"How reliable is the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu?"

"Based on 293 NHTSA complaints, the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu has a median complaint mileage of 41750 miles. The most common issue is Power Train."

"What are common problems with the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu is Power Train, accounting for a significant portion of the 293 total complaints filed."

2019 Chevrolet Malibu: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 293 complaints

293

Total Complaints

41,750mi

Median Mileage

Power Train

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

18,000 25th Percentile

41,750 Median Mileage

63,455 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Power Train

Electrical System

Engine

Unknown Or Other

Service Brakes

Fuel/Propulsion System

Vehicle Speed Control

Air Bags

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Floor Shift

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED OR MAIMED BY A DEFECTIVE TIRE JACK THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE TIRE CHANGING EQUIPMENT THAT CAME WITH A NEW IMPALA I RENTED FROM ENTERPRISE CAR RENTAL. THE JACK BENT IN TWO WHEN I TRIED TO CRANK THE JACK HIGH ENOUGH TO CHANGE A FLAT TIRE. I HAVE A PHOTO OF THE CHINESE-MADE PA..."

"THE ENGINE "AUTO STOP" FEATURE CAN HAVE ENOUGH OF A DELAY TO ALLOW THE ACCELERATOR TO BE PRESSED AS THE ENGINE STARTS CAUSING IT TO LURCH FORWARD RATHER THAN ACCELERATE SMOOTHLY. IT ALSO CAN CAUSE A DELAY WHEN PULLING OUT INTO HEAVY TRAFFIC. THERE IS CURRENTLY NO WAY TO TEMPORARILY OR PERMANENTLY DE..."

"START/STOP ON POWERTRAIN / MOTOR CONTROL. MOTOR STOPS ON BRAKE PEDAL PRESSURE AND STARTS UPON ? ? DECREASE IN PEDAL PRSSURE ? MOTOR STARTED AND RPM ACCELERATED BU ITSELF WHILE BRAKE PEDAL APPLIED, VEHICLE "SURGED" AND HIT POST. MOTOR ACCELERATES RPM / WORKS BY ITSELF. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. ..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Power Train 59 complaints

25th: 18,500 mi Median: 39,737 mi 75th: 77,277 mi

Electrical System 59 complaints

25th: 15,000 mi Median: 42,000 mi 75th: 45,000 mi

Engine 59 complaints

25th: 17,236 mi Median: 51,448 mi 75th: 62,500 mi

Unknown Or Other 35 complaints

Median: 36,800 mi

Service Brakes 19 complaints

25th: 60,000 mi Median: 65,000 mi 75th: 71,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

MI: 28 CA: 23 TX: 23 GA: 23 OH: 22 FL: 18 LA: 15 IN: 14 MD: 13 IL: 12

Chevrolet Malibu — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1997	693	82,750	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	34
1998	1480	70,000	Rotor	53
1999	1227	60,000	Rotor	61
2000	1379	65,000	Electrical System	71
2001	1005	70,000	Electrical System	51
2002	754	68,607	Electrical System	28
2003	772	70,000	Electrical System	52
2004	1639	69,000	Steering	78
2005	1385	89,000	Steering	67
2006	1473	85,000	Steering	59
2007	1252	100,000	Steering	53
2008	1482	80,000	Steering	54
2009	2354	100,000	Steering	64
2010	2193	82,000	Steering	72
2011	1512	79,632	Electrical System	71
2012	1470	87,000	Electrical System	93
2013	1367	70,000	Electrical System	50
2014	561	60,000	Engine	32
2015	389	50,000	Engine	30
2016	1424	50,000	Engine	37
2017	1157	51,000	Engine	25
2018	1166	44,700	Engine	34
2020	307	70,000	Engine	15
2021	99	21,000	Unknown Or Other	0
2022	116	42,000	Electrical System	6
2023	48	34,853	Electrical System	5

Active Recalls (1)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Critical Fasteners

Campaign 21V649000 | 20/08/2021

An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall

Extend Your Transmission Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change transmission fluid at manufacturer intervals — not 'lifetime' fluid
Come to a full stop before shifting from reverse to drive
Don't ride the brakes on hills — use a lower gear
Check transmission fluid level and color monthly — dark fluid needs changing
Address slipping, hard shifts, or delayed engagement immediately

Vehicle Rankings

Most complained Worst transmissions Worst engines Worst brakes Most crashes Compare vehicles

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28