2017 Chevrolet Malibu Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Good The 2017 Chevrolet Malibu has a complaint index of 45, ranking 12th out of 21 model years, and earns a Good verdict compared to other Malibu years. It has 702 NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls, led by engine issues at 45% of complaints.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 45/100
- #12 of 21 Malibu years
- Verdict
- Good
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 702
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 4
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 16
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 4
- Injuries
- 14
- Top issue
- Engine
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 28
- 24.5 city / 34.5 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 14 / 0
Top 2017 Chevy Malibu problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine314 (45%)
- Electrical System174 (25%)
- Other148 (21%)
- Transmission & Powertrain139 (20%)
- Brakes120 (17%)
- Fuel System60 (9%)
- Steering47 (7%)
- Structure & Body24 (3%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires16 (2%)
- Airbags14 (2%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Some vehicles caught fire while parked and unattended, with smoke and flames starting from under the hood.
- Owners describe sudden engine RPM surges and unintended acceleration while stopped or at low speed, requiring hard braking to stop.
- Several owners report airbags failing to deploy in moderate-speed side-impact and t-bone collisions.
- One owner reported the steering wheel locking up at 70 mph, causing a crash into a guard rail.
- Owners describe a sudden loss of power with a 'key not detected' warning while the key was inside the vehicle, along with brake lock-up.
- Some owners report the vehicle accelerating on its own when the brake pedal was depressed, leading to a crash.
2017 Chevrolet Malibu recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 21V649000Aug 20, 2021Seat Belts402 vehicles
Seat belts:rear/other:retractor
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.
Risk: An improperly secured seat belt retractor may not function properly in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 18V400000Jun 14, 2018Airbags66 vehicles
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification
General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Chevrolet Malibu 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.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 18V358000May 31, 2018Fuel System895 vehicles
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
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. 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.
Remedy: 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.
2017 Chevrolet Malibu fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 24.5 MPG
- Highway
- 34.5 MPG
- Combined
- 28 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,600
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2017 compared with other Malibu years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu reliable?
- Compared to other Malibu model years, the 2017 is rated Good, with a complaint index of 45 and a rank of 12th out of 21 years. Engine complaints make up 45% of the total, the largest problem area.
- What are the most common problems with the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu?
- NHTSA data shows Engine complaints lead at 45% of total complaints, followed by Electrical System at 25%, Transmission & Powertrain at 20%, and Brakes at 17%.
- Does the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu have any recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2017 Malibu, covering seat belts, airbags (a passenger sensor calibration issue and a welding defect on rear side airbag modules), and the fuel system's high pressure fuel pump.
- What mileage do engine problems typically show up at in the 2017 Malibu?
- NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage of 55,656 miles at failure for engine-related complaints.
- How does the 2017 Malibu compare to other years?
- The 2017 Malibu's complaint index of 45 is better than years like 2009 (100) and 2010 (95), which are rated Avoid, but worse than 2021-2025 models, which carry Best verdicts with indexes of 20 or lower.