Gauges, and
Indicators
Warning Lights, Gauges, andIndicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Instrument Cluster (Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Instrument Cluster
(Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Tachometer (Non-Hybrid) . . . . . 115
Fuel Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Power Indicator Gauge (Hybrid) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 Engine Coolant Temperature
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Safety Belt Reminders . . . . . . . . 117
Airbag Readiness Light . . . . . . . 118
Passenger Airbag Status Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Charging System Light . . . . . . . 119
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (Check Engine Light) . . . . . . . . 120
Brake System Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Service Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Antilock Brake System (ABS) Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Vehicle Ahead Indicator . . . . . . 123
Pedestrian Ahead Indicator . . . 124
Traction Off Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
StabiliTrak
®OFF Light . . . . . . . . 124
Traction Control System (TCS)/ StabiliTrak
®Light . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Tire Pressure Light . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Engine Oil Pressure Light . . . . 125
Low Fuel Warning Light (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Low Fuel Warning Light (Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Security Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Vehicle Ready Light
(Hybrid) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 127
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 127
Cruise Control Light . . . . . . . . . . 127
Door Ajar Light (Uplevel) . . . . . 128
Information Displays
Center Stack Display . . . . . . . . . 128
Power Flows (Hybrid) . . . . . . . . . 128
Energy Information (Hybrid) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Base Level) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Driver Information Center (DIC) (Uplevel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Vehicle Messages
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Battery Voltage and Charging
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Brake System Messages . . . . . 136
Compass Messages . . . . . . . . . . 137
Cruise Control Messages . . . . . 137
Door Ajar Messages . . . . . . . . . . 138
Engine Cooling System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Engine Oil Messages . . . . . . . . . 139
Engine Power Messages . . . . . 139
Fuel System Messages . . . . . . . 139

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Instruments and Controls 103
Key and Lock Messages . . . . . 139
Lamp Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Object Detection SystemMessages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Ride Control System
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Airbag System Messages . . . . 143
Security Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Service Vehicle Messages . . . . 143
Steering System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Starting the Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Tire Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Transmission Messages . . . . . . 144
Vehicle Reminder Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Window Messages . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Vehicle Personalization
Vehicle Personalization . . . . . . . 145
Universal Remote System
Universal Remote System . . . . 157
Universal Remote System Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Universal Remote System Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Controls
Steering Wheel
Adjustment
To adjust the steering wheel:
1. Pull the lever down.
2. Move the steering wheel up or down.
3. Pull or push the steering wheel closer or away from you.
4. Pull the lever up to lock the steering wheel in place.
Do not adjust the steering wheel
while driving.
Steering Wheel Controls
g: If equipped with OnStar®or a
Bluetooth®system, press to interact
with those systems. See OnStar
Overview 0398
ii,Bluetooth
(Overview) 0182iior Bluetooth
(Infotainment Controls Radio with
Touchscreen) 0188
iior Bluetooth
(Infotainment Controls Radio without
Touchscreen) 0184
ii, or “Bluetooth
(Overview)” in the infotainment
manual.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
374 Service and Maintenance
.To avoid break-down or failure to
start the vehicle, maintain a
battery with full cranking power.
. Trained dealer technicians have
the diagnostic equipment to test
the battery and ensure that the
connections and cables are
corrosion-free.
Belts
. Belts may need replacing if they
squeak or show signs of
cracking or splitting.
. Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the belts and
recommend adjustment or
replacement when necessary.
Brakes
Brakes stop the vehicle and are
crucial to safe driving.
. Signs of brake wear may include
chirping, grinding, or squealing
noises, or difficulty stopping. .
Trained dealer technicians have
access to tools and equipment
to inspect the brakes and
recommend quality parts
engineered for the vehicle.
Fluids
Proper fluid levels and approved
fluids protect the vehicle’s systems
and components. See
Recommended Fluids and
Lubricants 0376
iifor GM approved
fluids.
. Engine oil and windshield
washer fluid levels should be
checked at every fuel fill.
. Instrument cluster lights may
come on to indicate that fluids
may be low and need to be
filled.
Hoses
Hoses transport fluids and should
be regularly inspected to ensure
that there are no cracks or leaks.
With a multi-point inspection, your
dealer can inspect the hoses and
advise if replacement is needed. Lamps
Properly working headlamps,
taillamps, and brake lamps are
important to see and be seen on
the road.
.
Signs that the headlamps need
attention include dimming, failure
to light, cracking, or damage.
The brake lamps need to be
checked periodically to ensure
that they light when braking.
. With a multi-point inspection,
your dealer can check the lamps
and note any concerns.
Shocks and Struts
Shocks and struts help aid in control
for a smoother ride.
. Signs of wear may include
steering wheel vibration, bounce/
sway while braking, longer
stopping distance, or uneven
tire wear.
. As part of the multi-point
inspection, trained dealer
technicians can visually inspect
the shocks and struts for signs

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
412 Index
Front Pedestrian Braking(FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261
Front Seats Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Heated and Ventilated . . . . . . . . . . 59
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267 Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Economy Driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Filling a Portable Fuel
Container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272
Filling the Tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Foreign Countries . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Low Fuel Warning Light . . . . . . . 126
Requirements, California . . . . . 268
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Fuses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 311 Engine Compartment FuseBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312
Instrument Panel Fuse Block . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 316
G
Garage Door Opener . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Programming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Gauges
Engine CoolantTemperature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116 Gauges (cont'd)
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Power Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Trip Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115
Warning Lights and
Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
General Information
Service and Maintenance . . . . . 367
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Vehicle Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 387
H
Halogen Bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Hands-Free Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Hazard Warning Flashers . . . . . . . 164
Head Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
HeadlampsAiming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
Daytime RunningLamps (DRL) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Flash-to-Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Headlamps (cont'd)
Headlamps, Front Turn
Signal, Sidemarker, and
Parking Lamps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 306
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . 127
High/Low Beam Changer . . . . . 163
Lamps On Reminder . . . . . . . . . 127
Heated Steering Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Heated Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Heater Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Heating and Air Conditioning . . . 206
High Voltage Devices and Wiring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 310
High-Beam On Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
High-Speed Operation . . . . . . . . . . 326
Hill and Mountain Roads . . . . . . . . 220
Hill Start Assist (HSA) . . . . . . . . . . 240
Home Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Horn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
How to Wear Safety Belts
Properly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
9087641) - 2016 - crc - 9/3/15
Index 417
Service (cont'd)Engine Soon Light . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Maintenance Records . . . . . . . . 379
Maintenance, General
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
Parts Identification Label . . . . . 380
Publications Ordering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393
Scheduling Appointments . . . . . 390
Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Service Electric Parking Brake Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Services Special Application . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Servicing the Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Shift Lock Control Function Check, Automatic
Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Shifting Into Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Out of Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Side Blind Zone Alert (SBZA) . . . 263
Signals, Turn and Lane-Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Spare Tire Compact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Special Application Services . . . . 373 Specifications and
Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
StabiliTrak OFF Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Start Assist, Hills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Start Vehicle, Remote . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Starter Switch Check . . . . . . . . . . . 304
Starting the Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Starting the Vehicle Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Heated Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Wheel Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Wheel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Steering System Messages . . . . . 143
Stoplamps and Back-up Lamps
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . 307, 308
Storage Areas Center Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Convenience Net . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Glove Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Umbrella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Storage Compartments . . . . . . . . . 100
Storing the Tire Sealant and Compressor Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Stuck Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Summer Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 Sun Visors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
System
Forward CollisionAlert (FCA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
Infotainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168, 397
Systems Driver Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253
T
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
TaillampsBulb Replacement . . . . . . . 307, 308
Teen Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Text Telephone (TTY) Users . . . . 387
Theft-Deterrent Systems . . . . . . . . . 45 Immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318 All-Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319
Buying New Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Chains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346
Compact Spare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 351
Designations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Different Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334
If a Tire Goes Flat . . . . . . . . . . . . 338
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331