Ford Explorer vs Chevrolet Malibu
Both cars' complete complaint records, side by side.
Read the totals carefully. NHTSA publishes no sales figures, so the car that sold more collects more complaints regardless of quality. The rows worth weighing are the proportions — the share of complaints that involved harm, and which part dominates.
| Measure | Ford Explorer | Chevrolet Malibu |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints on file | 43,316 | 29,455 |
| Model years covered | 1977–2026 | 1964–2025 |
| Worst model year | 1998 | 2010 |
| Best model year | 2008 | 2022 |
| Crashes reported | 2,358 | 1,225 |
| Fires reported | 987 | 234 |
| Injuries reported | 1,950 | 743 |
| Deaths reported | 182 | 38 |
| Most complained-about part | Transmission & Drivetrain | Steering |
| Share of complaints involving harm | 12.6% | 7.6% |
Ford Explorer by year
2
1
1
3
3
7
1
12
764
848
1,151
1,531
1,048
1,818
2,150
2,374
1,737
1,203
503
4,100
1,369
1,647
604
788
271
217
49
155
1,501
1,034
2,795
2,045
2,228
3,033
2,062
890
343
1,705
568
372
152
27
149
55
77
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
00
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
What breaks
Transmission & Drivetrain
5,600
12.9%
Body & Structure
5,325
12.3%
Engine & Cooling
4,200
9.7%
Tires
4,187
9.7%
Steering
4,178
9.6%
Other & Unspecified
3,122
7.2%
Electrical System
2,309
5.3%
Brakes
2,223
5.1%
Chevrolet Malibu by year
What breaks
Steering
5,717
19.4%
Electrical System
4,822
16.4%
Engine & Cooling
3,167
10.8%
Brakes
2,828
9.6%
Lights
2,060
7.0%
Transmission & Drivetrain
1,687
5.7%
Stability & Traction Control
1,330
4.5%
Other & Unspecified
1,297
4.4%