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2016 Chevrolet Malibu Limited

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2016 Malibu Limited.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (S6)

The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Limited is a midsize passenger car built on Chevrolet’s contemporary platform and equipped with an automatic six‑speed transmission that pairs with an engine requiring 5.0‑6.0 L of oil at a viscosity of 5W‑20 or 0W‑20. Its EPA fuel‑economy ratings of 23 mpg city, 33 mpg highway and a combined 27 mpg reflect the efficiency of that drivetrain configuration. While the model logged 810 owner complaints—most frequently centered on engine issues—and was subject to ten recalls, it occupies a middle position in the Malibu’s reliability timeline, indicating that the 2016 year is neither a high‑point nor a low‑point but a modestly dependable iteration within the generation.

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5.0-6.0OEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-20 / 0W-20OEM · verified
EPA fuel economy23/33/27 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 47 · 525 CCA battery, OE oil filter 25206377. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 47 · 525 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP215/60R16OEM · verified
Wheel / rim7.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter25206377
Engine air filter20972654
Spark plug12680074
Battery88864542 alt 88866184
Front wiper blades84589113 alt 84589112
Serpentine belt12627134
Thermostat12630780 alt 25201447
Cabin air filter13503677

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S6)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length191.7 in
Overall width72.8 in
Overall height57.5 in
Wheelbase107.9 in
Curb weight3583 lb
Track (front / rear)62.2 / 61.8 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)60/40

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined23 / 33 / 27 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume100 cu ft
Cargo volume16 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5.0-6.0 of 5W-20 / 0W-20 engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-3-4-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidDEXRON(R)-VI GM P/N 89020661
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity6.5
Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantDex Cool
Engine Coolant Capacity7.8 qt
Engine CoolantDex-Cool
Engine Coolant Capacity7.5
Engine Oil5W-20 · SAE 0W

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs89 inch lbs. ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Steering Track (Rod End) Bolts74.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.50 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity5.10 oz
Standard BCI Group Number47
Standard BCI Cranking Performance525 cca

Service checks

Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)43-51 Diesel
Residual Pressure43-58 in idle psi
Regulated Fuel System Pressure (With Vacuum)43-58 psi at idle psi
Engine Compression100 min psi

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier TorqueFront: 20; Rear: 20 /
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt TorqueFront: 111; Rear: 74 /; Front: 111 Tighten; Rear: 74 Tighten
ABS Sensor Torque6.6 / NS
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: 1.070; Rear: J60: .395; J61: .827
Variation from Parallelism Thickness Variation.0002
Maximum Rotor Runout.002

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
118.0 ft. lbs, Step 2: 11018 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts.

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
2190 degrees190 degrees
3Front bolts 26.0 ft. lbs.26 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 97,500 mi.

Every 7,500 miAccelerator Pedal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (inspect fluid level) · Engine Oil (inspect fluid level)
Every 22,500 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 45,000 miBrake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 97,500 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Limited top in one area — the engine, 77 of 810 reports (10%), well ahead of the next concern. NHTSA has issued no recalls for this vehicle, so these are owner-reported concerns only. 20 of the reports describe a crash and 2 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the engine pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

10
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
1426
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
810
Owner complaints
20 involved a crash · 2 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 810 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine77
Unknown Or Other74
Power Train56
Electrical System46
Vehicle Speed Control36
Service Brakes32
Vehicle Speed Control,Engine28
Electrical System,Engine24

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1426 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIT3271Q2026-04-01Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information communicates information about how to determine if a wheel…
PIP61042026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary information communicates the steps on how to save a GDS2 Session Log and…
PIP4902V2026-03-09Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIP4902U2026-01-08Unknown Or OtherThis preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into…
PIT5214G2025-11-20Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Malibu Limited. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 47 batteryVehicles taking 5.0-6.0Engine oil filter 25206377Engine air filter 20972654Spark plug 12680074Battery 88864542

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBsOBD-II trouble codesTorque specificationsMaintenance schedulesFluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2016 Malibu Limited take?

5.0-6.0 of 5W-20 meeting GM Dexos 1 specification or equivalent. Where temperatures fall below -20 degreesF, GM recommends using an SAE 0W-20 oil., per the factory manual.

Does the 2016 Malibu Limited have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Malibu Limited get?

EPA figures are 23 city / 33 highway / 27 combined mpg.