Friday, August 7, 2026
RecallGazette

Vehicle problems, recalls & safety intelligence

2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx problems & reliability

44 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.

Owner complaints
44
Recall campaigns
3
Fire reports
1 (2%)
Crash reports
0 (0%)

Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.

NCAP overall rating
Not rated
NHTSA 5-star program
EPA fuel economy
18–21 MPG combined
City 18 · highway 28 (typical trim)
Service bulletins (TSBs)
165
Manufacturer communications on file
Defect investigations
0
NHTSA ODI probes naming this model year

Most reported problems

ComponentComplaints
Air Bags18
Steering10
Electrical System7
Seats7
Exterior Lighting5
Fuel System, Gasoline2
Engine1
Power Train1
Seat Belts1
Service Brakes1

Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.

Common symptoms owners describe

Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.

Mileage when problems occurred

Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 75,000 miles (middle 50% between 64,913 and 98,500 miles), based on 40 complaints that included mileage.

under 20k
3
20–40k
2
40–60k
4
60–80k
13
80–100k
8
100–150k
7
150k+
3

Complaints by incident year

07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
22

What owners report

  • The contact owns a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the theft alert warning light flashed on the instrument panel as the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled to the side of the roadway but was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to his residence due to…

    Electrical System · filed Feb 25, 2022

  • Tl* the contact owns a 2007 chevrolet malibu maxx. While the vehicle was stationary and while driving various speeds, the air bag, abs, and traction control indicators illuminated. The contact stated that the traction control would not engage. An unknown dealer in fairbanks, alaska was contacted about the failure, but…

    Electrical System · filed Mar 1, 2018

  • Passenger airbag light remains on. Unable to pass safety inspection. Went to dealerership and they stated I needed a passenger presence module and the price on the part is $1348.16. My car has 216,000 miles on it. Still runs well and has been paid off for years.

    Exterior Lighting · filed Jun 8, 2017

Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.

Technical service bulletins

165 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx. The 10 most recent:

  • This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that have an intermittent no crank, no start, or start stall concern with the security light coming on. Technician may…

    PIC5650M · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 7, 2025

  • This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic assistance from TAC.

    PIP5601C · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2025

  • This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

    PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025

  • This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

    PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025

  • This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about the use of J-35616-64B and Mini 50 terminal test probe, replacement terminals, and terminated leads.

    PIT5074R · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 30, 2025

  • This service bulletin provides information for maintenance cleaning of the fuel injectors and gasoline detergent additive.

    04-06-04-051J · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 27, 2024

  • This service bulletin provides information on some vehicles that may rock or move slightly forward or rearward while in Park at start up after cold soak. This condition may be accompanied by a clunk noise. This is a…

    08-07-30-026I · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 16, 2024

  • This service bulletin provides information for dealers/technicians on When and How to Submit a Field Product Report (FPR) (U.S. and Canada Dealers Only).

    02-00-89-002X · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 9, 2024

  • This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about changing the tire and wheel size on vehicles. General Motors will only support a tire calibration for tires that have been sized…

    PIT3271P · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 2024

  • Vehicle Wide Programming (VWP) is a new process to update software on GM Vehicles. It provides the ability via a single selection within Techline Connect to first identify which modules need updating and then proceed to…

    General Communication · Service Campaign · issued Aug 26, 2024

TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.

Safety recalls

The 2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.

Check whether your specific vehicle is affected

Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.

Check VIN on NHTSA →

Buying a used 2007 Chevrolet Malibu Maxx?

  • · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
  • · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
  • · Owners most often reported problems around 75,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.
About this data. Complaint figures come from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation consumer complaint database and count unique complaints (one per NHTSA case number). Complaints are submitted by vehicle owners and are not independently verified; complaint volume also reflects how many of these vehicles are on the road. Recall data comes from the official NHTSA recall database. This page is not affiliated with Chevrolet or NHTSA.