Everything NHTSA's vPIC database knows about this exact vehicle:
Decoding from NHTSA…
Vehicle history — accidents, title & owners
The decode above is what this vehicle is. For what it's been through — accidents, title brands, odometer, theft/total-loss and previous owners — pull a full history report.
NHTSA publishes the first 11 characters of the VIN with every complaint — that identifies the plant, model year, body and engine. So these are reports from cars built exactly like this one, not an average across the whole model.
1G1ZH57B09F••••••2009 Chevrolet MALIBU
This build draws 2.4× more complaints than the average 2009 Chevrolet MALIBU build (19 vs 8).
19on this build
1396on the model
177builds in total
1involved a crash
1involved a fire
Most reportedSteering 11Electrical System 5Exterior Lighting 3Electronic Stability Control (esc) 3
What owners of this build wrote
Unknown Or OtherfireDec 2020
I was driving on the parkway my vehicle started making a loud sound idling high then it made a loud pop sound then began to smoke by the time I pulled over smoke was coming through the vents and fire was coming from the hood I was able to get my two small boys out before it…
Electronic Stability Control (esc)crashApr 2018
This has popped up on my car 2 months after I leased the car and the place I bought it from says its ok to be on my dashboard and I do not believe that. It shows up everytime I go up to 35 or more
SteeringJan 2022
I couldbt turn tge car out of nowhere an nout ran off the road
Exterior LightingJun 2018
Low beam passenger headlight out malfunction somewhere along the lines.. Replaced parts and still currently not working! Works for less than a week then stops again. Looked online and it shows many many people have this problem with no solution!
Power TrainJun 2017
The contact owns a 2009 chevrolet malibu. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 12V460000 (power train). When the contact attempted to shift the vehicle into drive, the display on the instrument cluster indicated that the vehicle…
Read all 19 complaints on this exact buildFull text, search by keyword, and the systems that fail most on cars built like yours.Unlock with Pro →
Owner complaints…
Now the whole model — all 177 builds of it, not just this build. Same NHTSA reports, wider net:
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Exact value for this VIN, adjusted for mileage
The original window sticker and factory options
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Decoded via NHTSA vPIC. Recalls, complaints and safety from NHTSA; MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Full history reports from our partner. VIN 1G1ZH57B09F169751 · decoded Oct 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.