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.
1G1ZS52F85F••••••2005 Chevrolet MALIBU MAXX
This build draws 3.7× more complaints than the average 2005 Chevrolet MALIBU MAXX build (19 vs 5).
19on this build
256on the model
50builds in total
3involved a crash
5injuries
Most reportedSteering 10Power Train 4Exterior Lighting 3Service Brakes 2
What owners of this build wrote
SteeringcrashSep 2009
2005 chevrolet malibu car veered to left and crossed median. Driver of malibu killed and also struck another car where passengers were injured. Witness stated malibu braked and there were tire marks, no vehicle in front of malibu at time of braking. Witness stated car veered to…
Service BrakescrashOct 2004
While driving 68 mph and had applied the brakes, the steering wheel was hard to control; veered to the right and vehicle rolled over into a ditch. *ak rental vehicle from enterprise contract #113732
Vehicle Speed ControlJul 2018
The contact owns a 2005 chevrolet malibu. While driving with the cruise control engaged at 40 mph, the check engine indicator illuminated. When the cruise control was disengaged, the tachometer remained at approximately 4500 and the vehicle failed to decelerate. The vehicle was…
Fuel/propulsion SystemMay 2017
Gas gauge reads incorrectly and bounces erratically from full to empty and back again turning on the check-engine light and setting off the audible low fuel warning. This happens have every fill-up. In between fill-ups, gas gauge "sticks": to some arbitrary intermediate value.…
Fuel SystemDec 2013
Vehicles brake lights stick on while driving. Sometimes they flash when going aprox 65 and up. It appears the brake lights also flash when car is changing gears. The car once would not shift into drive while reversing and lost all power steering. Also the brakes or something at…
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 50 builds of it, not just this build. Same NHTSA reports, wider net:
Loading owner complaints…
PRO
Upgrade to Pro
You know what it is. Find out what it's worth.
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 1G1ZS52F85F218104 · decoded Aug 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.