Chevrolet Malibu problems by model year
NHTSA data checked October 31, 2026
Summary
Across model years 2010–2020, NHTSA's public databases list 7,492 owner complaints and 32 distinct recall campaigns for the Chevrolet Malibu.
The year with the most complaints is 2010 (1,365; owners name steering most). The year with the fewest is 2019 (193). The median year has 727.
These are raw counts. They are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, and older years have had longer to collect complaints.
Every model year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash | Fire | Most-named component |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 1,365 | 4 | 41 | 14 | Steering (33%) |
| 2011 | 978 | 4 | 40 | 17 | Electrical System (24%) |
| 2012 | 907 | 3 | 50 | 13 | Electrical System (32%) |
| 2013 | 924 | 10 | 38 | 11 | Electrical System (46%) |
| 2014 | 363 | 6 | 19 | 8 | Engine (35%) |
| 2015 | 270 | 3 | 18 | 9 | Engine (26%) |
| 2016 | 865 | 9 | 24 | 2 | Engine (36%) |
| 2017 | 727 | 4 | 17 | 4 | Engine (35%) |
| 2018 | 700 | 6 | 23 | 4 | Engine (40%) |
| 2019 | 193 | 1 | 8 | 1 | Power Train (35%) |
| 2020 | 200 | 1 | 10 | 0 | Engine (30%) |
Linked years have a full page with every component and recall. Other years get pages over time; the counts above are already live.
Quick answers
What is the worst year for the Chevrolet Malibu?
By NHTSA owner complaints, 2010 (1,365 complaints; top component steering). That is a raw count, not adjusted for sales or age.
Which Chevrolet Malibu year has the fewest complaints?
2019, with 193 complaints in NHTSA's data, among model years 2010–2020.
Which Chevrolet Malibu year has the most recalls?
2013, with 10 recall campaigns in NHTSA's recall database.
Sources
Each count comes from NHTSA's Complaints API (complaintsByVehicle) and Recalls API (recallsByVehicle) for make CHEVROLET, model MALIBU, one request per model year, for example https://api.nhtsa.gov/complaints/complaintsByVehicle?make=CHEVROLET&model=MALIBU&modelYear=2010. Checked 2026-10-31. See method.