IllustrationI PUT DOWN THE BACK WINDOWS AND NOW THEY WON'T GO BACK UP. I HAVE AN '05 MALIBU AND RARELY USE THE WINDOWS. THE MOTOR SHOULD NOT HAVE WENT (IF THAT IS IN FACT THE PROBLEM). I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT MY INFANT IN THE CAR IN THE WINTER IF THIS PROBLEM ISN'T FIXED? *TR
2005 Chevrolet Malibu Classic
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Malibu Classic years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
30–25K
925–50K
1150–75K
1575–100K
15100–150K
15150K+
68 reports with mileage · 24 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 41 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 20 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
6 crash reports1 fire reports3 injury reports
Visibility complaints
2 reportsMY WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL WORK SOMETIMES AND NOT OTHERS, I REPLACED THE FUSE. IN THE RAIN WIPERS WILL BE WORKING FINE, THEN QUIT ALL OF A SUDDEN. MY MECHANIC COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. IF YOU DO NOT TAKE THE FUSE OUT NOW, THE WIPERS WILL STAY ON CONSTANTLY. IF YOU WANT TO USE THEM NOW YOU HAVE TO PUT THE FUSE BACK IN TO MAKE …
Read full complaint
MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL WORK SOMETIMES AND NOT OTHERS, I REPLACED THE FUSE. IN THE RAIN WIPERS WILL BE WORKING FINE, THEN QUIT ALL OF A SUDDEN. MY MECHANIC COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. IF YOU DO NOT TAKE THE FUSE OUT NOW, THE WIPERS WILL STAY ON CONSTANTLY. IF YOU WANT TO USE THEM NOW YOU HAVE TO PUT THE FUSE BACK IN TO MAKE THEM WORK. YOU HAVE TO HOPE YOU CAN PULL OVER SAFELY ONCE THE RAIN STARTS. I AM CONSTANTLY USING RAIN X WHEN IT LOOKS LIKE RAIN. THIS IS THE 2ND ELECTRICAL PROBLEM I HAVE HAD WITH MY 2005 CHEVY MALIBU. *TR
Official recalls
114V400000 · Electrical System:ignition
Jul 3, 2014
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.