2011 CHEVROLET MALIBU — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 974 complaints · 4 recalls

Verdict & Safety Summary

Most-reported system: STEERING (185 complaints · 19.0%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 40
  • Fires 17
  • Injuries 41
  • Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution STEERING appears in 185 of 974 owner complaints (19.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. STEERING: 185 complaints, 19.0% of reports STEERING 185 · 19.0% · 6 crash reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 122 complaints, 12.5% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 122 · 12.5% · 3 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 111 complaints, 11.4% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 111 · 11.4% · 1 crash reports 9 fire reports ENGINE: 101 complaints, 10.4% of reports ENGINE 101 · 10.4% · 2 crash reports 2 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 84 complaints, 8.6% of reports POWER TRAIN 84 · 8.6% · 2 crash reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 60 complaints, 6.2% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 60 · 6.2% · 3 crash reports AIR BAGS: 58 complaints, 6.0% of reports AIR BAGS 58 · 6.0% · 15 crash reports SEAT BELTS: 38 complaints, 3.9% of reports SEAT BELTS 38 · 3.9% · 2 crash reports 1 fire reports FUEL SYSTEM: 23 complaints, 2.4% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 23 · 2.4% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 169 complaints, 17.4% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 169 · 17.4% · 4 crash reports 3 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
STEERING 185 19.0% 6 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 122 12.5% 0 crashes · 3 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 111 11.4% 1 crashes · 9 fires
ENGINE 101 10.4% 2 crashes · 2 fires
POWER TRAIN 84 8.6% 2 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 60 6.2% 3 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 58 6.0% 15 crashes · 0 fires
SEAT BELTS 38 3.9% 2 crashes · 1 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 23 2.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 169 17.4% 4 crashes · 3 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2010; the first recall shown was reported in May 2014. 2010-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2011-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2012-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2013-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2013-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2013-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q1: 28 owner reports 28 2014-Q2: 35 owner reports 35 2014-Q3: 32 owner reports 32 2014-Q4: 34 owner reports 34 2015-Q1: 67 owner reports 67 2015-Q2: 26 owner reports 26 2015-Q3: 35 owner reports 35 2015-Q4: 33 owner reports 33 2016-Q1: 44 owner reports 44 2016-Q2: 23 owner reports 23 2016-Q3: 18 owner reports 18 2016-Q4: 15 owner reports 15 2017-Q1: 27 owner reports 27 2017-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2017-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2017-Q4: 19 owner reports 19 2018-Q1: 36 owner reports 36 2018-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2018-Q3: 25 owner reports 25 2018-Q4: 36 owner reports 36 2019-Q1: 47 owner reports 47 2019-Q2: 32 owner reports 32 2019-Q3: 26 owner reports 26 2019-Q4: 29 owner reports 29 2020-Q1: 28 owner reports 28 2020-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2020-Q3: 18 owner reports 18 2020-Q4: 18 owner reports 18 2021-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2021-Q2: 9 owner reports 9 2021-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2021-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2022-Q1: 13 owner reports 13 2022-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2022-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2022-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2023-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2023-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2023-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2024-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2024-Q4: 8 owner reports 8 2025-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2025-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2026-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 Owner reports Oct 2010 Apr 2026 Recall campaign 14V252000 ◆ Recall campaign 14V252000 Recall campaign 14E044000 ◆ Recall campaign 14E044000 Recall campaign 15V269000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V269000 Recall campaign 19V019000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V019000
  • Campaign 14V252000 was reported 1,058 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 19V019000 was reported 2,653 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2010-Q4 Owner reports 1
2011-Q1 Owner reports 5
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 6
2011-Q4 Owner reports 3
2012-Q1 Owner reports 2
2012-Q2 Owner reports 5
2012-Q3 Owner reports 6
2012-Q4 Owner reports 1
2013-Q1 Owner reports 10
2013-Q2 Owner reports 4
2013-Q3 Owner reports 7
2013-Q4 Owner reports 3
2014-Q1 Owner reports 28
2014-Q2 Owner reports 35
2014-Q3 Owner reports 32
2014-Q4 Owner reports 34
2015-Q1 Owner reports 67
2015-Q2 Owner reports 26
2015-Q3 Owner reports 35
2015-Q4 Owner reports 33
2016-Q1 Owner reports 44
2016-Q2 Owner reports 23
2016-Q3 Owner reports 18
2016-Q4 Owner reports 15
2017-Q1 Owner reports 27
2017-Q2 Owner reports 13
2017-Q3 Owner reports 13
2017-Q4 Owner reports 19
2018-Q1 Owner reports 36
2018-Q2 Owner reports 21
2018-Q3 Owner reports 25
2018-Q4 Owner reports 36
2019-Q1 Owner reports 47
2019-Q2 Owner reports 32
2019-Q3 Owner reports 26
2019-Q4 Owner reports 29
2020-Q1 Owner reports 28
2020-Q2 Owner reports 9
2020-Q3 Owner reports 18
2020-Q4 Owner reports 18
2021-Q1 Owner reports 9
2021-Q2 Owner reports 9
2021-Q3 Owner reports 12
2021-Q4 Owner reports 6
2022-Q1 Owner reports 13
2022-Q2 Owner reports 5
2022-Q3 Owner reports 7
2022-Q4 Owner reports 4
2023-Q1 Owner reports 12
2023-Q2 Owner reports 5
2023-Q4 Owner reports 2
2024-Q1 Owner reports 10
2024-Q2 Owner reports 2
2024-Q3 Owner reports 3
2024-Q4 Owner reports 8
2025-Q1 Owner reports 11
2025-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q4 Owner reports 2
2026-Q1 Owner reports 5
2026-Q2 Owner reports 5
Recall campaign 1 14V252000
Recall campaign 1 14E044000
Recall campaign 1 15V269000
Recall campaign 1 19V019000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (4)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14E044000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    A joint bearing that fails prematurely may cause separation of the u-joint resulting in a complete loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dorman will notify owners, and dealers will refund the purchase price or replace the steering shafts, free of charge. The recall began in September 2014. Owners may contact Dorman customer service at 1-800-523-2492.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 14V252000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    Consequence:
    Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15V269000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    If the cable breaks, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the outboard lap anchor mounting bracket and inspect the flexible steel cable, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 16, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 15031.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 19V019000

    Report date
    Component:
    AIR BAGS
    Consequence:
    If the inflator explodes, sharp metal fragments may strike the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
    Remedy:
    GM has notified owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began February 25, 2019. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-522-9559. GM's number for this recall is N182206630.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 974 complaints · page 1 of 39

No complaints match the current filters.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources