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2021 Chevrolet Malibu Reliability & Recall Report

Based on 2 NHTSA recalls and 90 owner complaints. All data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — free, no signup required.

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This is one of the better years for the Chevrolet Malibu

The 2021 model year shows below-average complaints compared to other years of this model — a good sign for reliability.

B
81/100

Moderate Reported Activity — 2021 Chevrolet Malibu

The 2021 Chevrolet Malibu shows moderate recall and complaint activity in NHTSA data. Review the recall campaigns and common complaints below before buying.

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2
NHTSA Recalls
2 recalls on record
90
Owner Complaints
Filed with NHTSA
0
Crash Reports
1 fire report
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NHTSA Recalls — 2021 Chevrolet Malibu (2)

All recalls listed below must be repaired by an authorized Chevrolet dealer at no charge to the owner.

🔧 Seat Belts: Critical Fasteners
An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the rear seat belt retractors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 17, 2021. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service…
NHTSA #21V649000
🔧 Seats
An improperly welded seat frame may not adequately restrain the driver in a crash, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the driver's seat and replace the cushion frame, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 23, 2022. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service…
NHTSA #22V359000
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Most Common Problems — 2021 Chevrolet Malibu

Based on 90 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. Bars show relative complaint frequency.

Power Train
26
Electrical System
23
Unknown Or Other
19
Air Bags
5
Suspension
3
Fuel System
2
Fuel/propulsion System
2
Engine
2
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Chevrolet Malibu — Complaints by Year

A spike means more owner complaints were filed for that model year. The 2021 model year is highlighted.

2015 270 complaints 2016 865 complaints 2017 725 complaints 2018 700 complaints 2019 192 complaints 2020 199 complaints 2021 90 complaints 2022 99 complaints 2023 71 complaints 2024 43 complaints 2025 11 complaints

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⚠ Higher-complaint years: 2016, 2017, 2018 — These model years have more owner complaints in NHTSA data than the other years compared.

✅ Best model years: 2021, 2022, 2023 — Lowest complaint rates for this model.

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Frequently Asked Questions — 2021 Chevrolet Malibu

Is the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu has 2 recall campaigns and 90 owner complaints. This model year shows relatively low recall and complaint activity in NHTSA data.
How many recalls does the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu have?
The 2021 Chevrolet Malibu has 2 NHTSA recalls. Affected systems include: see recall details above. All recalls are repaired free at authorized dealers.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most commonly reported problems for the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu are: Power Train, Electrical System, Unknown Or Other, Air Bags. See the complaint breakdown above for full details.
Is the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu safe to buy?
The 2021 Chevrolet Malibu has some safety and reliability items to review before buying. Ensure all 2 recalls are completed at a dealer. A pre-purchase inspection by an independent mechanic is strongly recommended.
What year Chevrolet Malibu should I buy?
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the best years for the Chevrolet Malibu are: 2021, 2022, 2023. These show the lowest complaint rates. Years with higher complaint counts: 2016, 2017, 2018.
How we score this: The score starts at 100 and subtracts points for the number of NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints filed for this model year, and for complaints that report crashes or fires. Newer model years get a small bonus because they have had less time to collect reports. These are raw counts and are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, so popular models tend to have more recalls and complaints. Complaints are unverified owner reports. This grade is not a prediction about any individual vehicle and is not an inspection: check a specific car’s VIN for open recalls and get an independent pre-purchase inspection.
Data source: All recall and complaint data is sourced directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public API. Data is cached and refreshed every 7 days. Recall and complaint counts reflect data available at the time of last cache update. For the most current recall status on a specific vehicle, enter the VIN above or visit NHTSA.gov/recalls.