Ford Fusion vs Chevrolet Malibu: which is more reliable?
The Ford Fusion and the Chevrolet Malibu 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
Ford Fusion
- 10 model years scored
- 13,609 owner complaints on record
- about 99 complaints per year on the road
- 75 recall campaigns, 43 safety-critical
- best year 2020 (83/100) · worst 2016 (47/100)
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)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Fusion against Malibu
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
Ford Fusion
- Steering — 4,073 complaints
- Engine — 2,426 complaints
- Power Train — 2,020 complaints
Chevrolet Malibu
- Electrical System — 2,128 complaints
- Engine — 1,998 complaints
- Power Train — 1,040 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Fusion's complaints concentrate in Steering, the Malibu's in Electrical System. 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
Ford Fusion — avoid: 2011, 2012, 2016.
Chevrolet Malibu — avoid: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018.
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 Ford Fusion prices at about $18,400 and a Chevrolet Malibu at about $28,100 — the Ford Fusion is roughly $9,700 less, and they return 23.0 against 31.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Ford Fusion or the Chevrolet Malibu more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Ford Fusion scores 68/100 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 Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu years should I avoid?
Ford Fusion: 2011, 2012, 2016. Chevrolet Malibu: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Ford Fusion and the Chevrolet Malibu?
The largest complaint group on the Ford Fusion is Steering (4,073 complaints); on the Chevrolet Malibu it is Electrical System (2,128).
Is the Ford Fusion or the Chevrolet Malibu cheaper to own?
A recent used Ford Fusion prices at about $18,400 and a Chevrolet Malibu at about $28,100, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.