NHTSA Safety Recalls
2004 Chevrolet Malibu Recalls
The 2004 Chevrolet Malibu has 9 NHTSA safety recalls on file, the newest reported on May 14, 2014.
A recall covers a range of VINs, not every 2004 Chevrolet Malibu. Whether a recall on your own car is still open shows only on a VIN check; recall repairs are free.
- Recalls
- 9
- Owner complaints
- 1,147
- Crashes reported
- 47
- NHTSA crash test
- ★★★★☆
NHTSA campaigns
filed with NHTSA
7 fires
frontal crash, no overall star before 2011
On a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, the 17-character VIN is on the driver-side dashboard, visible through the windshield, or on the door jamb sticker.
9 recalls on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
Electrical system: wiring
- Campaign
- 14V252000
- Reported
- May 14, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 2,440,524
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2012 Malibu, 3 other models
Power train: automatic transmission
- Campaign
- 14V224000
- Reported
- April 30, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 1,131,113
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2008 Malibu, 3 other models
Steering: electric power assist system
- Campaign
- 14V153000
- Reported
- March 31, 2014
- Vehicles affected
- up to 1,373,177
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2006, 2008–2009 Malibu, 6 other models
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- Campaign
- 04V190000
- Reported
- April 19, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 65,439
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- only the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
Seat belts: front: anchorage
- Campaign
- 04V188000
- Reported
- April 16, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 84,474
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash and injury
- Same campaign
- only the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
Equipment: other: labels
- Campaign
- 04V094000
- Reported
- February 24, 2004
- Vehicles affected
- up to 51,715
- Federal standard
- FMVSS 208, occupant crash protection
- Same campaign
- only the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu
Exterior lighting
- Campaign
- 09E012000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2000–2002, 2005–2007 Malibu, 57 other models
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- Campaign
- 11E009000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2007 Malibu, 2 other models
Steering
- Campaign
- 14E044000
- Risk NHTSA names
- crash
- Same campaign
- also 2005–2012 Malibu, 2 other models
2004 Chevrolet Malibu complaints by year
NHTSA has received 1,147 owner complaints about the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, the newest on December 19, 2025. Of these, 47 describe a crash (4%) and 7 a fire; owners reported 22 injuries.
In complaints about the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu, the component group named most often is the steering (70%), followed by the electrical system (13%) and the exterior lighting (7%).
2 of the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu's 9 recalls also concern the steering.
Where 2004 Chevrolet Malibu owners gave the mileage (942 complaints), the median was 78,000 miles.
Component groups named in complaints
- Steering798
- Electrical System151
- Exterior Lighting84
- Seats69
- Power Train64
- Suspension31
Complaints received, by year
| 2003 | 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 129 | |
| 2005 | 50 | |
| 2006 | 41 | |
| 2007 | 34 | |
| 2008 | 48 | |
| 2009 | 65 | |
| 2010 | 136 | |
| 2011 | 108 | |
| 2012 | 57 | |
| 2013 | 86 | |
| 2014 | 190 | |
| 2015 | 69 | |
| 2016 | 30 | |
| 2017 | 17 | |
| 2018 | 23 | |
| 2019 | 23 | |
| 2020 | 13 | |
| 2021 | 13 | |
| 2022 | 4 | |
| 2023 | 5 | |
| 2024 | 2 | |
| 2025 | 2 |
Complaints about the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu peaked in 2014, when NHTSA received 190. 22% arrived between 2003 and 2007, the model year's first years on the road.
Adjusted for how many complaints NHTSA received about all 2004 vehicles, the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu drew 1.4× the complaints of the median Chevrolet Malibu year in the same window: 5th highest of the 23 ranked years.
NHTSA crash-test stars
- Overall: none before 2011
- Frontal: 4/5
- Side: 4/5
The 1,147 complaints about the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu are unverified owner reports, and a model sold in large numbers collects more of them.
Chevrolet Malibu by model year
Other 2004 Chevrolet models
Newest record on this page: December 19, 2025. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted