Fuel Economy
26–32MPG
Gas & Hybrid options available
NHTSA Complaints
87
0 crash reports • 1 reporting injuries
Safety Recalls
2
2 official NHTSA recalls
NCAP Safety Rating
Not Rated / Pending

EPA Fuel Economy & Powertrain Specifications

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by powertrain configuration

Powertrain Group Engine / Drivetrain City MPG Hwy MPG Combined MPG Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Standard 1.5L 4-Cyl Regular
Automatic (variable gear ratios) • Front-Wheel Drive
 22–29 33–36 26–32 MPG $1,900–$2,350 / yr

NHTSA NCAP Crash Test & Safety Ratings

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

NHTSA 5-Star NCAP laboratory crash evaluations are not currently on file for the 2021 Chevrolet Malibu.

Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Not Specified and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Not Specified in official NHTSA records for tested 2021 Chevrolet Malibu models.
View complete 2021 Chevrolet Malibu crash test & safety breakdown →

Reported Problems & Owner Complaints Summary (87)

Summary of 87 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
87
Crash Reports
0
Fire Reports
1
Complaints w/ Injury
1
Total Injuries
1

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Powertrain 16 complaints
Electrical System 9 complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 6 complaints
Air Bags 5 complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 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 2021 Chevrolet Malibu problems & component breakdown (34 categories) →

Official Safety Recalls (2)

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.
NHTSA Campaign #22V359000 Active Recall
Affected Component: SEATS

Defect Summary: General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2021 Chevrolet Malibu, 2022 Chevrolet Equinox, Blazer and Cadillac XT4 vehicles. The driver's seat cushion frame may have an improper weld in the power tilt-adjustment mechanism.

Free Manufacturer 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 at 1-800-222-1020 or Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212356050.
View all 2021 Chevrolet Malibu recalls & campaign history (2 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.