Is the Nissan Altima more reliable than the Chevrolet Malibu?

Slightly, yes. Both land in good standing, but Altima owners file fewer complaints per car sold, 1.6 per 10,000 against 3.6 for the Malibu. Repair costs run a little lower too. The Altima has more recalls and some serious air bag and steering reports, so the lead is narrow.

Which has more recalls, the Altima or the Malibu?

The Altima. Federal recall records show 20 recalls across 9 model years for the Altima and 13 across 8 model years for the Malibu. Check any specific car by VIN. Owners of both models say recalls on their cars covered only certain VINs.

Which is cheaper to repair, the Altima or the Malibu?

The Altima, by a small margin. Independent repair-cost data estimates $483 a year against $532 for the Malibu, about $245 over five years. Shop visits are the same at 0.3 a year. The Malibu has a slightly lower chance of a major repair, 11% against 12%.

What is the Malibu's "Shift to Park" problem?

The dash says the car is not in Park when the shifter is in Park. The car may not shut off, lock, or power down, and the battery can drain. Dealers traced it to a failed shift lever. Owners past warranty paid for the repair, and one bill was $500.15.

What are the most serious Altima complaints?

Air bags and steering. Owners report air bags that did not deploy in serious frontal crashes, and tie rods that came apart during routine turns so the car could not be steered. Electrical complaints also include fires, some after the car was parked and shut off.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Chevrolet Malibu vs Nissan Altima: Reliability Compared

Chevrolet Malibu

Good

More Reliable

Nissan Altima

Good

Slightly ahead on reliability, the Nissan Altima beats the Chevrolet Malibu on owner complaints per car sold. It also costs a bit less to repair. The Altima has more recalls, though, and its worst reports involve air bags and steering.

How Do the Chevrolet Malibu and Nissan Altima Generations Compare?

Two generations cover the Altima's range. The 2018 model was the last of the fifth generation (L33), and the sixth generation (L34) ran from 2019 through 2023, with a refresh in 2023. That puts the weak 2019 and 2020 years at the start of a new design, while the refreshed 2023 is among the strongest. Shopping the Malibu is simpler. Every year in range belongs to the ninth generation, which ran from 2016 through 2025, with a facelift in 2024. It is listed as end of production, so no newer redesign exists to wait for. Its weakest years, 2018 and 2019, come from the same generation as its best.

Verdict

The Nissan Altima is more reliable than the Chevrolet Malibu, scoring 79/100 vs 76/100.

Slight edge to the Altima. Owners file fewer complaints per car sold, 1.6 per 10,000 against 3.6 for the Malibu, and independent repair-cost data puts its yearly bill a little lower. The gap is small. The Altima has more federal recalls, and its worst reports involve air bags that did not deploy and tie rods that separated. The Malibu's problems come up more often but center on a false Shift to Park warning and brake vacuum pump failure.

Key Differences

1Nissan Altima costs $49 less per year to repair
2Chevrolet Malibu has 7 fewer total recalls
3Nissan Altima scores 3 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

2Chevrolet Malibu

—

3Nissan Altima

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Chevrolet Malibu vs Nissan Altima: Which Is More Reliable?

Chevrolet Malibu vs Nissan Altima at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Chevrolet Malibu	Nissan Altima
Reliability Score	76/100	79/100
Years Tracked	8	9
Total Recalls	13	20
Complaints per 10k Sold	3.6	1.6
Annual Repair Cost	$532/yr	$483/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.3/yr
Major Repair Risk	11%	12%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2025 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	3	5

What Are the Common Problems With the Chevrolet Malibu and Nissan Altima?

Fewer complaints on the Altima side, but the serious ones hit safety hardware. Air bags failed to deploy in several frontal crashes, with 18 crash-linked complaints, and tie rods came apart during turns. Electrical reports include fires. The Malibu's complaints cluster around a false "Shift to Park" message that drains the battery, sudden power loss at highway speed, and a brake vacuum pump that fails and leaves a rock-hard pedal. Air bags and steering are not among the Malibu's main problem areas. Both models have crash-linked brake reports.

Chevrolet Malibu vs Nissan Altima common problem areas comparison
Component	Chevrolet Malibu	Nissan Altima
POWER TRAIN	0.9Very Low	0.1Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.7Very Low	0.3Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.5Very Low	0.2Very Low
ENGINE	0.4Very Low	0.1Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
STEERING	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.2Very Low	—None
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.1Very Low	—None
FUEL SYSTEM	—None	—None
STRUCTURE	—None	—None
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	—None	—None
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES	—None	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)	—None	—None
SEATS	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
VISIBILITY	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Chevrolet Malibu or Nissan Altima?

Keeping the Altima running costs less, but not by much. Independent repair-cost data estimates $483 a year for it and $532 for the Malibu. That is $49 a year, or about $245 over five years. Both average 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year. The chance that a repair is major is 12% for the Altima and 11% for the Malibu, so the Malibu is slightly less likely to hand you a big bill.

How Does Chevrolet Malibu vs Nissan Altima Reliability Compare by Year?

Chevrolet Malibu vs Nissan Altima year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Chevrolet Malibu	Nissan Altima	Edge
2025	80/1000R / 3C	78/1001R / 4C	Chevrolet Malibu
2024	80/1001R / 8C	82/1001R / 31C	Nissan Altima
2023	81/1001R / 23C	84/1000R / 24C	Nissan Altima
2022	80/1001R / 66C	83/1000R / 20C	Nissan Altima
2021	74/1002R / 61C	79/1002R / 53C	Nissan Altima
2020	74/1001R / 178C	71/1006R / 162C	Chevrolet Malibu
2019	74/1001R / 181C	72/1008R / 230C	Chevrolet Malibu
2018	62/1006R / 673C	76/1002R / 217C	Nissan Altima

Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Chevrolet Malibu scored 81/100 and the 2023 Nissan Altima scored 84/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Chevrolet Malibu vs the Nissan Altima?

Pick the Altima if you want the lower repair bill and fewer owner complaints per car sold. Target the 2023 model year, one of its strongest, and avoid 2019 and 2020, its weakest. Check the VIN against federal recall records before you buy. Owners say a tie rod fastener recall did not cover their cars, and the Altima has the larger recall count. The 2026 has simply had less time to collect complaints, so do not read its clean record as proof. Pick the Malibu if air bag and steering failures worry you more than recurring warnings and power loss. Target 2023 or 2025, and avoid 2018 and 2019, its weakest years. Ask whether the shifter has been replaced, since owners past warranty paid for that repair. Ask about the brake vacuum pump too. When it breaks apart and damages the camshaft, owners reported repair quotes of $10,000 to $12,000. The 2025 is the newest year, so its low complaint count partly reflects less time on the road.

Chevrolet Malibu vs Nissan Altima: Common Questions

Is the Nissan Altima more reliable than the Chevrolet Malibu?: Slightly, yes. Both land in good standing, but Altima owners file fewer complaints per car sold, 1.6 per 10,000 against 3.6 for the Malibu. Repair costs run a little lower too. The Altima has more recalls and some serious air bag and steering reports, so the lead is narrow.
Which has more recalls, the Altima or the Malibu?: The Altima. Federal recall records show 20 recalls across 9 model years for the Altima and 13 across 8 model years for the Malibu. Check any specific car by VIN. Owners of both models say recalls on their cars covered only certain VINs.
Which is cheaper to repair, the Altima or the Malibu?: The Altima, by a small margin. Independent repair-cost data estimates $483 a year against $532 for the Malibu, about $245 over five years. Shop visits are the same at 0.3 a year. The Malibu has a slightly lower chance of a major repair, 11% against 12%.
What is the Malibu's "Shift to Park" problem?: The dash says the car is not in Park when the shifter is in Park. The car may not shut off, lock, or power down, and the battery can drain. Dealers traced it to a failed shift lever. Owners past warranty paid for the repair, and one bill was $500.15.
What are the most serious Altima complaints?: Air bags and steering. Owners report air bags that did not deploy in serious frontal crashes, and tie rods that came apart during routine turns so the car could not be steered. Electrical complaints also include fires, some after the car was parked and shut off.

More Chevrolet Malibu comparisons

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How we score the Chevrolet Malibu and Nissan Altima

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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