[zbrad]

My 2016 1.5T just rolled 100,000 miles today. I didn't plan to keep it this long, but the car has been very reliable. I experienced a few minor issues early on, but the motor and transmission are still going strong. My car is a highway queen, so 90% of the miles are light duty. Has anyone else hit the hundo?

 

[landonm11]

Wow, haven’t seen any gen 9s up quite that high yet. Glad to hear she’s still going strong. My gen 7 (2010 1LT) just got to 147k, she’s also largely a highway queen as well.

Engine and transmission are showing signs of wear, so i honestly dont know how much longer i have. On cold starts i get engine tapping, not sure if it’s just lifter noise, worn timing chain, or what. The sound does completely go away when warmed up though.

Transmission has slow shifts out of 3rd and into 5th at times, but when I take It easy and let off the gas it shifts very well still.

Babying her with full synthetic oil changes every 3,000 miles, and driving much more conservatively than i used to. Hoping to get another a year or so before the inevitable power train failure.

 

[17MalibuHybrid]

Mine is at 108,260.

 

[Reb03lb7]

my '16 hybrid has about 120,000 on it now

 

[avxkim]

Have you replaced your turbine?

 

[rcamburn]

My '16 hybrid has 130,000 miles on it, so far....

 

[GarBec]

Wow, some of you with 100K plus must never let the poor things cool off!

 

[campb292]

I made it to 100k this morning.

The good: The car is running really well. The entire powertrain has been problem-free the entire 100k. The engine sounds the same as it did at 5k, idles smooth, and power and economy seem no different that when I first got it. Lifetime mpg is sitting at 33.2 according to the mychevrolet app and 32.9 according to my fuelio records. The white paint is still bright and coat seems fine. Seats are showing no wear at all. Infotainment still working fine with Android Auto, USBs, bluetooth etc. Pads and rotors are original. Aside from oil changes early on, most of the maintenance has been DIY. The design made maintenance work pretty easy IMO.

The bad: it was a first year car. I've never bought a first year, will make sure not to try it again in the future. While repair cost to me for the first 100k has been less than $500, I had a no cost service contract that covered over $7000 in repairs. That isn't even counting the repairs covered under bumper to bumper. The whole list is HERE. My feelings are best described as complicated. The dealer has always provided me a loaner and my personal cost has been low. I know there is wasted time going back and forth but sometimes I enjoy getting a loaner for a couple days - just to try something different. Then I think... what if I hadn't noticed the oil overfill or they didn't give me a service contract and I had to foot those repair bills? Contract runs out at 110k.

 

[zbrad]

The bad: it was a first year car. I've never bought a first year, will make sure not to try it again in the future.

Same here. That is the reason I decided to sell my Malibu at the 110k mark. My car only experienced a few minor problems, but I didn't trust it anymore due to the large number of known issues for the 2016 model year. It would have been nice to keep it for another year, however, one or two major repairs would have wiped out any remaining value in the car.

I recently purchased a 2021 Equinox, which is the 4th production year for the current generation. It may become dated soon, but I don't expect to see as many TSB's compared to the earlier years. That peace of mind is important to me. If all goes well, I hope to drive the 'Nox until 150k or more.

 

[1.Malibu16]

My 2016 LT is right at 104,000. I replaced the transmission cooler lines about 10,000 miles ago. Keep an eye on them.

 

[Malo83]

Wow, i'm falling behind my 2008 Malibu LTZ 3.6 just rolled 69K.

 

[DrivenDaily]

Wow, i'm falling behind my 2008 Malibu LTZ 3.6 just rolled 69K.

Them's a lots o' miles! You should sell me the car for spare parts.

 

[Malo83]

Momma won't have it, she said it'll be my neck if I ever get rid of it.

 

[Sharon]

Wow! My Gen8 is still under 70k but shortly after getting the car I was given a work vehicle so my "daily" driver is hardly touched.

 

[Bruins96]

Yesterday I rolled over 200,000 in my 2016 1.5 LT so consider me joined. I started a new 200,000 club.

 

[MoooooveOva]

My 2016 LT is right at 104,000. I replaced the transmission cooler lines about 10,000 miles ago. Keep an eye on them.

Great tip; never thought of keeping an eye on them. Saved this to my car notes.

 

[MoooooveOva]

My 2018 Malibu LT is sitting at 114,850 hahaa. Bought it for $11k in March of 2020. It had 42k already on it from being a Hertz rental. Relatively risky purchase since it had a small fender bender in 2019, but multiple inspections and test drives had me convinced it was still solid.

Similar experience to other high mileage gen 9s. Engine has been magnificent. Oil and oil filter changes between 5 and 7k miles apart; spark plugs and coil packs once so far at 90k miles. Transmission is rather laggy to begin with, but ive also noticed shifting 3rd into 4th can be rough (rpms briefly rise before it engages 4th gear). This issue is seen mostly in first few miles of a drive or sometimes when under hard acceleration. Will be getting this checked out by a mechanic if it gets any worse. Transmission fluid changes every 30k miles so far using ac delco dexron-vi.

Recalls and other common issues have been fixed at dealership: Pedal sensor, transmission fluid pan bolts, shift to park.

Same battery from when i bought her. New set of Continental PureContact LS all seasons, recently rotated and then got a nail puncture same day. Plugged and sealed; probably shouldve patched as well, but its holding air and performing normally. OEM pads and rotors at 100k. New oem windshield wipers.

Needs: coolant flush, brake fluid change, battery, trans cooler lines (just learned this). If anyone has additional preventative maintenance items i havent mentioned please speak up. At 140k i plan to do suspension work including front strut assembly, rear shocks, rear sway bar (want stiffer than oem), front and rear end links, front and rear hub bearing assembly, cv axles, and finally rear knuckles (knocking has been heard since 70k, but only hear it in hotter months).

Thank you for letting me share my Bu with you.

 

[DrivenDaily]

Sounds like you're on top of your maintenance. I like to see that you have a schedule for trans fluid drain/fill!

Inspect the trans cooler lines. No need to replace unless there's an issue.

Rear sway bar should not be larger/stiffer than the front or you could end up with handling issues.

 

[MoooooveOva]

Sounds like you're on top of your maintenance. I like to see that you have a schedule for trans fluid drain/fill!

Inspect the trans cooler lines. No need to replace unless there's an issue.

Rear sway bar should not be larger/stiffer than the front or you could end up with handling issues.

Thanks!

I figure im checking for corrosion, leaks, and punctures w the trans cooler lines?

As for the sway bar i was looking for a fitting one that keeps the wild body roll at bay - not gone completely, but want something more refined. Ill try it out, maybe do same in front if need be, or just keep stock if it creates too many 3 wheel scenarios.

 

[campb292]

I figure im checking for corrosion, leaks, and punctures w the trans cooler lines?

Yes. The only gen9 report of leaking trans cooler lines I have ever read is the report above. With about 800,000 cars on the road in the USA alone it doesn't seem very common or even rare. Possible though and worth a look. I checked mine when that was reported and everything looked like new.

As for the sway bar i was looking for a fitting one that keeps the wild body roll at bay - not gone completely, but want something more refined. Ill try it out, maybe do same in front if need be, or just keep stock if it creates too many 3 wheel scenarios.

If you have wild body roll, you probably need a suspension inspection. That or the tires are getting sloppy. I recently put new tires on mine and was surprised how bad my old tires had gotten. I thought it was suspension aging but it sure wasn't.