Reliable Auto DB

2021 Chevrolet Malibu reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu holds 89 complaints after 6 years, a rate of 4 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Malibu years here — under the median of the other years, which is 16. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Seats and Critical fasteners.

2012 Chevrolet Malibu
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

89

Per year

4

Recalls

2

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (29 of 89), then Powertrain (28) and Engine (14). Those filings include 1 that reports a fire and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Malibu has 198 complaints, 15 per year, and the 2022 has 97 complaints, 10 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall Seats 2022-05-19 · NHTSA campaign 22V359000
Summary General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Malibu, 2022 Chevrolet Equinox, Blazer and Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The driver's seat cushion frame may have an improper weld in the power tilt-adjustment mechanism.
Remedy 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 N212356050.
Recall seat belts, critical fasteners 2021-08-20 · NHTSA campaign 21V649000
Summary General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.
Remedy 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 is N212333380.

Complaints by component (89 total)

Electrical system
29
Powertrain
28
Engine
14
Fuel and propulsion system
8
Air bags
6
Back-over prevention
3
Suspension
3
Fuel system, gasoline
2
Service brakes
2
Steering
2
Structure
2
Lane departure
1
Seats
1
Speed control
1
Tires
1
Visibility and wipers
1
Show 8 more Show less
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

420211202282023242024232025292026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Shift to park message"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-24
  • "The problem with this model is the CVT Trasmission thats in the vehicle when put into drive mode it stalls to change gears and want change gears for about 5 min then it kicks in to go it does that very often i have took…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-02
  • "The contact owns a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed; however, the RPM was extremely elevated. The vehicle then lost motive power and went…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-21
  • "The Chevy Malibu is displaying a “Shift to Park” message even when the gear selector is physically in the Park position. This indicates that the vehicle’s computer may not be recognizing that the vehicle has been placed…"
    Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-08-20
  • "Failure - B000A-00 Body Control Module Error code - Shift Lever Position not plausible . Safety - This causes the car to upon attempting to turn off the car say "Shift into Park" on the dashboard and the car refuses to…"
    Powertrain, Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-14

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Malibu 1.5L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 29 36 32 MPG $2050
Malibu 2L, 4-cyl Automatic 9-speed Front-wheel drive 22 33 26 MPG $2500

Specs and fitment

9th generation, 2016–2025
Body styles Sedan
Oil 0W-20 (1.5L turbo and 2.0L turbo); 5W-30 (hybrid where equipped) , 5.3 qt capacity
Tire size 205/65R16 to 245/45R18 (trim-dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 20V-668 covers certain 2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles among other GM models: the start/stop transmission accumulator end cap may have missing bolts, which can lead to a transmission fluid leak and possible loss of propulsion. Dealers inspect the accumulator and replace it if any bolts are missing. The published unit count for this campaign is shared across multiple GM nameplates, not Malibu alone.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Chevrolet Malibu Next year 2022 Chevrolet Malibu See every Chevrolet Malibu model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu holds 89 complaints after 6 years, a rate of 4 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Malibu years here — under the median of the other years, which is 16. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Seats and Critical fasteners.

What are common problems with a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (29 of 89), then Powertrain (28) and Engine (14). Those filings include 1 that reports a fire and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Malibu has 198 complaints, 15 per year, and the 2022 has 97 complaints, 10 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu been recalled?

The 2021 Chevrolet Malibu has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu?

Owners have filed 89 complaints about the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Chevrolet Malibu get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu is 29 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

When did the current Chevrolet Malibu body style debut?

The 9th-generation Malibu launched for the 2016 model year (2016-2025).

What engine oil does a Chevrolet Malibu use?

5W-30 (most engines); 5W-20 (2.4L where specified)

What does NHTSA recall 15V-164 cover on the Chevrolet Malibu?

Recall 15V-164 covers certain 2013-2015 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles: the slide or tilt switch for the roof panel may not be recessed enough, so the roof panel may auto-close unexpectedly and increase pinch-injury risk; dealers update Body Control Module software to remove…