2025 Chevrolet Malibu reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2025 Chevrolet Malibu has 11 complaints with NHTSA after 2 years, or 6 per year. It is too early to rank against other Malibu years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Camera.

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

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Back-over prevention (5 of 11), then Electrical system (4) and Powertrain (1). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Next to 2024

The 2024 Malibu has 39 complaints, 13 per year.

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 2025 Chevrolet Malibu. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (1)

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.

Complaints by component (11 total)

Back-over prevention

Electrical system

Powertrain

Service brakes

Steering

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V212000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer…"
Back-over prevention · filed 2026-08-27
"The esc light came on, air conditioner fan speed went high then low and my screen flickered out momentarily. The esc light came on three more times, 10-15 seconds each time with no lights remaining on after and no other…"
Steering, Electrical system, Service brakes · filed 2026-08-06
"Unknown, I parked the vehicle, got out of it, left car running for AC, locked the doors. The car was in park. Locks unlocked door, rear view camera display cut off, AC still running. I am viewing a house, so I walk…"
Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-01
"The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse(R), the rearview camera displayed a blank image on the screen. In addition, the camera unexpectedly turned on while…"
Back-over prevention · filed 2026-07-27
"The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V212000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that…"
Back-over prevention · filed 2026-07-06

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2025 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	28	36	31 MPG	$2100

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 2024 Chevrolet Malibu See every Chevrolet Malibu model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?

What are common problems with a 2025 Chevrolet Malibu?

The complaints owners file most often name Back-over prevention (5 of 11), then Electrical system (4) and Powertrain (1). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash.

Is the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2024 Malibu has 39 complaints, 13 per year.

Has the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu been recalled?

The 2025 Chevrolet Malibu has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu?

Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2025 Chevrolet Malibu get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu is 31 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…