Owners have filed 15 complaints
about the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu with NHTSA between 2025 and 2026.
The largest single group is the electrical system.
Across this model's run it ranks 26 of 29 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 1
Against the median year of the Chevrolet Malibu. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 69
13.3% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
How 2025 compares with every other Chevrolet Malibu
Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade:
A
B
C
D
F
ungraded
What breaks on a 2025 Chevrolet Malibu
Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.
Other & Unspecified
426.7%
1 crashes, 0 fires
Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance
426.7%
Median failure at 21,000 miles
Electrical System
426.7%
1 crashes, 0 fires
Brakes
16.7%
Steering
16.7%
Transmission & Drivetrain
16.7%
When it fails
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
1,000 – 9,999 miles
133.3%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
133.3%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
133.3%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Apr 2025peak 5Aug 2026
Recalls on the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 202616610,759 units in Canada
Visual System
Issue: On certain vehicles, moisture could enter the rearview camera and could cause the rearview camera image not to display correctly or at all. Safety Risk: A rearview camera image that doesn't display correctly could reduce a driver's ability to see behind the vehicle while backing up. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: General Motors will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect and, if necessary, replace the rearview camera.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Winchester, KYCrash
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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 around house and car still in park, 0-5min. I go in the house, 10-15 later, out of habit hit the lock buttons on car again, because I couldn't see it. When we exit the house the car is gone. Went in reverse and rolled across a road into a fence. When I arrived at the car, the doors were locked and the car was in reverse.
NHTSA complaint #11754124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Winchester, KYCrash
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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 around house and car still in park, 0-5min. I go in the house, 10-15 later, out of habit hit the lock buttons on car again, because I couldn't see it. When we exit the house the car is gone. Went in reverse and rolled across a road into a fence. When I arrived at the car, the doors were locked and the car was in reverse.
NHTSA complaint #11754124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Christopher, IL
STEERING
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 changes. The next time I drove, when turning the esc light came on and the steering locked up for about 5 seconds
NHTSA complaint #11755368 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Christopher, IL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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 changes. The next time I drove, when turning the esc light came on and the steering locked up for about 5 seconds
NHTSA complaint #11755368 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Christopher, IL
SERVICE BRAKES
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 changes. The next time I drove, when turning the esc light came on and the steering locked up for about 5 seconds
NHTSA complaint #11755368 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Winchester, KYCrash
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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 around house and car still in park, 0-5min. I go in the house, 10-15 later, out of habit hit the lock buttons on car again, because I couldn't see it. When we exit the house the car is gone. Went in reverse and rolled across a road into a fence. When I arrived at the car, the doors were locked and the car was in reverse.
NHTSA complaint #11754124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Winchester, KYCrash
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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 around house and car still in park, 0-5min. I go in the house, 10-15 later, out of habit hit the lock buttons on car again, because I couldn't see it. When we exit the house the car is gone. Went in reverse and rolled across a road into a fence. When I arrived at the car, the doors were locked and the car was in reverse.
NHTSA complaint #11754124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 39,000 milesCharlotte Hall, MD
BACK OVER PREVENTION
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 driving at various speeds, displaying a blank image with the message "Service Camera" displayed at the top of the screen. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V212000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was recently taken to a dealer who confirmed that parts were unavailable. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000.
NHTSA complaint #11753012 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 9,700 milesCanfield, OH
BACK OVER PREVENTION
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 while reversing, the rearview camera displayed a blank image. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the parts were unavailable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the parts were unavailable, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 9,700.
NHTSA complaint #11748594 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Anniston, AL
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car screen blanks in and out while driving. This has happened multiple times, i was only able to catch it on video once.. The video is too long to upload but i do have proof
NHTSA complaint #11747643 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Atlanta, GA
BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V212000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue The contact had not experienced a failure.
NHTSA complaint #11730175 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 21,000 milesCommercial Point, OH
BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V212000 (Back Over Prevention) through Turo Car Rental Marketplace; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image was blank. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the failure was related to the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 21,000.
NHTSA complaint #11729771 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Graham, WA
POWER TRAIN
Vehicle was parked, all windows and doors closed. Key remained out of the vehicle. Car parked for several hours without being touched, when suddenly it began to roll forward on its own. The car continued forward and quickly went down a short hill into a rocky area of a field before coming to a stop.
NHTSA complaint #11694295 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Graham, WA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicle was parked, all windows and doors closed. Key remained out of the vehicle. Car parked for several hours without being touched, when suddenly it began to roll forward on its own. The car continued forward and quickly went down a short hill into a rocky area of a field before coming to a stop.
NHTSA complaint #11694295 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Graham, WA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle was parked, all windows and doors closed. Key remained out of the vehicle. Car parked for several hours without being touched, when suddenly it began to roll forward on its own. The car continued forward and quickly went down a short hill into a rocky area of a field before coming to a stop.
NHTSA complaint #11694295 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
N/A, PA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Backup camera has blurred vision when in R, the view on the dashboard is extremely blurry and seems to be condensed/ wet. Please check and advise.
NHTSA complaint #11680998 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rancho Cordova, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Chevy sold me a vehicle knowing that the radio was faulty and known to glitching out. I took it to the dealer and they replicated the problem. GM has known about the issue since 9/2024 when the issued the bulletin about the problem. They sold me the vehicle knowing that the problem existed and did not disclose that to me. That is a violation of CA law.
NHTSA complaint #11657591 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.