2018 CHEVROLET MALIBU trunk release

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
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
Trunk Release . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Seat Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Memory Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Second Row Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Heated and Ventilated Seats . . . 12
Head Restraint Adjustment . . . . 13
Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Passenger Sensing System . . . 13
Mirror Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Steering Wheel Adjustment . . . . 14
Interior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Exterior Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Steering Wheel Controls . . . . . . . 21
Cruise Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Driver Information Center (DIC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Forward Collision Alert (FCA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Forward Automatic Braking (FAB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Front Pedestrian Braking (FPB) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Lane Keep Assist (LKA) . . . . . . . 23
Lane Change Alert (LCA) . . . . . . 23
Rear Vision Camera (RVC) . . . . 24
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Parking Assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Automatic Parking Assist (APA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Universal Remote System . . . . . 25
Sunroof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Hybrid Features
Hybrid Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 High Voltage Safety
Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Regenerative Braking (Hybrid Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Performance and Maintenance
Traction Control/Electronic
Stability Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Tire Pressure Monitor . . . . . . . . . . 28
Fuel (1.5L and 1.8L Engines) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Fuel (2.0L Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
E85 or FlexFuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Engine Oil Life System . . . . . . . . 29
Driving for Better Fuel Economy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
8 In Brief
Initial Drive
Information
This section provides a brief
overview about some of the
important features that may or may
not be on your specific vehicle.
For more detailed information, refer
to each of the features which can be
found later in this owner’s manual.
Stop/Start System
The vehicle may have a fuel saving
STOP/START system to shut off the
engine and help conserve fuel.
When the brakes are applied and
the vehicle is at a complete stop,
the engine may turn off. When the
brake pedal is released or the
accelerator pedal is pushed, the
engine will restart. The engine may
restart even while the brake is
applied. SeeStarting the Engine
0 218.
Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System
The Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
transmitter may work up to 60 m
(197 ft) away from the vehicle.
With Remote Start Shown
K:Press to unlock the driver door
or all doors, depending on the
vehicle personalization setting.
Q: Press to lock all doors.
Lock and unlock feedback can be
personalized.
X: Press twice quickly to open the
trunk.
7: Press and release one time to
initiate vehicle locator. Press and
hold for at least three seconds to
sound the panic alarm. Press again
to cancel the panic alarm.
See Keys 031 and Remote Keyless
Entry (RKE) System Operation 032.
Remote Vehicle Start
If equipped, the engine can be
started from outside of the vehicle.
Starting the Vehicle
1. Press and releaseQon the
RKE transmitter.
2. Immediately, press and hold
/
for at least four seconds or until
the turn signal lamps flash.
3. Start the vehicle normally after entering.
When the vehicle starts, the parking
lamps will turn on.
For the hybrid vehicle, the engine
will only start if needed for warming
functions or high voltage battery
charging.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
In Brief 9
Remote start can be extended.
Canceling a Remote Start
To cancel a remote start, do one of
the following:
.Press and hold
/until the
parking lamps turn off.
. Turn on the hazard warning
flashers.
. Turn the vehicle on and then off.
See Remote Vehicle Start 038.
Door Locks
To lock or unlock the doors from the
outside:
.
Press
QorKon the Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter.
See Remote Keyless Entry
(RKE) System Operation 032.
. Use the key in the driver door.
The key lock cylinder has a
cover. See Door Locks 040. To lock or unlock the doors from the
inside:
.
PressQorKon the power door
lock switch.
. Pull the door handle once to
unlock the door. Pulling the
handle again unlatches the door.
See Power Door Locks 042.
Trunk Release
To open the trunk:
.
Press
Xtwice on the RKE
transmitter. .
Press the touch pad on the rear
of the trunk after unlocking all
doors.
If equipped with Keyless Access,
the RKE transmitter must be within
1 m (3 ft) of the trunk. Press the
touch pad on the rear of the trunk
and lift to open. See Remote
Keyless Entry (RKE) System
Operation 032.
See Trunk 044.
Windows
Power windows work when the
ignition is on, in ACC/ACCESSORY,
or when Retained Accessory Power

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
Keys, Doors, and Windows 33
With Remote Start Shown
Q:Press to lock all doors.
The turn signal indicators may flash
and/or the horn may sound on the
second press to indicate locking.
See Vehicle Personalization 0138.
If the driver door is open when
Qis
pressed, all doors will lock and then
the driver door will immediately
unlock, if enabled through vehicle
personalization. See Vehicle
Personalization 0138.
If the passenger door is open when
Qis pressed, all doors lock. Pressing
Qmay also arm the alarm
system. See Vehicle Alarm System
0 46.
K:Press to unlock the driver door.
Press again within five seconds to
unlock all doors. The RKE
transmitter can be programmed to
unlock all doors on the first button
press. See Vehicle Personalization
0 138.
The turn signal indicators may flash
to indicate unlocking. See Vehicle
Personalization 0138.
Pressing
Kwill disarm the alarm
system. See Vehicle Alarm System
0 46.
X:Press twice quickly to release
the trunk.
7: Press and release one time to
initiate vehicle locator. The exterior
lamps flash and the horn chirps
three times.
Press and hold
7for at least
three seconds to sound the panic
alarm. The horn sounds and the turn signals flash for about
30 seconds until
7is pressed again
or the vehicle is started.
/: If equipped with this feature,
press
Qand release and then press
and hold
/for at least
four seconds to start the engine
from outside the vehicle using the
RKE transmitter. See Remote
Vehicle Start 038.
Keyless Access Operation
The Keyless Access system lets
you lock and unlock the doors and
access the trunk without removing
the RKE transmitter from your
pocket, purse, briefcase, etc. The
RKE transmitter should be within
1 m (3 ft) of the door or trunk/hatch
being opened. If equipped, there will
be buttons on the outside door
handles.
Keyless Access can be
programmed to unlock all doors on
the first unlock/lock button press
from the driver door. See Vehicle
Personalization 0138.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
42 Keys, Doors, and Windows
3. Slide the cap forward andpress the forward edge to
install the cap in place.
4. Release the door handle. 5. Check that the cap is secure.
Free-Turning Locks
The door key lock cylinder turns
freely when either the wrong key is
used, or the correct key is not fully
inserted. The free-turning door lock
feature prevents the lock from being
forced open. To reset the lock, turn
it to the vertical position with the
correct key fully inserted. Remove
the key and insert it again. If this
does not reset the lock, turn the key
halfway around in the cylinder and
repeat the reset procedure.
Power Door Locks
Q: Press to lock the doors.
K:Press to unlock the doors.
The indicator light in the switch will
illuminate when the door is locked.
Locking or unlocking the doors will
also lock or unlock the trunk. See
Trunk 044.
Delayed Locking
This feature delays the actual
locking of the doors until
five seconds after all doors are
closed.
Delayed locking can only be turned
on when the Unlocked Door
Anti-Lockout feature has been
turned off.
When
Qis pressed on the power
door lock switch with the door open,
a chime will sound three times
indicating that delayed locking is
active.
The doors will then lock
automatically five seconds after all
doors are closed. If a door is
reopened before five seconds have

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
Keys, Doors, and Windows 45
Warning (Continued)
highest setting. See
“Climate Control Systems”
in the Index.
. If the vehicle is equipped
with a power liftgate, disable
the power liftgate function.
For more information about
carbon monoxide, see Engine
Exhaust 0223.
Trunk Release
To open the trunk the vehicle must
be off or the shift lever must be in
P (Park).
.
Press
Xtwice quickly on the
RKE transmitter.
. Press the touch pad on the rear
of the trunk after unlocking all
doors.
If equipped with Keyless Access,
the trunk may be opened while the
vehicle is locked by pressing the
touch pad on the rear of the trunk
while the RKE transmitter is within
1 m (3 ft) of the rear of the vehicle.
See Remote Keyless Entry (RKE)
System Operation 032.
Emergency Trunk Release
Handle
Caution
Do not use the emergency trunk
release handle as a tie-down or
anchor point when securing items
in the trunk as it could damage
the handle.
There is a glow-in-the-dark
emergency trunk release handle on
the trunk lid. This handle glows
following exposure to light. Pull the
release handle to open the trunk
from the inside.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
46 Keys, Doors, and Windows
After pulling the emergency trunk
release handle, push the handle
back into the bezel.
Vehicle Security
This vehicle has theft-deterrent
features; however, they do not make
the vehicle impossible to steal.
Vehicle Alarm System
This vehicle has an anti-theft alarm
system.
The indicator light, on the
instrument panel near the
windshield, indicates the status of
the system:
Off :Alarm system is disarmed. On Solid :
Vehicle is secured
during the delay to arm the system.
Fast Flash : Vehicle is unsecured.
A door, the hood, or the trunk
is open.
Slow Flash : Alarm system is
armed.
Arming the Alarm System
1. Close the trunk and the hood. Turn off the vehicle.
2. Lock the vehicle in one of three ways:
.Use the RKE transmitter.
. Use the Keyless Access
system, if equipped.
. With a door open, press the
inside
Q.
3. After 30 seconds the alarm system will arm, and the
indicator light will begin to
slowly flash indicating the
alarm system is operating.
Pressing
Qon the RKE
transmitter a second time will

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico-
11348460) - 2018 - crc - 5/3/17
Seats and Restraints 63
Rear Seats
Rear Seat Reminder
If equipped, the message REAR
SEAT REMINDER LOOK IN REAR
SEAT displays under certain
conditions indicating there may be
an item or passenger in the rear
seat. Check before exiting the
vehicle.
This feature will activate when a
second row door is opened while
the vehicle is on or up to 10 minutes
before the vehicle is turned on.
There will be an alert when the
vehicle is turned off. The alert does
not directly detect objects in the rear
seat; instead, under certain
conditions, it detects when a rear
door is opened and closed,
indicating that there may be
something in the rear seat.
The feature is active only once each
time the vehicle is turned on and off,
and will require reactivation by
opening and closing the second row
doors. There may be an alert even
when there is nothing in the rear
seat; for example, if a child enteredthe vehicle through the rear door
and left the vehicle without the
vehicle being shut off.
The feature can be turned on or off.
See
Vehicle Personalization 0138.
Folding the Seatback
Either side of the seatback can be
folded down for more cargo space.
Fold a seatback only when the
vehicle is not moving.
Caution
Folding a rear seat with the seat
belts still fastened may cause
damage to the seat or the seat
belts. Always unbuckle the seat
belts and return them to their
normal stowed position before
folding a rear seat.
The release levers for folding the
rear seatbacks are located in the
trunk. To fold the seatback down: 1. Lower the rear seat head restraints completely. See
Head Restraints 055. 2. Lift the rear seat armrest and
place it in the folded position,
if necessary. See Rear Seat
Armrest 065.
3. Disconnect the rear seat belt
mini-latch, using a key in the
slot on the mini-buckle.