Reliability & cost of ownership
Chevrolet Malibu Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Chevrolet Malibu? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Chevrolet Malibu problems by model year
130 recall entries and 19317 owner complaints on file across 29 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Chevrolet Malibu, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- steering5549 complaints
- electrical system4704 complaints
- service brakes2474 complaints
- engine2160 complaints
- exterior lighting1913 complaints
- power train1656 complaints
- unknown or other1287 complaints
- hydraulic1286 complaints