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 19172 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.
- steering5532 complaints
- electrical system4661 complaints
- service brakes2456 complaints
- engine2131 complaints
- exterior lighting1910 complaints
- power train1637 complaints
- hydraulic1284 complaints
- unknown or other1251 complaints