2017 Chevrolet Malibu problems and recalls

Owners have filed 723 complaints on the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu, and NHTSA has issued 4 recalls. The most cited component is the Engine (256 complaints).

723
Complaints
4
Recalls
17
Crash reports
4
Fire reports
16
Injuries
34.1
Severity index

Severity index 34.1 Low. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 34.1p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 124 of 137 by severity index among 2017 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 9% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2017 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

EngineEngine: 256 complaints (35.4%)256 35%Electrical SystemElectrical System: 172 complaints (23.8%)172 24%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 150 complaints (20.7%)150 21%Power TrainPower Train: 143 complaints (19.8%)143 20%Vehicle Speed ControlVehicle Speed Control: 136 complaints (18.8%)136 19%Service BrakesService Brakes: 72 complaints (10.0%)72 10%Fuel/Propulsion SystemFuel/Propulsion System: 59 complaints (8.2%)59 8%Electronic Stability Co…Electronic Stability Control (Esc): 54 complaints (7.5%)54 7%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ENGINE25635.4%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM17223.8%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER15020.7%
POWER TRAIN14319.8%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL13618.8%
SERVICE BRAKES7210.0%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM598.2%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)547.5%

Complaints filed per year

0751502017: 132018: 522019: 1472020: 1422021: 952022: 982023: 552024: 462025: 582026: 17 (partial year)17181914720212223242526
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
201713
201852
2019147
2020142
202195
202298
202355
202446
202558
2026 (year to date)17
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 0.5x those in 2020 to 2022 (159 against 335).

Recall campaigns

CampaignReportedComponentSummary
18V40000014/06/2018AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATIONGeneral Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. During servicing, a Passenger Presence System (PPS) may have been installed that was not correctly calibrated to the vehicle's seat type. As a result, the PPS may not properly identify an adult pa
18V35800031/05/2018FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMPGeneral Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles. The high pressure fuel pump may detach from
16V87000002/12/2016AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOWGeneral Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017 Malibu vehicles manufactured on November 10, 2016. The right-hand rear side air bag inflator manifold may have insufficient welds.
21V64900020/08/2021SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERSGeneral 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.

Other Chevrolet Malibu model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 13 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-09-02. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.