The 2019 Chevrolet Malibu is associated with 188 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 1 safety recall campaign in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Powertrain, accounting for 38 reports (20% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 3 certified vehicle configurations spanning 1.8L 4-Cyl hybrid, 1.5l 4-cyl, and 2l 4-cyl configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 26 to 46 MPG combined.

Key Data Findings
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 188 reports
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 1 campaign
  • • Top Reported Defect Area: Powertrain (38 / 20%)
  • • Safety Incident Signals: 8 crash / 1 fire / 4 injury reports
  • • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 4 / 5 Stars
  • • EPA Efficiency: 26–46 MPG (3 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
Fuel Economy
26–46MPG
3 EPA certified variants (1.8L 4-Cyl hybrid, 1.5l 4-cyl, and 2l 4-cyl configurations)
Reported Complaints
188
188 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
1
1 official NHTSA recall
NCAP Safety Rating
4 / 5 Stars Overall

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Malibu Hybrid Hybrid 1.8L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) 49 MPG 43 MPG 46 MPG — $1,350 / yr
Malibu 1.5L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) 29 MPG 36 MPG 32 MPG — $1,900 / yr
Malibu 2L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic 9-spd 22 MPG 32 MPG 26 MPG — $2,900 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
4 DR FWD 10.299999999999999%
Hybrid 4 DR FWD 10.299999999999999%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Optional and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Optional in official NHTSA records for tested 2019 Chevrolet Malibu models.
View complete 2019 Chevrolet Malibu crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu?

Summary of 188 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
188
Crash Reports
8
Fire Reports
1
Complaints w/ Injury
4
Total Injuries
7

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Powertrain 38 complaints
Electrical System 23 complaints (1 crash)
Engine 14 complaints (1 crash)
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 8 complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 6 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2019 Chevrolet Malibu problems & component breakdown (56 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #21V649000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SEAT BELTS:CRITICAL FASTENERS

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer 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 at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
View all 2019 Chevrolet Malibu recalls & campaign history (1 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.