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9th generation (E2XX) · Mid-size sedan (production ended November 2024; 2025 is the final model year)

2016–2025 Chevrolet Malibu Specifications

Every maintenance specification shared across the 2016–2025 Chevrolet Malibu: which oil and how much, battery group, factory tire sizes, wiper lengths, service intervals, and the failures recorded against this generation.

Last verified

Photo: SsmIntrigue / CC BY-SA 4.0. Illustrative, not necessarily your model year or trim.

Quick facts

Engine oil
0W-20, 4.2 qt (base engine)
Battery
Group 48 (H6)
Tire size
205/65R16 (base trim)
Wiper blades
26" / 18"
Cabin filter
ACDelco CF185
Key fob battery
CR2032 (smart key fob)

2016–2025 Chevrolet Malibu maintenance guides

Oil & filter

Viscosity, capacity, filter part numbers, change interval

Battery

BCI group size, cold cranking amps, AGM or flooded

Tires & wheels

Factory sizes by trim, pressures, bolt pattern, lug torque

Wiper blades

Driver, passenger and rear blade lengths

Air & cabin filters

Cabin and engine air filter part numbers, locations, intervals

Bulbs

Headlight, fog and marker bulb types

Brakes

Rotor diameters, pad references, service notes

Fluids

Transmission fluid, coolant, brake fluid and capacities

Service schedule

What's actually due at every mileage interval

Problems & reliability

Documented failures, recalls, and which years to avoid

Oil light reset

Step-by-step maintenance light reset, no tools

Key fob battery

Which coin cell the remote takes

Specs

Towing, weight, fuel tank, fuel economy

Which engines came in the 2016–2025 Chevrolet Malibu?

EngineModel yearsTrimsOilCapacity
1.5L Turbo (LFV Ecotec)2016–2025L, LS, LT, RS (2019+), 2LT (2024–25), 160 hp (rated 163 hp in later years); 6-speed auto 2016–18, CVT 2019+0W-204.2 qt
2.0L Turbo (LTG Ecotec)2016–2022Premier (2016–2022), Aisin AF50-8 8-speed 2016–18, 9T50 9-speed 2019–225W-305 qt
1.8L Hybrid (LKN + two-motor drive unit)2016–2019Hybrid (2016–2019), 182 hp combined, Volt-derived drive unit, 1.5 kWh lithium-ion pack5W-205.3 qt

Year-by-year changes

  • 2016Generation launch, nearly 300 lbs lighter, stop-start standard on 1.5T. Note: a 2016 'Malibu Limited' is the previous-generation car sold to fleets, use 2013–2015 data for those.
  • 20172.0T Ecotec's transmission upgrades from an 8-speed to a 9-speed automatic, and the 2.0T becomes Premier-exclusive (dropped from LT)
  • 2018Final carryover year before the 2019 mid-cycle refresh; LS/LT/Premier lineup and 1.5T 6-speed / 2.0T 9-speed powertrains unchanged from 2017
  • 2019Facelift: new fascias, RS trim added, 1.5T switched from 6-speed to CVT, 2.0T to 9-speed, fuel tank grew to 15.8 gal, low-beam bulb changed to H11. Final year of the Hybrid.
  • 2020Base L trim gains standard 16-in aluminum wheels (from LS); all trims standardize on the 8-in Chevrolet Infotainment 3 system, replacing the previous 7-in unit
  • 2020–2022L dropped (2020 was its last year); lineup LS/RS/LT/Premier. 2022 was the final year for the Premier trim and 2.0T engine.
  • 2021Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto added
  • 2022Mechanical parking brake replaced by an electronic parking brake across all trims
  • 2023Premier trim replaced by 2LT; LT no longer comes standard with leather seats
  • 2023–20251.5T only (LS/RS/1LT/2LT). Production ended at Fairfax Assembly in November 2024; 2025 is the final model year.
  • 2024Final full model year of Malibu production; Chevrolet ended assembly at the Fairfax plant (Kansas City) in November 2024 with no direct successor

Model years in this generation

2016 Malibu2017 Malibu2018 Malibu2019 Malibu2020 Malibu2021 Malibu2022 Malibu2023 Malibu2024 Malibu2025 Malibu

Year pages cover what changed that year, the engines offered, and the problems documented against it. For the full nameplate history, see the Chevrolet Malibu guide.

Sources