Reliability & 5-year cost of ownership — 2011 Chevrolet Malibu
NHTSA data on file today
The 2011 Chevrolet Malibu has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns and 978 owner complaints on file as of . Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.
NCAP overall rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars, for the 1 NHTSA-tested trim.
Recall campaigns on file
- NHTSA #19V019000 Driver's Frontal Air Bag Inflator May Explode NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #15V269000 Steel Cable that Anchors Seat Belt may Fail NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14E044000 Steering Shaft Inadequate Support of U-Joint NHTSA notice
- NHTSA #14V252000 Brake Lights may or may not Randomly Illuminate NHTSA notice
Most-cited components in owner complaints
- Electrical System 235 complaints
- Steering 214 complaints
- Electronic Stability Control (ESC) 174 complaints
- Engine 160 complaints
- Exterior Lighting 130 complaints
- Power Train 112 complaints
Of the 978 complaints on file, 40 report a crash and 17 a fire; across all 978 complaints, owners report 41 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).
Below average
Estimated 5-year repair + maintenance cost: $8,000–$14,000AI estimate — not from NHTSA data
The 2011 Chevrolet Malibu has a substantial number of owner complaints (978) and several recalls, indicating potential reliability concerns. Key issues focus on the electrical system, steering, and airbags. These issues, along with four recall campaigns, suggest the vehicle struggles with reliability, but the data is moderately comprehensive.
Most-common failures
| Part | Typical mileage (AI estimate) | Cost range (AI estimate) | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | Unknown | $300–$900 | very common |
| Steering | Unknown | No reliable estimate | very common |
| Electronic stability control | Unknown | $500–$1,500 | common |
| Engine | Unknown | $2,000–$4,000 | 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
- Tire rotations
- Brake pad replacements
- Coolant flush
- Transmission fluid change
- Air filter replacements
Warning signs to watch for
Symptoms that signal a major upcoming repair.
- Difficulty steering
- Warning lights on dashboard
- Unresponsive airbag
- Evasive ESC activation
- Engine misfires
Generated by gpt-4o on from the NHTSA recall campaigns and owner-complaint counts on file for the 2011 Chevrolet Malibu at the time. The rating is an AI assessment; cost and mileage figures are AI estimates, not NHTSA data.