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Total NHTSA Complaints
188
Owner filings recorded
#1 Reported Problem
Powertrain & Transmission
65 reports (34.6%)
Crash Incident Reports
8
Filings citing a crash
Fire & Injury Reports
5
1 fire • 4 injury filings
Defect Investigation Analysis

Executive Problem Findings

AutoUtility currently tracks 188 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. Powertrain & Transmission issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 65 complaints (34.6% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 8 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 4 report one or more injuries.

Methodology Notice: Consumer complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Filings are not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and do not constitute an audited component failure rate.
Incident & Severity Profile
  • • Total Owner Reports: 188 complaints submitted under federal penalty.
  • • Primary Subsystem: Powertrain & Transmission accounts for 34.6% of submissions (65 reports).
  • • Secondary Systems: Electrical System (61), Engine & Cooling (51).
  • • Crash Incidents: 8 filings cite an impact or collision.
  • • Thermal Incidents: 1 filings cite smoke or fire.
  • • Reported Casualties: 4 injury filings • 0 fatality filings.
Category Distribution

Reported Defect Categories for 2019 Chevrolet Malibu

Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records

Powertrain & Transmission
65
34.6%
Electrical System
61
32.4%
Engine & Cooling
51
27.1%
Brakes & Traction Control
27
14.4%
Fuel & Propulsion System
18
9.6%
#1 34.6% SHARE

Powertrain & Transmission

65 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

✓ 0 Incidents
#2 32.4% SHARE

Electrical System

61 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 3 Crash 🔥 1 Fire 🩹 3 Injury
#3 27.1% SHARE

Engine & Cooling

51 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 2 Crash 🩹 3 Injury
#4 14.4% SHARE

Brakes & Traction Control

27 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 3 Crash 🩹 2 Injury
Deterministic Text Analysis

Recurring Symptoms Identified in Owner Reports

Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis

Powertrain & Transmission 8%

Loss of Motive Power While Driving

15 complaint narratives describe this symptom.

NHTSA Narrative Match
Federal Oversight

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)

Formal engineering analyses and preliminary evaluations opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

ODI Action #DP22005 CLOSED Defect Petition (DP)
Opened: 2023-01-27 • Closed: 2023-08-07
Subject / Subsystem
Pedestrian alert sounds
Affected Component
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM
Recall Linkage
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.
Consumer Filings

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2019 Chevrolet Malibu

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Other / Miscellaneous ODI #11748564
Filed: 07/06/2026
Defect Report

"Acceleration issues. Started once put in drive didnt want to accelerate, acceleration issues now at higher speeds while driving"

Brakes & Traction Control ODI #11742162
Filed: 06/04/2026
Defect Report

"Since 2024/2025 car has been malfunctioning, I’ve had it checked out but it just got worse and nothing was fixed l, it is I driveable and very unsafe. When driving it abruptly stops like it’s crashing Messages that pop up (Multiple ones at one time flashing as well) - service “ESC” -“service power..."

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech ODI #11738236
Filed: 05/16/2026
Defect Report

"The first problem with my car was the tire pressure monitor. The location of each tire was wrong on the informant section. Soon after purchasing the car when ever I would park the car would not shut off and the DIC would display Shift to park message. Around 6 months after the purchase the brake..."

Air Bags & Restraints ODI #11729126
Filed: 04/03/2026
⚠️ Crash Cited 🩹 1 Injury

"The vehicle experienced a serious and ongoing electrical and system malfunction shortly after being returned from repairs related to a prior accident. Within a short period of driving, multiple warning messages and system errors began appearing simultaneously, indicating failures across several..."

Air Bags & Restraints ODI #11727960
Filed: 03/30/2026
⚠️ Crash Cited

"I am reporting a safety concern involving a 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. The vehicle was previously involved in accidents prior to my purchase and had known mechanical issues, including a gear shifting problem that was not properly repaired. In February 2024, while the vehicle was insured under Ocean..."

Multi-Year Trend

Complaint History for Chevrolet Malibu

Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2025)

Model Year NHTSA Complaints Crash Reports Safety Recalls Detailed Report
2015 Chevrolet Malibu 270 18 3 View 2015 Problems →
2016 Chevrolet Malibu 859 23 9 View 2016 Problems →
2017 Chevrolet Malibu 722 17 4 View 2017 Problems →
2018 Chevrolet Malibu 694 23 6 View 2018 Problems →
2019 Chevrolet Malibu Current Page 188 8 1 Current
2020 Chevrolet Malibu 195 10 1 View 2020 Problems →
2021 Chevrolet Malibu 87 0 2 View 2021 Problems →
2022 Chevrolet Malibu 91 4 1 View 2022 Problems →
2023 Chevrolet Malibu 65 3 2 View 2023 Problems →
2024 Chevrolet Malibu 37 3 2 View 2024 Problems →
2025 Chevrolet Malibu 10 1 1 View 2025 Problems →
Exhaustive System Audit

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2019 Chevrolet Malibu

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 56 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Injury Entries Fatality Entries
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 38 0 0 0 0
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 23 1 1 3 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 18 0 0 0 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 14 1 0 1 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 8 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 6 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 4 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 3 1 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 2 1 0 0 0
Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 0 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS 1 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,AIR BAGS 1 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 0 0 0 0
Equipment & Accessories NHTSA category: EQUIPMENT 1 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 1 0 1 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
PARKING BRAKE,ENGINE 1 1 0 2 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,POWER TRAIN 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,WHEELS,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE 1 0 0 0 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Common Problems & Reliability Questions for the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu

What are the most common reported problems with the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu?

In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu is Powertrain & Transmission, appearing in 65 records (34.6% of submitted filings).

Secondary reported categories include Electrical System (61) and Engine & Cooling (51).

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Is the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu a reliable vehicle?

AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 188 consumer defect complaints and 1 safety recall campaign for the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu.

Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.

Source: NHTSA ODI & Safety Recalls Databases

Are there crash, fire, or injury reports associated with the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu?

Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu, 8 filings cite a crash, 1 cite smoke or fire, and 4 report one or more injuries.

Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Consumer Logs

Has NHTSA formally investigated defects on the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu?

NHTSA ODI records list 1 formal defect investigation involving the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu (all closed).

Federal defect investigations are formal engineering evaluations opened when safety defect trends emerge, and do not by themselves establish a confirmed defect or mandatory recall.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Registry
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.

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