2019 Chevrolet Malibu: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 188 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 1 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
188
Complaints
1
Recalls
8
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
7
Injuries
50.0
Severity index
Severity index 50.0 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 123 2019 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu ranks 61 of 123 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 50% of its model-year peers. See the full 2019 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 65 | 34.6% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 61 | 32.4% |
| ENGINE | 61 | 32.4% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 36 | 19.1% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 24 | 12.8% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 17 | 9.0% |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 12 | 6.4% |
| AIR BAGS | 6 | 3.2% |
The single most-reported system is POWER TRAIN, cited in 65 of 188 complaints (34.6%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 17 |
| 2021 | 16 |
| 2022 | 38 |
| 2023 | 42 |
| 2024 | 19 |
| 2025 | 40 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 9 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.4x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V649000 | 20/08/2021 | SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERS | 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. |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.