Chevrolet
Chevrolet Malibu years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2016, 2017 and 2018. Best years: 2021 and 2024.
The 2016, 2017 and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2016 has 837 complaints (76 for each year on the road), 2017 has 702 complaints (70 for each year on the road) and 2018 has 698 complaints (78 for each year on the road), against a median of 24 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is shift to park warning (123 reports).
- 3,211complaints
- 19recall campaigns
- 7model years with a page
Newest report Sep 26, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2016
Most reported: stalling (118 reports, median 43,601 miles) and misfire (106 reports, median 56,800 miles).
2017
Most reported: stalling (124 reports, median 52,000 miles) and shift to park warning (98 reports, median 37,632 miles).
2018
Most reported: shift to park warning (123 reports, median 38,000 miles) and stalling (122 reports, median 50,000 miles).
Best years
2021
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2024
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2016 has the most complaints of any Chevrolet Malibu year here: 837 of 3,211 (26%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Stalling leads in 4 of the 7 model years and has the most reports overall, 542. Pooled across the years, half of the 309 owners who gave a mileage for stalling were under about 54,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 5% of Chevrolet Malibu complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2015, 28 of its 267 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- None of the 7 model years where owners report stalling has a recall on the same system.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2020 at 551 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 286. So far in 2026, 139 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Ninth generation
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 avoid | 837 | 76 | 9 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (118) | 51,000 |
| 2017 avoid | 702 | 70 | 4 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (124) | 48,750 |
| 2018 avoid | 698 | 78 | 6 | "Shift to Park" or "Service Shifter" warning comes on (123) | 48,000 |
| 2019 | 191 | 24 | 1 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (53) | 42,000 |
| 2020 | 198 | 28 | 1 | Brakes grind, pulse or wear early (49) | 61,000 |
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2021 (89), 2022 (98), 2023 (70), 2024 (42), 2025 (11).
Year by year
2020 Chevrolet Malibu
198 owner complaints, 28 for each year on the road (1.2 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (49 reports, median 75,000 miles), shift to park warning (42 reports, median 51,000 miles) and stalling (38 reports, median 70,000 miles). 10 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. 1 recall: 21V-649 on the seat belts.
2019 Chevrolet Malibu
191 owner complaints, 24 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (53 reports, median 52,000 miles), shift to park warning (34 reports, median 53,500 miles) and brake wear (26 reports, median 71,000 miles). 8 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. 1 recall: 21V-649 on the seat belts.
2018 Chevrolet Malibu avoid
698 owner complaints, 78 for each year on the road (3.2 times the model median). Most reported: shift to park warning (123 reports, median 38,000 miles), stalling (122 reports, median 50,000 miles) and misfire (92 reports, median 54,500 miles). 23 reports involved a crash and 17 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 20V-668 on the transmission and drivetrain and 19V-642 on the electrical system.
2017 Chevrolet Malibu avoid
702 owner complaints, 70 for each year on the road (2.9 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (124 reports, median 52,000 miles), shift to park warning (98 reports, median 37,632 miles) and misfire (90 reports, median 52,000 miles). 16 reports involved a crash and 14 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 18V-358 on the fuel system and 21V-649 on the seat belts.
2016 Chevrolet Malibu avoid
837 owner complaints, 76 for each year on the road (3.2 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (118 reports, median 43,601 miles), misfire (106 reports, median 56,800 miles) and brake wear (102 reports, median 64,000 miles). 23 reports involved a crash and 14 people were hurt. 9 recalls, including 18V-358 on the fuel system and 16V-502 on the electrical system.
2015 Chevrolet Malibu
267 owner complaints, 22 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: airbag (49 reports, median 48,000 miles), stalling (30 reports, median 85,000 miles) and misfire (23 reports, median 80,000 miles). 18 reports involved a crash and 13 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 15V-666 on the airbags and 16V-502 on the electrical system.
2014 Chevrolet Malibu
318 owner complaints, 24 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (57 reports, median 87,450 miles), misfire (54 reports, median 80,000 miles) and brake wear (37 reports, median 70,000 miles). 17 reports involved a crash and 14 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 16V-502 on the electrical system and 14V-092 on the transmission and drivetrain.
Recalls that cover several model years
The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.
During servicing, a Passenger Presence System (PPS) may have been installed that was not correctly calibrated to the vehicle's seat type.
The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
In the affected vehicles, the Slide or Tilt switch for the roof panel may not be adequately recessed to prevent the switch from inadvertently being pressed.
Questions
What Chevrolet Malibu years should you avoid?
The 2016, 2017 and 2018 Chevrolet Malibu draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2016 has 837 complaints (76 for each year on the road), 2017 has 702 complaints (70 for each year on the road) and 2018 has 698 complaints (78 for each year on the road), against a median of 24 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2018 is shift to park warning (123 reports).
What are the best years for the Chevrolet Malibu?
The 2021 and 2024 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2021 has 89 (15 a year) and 2024 has 42 (14 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Chevrolet Malibu?
Stalling, with 542 reports across the 7 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019.
How many recalls does the Chevrolet Malibu have?
19 recall campaigns cover the Chevrolet Malibu model years 2014 to 2020 on this site. The widest, 21V-649 on the seat belts, covers 5 model years.
How many Chevrolet Malibu complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
5% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2015 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for stalling on the Chevrolet Malibu?
No. None of the 7 model years where owners report it has one on the same system.