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2025 Chevrolet Malibu

Gas

Midsize Cars
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

94 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaints1 crash reported 11

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 31 mpg

2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2025 Chevrolet Malibu is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize sedan. The most efficient version, the Malibu, is EPA-rated at 31 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 11 complaints, most often about the back over prevention. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Chevrolet Malibu — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Chevrolet Malibu · Photo: Benespit · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Malibu	Gas	FWD	1.5L 4-cyl turbo	28	36	31	$2,150

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 48015.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Malibu	6 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III SULEV30	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Sedan/Saloon
Doors	4
GVWR class	Class 1C: 4,001 - 5,000 lb (1,814 - 2,268 kg)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	1.5 L
Engine configuration	In-Line

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Automatic emergency braking, Backup camera, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Parking assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking

Optional: Blind-spot monitoring, Rear cross-traffic alert

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: LT (1LT), Premier (2LT), RS (1SP)). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	193.7 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	72.8 in
Height	57.5 in
Wheelbase	111.4 in
Track, front	62.6 in
Track, rear	62.6 in
Curb weight	3,126–3,223 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	59/41 to 61/39

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: Ls/Rs/Lt 4-door Sedan, Premier 4-door Sedan. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

New-vehicle warranty

Source: manufacturer press kits, make-level

Basic 3 yr / 36,000 mi Powertrain 5 yr / 60,000 mi Roadside 5 yr

As stated in Chevrolet's press kits for the 2025–2027 model years (4 kits); this model year's own kit states no warranty terms, so the make's are shown. Confirm the term for this car with the dealer.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

●moderate

Back Over Prevention

N262551720

276,879 vehicles 21% reported repaired built Apr 16, 2024 – Dec 20, 2024

Problem General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The rearview camera screen may display a distorted or blank image. Risk A rearview image that does not display correctly reduces the driver's view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the rearview camera, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 20, 2026. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N262551720. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 2, 2026.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V212000 reported Apr 2, 2026 General Motors, LLC the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Malibu

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2025 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Chevrolet publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Chevrolet’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

11complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries · 0 deaths reported

2.5 per 10,000 built · Chevrolet reported 44,283 Malibu built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2025: 3 · 2026: 8

Most-cited components

Back Over Prevention 5

Electrical System 4

Unspecified 4

Power Train 1

Service Brakes 1

Steering 1

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

The contact owns a 2025 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact received notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V212000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.

Back Over Prevention Aug 27, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11759954

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

Electrical System Aug 6, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11755368

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

Power Train Oct 18, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11694295

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.

Back Over Prevention at 39,000 miles Jul 27, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11753012

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.

Electrical System Apr 29, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11657591

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.

Back Over Prevention at 9,700 miles Jul 6, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11748594

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Chevrolet itself: 6 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 6 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 14 per 100,000 built. Every Malibu model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Extended coverage on file 1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year

Term not in NHTSA’s summary · GM warranty extension 22-NA-244This warranty administration service bulletin provides information about GM Accessories - Dealer-Installed, Repaired or Replaced During Warranty Coverage Period.

The term and the vehicles it covers are the manufacturer’s, as NHTSA’s summary of each filing states them; a dealer checks one particular car by its VIN. Every GM warranty extension (33) → · Every warranty extension on file, all makes →

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 150

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-10-16

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 146 service bulletins, 2 service campaigns, 1 other

Most often about: Unknown Or Other, Electrical System, Engine, Power Train, Structure.

PIC6626B Service bulletin
2026-10-16 · Unknown Or Other
PI created to guide technicians through radio restriction process
PIT6457C Service bulletin
2026-09-28 · Unknown Or Other
This preliminary information is for technicians that may see DTCs that are history and should not perform any part replacements. They should follow the notes mentioned prior to anything being replaced.
PIC6540K Service bulletin
2026-09-28 · Unknown Or Other
This Preliminary information communicates to dealers a procedure to reset the radio.
PIT5698F Service bulletin
2026-09-26 · Unknown Or Other
This PI provides Diagnostics tips on how the LIN bus works and how to diagnosis it.
PIP4902W Service bulletin
2026-09-04 · Unknown Or Other
This preliminary information advises a dealer on how to email GDS2 session logs into Technical Assistance.
PIT6541 Service bulletin
2026-08-27 · Unknown Or Other
This Preliminary information communicates to the technicians a diagnostic tip if a technician loses communication with the image processor #2 and how to restore communication
PIC6551C Service bulletin
2026-08-20 · Unknown Or Other
This Preliminary information communicates to dealer to perform a MEC reset for wireless projection issues
PIT5099J Service bulletin
2026-07-21 · Unknown Or Other
PI to help diagnose A/C concern

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
B3055 B3055 on Chevrolet →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Unknown Or Other	1 bulletin
B3060 B3060 on Chevrolet →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Unknown Or Other	1 bulletin
B3924 B3924 on Chevrolet →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	1 bulletin
B3925 B3925 on Chevrolet →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	1 bulletin
B3926 B3926 on Chevrolet →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	1 bulletin
B3927 B3927 on Chevrolet →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Electrical System · Battery →	1 bulletin

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 0.84%

failed the safety inspection

479 initial inspections of 472 vehicles.

Measure	The 2025 Malibu	Every 2025 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the safety inspection	0.84%	0.36%	479
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0%	0.16%	479
Miles driven a year	9,633	8,354	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	13,826	12,194	odometer at inspection

New York does not emissions-test model years this new, so the safety inspection is the record here. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2025 vehicle” is every 2025 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Malibu by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2025 this page A 1 11 31 mpg 2024 A 2 43 31 mpg 2023 B 2 72 30 mpg 2022 A 1 99 32 mpg 2021 B 2 90 32 mpg 2020 A 1 199 32 mpg 2019 A 1 195 46 mpg 2018 D 6 711 46 mpg 2017 C 4 725 46 mpg 2016 F 10 865 46 mpg

Common questions about the 2025 Malibu

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu. The most serious on file is 26V212000, covering Back Over Prevention. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu?

NHTSA gave the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (94/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu?

For the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu, the best EPA combined figure is 31 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu?

Transport Canada measured it at 193.7 in long, 72.8 in wide (body, without mirrors), 57.5 in tall, on a 111.4 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,126–3,223 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu?

Owners have filed 11 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu, most often about back over prevention, electrical system, unspecified. Of those, 1 involved a crash. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu?

The EPA smog rating for the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu is 6 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu?

The manufacturer has filed 150 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu, most often covering unknown or other, electrical system, engine. The most recent is dated 2026-10-16. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Chevrolet Malibu failed the safety inspection on 0.84% of first inspections — higher than the 0.36% for every 2025 model-year vehicle inspected. The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	1 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	1 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	11	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	1 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	150	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	7 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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