Model record
Chevrolet Malibu Years to Avoid: Reliability and Recalls
Every Chevrolet Malibu model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025: how many complaints each year drew, the problem owners named most, and the recalls to check before you buy.
NHTSA owner complaintsChecked Oct 3, 20267,594 complaints16 model years
The Chevrolet Malibu years with the most owner complaints are 2010, 2011 and 2012. Owners named the steering most for 2010, and the electrical system for 2011 and 2012.
It's a count of reports, not a failure rate, and the newest years have had less time on the road to collect them.
Most of the complaints fall on the 2010 to 2012 Malibu, and they peak at 1,359 for 2010.
Chevrolet Malibu complaints by model year
Every Chevrolet Malibu model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025. Years with 2,000 or more complaints are dark; beside each bar is the system owners named most that year.
- 2010Steering33%1,359
- 2011Electrical system23%976
- 2012Electrical system31%905
- 2013Electrical system44%835
- 2014Engine36%350
- 2015Engine26%269
- 2016Engine36%835
- 2017Engine36%699
- 2018Engine40%694
- 2019Electrical system32%188
- 2020Engine30%195
- 2021Electrical system33%86
- 2022Electrical system34%91
- 2023Backup camera22%65
- 2024Electrical system43%37
- 2025Backup camera40%10
Best Chevrolet Malibu years by complaint count
Of the years with at least five years on the road, these drew the fewest owner complaints. Fewer reports is not a clean bill of health: check the recalls for the exact car, and remember 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 have had less time to collect complaints.
- 2021Electrical system · 2 recalls86
- 2019Electrical system · 1 recall188
- 2020Engine · 1 recall195
Most common Chevrolet Malibu problems
The systems owners named most across all 16 model years, counted from each year's six most-named systems.
- Electrical systemNamed most in 7 of 16 years2,088
- EngineNamed most in 6 of 16 years1,666
- SteeringNamed most in 1 of 16 years1,029
- PowertrainNever the top system in a year815
- Stability controlNever the top system in a year633
Our guides for these problems
Check engine codes Chevrolet Malibu owners name
The OBD-II codes owners wrote into their complaints for the Malibu years we have read in full (2010), one count per complaint. None of these codes has a guide yet.
Chevrolet Malibu years to avoid by generation
Chevrolet called the 2013 and the 2016 Malibu all-new, so the years in the file fall into three groups. NHTSA's file has the Malibu from 2010 to 2025.
2010–2012
Before the all-new 2013
2010 most complaints · steering
- 20101,359
- 2011976
- 2012905
3,240 complaints · 3 model years
2013–2015
All-new for 2013
2013 most complaints · electrical system
- 2013835
- 2014350
- 2015269
1,454 complaints · 3 model years
2016–2025
All-new for 2016
2016 most complaints · engine
- 2016835
- 2017699
- 2018694
- 2019188
- 2020195
- 202186
- 202291
- 202365
- 202437
- 202510
2,900 complaints · 10 model years
Chevrolet Malibu recalls by year
Recall campaigns NHTSA lists for each model year, read Oct 3, 2026. A campaign that covers several years counts in each of them. Recall repairs are free at the dealer; check one car with its VIN.
- 2010Most often: airbag system4
- 2011Most often: airbag system4
- 2012Most often: seat belts3
- 2013Most often: suspension10
- 2014Most often: hydraulic braking6
- 2015Most often: electrical system3
- 2016Most often: airbag system9
- 2017Most often: airbag system4
- 2018Most often: airbag system6
- 2019Most often: seat belts1
- 2020Most often: seat belts1
- 2021Most often: seat belts2
- 2022Most often: body structure1
- 2023Most often: body structure2
- 2024Most often: equipment2
- 2025Most often: backup camera1
Chevrolet Malibu crash test ratings by year
NHTSA's overall star rating for each model year, with the frontal, side and rollover stars beside it.
- 2010No overall rating—
- 2011Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2012Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2013Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2014Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2015Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2016Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2017Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2018Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2019Frontal 5 · Side 4 · Rollover 44/5
- 2020Frontal 5 · Side 4 · Rollover 44/5
- 2021Frontal 5 · Side 4 · Rollover 44/5
- 2022Frontal 5 · Side 4 · Rollover 44/5
- 2023Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2024Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2025Frontal 5 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
Federal investigations
NHTSA's defect office has opened 1 investigation into 1 problem that cover Chevrolet Malibu model years from 2010 to 2025. An investigation looks into a possible defect; it is not a finding.
Common questions
What are the Chevrolet Malibu years to avoid?
The years with the most owner complaints are 2010, 2011 and 2012. Treat them as the years to inspect hardest, not as a verdict on every car: run the VIN for open recalls and have the systems owners named checked before you buy.
What year is the most reliable Chevrolet Malibu?
Complaints can't name a most reliable year, because the file counts reports, not failures per car sold. Of the years with at least five years on the road, 2021 drew the fewest complaints: 86. Newer years have fewer still, but they have had less time to collect them.
What is the most common problem with the Chevrolet Malibu?
Across every year in the file, owners named the electrical system most, in 2,088 complaints, then the engine, in 1,666.
Which Chevrolet Malibu years have the most recalls?
2013, 2016 and 2014, with 10, 9 and 6 recall campaigns.
Malibu year pages
20101,359What the complaint record can't tell you
Sources
Show all 4 sources
Counts by system and year cover vehicles with at least 10 complaints.