Chevrolet Malibu vs Chrysler 200: which is more reliable?
The Chevrolet Malibu and the Chrysler 200 are level on the federal record — 68/100 against 69/100 across the years we score. Which one to buy is decided by the model year, not the badge.
The record, side by side
Chevrolet Malibu
- 15 model years scored
- 7,206 owner complaints on record
- about 47 complaints per year on the road
- 55 recall campaigns, 35 safety-critical
- best year 2025 (89/100) · worst 2016 (27/100)
Chrysler 200
- 7 model years scored
- 4,167 owner complaints on record
- about 57 complaints per year on the road
- 24 recall campaigns, 17 safety-critical
- best year 2017 (92/100) · worst 2015 (28/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Malibu against 200
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Chevrolet Malibu
- Electrical System — 2,128 complaints
- Engine — 1,998 complaints
- Power Train — 1,040 complaints
Chrysler 200
- Electrical System — 1,220 complaints
- Engine — 1,207 complaints
- Power Train — 866 complaints
Both nameplates have Electrical System as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Chevrolet Malibu — avoid: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018.
Chrysler 200 — avoid: 2015.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Chevrolet Malibu prices at about $28,100 and a Chrysler 200 at about $13,900 — the Chrysler 200 is roughly $14,200 less, and they return 31.0 against 27.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Chevrolet Malibu or the Chrysler 200 more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Chrysler 200 scores 69/100 against the Chevrolet Malibu's 68/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Chevrolet Malibu and Chrysler 200 years should I avoid?
Chevrolet Malibu: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018. Chrysler 200: 2015. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Chevrolet Malibu and the Chrysler 200?
The largest complaint group on the Chevrolet Malibu is Electrical System (2,128 complaints); on the Chrysler 200 it is Electrical System (1,220).
Is the Chevrolet Malibu or the Chrysler 200 cheaper to own?
A recent used Chevrolet Malibu prices at about $28,100 and a Chrysler 200 at about $13,900, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.