2008 Chevrolet Malibu Classic: Reliability Data

36
Total Complaints
68,976mi
Median Mileage
Electrical System
Top Issue
4
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

42,500 25th Percentile
68,976 Median Mileage
98,800 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Electrical System
10
Steering
6
Latches/Locks/Linkages
4
Electronic Stability Control (Esc)
3
Fuel/Propulsion System
2
Power Train
2
Fuel System, Gasoline
1
Engine
1
Power Window Devices And Controls
1
Air Bags
1

Severity Assessment

4
Crashes
0
Fires
3
Injuries
0
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"ERRATIC FUEL GAUGE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON. 2008 CHEVY MALIBU. PROBLEM STARTED 2 MONTHS AGO, DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM DUE TO A DEFECTIVE, CHEAP PIECE OF METAL IN THE FUEL GAGE THAT EASILY CORRODES. CHEVROLET REFUSES TO RECALL PART EVEN THOUGH IT IS DEFECTIVE. THEY ALSO TOLD..."
"ERRATIC FUEL GAUGE, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON. 2008 CHEVY MALIBU. PROBLEM STARTED 2 MONTHS AGO, DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM DUE TO A DEFECTIVE, CHEAP PIECE OF METAL IN THE FUEL GAGE THAT EASILY CORRODES. CHEVROLET REFUSES TO RECALL PART EVEN THOUGH IT IS DEFECTIVE. THEY ALSO TOLD..."
"ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING FAILS INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING MAKING IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STEER AT LOW SPEEDS. TURNING VEHICLE OFF AND ON FIXES THE ISSUE. GM ISSUED RECALL FOR OTHER VEHICLES WITH ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING IN MARCH 2010, MY VEHICLE WAS NOT LISTED ON THAT RECALL ALTHOUGH IT SUFFERS FRO..."

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

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Electrical System 10 complaints
25th: 41,000 mi Median: 57,200 mi 75th: 77,000 mi
Steering 6 complaints
25th: 68,976 mi Median: 97,600 mi 75th: 112,000 mi
Latches/Locks/Linkages 4 complaints
25th: 40,250 mi Median: 49,600 mi 75th: 67,900 mi
Electronic Stability Control (Esc) 3 complaints
Median: 74,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 5 FL: 5 IL: 4 MO: 3 TX: 3 OH: 2 MT: 2 NM: 2 NY: 2 AL: 2

Who Files Complaints?

2.8%
Original Owners
97.2%
Second+ Owners

Chevrolet Malibu Classic — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
2002210
200414412
20051238

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