"How reliable is the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu?"

"Based on 99 NHTSA complaints, the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu has a median complaint mileage of 21000 miles. The most common issue is Unknown Or Other."

"What are common problems with the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu is Unknown Or Other, accounting for a significant portion of the 99 total complaints filed."

2021 Chevrolet Malibu: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 99 complaints

Total Complaints

21,000mi

Median Mileage

Unknown Or Other

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

5,300 25th Percentile

21,000 Median Mileage

67,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Unknown Or Other

Power Train

Electrical System

Engine

Fuel/Propulsion System

Warnings

Service Brakes

Body

Suspension

Steering

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"DRIVING THROUGH A SANDSTORM AT 45MPH( SLOW LANE AND SPEED SURE TO VISIBILITY) ON INTERSTATE 10 FROM RANCHO MIRAGE TO DESERT HOT SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, THE VEHICLE WINDSHIELD CRACKED NEARLY A FOOT. I WAS CHARGED $400 BY ENTERPRISE RENTALS SINCE THIS WAS A RENTAL VEHICLE. A SMALL CHIP COULD BE SEEN, S..."

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 23 complaints

25th: 19,500 mi Median: 44,100 mi 75th: 74,150 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

NC: 13 TX: 11 IL: 9 LA: 8 MD: 8 CA: 7 MO: 7 FL: 5 IN: 4 GA: 3

Who Files Complaints?

Original Owners

99%

Second+ Owners

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
2019	293	41,750	Power Train	9
2020	307	70,000	Engine	15
2022	116	42,000	Electrical System	6
2023	48	34,853	Electrical System	5

Active Recalls (2)

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

Seats

Campaign 22V359000 | 19/05/2022

An improperly welded seat frame may not adequately restrain the driver in a crash, increasing their risk of injury.

Dealers will inspect the driver's seat and replace the cushion frame, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 23, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is

General Vehicle Maintenance

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Follow the manufacturer's maintenance schedule in your owner's manual
Don't ignore warning lights — early diagnosis prevents expensive repairs
Keep records of all maintenance and repairs
Use OEM or equivalent-quality parts for repairs
Address unusual noises, vibrations, or smells promptly

Vehicle Rankings

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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