The loudest Malibu year — buy only a documented 1.5T with the engine and pedal programs done.

The single loudest cluster in the complaint file: the car drops into a reduced-power limp mode — maximum acceleration and torque cut, Check Engine Light on, an 'Engine Power is Reduced' message, and a diagnostic trouble code (P2138) — because the electrical connection to an accelerator-pedal-position sensor is interrupted. GM issued a Special Coverage (an extended free-repair program) for the 2016–2018 Malibu addressing exactly this. Owners describe it striking on the highway with the family aboard. Confirm the Special Coverage was completed, and treat any reduced-power episode on a test drive as this until proven otherwise.

A distinctive Malibu pattern. The brake vacuum pump can fail, setting code P1101 and leaving a rock-hard brake pedal that makes the car hard to stop. GM's own preliminary-information bulletin acknowledges 'increased brake pedal effort due to vacuum pump failure,' and a related booster bulletin covers a weak-vacuum condition (code P050F). The alarming twist owners report on the 1.5-liter turbo: debris from the failing pump migrating into the camshaft and timing chain, turning a brake fix into engine damage. A firm, unassisted pedal on a test drive is a serious red flag here — do not dismiss it as normal.

Recall 16V-272 covers 2016 Malibus built over a narrow window in March 2016: the memory chip in the electronic brake control module can fail, dropping anti-lock braking and electronic stability control (a failure to meet the federal stability-control standard). The base brakes still work, but losing ABS and stability control raises crash risk. The fix — a replacement module — is free. Some owners outside the VIN range report matching brake-drag symptoms; if the car isn't in the recall population but drags or overheats its brakes, have it diagnosed.

Two GM-family electrical annoyances that show up throughout the file. The 'Shift to Park' message can appear when the car is already in park, sometimes preventing the engine from shutting off and draining the 12-volt battery. Separately, the stop/start system (auto-stop) can stall the car when it should restart. Neither has a safety recall, and there's no clean permanent cure — but a car that repeatedly refuses to shut off, or that stalls out of auto-stop on the drive, is showing you a known headache.

Two fuel-side items. A failing fuel pump can leave a 2016 stranded with a no-start, often preceded by a whine from the tank. And a subset of complaints describe fuel-injector O-ring / backing-ring leaks under high pressure creating an under-hood fire hazard, with a few owners reporting actual fires. Listen for tank whine, and treat any fuel smell under the hood as urgent.

The low-volume 2016 Malibu Hybrid carries two of its own quiet programs. A Special Coverage addresses a failing electrical connection in the hybrid battery cooling blower motor, which can inhibit the electric drive motor and light the Check Engine Light. A separate Special Coverage covers a water leak through the center high-mounted stop lamp — significant on the hybrid because water can drip over the high-voltage battery in the trunk. On a hybrid, check the trunk for dampness and ask whether both programs were done.