NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 724 owner complaints for the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu (including the hybrid).
4Safety recalls
724Owner complaints
17Complaints citing a crash
4Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: seat belts, air bags, and fuel system. Most-reported area: engine (256 complaints, 35%; median mileage when it happened: 56,100). Includes the Malibu Hybrid and the 2016 Malibu Limited, the previous generation sold alongside the new car.
4 safety recalls for the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
The rear seat belt retractors may be improperly secured with loose or missing fasteners.
Risk: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
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 service at 1-800-222-1020 and Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006. GM's number for this recall is N212333380.
General Motors, LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2021 Chevrolet Malibu and 2019-2021 Cadillac XT4 vehicles.
During servicing, a Passenger Presence System (PPS) may have been installed that was not correctly calibrated to the vehicle's seat type. As a result, the PPS may not properly identify an adult passenger from a child passenger in the front passenger seat, potentially causing the air bag to not deploy when it should, or causing the air bag to deploy when it shouldn't.
Risk: In the event of a crash, improper air bag deployment can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger PPS seat service kit, free of charge. The recall began August 7, 2018. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 18208.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles.
The high pressure fuel pump may detach from its mounting flange, possibly resulting in the pump damaging the high pressure fuel line.
Risk: A damaged fuel line can create a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump, and high pressure fuel pipe, free of charge. The recall began July 2, 2018. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300, Cadillac customer service at 1-800-458-8006, Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020, or GMC customer service at 1-800-462-8782. GM's number for this recall is 18188.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2015-2018 GMC Canyon, 2016-2017 Buick Envision, 2016-2018 Chevrolet Colorado and Malibu, 2017-2018 GMC Acadia, 2018 Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Equinox, and GMC Terrain vehicles.
NHTSA listing: MALIBU. Chevrolet campaign 18188 18268.
The right-hand rear side air bag inflator manifold may have insufficient welds.
Risk: Insufficient welds could cause the inflator to separate and propel air bag debris into the cabin during a crash. Also, the inflator could fail to inflate during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear side air bag modules, free of charge. The recall began on January 25, 2017. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is 16146.
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2017 Malibu vehicles manufactured on November 10, 2016.
NHTSA listing: MALIBU. Chevrolet campaign 16146.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 724 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Malibu. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine256 · 35%
Median 56,100 miles at failure (148 reports)
Electrical system172 · 24%
Median 48,000 miles at failure (83 reports)
Powertrain144 · 20%
Most named: automatic transmission, lever and linkage, floor shift (8) · Median 48,900 miles at failure (80 reports)
Speed control136 · 19%
Most named: accelerator pedal (3) · Median 58,000 miles at failure (83 reports)
Brakes71 · 10%
Median 58,100 miles at failure (26 reports)
Fuel and propulsion system59 · 8%
Median 52,000 miles at failure (29 reports)
Stability control54 · 7%
Median 54,500 miles at failure (46 reports)
Unknown or other150 · 21%
Median 36,000 miles at failure (70 reports)
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Chevrolet Malibu recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2017 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2018 Malibu drew the most (220) and the 2017 drew 212.
Owner complaints
2017: 724 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Chevrolet Malibu
Model year
Complaints
2016
861
2017
724
2018
708
2019
192
2020
198
2021
89
2022
97
2023
69
2024
39
2025
11
Safety recalls
2017: 4 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Chevrolet Malibu
Model year
Recalls
2016
10
2017
4
2018
6
2019
1
2020
1
2021
2
2022
1
2023
2
2024
2
2025
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 10.2%
Chevrolet Malibu Eco e-Assist 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 10.2%
Questions
What are the most common 2017 Malibu problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (256), electrical system (172), powertrain (144). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Malibu has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Chevrolet dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: MALIBU, MALIBU HYBRID.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.