2019 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Recalls & Reliability
307 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu, alongside 1 recall campaign and 0 defect investigations. It scores 12/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 39,737 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2019 sits among all Malibu years
What owners report
“I can’t get car to go into park, I continuously get a “shift to park” error..This seems dangerous and from what I read online this is a chronic problem with this year malibu”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Malibu
“After shifting the vehicle into park and then attempting to turn the vehicle off a message displays to shift into park, even though the vehicle is already in park.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Malibu
“Vehicle lost power while driving without warning which could have caused an accident. Dealer says the ECM failed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Malibu
“Shift to park notice comes on and cannot turn vehicle off even though it is in park position.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Malibu
“Brakes got hard and reduced engine power came on and now won't crank went to the dealership and then they charge me 389 for a battery and it still didn't work they say it need a new motor”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Malibu
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 80 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 42,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 21,000 and 65,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
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.
Fix: 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…
Technical service bulletins
882 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2019 Malibu TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?
The 2019 Chevrolet Malibu drew 307 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 12/100, scored against the model's worst year (2004).
What are the most common 2019 Chevrolet Malibu problems?
The top reported problems for the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu are transmission & drivetrain (66 complaints), electrical (65), and engine (62).
At what mileage do 2019 Chevrolet Malibu problems show up?
Owners most often report 2019 Chevrolet Malibu problems around 42,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 21,000 and 65,000 miles.
Does the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.