Chevrolet Malibu vs Toyota Camry: which is more reliable?
The Toyota Camry is ahead of the Chevrolet Malibu on the federal record, 73/100 against 68/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
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)
Toyota Camry
- 14 model years scored
- 3,930 owner complaints on record
- about 31 complaints per year on the road
- 40 recall campaigns, 22 safety-critical
- best year 2014 (93/100) · worst 2018 (27/100)
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 Camry
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 | Camry | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 89 BUY | — | — |
| 2024 | 88 BUY | 83 BUY | +5 |
| 2023 | 87 BUY | 85 BUY | +2 |
| 2022 | 88 BUY | 89 BUY | -1 |
| 2021 | 88 BUY | 75 BUY | +13 |
| 2020 | 79 BUY | 56 CAUTION | +23 |
| 2019 | 83 BUY | 37 AVOID | +46 |
| 2018 | 31 AVOID | 27 AVOID | +4 |
| 2017 | 35 AVOID | 87 BUY | -52 |
| 2016 | 27 AVOID | 86 BUY | -59 |
| 2015 | 82 BUY | 81 BUY | +1 |
| 2014 | 72 BUY | 93 BUY | -21 |
| 2013 | 31 AVOID | 82 BUY | -51 |
| 2012 | 43 AVOID | 55 CAUTION | -12 |
| 2011 | 40 AVOID | 59 CAUTION | -19 |
What owners actually complain about
Chevrolet Malibu
- Electrical System — 2,128 complaints
- Engine — 1,998 complaints
- Power Train — 1,040 complaints
Toyota Camry
- Power Train — 622 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 609 complaints
- Air Bags — 390 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Malibu's complaints concentrate in Electrical System, the Camry'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.
Toyota Camry — avoid: 2018, 2019.
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 Toyota Camry at about $25,800 — the Toyota Camry is roughly $2,300 less, and they return 31.0 against 26.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Chevrolet Malibu or the Toyota Camry more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Toyota Camry scores 73/100 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 Toyota Camry years should I avoid?
Chevrolet Malibu: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018. Toyota Camry: 2018, 2019. 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 Toyota Camry?
The largest complaint group on the Chevrolet Malibu is Electrical System (2,128 complaints); on the Toyota Camry it is Power Train (622).
Is the Chevrolet Malibu or the Toyota Camry cheaper to own?
A recent used Chevrolet Malibu prices at about $28,100 and a Toyota Camry at about $25,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.