Chevrolet Malibu vs Nissan Altima: which is more reliable?
The Chevrolet Malibu and the Nissan Altima are level on the federal record — 68/100 against 68/100 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)
Nissan Altima
- 15 model years scored
- 6,792 owner complaints on record
- about 46 complaints per year on the road
- 62 recall campaigns, 28 safety-critical
- best year 2022 (95/100) · worst 2013 (23/100)
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 Altima
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.
| Year | Malibu | Altima | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 89 BUY | 86 BUY | +3 |
| 2024 | 88 BUY | 86 BUY | +2 |
| 2023 | 87 BUY | 93 BUY | -6 |
| 2022 | 88 BUY | 95 BUY | -7 |
| 2021 | 88 BUY | 88 BUY | +0 |
| 2020 | 79 BUY | 76 BUY | +3 |
| 2019 | 83 BUY | 68 CAUTION | +15 |
| 2018 | 31 AVOID | 83 BUY | -52 |
| 2017 | 35 AVOID | 69 CAUTION | -34 |
| 2016 | 27 AVOID | 55 CAUTION | -28 |
| 2015 | 82 BUY | 27 AVOID | +55 |
| 2014 | 72 BUY | 29 AVOID | +43 |
| 2013 | 31 AVOID | 23 AVOID | +8 |
| 2012 | 43 AVOID | 73 BUY | -30 |
| 2011 | 40 AVOID | 91 BUY | -51 |
What owners actually complain about
Chevrolet Malibu
- Electrical System — 2,128 complaints
- Engine — 1,998 complaints
- Power Train — 1,040 complaints
Nissan Altima
- Power Train — 1,484 complaints
- Air Bags — 1,159 complaints
- Exterior Lighting — 1,053 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Malibu's complaints concentrate in Electrical System, the Altima's in Power Train. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Chevrolet Malibu — avoid: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018.
Nissan Altima — avoid: 2013, 2014, 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 Nissan Altima at about $28,100 — they price within $1 of each other, which at this level is the same money, and they return 31.0 against 31.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Chevrolet Malibu or the Nissan Altima more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Chevrolet Malibu scores 68/100 against the Nissan Altima'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 Nissan Altima years should I avoid?
Chevrolet Malibu: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018. Nissan Altima: 2013, 2014, 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 Nissan Altima?
The largest complaint group on the Chevrolet Malibu is Electrical System (2,128 complaints); on the Nissan Altima it is Power Train (1,484).
Is the Chevrolet Malibu or the Nissan Altima cheaper to own?
A recent used Chevrolet Malibu prices at about $28,100 and a Nissan Altima at about $28,100, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.