Chevrolet Malibu
Owners filed 19,367 complaints across 29 model years of the Chevrolet Malibu. The 2009 drew the most (1,511).
Which Chevrolet Malibu years should you avoid?
Going by 19,367 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the Chevrolet Malibu years to avoid are 2005 and 2009.
- 20052.8× the usual share of fires, crashes and deaths for a car of its age (34 fires, 46 crashes, 3 deaths).
- 20091,511 complaints, 2.0× a typical Malibu year, most often about the steering.
Better bets: among years old enough for a low count to mean something, the 2021 and 2022 drew the fewest complaints without an unusual share of serious ones.
Too new to judge: 2025. Complaints take a few years to arrive, so a new model year looks better than it is.
How this is worked out: each year is compared with a typical year of the same model, which takes most of the difference in sales out of it, and its share of serious failures is compared with every other car of the same model year, because older cars were complained about differently. A year needs 25 complaints to be judged at all. Complaints are unverified owner reports. Full method →
Every Chevrolet Malibu model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025Too new | 12 | 1 | — | 1 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2024 | 44 | 2 | — | 3 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2023 | 72 | 2 | 1 | 5 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2022 | 99 | 1 | — | 4 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2021 | 90 | 2 | 1 | — | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2020 | 200 | 1 | — | 10 | Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2019 | 193 | 1 | 1 | 8 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2018 | 700 | 6 | 4 | 23 | Engine | Above average | |
| 2017 | 705 | 4 | 4 | 16 | Engine | Above average | |
| 2016 | 841 | 9 | 2 | 23 | Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2015 | 270 | 3 | 9 | 18 | Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2014 | 351 | 6 | 8 | 19 | Engine | Fatalities reported | |
| 2013 | 837 | 10 | 10 | 33 | Electrical System | Above average | |
| 2012 | 907 | 3 | 13 | 50 | Electrical System | High concern | |
| 2011 | 978 | 4 | 17 | 40 | Electrical System | Above average | |
| 2010 | 1,363 | 4 | 14 | 41 | Steering | Above average | |
| 2009Avoid | 1,511 | 6 | 9 | 41 | Steering | Fatalities reported | |
| 2008 | 989 | 5 | 5 | 30 | Steering | Fatalities reported | |
| 2007 | 977 | 6 | 2 | 37 | Steering | Above average | |
| 2006 | 1,118 | 9 | 6 | 42 | Steering | Above average | |
| 2005Avoid | 975 | 6 | 34 | 46 | Steering | Fatalities reported | |
| 2004 | 1,148 | 9 | 7 | 47 | Steering | Above average | |
| 2003 | 569 | 3 | 4 | 35 | Electrical System | Fatalities reported | |
| 2002 | 567 | 4 | 1 | 18 | Electrical System | Above average | |
| 2001 | 721 | 4 | 1 | 36 | Electrical System | Fatalities reported | |
| 2000 | 922 | 5 | 6 | 45 | Electrical System | Fatalities reported | |
| 1999 | 789 | 3 | 2 | 44 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor | Above average | |
| 1998 | 976 | 5 | 5 | 34 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Foundation Components › Disc › Rotor | Fatalities reported | |
| 1997 | 443 | 6 | — | 22 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Fatalities reported |
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, October 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.