
Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
14584249) - 2021 - CRC - 11/9/20
Driving and Operating 173
Driving Information
Driving for Better Fuel Economy
Driving habits can affect fuel mileage. Here
are some driving tips to get the best fuel
economy possible:
.Set the climate controls to the desired
temperature after the engine is started,
or turn them off when not required.
.Avoid fast starts and accelerate smoothly.
.Brake gradually and avoid abrupt stops.
.Avoid idling the engine for long periods
of time.
.When road and weather conditions are
appropriate, use cruise control.
.Always follow posted speed limits or
drive more slowly when conditions
require.
.Keep vehicle tires properly inflated.
.Combine several trips into a single trip.
.Replace the vehicle's tires with the same
TPC Spec number molded into the tire's
sidewall near the size.
.Follow recommended scheduled
maintenance.
Distracted Driving
Distraction comes in many forms and can
take your focus from the task of driving.
Exercise good judgment and do not let other
activities divert your attention away from
the road. Many local governments have
enacted laws regarding driver distraction.
Become familiar with the local laws in
your area.
To avoid distracted driving, keep your eyes
on the road, keep your hands on the
steering wheel, and focus your attention on
driving.
.Do not use a phone in demanding driving
situations. Use a hands-free method to
place or receive necessary phone calls.
.Watch the road. Do not read, take notes,
or look up information on phones or
other electronic devices.
.Designate a front seat passenger to
handle potential distractions.
.Become familiar with vehicle features
before driving, such as programming
favorite radio stations and adjusting
climate control and seat settings. Program
all trip information into any navigation
device prior to driving.
.Wait until the vehicle is parked to
retrieve items that have fallen to the
floor.
.Stop or park the vehicle to tend to
children.
.Keep pets in an appropriate carrier or
restraint.
.Avoid stressful conversations while
driving, whether with a passenger or on a
cell phone.
{Warning
Taking your eyes off the road too long or
too often could cause a crash resulting in
injury or death. Focus your attention on
driving.
Refer to the infotainment section for more
information on using that system and the
navigation system, if equipped, including
pairing and using a cell phone.
Defensive Driving
Defensive driving means “always expect the
unexpected.” The first step in driving
defensively is to wear the seat belt. See
Seat Belts 038.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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186 Driving and Operating
{Warning
Plugging the cord into an ungrounded
outlet could cause an electrical shock.
Also, the wrong kind of extension cord
could overheat and cause a fire. You
could be seriously injured. Plug the cord
into a properly grounded three-prong
110-volt AC outlet. If the cord will not
reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong
extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.
4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store the cord as it was
before to keep it away from moving
engine parts.
The length of time the heater should remain
plugged in depends on several factors. Ask a
dealer in the area where you will be parking
the vehicle for the best advice on this.
Retained Accessory Power (RAP)
When the ignition is turned from on to off,
the following features (if equipped) will
continue to function for up to 10 minutes,
or until the driver door is opened. These
features will also work when the ignition is
in RUN or ACC/ACCESSORY:
.Infotainment System
.Power Windows (during RAP this
functionality will be lost when any door
is opened)
.Sunroof (during RAP this functionality will
be lost when any door is opened)
.Auxiliary Power Outlet
.Audio System
.OnStar System
Shifting Into Park
1. Hold the brake pedal down and set the parking brake. See Electric Parking Brake
0 192.
2. Move the shift lever into P (Park) by holding in the button on the shift lever
and pushing the shift lever all the way
toward the front of the vehicle.
3. Turn the ignition off.
Leaving the Vehicle with the Engine
Running
{Warning
It can be dangerous to leave the vehicle
with the engine running. It could
overheat and catch fire. (Continued)
Warning (Continued)
It is dangerous to get out of the vehicle
if the shift lever is not fully in P (Park)
with the parking brake firmly set. The
vehicle can roll.
Do not leave the vehicle when the engine
is running. If you have left the engine
running, the vehicle can move suddenly.
You or others could be injured. To be
sure the vehicle will not move, even
when you are on fairly level ground,
always set the parking brake and move
the shift lever to P (Park). SeeShifting
Into Park 0186. If you are towing a
trailer, see Driving Characteristics and
Towing Tips 0221.
If you have to leave the vehicle with the
engine running, be sure the vehicle is in
P (Park) and the parking brake is set before
you leave it. After you have moved the shift
lever into P (Park), hold the regular brake
pedal down. Then, see if you can move the
shift lever away from P (Park) without first
pressing the button.
If you can, it means that the shift lever was
not fully locked in P (Park).

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Driving and Operating 205
Cleaning
Depending on vehicle options, keep these
areas of the vehicle clean to ensure the best
driver assistance feature performance. Driver
Information Center (DIC) messages may
display when the systems are unavailable or
blocked.
.Front and rear bumpers and the area
below the bumpers
.Front grille and headlamps
.Front camera lens in the front grille or
near the front emblem
.Front side and rear side panels
.Outside of the windshield in front of the
rearview mirror
.Rear side corner bumpers
.Rear Vision Camera above the license
plate
Radio Frequency
This vehicle may be equipped with driver
assistance systems that operate using radio
frequency. See Radio Frequency Statement
0 328.
Assistance Systems for Parking or
Backing
If equipped, the Rear Vision Camera (RVC),
Front and Rear Park Assist (FRPA), Rear Cross
Traffic Alert (RCTA), and Automatic Parking
Assist (APA) may help the driver park or
avoid objects. Always check around the
vehicle when parking or backing.
Rear Vision Camera (RVC)
When the vehicle is shifted into R (Reverse),
the RVC displays an image of the area
behind the vehicle in the infotainment
display. The previous screen displays when
the vehicle is shifted out of R (Reverse) after
a short delay. To return to the previous
screen sooner, press any button on the
infotainment system, shift into P (Park),
or reach a vehicle speed of approximately
12 km/h (8 mph).

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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206 Driving and Operating
1. View Displayed by the Camera
1. View Displayed by the Camera
2. Corners of the Rear Bumper
Displayed images may be farther or closer
than they appear. The area displayed is
limited and objects that are close to either
corner of the bumper or under the bumper
do not display.
A warning triangle may appear on the
infotainment display to show that Rear Park
Assist (RPA) or Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
has detected an object. This triangle changes
from amber to red and increases in size the
closer the object.
{Warning
The camera(s) do not display children,
pedestrians, bicyclists, crossing traffic,
animals, or any other object outside of
the cameras’field of view, below the
bumper, or under the vehicle. Shown
distances may be different from actual
distances. Do not drive or park the
vehicle using only these camera(s).
Always check behind and around the
vehicle before driving. Failure to use
proper care may result in injury, death,
or vehicle damage. Park Assist
With Front and Rear Park Assist (FRPA), as
the vehicle moves at speeds of less than
8 km/h (5 mph) the sensors on the bumpers
may detect objects up to 1.2 m (4 ft) in front
and 2.5 m (8 ft) behind the vehicle within a
zone 25 cm (10 in) high off the ground and
below bumper level. These detection
distances may be shorter during warmer or
humid weather. Blocked sensors will not
detect objects and can also cause false
detections. Keep the sensors clean of mud,
dirt, snow, ice, and slush; and clean sensors
after a car wash in freezing temperatures.
{Warning
The Park Assist system does not detect
children, pedestrians, bicyclists, animals,
or objects located below the bumper or
that are too close or too far from the
vehicle. It is not available at speeds
greater than 8 km/h (5 mph). To prevent
injury, death, or vehicle damage, even
with Park Assist, always check the area
around the vehicle and check all mirrors
before moving forward or backing.

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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Driving and Operating 207
The instrument cluster may have a Park
Assist display with bars that show“distance
to object” and object location information.
As the object gets closer, more bars light up
and the bars may change color from yellow
to amber to red.
When an object is first detected in the rear,
one beep will be heard from the rear. When
an object is very close —<0.6 m (2 ft) in the
vehicle rear, or <0.3 m (1 ft) in the vehicle
front —five beeps will sound from the front
or rear depending on where the object is
detected. Beeps for Front Park Assist (FPA)
are higher pitched than for Rear Park
Assist (RPA).
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
If equipped, when the vehicle is shifted into
R (Reverse), RCTA displays a red warning
triangle with a left or right pointing arrow
on the infotainment display to warn of traffic coming from the left or right. This
system detects objects coming from up to
20 m (65 ft) from the left or right side of
the vehicle. When an object is detected,
three beeps sound from either the left or
right, depending on the direction of the
detected vehicle.
Turning the Features On or Off
TheXbutton on the center console is
used to turn on or off the Front and Rear
Park Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert at
the same time. The indicator light next to
the button comes on when the features are
on and turns off when the features have
been disabled.
To turn the rear Park Assist symbols or
guidance lines on or off, see “Rear Camera
Park Assist Symbols” underVehicle
Personalization 0100. RCTA can also be turned on or off through
vehicle personalization. See
“Collision/
Detection Systems” underVehicle
Personalization 0100.
Automatic Parking Assist (APA)
If equipped, APA searches for and steers the
vehicle into parallel or perpendicular parking
spots. When using APA, you must still shift
gears, and control the brakes and
accelerator. A display and audible beeps help
to guide parking maneuvers.
{Warning
APA does not apply the brakes. APA may
not detect objects in the parking space,
objects that are soft or narrow, objects
high off the ground such as flatbed
trucks, or objects below ground level such
as large potholes. Always verify that the
parking space is appropriate for parking a
vehicle. APA does not respond to changes
in the parking space, such as movement
of an adjacent vehicle, or a person or
object entering the parking space. APA
does not detect or avoid traffic that is
(Continued)

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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208 Driving and Operating
Warning (Continued)
behind or alongside of the vehicle.
Always be prepared to stop the vehicle
during the parking maneuver.
Press
Oon the center console to enable
the system to search for a parking space
that is large enough and within 1.5 m (5 ft)
of the vehicle. The vehicle speed must be
below 30 km/h (18 mph).
The system cannot:
.Detect whether it is a legal parking space.
.Park exactly lined up with the vehicle
next to it if the spot is approached at an
angle or if the parking space is angled.
.Park exactly centered in a spot that is
marked too large.
.Always detect short curbs.
When enabled, APA searches for parallel
parking spaces to the right of the vehicle. To
search for a parking space to the left, turn
on the left turn signal or, if available,
change the side selection in the
infotainment display. To switch the parking
mode between parallel and perpendicular, press and hold
Oduring the search process
or, if available, change the parking mode in
the infotainment display.
After completely passing a large enough
space, an audible beep occurs. A red stop
symbol and message is displayed.
If the vehicle is in R (Reverse), but does not
steer into the expected space, this may be
because the system is maneuvering the
vehicle into a previously detected space. The
APA system does not need service.
APA will instruct the vehicle to stop once a
large enough space is found. Follow the
displayed instructions. When instructed, shift
to R (Reverse) to engage automatic steering.
The steering wheel will briefly vibrate as a
reminder to remove hands from the steering
wheel. Check surroundings and continue
braking or accelerating as needed, and be
prepared to stop to avoid vehicles,
pedestrians, or objects.
If the vehicle exceeds 10 km/h (6 mph), APA
is automatically disengaged and automatic
steering will turn off. A progress arrow
displays the status of the parking maneuver.
Depending on the space size, additional
maneuvers may be required, and there will
be additional instructions. When changing
gears, allow the automatic steering to
complete before continuing the parking
maneuver. Upon successful completion of a

Chevrolet Malibu Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada-
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320 Customer Information
Customer Information
Customer Information
Customer Satisfaction Procedure . . . . . . 320
Customer Assistance Offices . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Customer Assistance for Text Telephone(TTY) Users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
Online Owner Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 322
GM Mobility Reimbursement Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323
Roadside Assistance Program . . . . . . . . . . 323
Scheduling Service Appointments . . . . . . 324
Courtesy Transportation Program . . . . . . 325
Collision Damage Repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Publication Ordering Information . . . . . . 327
Radio Frequency Statement . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Reporting Safety Defects
Reporting Safety Defects to the United States Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Reporting Safety Defects to the Canadian Government . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328
Reporting Safety Defects to General Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy
Vehicle Data Recording and Privacy . . . 329
Cybersecurity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 329
Event Data Recorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
OnStar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Infotainment System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330Customer Information
Customer Satisfaction Procedure
Your satisfaction and goodwill are important
to your dealer and to Chevrolet. Normally,
any concerns with the sales transaction or
the operation of the vehicle will be resolved
by your dealer's sales or service
departments. Sometimes, however, despite
the best intentions of all concerned,
misunderstandings can occur. If your concern
has not been resolved to your satisfaction,
the following steps should be taken:
STEP ONE : Discuss your concern with a
member of dealership management.
Normally, concerns can be quickly resolved
at that level. If the matter has already been
reviewed with the sales, service, or parts
manager, contact the owner of your
dealership or the general manager.
STEP TWO : If after contacting a member of
dealership management, it appears your
concern cannot be resolved by your
dealership without further help, in the U.S.,
call the Chevrolet Customer Assistance
Center at 1-800-222-1020. In Canada, call
General Motors of Canada Customer Care
Centre at 1-800-263-3777 (English),
or 1-800-263-7854 (French).

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330 Customer Information
the event you suspect any security incident
impacting your data or the safe operation of
your vehicle, please stop operating your
vehicle and contact your dealer.
Event Data Recorders
This vehicle is equipped with an event data
recorder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR
is to record, in certain crash or near
crash-like situations, such as an air bag
deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data
that will assist in understanding how a
vehicle’s systems performed. The EDR is
designed to record data related to vehicle
dynamics and safety systems for a short
period of time, typically 30 seconds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record
such data as:
.How various systems in your vehicle were
operating;
.Whether or not the driver and passenger
safety belts were buckled/fastened;
.How far (if at all) the driver was
depressing the accelerator and/or brake
pedal; and,
.How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better
understanding of the circumstances in which
crashes and injuries occur. Note
EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only
if a non-trivial crash situation occurs; no
data are recorded by the EDR under normal
driving conditions and no personal data
(e.g., name, gender, age, and crash location)
are recorded. However, other parties, such
as law enforcement, could combine the EDR
data with the type of personally identifying
data routinely acquired during a crash
investigation.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special
equipment is required, and access to the
vehicle or the EDR is needed. In addition to
the vehicle manufacturer, other parties, such
as law enforcement, that have the special
equipment, can read the information if they
have access to the vehicle or the EDR.
GM will not access these data or share it
with others except: with the consent of the
vehicle owner or, if the vehicle is leased,
with the consent of the lessee; in response
to an official request by police or similar
government office; as part of GM's defense
of litigation through the discovery process;
or, as required by law. Data that GM collects
or receives may also be used for GM
research needs or may be made available to
others for research purposes, where a need
is shown and the data is not tied to a
specific vehicle or vehicle owner.
OnStar
If the vehicle is equipped with OnStar and
has an active service plan, additional data
may be collected and transmitted through
the OnStar system. This includes information
about the vehicle’s operation; collisions
involving the vehicle; the use of the vehicle
and its features, including infotainment; and
the location and approximate GPS speed of
the vehicle. Refer to the OnStar Terms and
Conditions and Privacy Statement on the
OnStar website.
See
OnStar Additional Information 0332.
Infotainment System
If the vehicle is equipped with a navigation
system as part of the infotainment system,
use of the system may result in the storage
of destinations, addresses, telephone
numbers, and other trip information. See the
infotainment section for information on
stored data and for deletion instructions.