2005 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Malibu years
- More complaints than other years 9th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 975 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu. That ranks 9th out of 29 Malibu model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is steering (506 complaints, 52%), typically at around 91,000 miles. Complaints mention 46 crashes, 34 fires, 55 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 975owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 46complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2005 Chevrolet Malibu problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering problems | 506 | 52% | 91,000 | “steering column” (15%) | $1,100 |
| Electrical System problems | 180 | 18% | 102,500 | “ignition switch” (12%) | — |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 153 | 16% | 76,500 | “turn signal” (30%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 65 | 7% | 88,500 | “electrical electronic stability” (15%) | — |
| Seats problems | 62 | 6% | 89,000 | “driver seat” (34%) | $1,400 |
| Engine | 49 | 5% | 107,261 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 43 | 4% | 112,300 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 37 | 4% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 33 | 3% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 32 | 3% | 120,500 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 30 | 3% | 162,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 27 | 3% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 26 | 3% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 25 | 3% | 121,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 21 | 2% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 17 | 2% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 14 | 1% | 14,900 | — | — |
| Structure | 12 | 1% | 64,862 | — | — |
| Equipment | 9 | 1% | 59,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 6 | 1% | 45,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 6 | 1% | 82,280 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 1% | 83,032 | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 1% | 47,100 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 2 | 0% | 57,500 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 0% | 220,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 0% | 72,670 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 100 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 32,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2005 Chevrolet Malibu recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electronic stability control (esc); vehicle speed control:cruise control; exterior lighting:brake lights:switch; electrical system:wiring
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2012 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured May 16, 2003, through October 11, 2012, 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, 2005-2010 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured May 26, 2004, through January 4, 2010, and 2007-2010 Saturn Aura vehicles manufactured April 24, 2006, through May 26, 2009. In the affected vehicles, increased resistance in the Body Control Module (BCM) connection may result in voltage fluctuations in the Brake Apply Sensor (BAS) circuit. These fluctuations can cause one or more of these conditions: the brake lights to illuminate without the brake pedal being pushed; the brake lights to not illuminate when the pedal is pushed; difficulty disengaging the cruise control; moving the gear shifter out of the 'PARK' position without pushing the brake; and disablement of crash avoidance features such as traction control, electronic stability control, and panic braking assist features.
Risk: Any of the above failure conditions increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will attach the wiring harness to the BCM with a spacer, apply dielectric lubricant to both the BCM and harness connector and the BAS and harness connector, and will relearn the brake pedal home position, free of charge. The manufacturer distributed an Interim letter to customers on July 14, 2014. The recall began on August 18, 2014. Owners may contact General Motors customer service at 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), 1-800-762-2737 (Pontiac), 1-800-553-6000 (Saturn). GM's number for this recall is 13036.
Power train:automatic transmission:lever and linkage:floor shift
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on April 29, 2014, that they are recalling 56,214 model year 2007 and 2008 Saturn Aura vehicles. On May 22, 2014, GM increased the recall to include an additional 1,074,899 model year 2004-2008 Chevrolet Malibu vehicles manufactured from May 16, 2003, through October 5, 2007, model year 2004-2007 Malibu Maxx vehicles manufactured from June 25, 2003, through April 5, 2007, and model year 2005-2008 Pontiac G6 vehicles manufactured from May 26, 2004, through September 28, 2007, and equipped with 4-speed transmissions. The total number vehicles being recalled is now 1,131,113.
Risk: If the transmission shift cable fractures while the vehicle is being driven, the transmission gear selection may not match the indicated gear and the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash. Furthermore, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, despite selecting the ÂPARK position, the transmission may not be in ÂPARK. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and GM dealers will replace the shift cable assembly and mounting bracket, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact General Motors at 1-800-553-6000. GM's number for this recall is 14152.
Steering:electric power assist system
Problem: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2004-2006 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2006 Malibu Maxx, 2009-2010 HHR (non-turbo), 2010 Cobalt, 2008-2009 Saturn Aura and 2004-2007 Ion, and 2005-2009 Pontiac G6. In the affected vehicles, there may be a sudden loss of electric power steering (EPS) assist that could occur at any time while driving.
Risk: If power steering assist is lost, greater driver effort would be required to steer the vehicle at low speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will perform one of four bulletins. Parts are not currently available. GM expects to send an interim notification around May 28, 2014. When parts are available, owners will be mailed a second letter to come in to have the applicable bulletin applied. Bulletin 14115 covers model year 2004-2007 Saturn Ion, 2009-2010 Chevrolet HHR and 2010 Chevrolet Cobalts. Dealers will replace the EPS motor. Bulletin 14116 covers model year 2004-2006 Chevrolet Malibu and Malibu Maxx, 2005-2006 Pontiac G6 and 2008-2009 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from March 1, 2008, through June 27, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly. Bulletin 14117 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from February 1, 2008, through February 28, 2008. Dealers will replace the torque sensor assembly and EPS motor controller unit. Bulletin 14118 covers model year 2008 Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6 and Saturn Aura built from October 1, 2007, through January 31, 2008. Dealers will replace the EPS motor controller unit. The recall began on July 17, 2014. Owners may contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Saturn at 1-800-553-6000, and Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668. GM's number for this recall is N140115. Note: GM bulletin number 14119 will be implemented for model year 2006-2008 and early production of 2009 Chevrolet HHR (non-turbo) and model year 2003 Saturn ION to provide EPS Motor replacement for the life of the vehicle.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Turn Signal Lamps (EA09004) — opened Mar 20, 2009, closed Aug 12, 2010.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to the U-joint in the steering column, which made the vehicle…
Power steering failing. As I was driving down the road I got a power steering message and chime. No dash light came on and I lost all ability to turn my vehicles steering wheel. I went to add power steering fluid just to learn that my 2005 Chevy Malibu maxx LS comes equipped with EPS(electric power…
The steering locked up when the brakes were pressed and the steering wheel was turned to avoid crashing with another car. The result is the crash happened and damage to both cars. Thankfully traffic was only going around 10 mph. If this had happened at high speed my son may have been seriously…
The car has a recall for power steering the recall covers the torque sensor in the steering assembly I had the recall done about 6-8 weeks ago & now Iâm dealing with another power steering issue I took the car to Chevy & the whole power steering motor has failed they say it is not covered under…
The EPS began sporadically and severely jerking the steering very powerfully while driving and stationary and draining the battery at an accelerated rate necessitating multiple replacements of and charging 2 batteries to get to and from my job and anywhere else making everyday life very difficult…
Other Chevrolet Malibu years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Malibu | 11 | 1 |
| 2024 Malibu | 43 | 2 |
| 2023 Malibu | 71 | 2 |
| 2022 Malibu | 98 | 1 |
| 2021 Malibu | 90 | 2 |
| 2020 Malibu | 198 | 1 |
| 2019 Malibu | 192 | 1 |
| 2018 Malibu | 700 | 6 |
| 2017 Malibu | 703 | 4 |
| 2016 Malibu | 838 | 9 |
| 2015 Malibu | 270 | 3 |
| 2014 Malibu | 351 | 6 |
| 2013 Malibu | 836 | 10 |
| 2012 Malibu | 907 | 2 |
| 2011 Malibu | 978 | 3 |
| 2010 Malibu | 1,362 | 3 |
| 2009 Malibu | 1,509 | 5 |
| 2008 Malibu | 989 | 4 |
| 2007 Malibu | 977 | 3 |
| 2006 Malibu | 1,116 | 6 |
| 2005 | 975 | 3 |
| 2004 Malibu | 1,147 | 6 |
| 2003 Malibu | 569 | 2 |
| 2002 Malibu | 567 | 2 |
| 2001 Malibu | 721 | 2 |
| 2000 Malibu | 922 | 3 |
| 1999 Malibu | 789 | 1 |
| 1998 Malibu | 976 | 3 |
| 1997 Malibu | 443 | 4 |
See all Chevrolet Malibu problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners most often report steering, electrical system, exterior lighting problems. The top one, steering, accounts for 506 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2005 Chevrolet Malibu a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Malibu model years, the 2005 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.