Chevrolet Malibu Safety Ratings (2011-2025)
NHTSA has crash-tested the Chevrolet Malibu across 15 model years from 2011 to 2025. Its overall safety rating averages 4.7 out of 5 stars, a strong four to five-star result.
These are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings from its New Car Assessment Program. Each vehicle is scored on frontal crash, side crash, and rollover resistance, which combine into the overall star rating. The ratings use the tougher test methodology NHTSA adopted for 2011 and later, so they are not comparable to older results and are separate from the IIHS awards you may also see. Here is how the Chevrolet Malibu scored by model year.
Chevrolet Malibu NHTSA ratings by model year
| Year | Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2024 | 2024 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2023 | 2023 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2022 | 2022 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 | 2021 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| 2020 | 2020 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| 2019 | 2019 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid 4 DR FWD | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2018 | 2018 Chevrolet Malibu HEV 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2017 | 2017 Chevrolet Malibu Eco e-Assist 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Eco e-Assist 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2016 | 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Limited 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2015 | 2015 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2014 | 2014 Chevrolet Malibu Eco eAssist 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2013 | 2013 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2013 | 2013 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD w/rear SAB's | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2013 | 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco eAssist 4 DR FWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2013 | 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco eAssist 4 DR FWD w/rear SAB's | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2012 | 2012 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2011 | 2011 Chevrolet Malibu 4 DR FWD | 4/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
How NHTSA's crash tests work
NHTSA scores three crash tests and combines them into the overall rating. The frontal test drives the vehicle into a fixed barrier at 35 mph to model a head-on collision. The side test hits the vehicle with a moving barrier and, separately, slams it sideways into a rigid pole, which is the type of crash that puts the most force on occupants. The rollover rating is part lab measurement of how top-heavy the vehicle is and part dynamic maneuver test. More stars is better in every case, with five the top mark.
What the ratings do not tell you
Two caveats are worth holding onto. Star ratings only compare vehicles of a similar size and weight, so a five-star small car and a five-star large SUV did not face the same physics, and the heavier vehicle generally protects its occupants better in a collision between the two. The ratings also come from standardized lab tests, which cannot capture every real-world crash. They are a strong, independent measure of crashworthiness, not a guarantee, and they are separate from both the IIHS awards and the recall record on this site. See the Chevrolet Malibu recall history and its common owner problems for the rest of the safety picture.
Common questions about Chevrolet Malibu safety
- Is the Chevrolet Malibu a safe car?
- In NHTSA crash tests, the Chevrolet Malibu averages 4.7 out of 5 stars overall across the 2011 to 2025 model years, a strong four to five-star result. 17 of the 24 tested configurations earned the full five stars.
- What is the Chevrolet Malibu crash test rating?
- The most recently rated Chevrolet Malibu (2025) earned 5 out of 5 stars overall from NHTSA, with 5 stars in the frontal test, 5 in the side test, and 4 for rollover resistance.
- Are NHTSA stars the same as IIHS ratings?
- No. The star ratings here come from NHTSA's federal crash-test program. The IIHS is a separate insurance-industry group with its own tests and "Top Safety Pick" awards. Both are worth checking, and they do not always agree.
Ratings come from NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings program (model year 2011 and later). See the methodology and data sources for detail. This page is a reference, not legal or safety advice.