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2009 Chevrolet Malibu

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2009 Malibu.

Body PASSENGER CAR

The 2009 Chevrolet Malibu is classified as a passenger car and is serviced with 5 quarts of 5W-30 API engine oil, a concrete maintenance datum that anchors its mechanical profile. Owner-reported data records 1,509 complaints and six recalls for this model year, with steering standing out as the top complaint category. Within the model’s 1997–2025 complaint history, the 2009 total sits just below the 2004 peak of 1,697 complaints and far above the 2025 low of 7, placing it near the upper end of historical problem volume and meaning that steering issues and recall coverage warrant close scrutiny from any researcher.

Model year2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2009

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity5 qtOEM · verified

Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified

Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 90 · 590 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12690386. 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 90 · 590 CCAOEM · verified

Tire sizeP215/55R17OEM · verified

Wheel / rim7 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12690386 alt 12731179
Engine air filter	22676970
Spark plug	12681662 alt 12681663
Battery	88866263
Front wiper blades	19432583 alt 19432584
Serpentine belt	12577771 alt 12639468
Thermostat	12622410 alt 12591881

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	191.7 in
Overall width	70.5 in
Overall height	57.1 in
Wheelbase	112.2 in
Curb weight	3455 lb
Track (front / rear)	59.8 / 60.2 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	59/41

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Malibu of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

9.2 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 9.20 sec — 2009 Hybrid

Year	Trim / engine	0–60	¼ mile	HP	Drivetrain
2009	Hybrid 2.4L I-4 + Elec 10-kW	9.20 sec	17.10 sec	164 hp	FWD
2008	LTZ V6 3.6L V6	6.40 sec	15.00 sec	252 hp	FWD
2008	LTZ V6 3.6L V6	6.50 sec	15.10 sec	252 hp	FWD
2008	LTZ V6 3.6L V6	6.50 sec	15.10 sec	252 hp	FWD
2008	2LT V6 3.6L V6	7.10 sec	15.60 sec	252 hp	FWD
2008	LTZ 2.4L I-4	8.60 sec	16.70 sec	169 hp	FWD
2008	1LT 2.4L I-4	8.70 sec	16.70 sec	169 hp	FWD
2008	Hybrid 2.4L I-4 + Elec	8.80 sec	16.80 sec	164 hp	FWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 22.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	4.2-6.3
Brake Fluid	DOT 3
Engine Coolant	DEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	5 qt
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	5.5 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	Upper: 18 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	15 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	17 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	18 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	22.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	159 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.039-0.0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque	15.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Gap	0.040 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	1.10 lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	5.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number	90
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	590 cca
Standard BCI Group Number	90

Service checks

Pressure Test	15, Pressure should not exceed 20 psi.
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	185-205 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	50-60
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)	56-62
Injector Primary Resistance	11-14 @ 50-90 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression	140
Engine Compression	100

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket	26 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	96 ft-lbs
Torque Caliper to Bracket	26 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	96 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation	0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit	0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From	1.023 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

installation, 92 ft. lbs., step 2: remove bolt, step 3: install new bolt, 92 ft. lbs., step 4: 130

92 ft. lbs

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

74 ft. lbs., step 2: 150

74 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 25,000 mi	Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect)
Every 50,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

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

In the federal record, the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu logged 1,509 complaints, 6 recalls, 1 investigation and 1,098 TSBs. This complaint total exceeds the 1,015 complaints in 2008 and the 1,359 complaints in 2010, placing 2009 at a local peak in the mid‑2000s to early‑2010s trend. Recall activity for 2009 (6) is comparable to 2008 (5) and higher than 2010 (4), while investigations rose from zero in the surrounding years to a single case in 2009. Across the broader generation (1997‑2025), complaints rose sharply in 2004, fell to a low‑mid range around 2007‑2008, climbed again in 2009, then declined steadily through the 2010s and 2020s. Given that 2009 sits above the adjacent years in both complaint and recall counts, it represents a relatively less favorable year for reliability compared with the immediate predecessor and successor models.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

1098

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

1,509

Owner complaints

41 involved a crash · 9 a fire

Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03 ’04 ’05 ’06 ’07 ’08’09’10 ’11 ’12 ’13 ’14 ’15 ’16 ’17 ’18 ’19 ’20 ’21 ’22 ’23 ’24 ’25

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1,509 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Steering497

Steering,Electronic Stability Control (Esc)85

Electrical System79

Power Train68

Exterior Lighting55

Steering,Electrical System45

Electrical System,Latches/Locks/Linkages31

Air Bags30

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 6 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

14V252000Electrical System:WiringReported 14/05/2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and…

14V153000Steering:Electric Power Assist SystemReported 31/03/2014

General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 1098 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
13598	2025-09-09	Unknown Or Other	New Vehicle Monitoring Programs Section in IVH
PIC5650M	2025-08-06	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5074R	2025-05-30	Unknown Or Other	This 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. 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 90 battery Vehicles taking 5 qt Engine oil filter 12690386 Engine air filter 22676970 Spark plug 12681662 Battery 88866263

Reference guides

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

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2009 Malibu take?

5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2009 Malibu have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.