Chevrolet Malibu reliability by year
35 recalls and 13,912 owner complaints across 21 model years. Best year to buy: 2023. Year to avoid: 2013.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 12 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2007, 2009, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 . Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 21 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Malibu aggregated across 21 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Chevrolet Malibu?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu scores 8.0/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2025 range. 39 complaints on file, 1 active recall. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Chevrolet Malibu year should I avoid?
The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu scores 5.2/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 921 owner complaints with NHTSA, 8 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2013 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Chevrolet Malibu should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2017 (avoid — the engine — engine: 81 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 31,570–75,698 mi); 2016 (avoid — the electrical system — 1 fatality report and 4 crash-related complaints on the electrical system); 2015 (avoid — the electrical system — 6 fire-related complaints on the electrical system); 2014 (avoid — the electrical system — 5 fire-related complaints and 1 crash-related complaint on the electrical system); 2013 (avoid — the electrical system — 6 fire-related complaints and 4 crash-related complaints on the electrical system); 2012 (avoid — the electrical system — 11 fire-related complaints and 3 crash-related complaints on the electrical system). The cleaner years on the data are 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Chevrolet Malibu are tracked?
21 model years (2005 through 2025) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 35 recalls and 13,912 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Chevrolet Malibu?
steering is the most-reported category — 4,859 complaints across 16 model years. Average shop repair runs about $700.