Reliable Auto DB

2023 Chevrolet Malibu reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu over 4 years — 7 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 Camera and Frame.

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

69

Per year

7

Recalls

2

Years on the road

4

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Back-over prevention (16 of 69), then Electrical system (12) and Engine (12). The most filings arrived in 2026 (48 of 69). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2022 and 2024

The 2022 Malibu has 97 complaints, 10 per year, and the 2024 has 39 complaints, 13 per year. The 2023 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022. The 2023 has fewer complaints per year than the 2024.

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 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2026-04-02 · NHTSA campaign 26V212000
Summary General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rearview camera screen may display a distorted or blank image.
Remedy Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2026. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262551720. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 2, 2026.
Recall structure, frame 2022-12-14 · NHTSA campaign 22V923000
Summary General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The front impact bar, a structural portion of the vehicle frame, may not be properly welded to the front frame rail.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the right-hand and left-hand side of the vehicle's motor rail for an incomplete weld. If the condition is found, the vehicle will be repurchased by GM. Owner notification letters were mailed January 20, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

Complaints by component (69 total)

Back-over prevention
16
Electrical system
12
Engine
12
Powertrain
8
Air bags
6
Fuel and propulsion system
6
Visibility and wipers
5
Engine and engine cooling
4
Lane departure
4
Steering
4
Forward collision avoidance
3
Fuel system, gasoline
2
Service brakes
2
Speed control
2
Structure
2
Tires
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Exterior lighting
1
Suspension
1
Wheels
1
Show 12 more Show less
Crash-flagged

3

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

3

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

820234202492025482026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "I was inquiring about the front suspension and frame work is there a recall. My car is unstable in the front like frame is unbalanced"
    Suspension, Lane departure · filed 2026-09-16
  • "The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that the hard skin material on the steering wheel was crumbling. The contact stated that the right and…"
    Steering · filed 2026-08-31
  • "My back up camera just showing blank screen. It's a recall on my model. I was backing up it went blank. Causing me to hit a pole. I took it to Jerry's Chevrolet they said can fix it but out of pocket and reimbursed…"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-30
  • "camera blurred when backing up been having a recall no remedy or paper sent out for it yet"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-08-25
  • "The contact owns a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and failed to accelerate as needed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not…"
    Engine · filed 2026-08-20

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2023 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 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 27 35 30 MPG $2150

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 2022 Chevrolet Malibu Next year 2024 Chevrolet Malibu See every Chevrolet Malibu model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?

Owners have filed 69 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu over 4 years — 7 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 Camera and Frame.

What are common problems with a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu?

The complaints owners file most often name Back-over prevention (16 of 69), then Electrical system (12) and Engine (12). The most filings arrived in 2026 (48 of 69). Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2022 Malibu has 97 complaints, 10 per year, and the 2024 has 39 complaints, 13 per year. The 2023 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022. The 2023 has fewer complaints per year than the 2024.

Has the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu been recalled?

The 2023 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 2023 Chevrolet Malibu?

Owners have filed 69 complaints about the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2023 Chevrolet Malibu get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2023 Chevrolet Malibu is 30 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…