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Chevrolet · NHTSA safety record

2022 Chevrolet Malibu

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

91

Complaints

4

Crashes

0

Fires

1

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2022 Chevrolet Malibu have filed 91 safety complaints with NHTSA between May 2022 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 31 of them (34%). The typical failure was reported at 63,500 miles, the median across the 22 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Complaints rose 40% year on year: 35 in the twelve months to 2026-Q1, against 25 in the twelve before.

NHTSA has issued 1 recall covering this vehicle.

Recalls (1)

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS

22V923000 · December 14, 2022

The defect
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles. The front impact bar, a structural portion of the vehicle frame, may not be properly welded to the front frame rail.
The risk
An improperly welded front impact bar may result in the front crash sensors not performing correctly, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the right-hand and left-hand side of the vehicle's motor rail for an incomplete weld. If the condition is found, the vehicle will be repurchased by GM. Owner notification letters were mailed January 20, 2023. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020.

General Motors, LLC · up to 2,108 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 91.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 31 34%
ENGINE 28 31%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 28 31%
POWER TRAIN 23 25%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 9 10%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 6 7%
AIR BAGS 4 4%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 3%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 3%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 2%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 2 2%
SEAT BELTS 2 2%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 34.

2022 2026
2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured · crash

While the vehicle was in motion, it unexpectedly shut down, resulting in a sudden loss of power. No warning lights, alerts, or malfunction indicators were displayed prior to or during the shutdown. Additionally, no crash detection or safety alert was activated. This sudden failure caused the vehicle to be rear-ended.

NHTSA complaint 11705743. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

crash · towed

While my daughter was attempting to exit a parking lot, she put the car in drive pressed accelerator pedal and there was no response from car. Pressed accelerator again and car took off and hit a 13 inch curb causing major front end damage to vehicle. An initial diagnostic scan revealed a transmission fault code of P0826 Shift up and down failure. Vehicle is now body shop waiting for Chevrolet dealer to take car in for further diagnostics before repairs can be done.

NHTSA complaint 11509972. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

crash · towed · 90,000 miles

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while her son was driving on an off-ramp at 20 MPH, he rear-ended the vehicle in front where it was brought to a stop. No air bags were deployed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local collision repair center and informed that the air bags should have deployed due to the frame being braced however, an unknown component was not welded. The vehicle was repaired. No police report was filed. The contact stated that her son was the only individual in the vehicle during the crash and was not injured. The driver of the other vehicle was injured. However, the contact was unaware of the injury sustained and

NHTSA complaint 11638899, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

crash

Hit an animal on the roadway and the airbag didn’t deploy and my car is destroyed engine light is on I could have been hurt

NHTSA complaint 11585684. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER

82,950 miles

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message “Engine Power Reduced” was displayed. The failure was a persistent failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with turbocharger failure. The contact was informed that the turbocharger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 82,950.

NHTSA complaint 11753711. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

82,010 miles

The contact owns a 2022 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving approximately 62 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the message "Reduced Engine Power" displayed, and the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where a diagnostic scan retrieved DTC: P0299, indicating a failure with the turbo charger. The vehicle was then taken to the local dealer, who confirmed that the vehicle was not eligible for the GM Special Coverage: N252508360. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,010.

NHTSA complaint 11752008. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Component: Air Conditioning – A/C Hose Assembly / Refrigerant Discharge Line The air conditioning refrigerant discharge line (A/C hose assembly) appears to have been improperly designed and/or installed during manufacturing. The rubber A/C hose was routed in a manner that caused it to rest against or press against the side of the engine. Over time, the engine heat and constant contact burned a hole through the hose, causing a rapid loss of refrigerant (Freon). As a result of the refrigerant leak, the air conditioning system stopped blowing cold air, and the HVAC system no longer functioned properly. This failure was not caused by normal wear and tear, but by the improper routing and

NHTSA complaint 11750741, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was told the bcm on my vehicle is bad. It cause my car to go all out of wack. Multiple warning lights come on (ESC, ABS, power steering, check engine), the gauge controls flutter, my gear shift clicks on and off, the car has even shut down on me in the middle of traffic, wouldn’t start, wouldn’t shift, basically wouldn’t move at all even when it did start. How would a bcm shut down my whole vehicle?

NHTSA complaint 11750482. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My 2022 Chevrolet Malibu LT repeatedly and unpredictably enters a "Reduced Engine Power" state, causing sudden, dangerous drops in speed while driving in traffic. This intermittent loss of power happens constantly on and off, creating an ongoing and severe safety hazard. A diagnostic scan reveals codes P0299 (Turbocharger Underboost), P1101, and P2227. General Motors has an active Special Coverage Program (N252508360) covering this exact turbocharger failure for 2022 Malibus with the 1.5L engine. However, GM and the local dealership refuse to cover the repair, claiming my specific VIN is excluded from their automated list. I have already replaced the MAF and MAP sensors to eliminate

NHTSA complaint 11750044, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Transmission misfiring.

NHTSA complaint 11749174. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Chevrolet Malibu

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 10 1
2024 35 2
2023 61 2
2021 85 2
2020 194 1 1
2019 188 1
2018 694 6
2017 699 4
2016 835 9 1
2015 269 3 1
2014 349 6 1
2013 835 9
2012 905 2
2011 976 3
2010 1,359 3

Other 2022 Chevrolet models

Every Chevrolet on this site — 298 vehicles, 747 recall campaigns and 5 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst