2013 Chevrolet MALIBU - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu receives an impressive overall safety rating of 5 out of 5, indicating top-notch crash protection and safety features. It excels in various crash tests with high ratings for front, side, and rollover crashes. This vehicle is equipped with electronic stability control, which helps maintain control during sudden maneuvers, and offers optional forward collision warning and lane departure warning systems to enhance driver awareness and safety on the road.

Despite its excellent safety ratings, it is worth noting that there have been 856 complaints reported for this model, along with 11 recalls. While the number of complaints and recalls may raise some concerns, it is essential for Chevrolet to address these issues promptly to ensure the continued safety and satisfaction of Malibu owners.

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Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

856

Recall Count

11

Investigation Count

2

Safety Rating

5/5

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Safety Features

2013 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

Optional
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

Optional

2013 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2005 Score 2013 Score 2024 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 5 5 5
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 4 5

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2005 Score 2013 Score 2024 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 4 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 5 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated 5 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated 5 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2005 Score 2013 Score 2024 Score
Rollover Rating Not Rated 4 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 5 5

Complaints for the 2013 Chevrolet MALIBU

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the instrument panel lights started flickering, and the vehicle lost power steering functionality. additionally, when the brake was depressed, the brake pedal was abnormally firm. the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and inspected. the vehicle was then towed to the residence where the battery was charged. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the generator control module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 190,000."
Components Involved: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2023-02-09
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 20v764000 (suspension). the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. the contact replaced the wheel bearings; however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 56,000."
Components Involved: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2022-06-06
Complaint:
"the contact's son owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with the brake and power steering warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where she was informed that in 2014, a software update was performed to fix the failure. the contact was then provided an estimate for the repair. upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to nhtsa campaign number: 13v173000 (electrical system). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired and remained in the dealer's possession. the failure mileage was approximately 96,000."
Components Involved: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2022-01-09
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 35 mph, the instrument cluster display suddenly went dark, and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. later while the contact was driving 75 mph, the instrument cluster went dark, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn, and the vehicle suddenly lost motive power and stalled. after restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated normally. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer who replaced a battery cable and the failure had not reoccurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 65,000."
Components Involved: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2021-03-06
Complaint:
"el tablero de mi carro se apagó y más nunca a querido prender. y se agota la batería del carro"
Components Involved: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2023-08-01
Complaint:
"the gauge cluster in my car has intermittently lost power for about two years. it is now almost always off. i have been unable to have this repaired as the parts have been unavailable nationwide since i initially started having problems. i can't see any of my gauges. i have no idea how much gas i have, if my car is overheating, or if my car is having any other sort of problem."
Components Involved: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2021-04-06
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated that after experiencing a hard braking failure, the vehicle started exhibiting electrical issues. the contact stated that the instrument panel lights would flicker on and off. additionally, the vehicle failed to start up immediately. the battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the diagnostic module was faulty and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not yet repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vin was included in nhtsa recall campaign number: 12v224000 (electrical system). the contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. the failure mileage was 97,000."
Components Involved: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2024-03-08
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving at 5 mph, the instrument panel went blank. the contact stated that the check engine warning light had been illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that an unknown electrical connector needed to be replaced. the air check valves and air pump were replaced; however, the failure persisted. the dealer was contacted and stated that there was no recall for the failure. the manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure but provided no instance. the failure mileage was 84,084."
Components Involved: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2023-01-10
Complaint:
"i'm having a lost of battery power in my 2013 chevy malibu eco. when it happens it shows that i should service the charging system. and as i continue to drive both batteries lose power and run out. i have checked the recall for it and it is not coming up under my vin number. at times have no problem but when it does happen the battery light comes on then the check engine light comes on and i start loosing more power and it tells me to check my charging system. what should i do the next time it happens?"
Components Involved: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2023-11-09
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2013 chevrolet malibu. the contact stated while driving 30 mph, the vehicle decelerated independently. the check engine warning light and the low battery warning light were illuminated. the contact was able to drive to her residence. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the high voltage generator control module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact became aware of nhtsa campaign number: 13v173000 (electrical system) which she associated with the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 140,000."
Components Involved: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Date of incident: 2024-07-08

Recalls for the 2013 Chevrolet MALIBU

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"general motors is recalling certain model year 2013 chevrolet malibu vehicles, manufactured december 6, 2011, through january 15, 2013. one or more rear suspension bolts may not have been tightened to the specified torque. this may lead to sudden changes in vehicle handling."
Consequence:
Sudden changes in vehicle handling may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

General Motors will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and retighten the bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notifications have already begun and will be completed shortly. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-521-7300.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2013-01-23
Recall:
"general motors, llc (gm) is recalling certain 2012-2013 buick regal, 2013 chevrolet malibu, and 2010-2013 buick lacrosse vehicles sold or ever registered in connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, or wisconsin. these vehicles may have rear toe links that received excessive electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could cause the e-coat to become brittle and break away when contacted by road debris. over time, the e-coat may chip away, exposing the metal toe link and making it more susceptible to corrosion. corrosion may eventually cause the toe link to thin and ultimately to fracture."
Consequence:
A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

GM will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners free of charge. Parts are not currently available. Owners were mailed an interim notification on January 27, 2021, and April 15, 2021. A third notification was mailed on August 19, 201. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N202308930.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2020-12-10
Recall:
"general motors, llc (gm) is recalling certain 2013 buick regal, chevrolet malibu, and buick lacrosse vehicles sold or ever registered in connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, or wisconsin. these vehicles may have rear toe links that received excessive electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could cause the e-coat to become brittle and break away when contacted by road debris. over time, the e-coat may chip away, exposing the metal toe link and making it more susceptible to corrosion. corrosion may eventually cause the toe link to thin and ultimately fracture."
Consequence:
A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on September 30, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on January 3, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212330130.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2021-08-12
Recall:
"general motors, llc (gm) is recalling certain 2010-2013 buick lacrosse, 2012-2013 buick regal, and 2013 chevrolet malibu vehicles sold or ever registered in connecticut, delaware, the district of columbia, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, virginia, west virginia, or wisconsin. these vehicles may have rear toe links that received an improper amount of electrocoating (e-coat) corrosion protection, which could cause the e-coat to become brittle and break away when contacted by road debris. over time, the e-coat may chip away, exposing the metal toe link and making it more susceptible to corrosion. corrosion may eventually cause the toe link to thin and ultimately fracture."
Consequence:
A rear toe link fracture may reduce the driver's ability to control the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:

Dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links and adjuster fasteners, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 27, 2022. Owners may contact Buick customer service at 1-800-521-7300 or Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020. GM's number for this recall is N212346640. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recalls 20V-764 and 21V-633.

Component(s) Involved: SUSPENSION > REAR
Date of incident: 2021-12-22

CHEVROLET Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

CHEVROLET ranks 2 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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