Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2009 Chevrolet Malibu
NHTSA data on file today
The 2009 Chevrolet Malibu has 6 NHTSA recall campaigns and 1,511 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #14E044000 Steering Shaft Inadequate Support of U-Joint NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V252000 Brake Lights may or may not Randomly Illuminate NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V153000 Sudden Loss of Electric Power Steering NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #12V460000 The Transmission Shift Cable May Detach NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #09V073000 SHIFT LEVER INDICATOR/FMVSS 102 & FMVSS 114 NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #08V634000 FMVSS 103/HVAC SYSTEM INOPERATIVE NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Steering 769 complaints
- Electrical System 368 complaints
- Electronic Stability Control (ESC) 255 complaints
- Exterior Lighting 172 complaints
- Service Brakes 142 complaints
- Power Train 121 complaints
Of the 1,511 complaints on file, 41 report a crash and 9 a fire; across all 1,511 complaints, owners report 44 injuries and 3 deaths (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $5,500–$10,500AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2009 Chevrolet Malibu has an average reliability with significant owner complaints, notably in steering and electrical systems. Six recall campaigns highlight concerns, though the data shows potential reliability if well-maintained. Despite the high number of complaints, the evidence on specific failures beyond these categories is limited.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| steering | Unknown | $500–$1,200 | very common |
| electrical system | Unknown | $300–$1,000 | common |
AI estimate — not from NHTSA data: the mileage bands and repair-cost ranges above. Get a written repair quote before you budget.
Scheduled maintenance to budget
Routine items every owner should plan for.
- Oil and filter changes
- Brake pad and rotor replacement
- Tire rotations and balance
- Transmission fluid change
- Coolant flush
- Spark plug replacement
- Air filter replacement
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Steering stiffness or noise
- Flickering lights or power loss
- Strange brake pedal feel
- Transmission shifting issues
- Unusual engine noises
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2009 Chevrolet Malibu at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.