2005 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 415 complaints
415
Total Complaints
87,878mi
Median Mileage
STEERING
Top Issue
20
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

45,477 25th Percentile
87,878 Median Mileage
132,076 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

STEERING
161
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
41
SEATS
39
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
33
STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
10
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
9
AIR BAGS
8
SERVICE BRAKES
8
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
8
STEERING:RACK AND PINION
7

Severity Assessment

20
Crashes
12
Fires
12
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHILE DRIVING 68 MPH AND HAD APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS HARD TO CONTROL; VEERED TO THE RIGHT AND VEHICLE ROLLED OVER INTO A DITCH. *AK RENTAL VEHICLE FROM ENTERPRISE CONTRACT #113732"
"CAR IS LESS THAN TWO WEEKS OLD AND UNDER 400 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. CONSTANT STALLING AND EVENTUALLY DIFFICULT TO START. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALER SERVICE DEPT HAS DETERMINED THAT THE MASS AIRFLOW SENSOR IS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. AWAITING DELIVERY OF REPLACEMENT P..."
"THERE WERE NO EVENTS THAT LEAD UP TO THE FAILIURES. I HAVE THE PAPER WORK OF THE TWO TIMES I 'VE TAKEN MY CARE TO BE REPAIRED. THE DATE I INIDATE BELOW IS NOT ACCURATE HOWEVER, JUST AN ESTIMATED DATE.*AK THE FAILURE WAS THE ELECTRIC POWER STEARING HAS GONE OUT NUMEROUS TIMES. I'VE HAD IT IN TEH S..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28