Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1975 Malibu.
The 1975 Chevrolet Malibu carries a reliability record marked by minimal owner feedback, registering just two total complaints with tires identified as the primary concern alongside a single recall campaign. When viewed against the model’s documented complaint history spanning 1997 to 2025—a period that saw volumes peak at 1,697 grievances for the 2004 model year and bottom out at seven for 2025—this entry stands at the extreme low end of the spectrum with its single-digit complaint count. That scarcity of reported issues positions the 1975 model among the most complaint-free years in the Malibu’s tracked reliability history, suggesting a relatively trouble-free ownership experience compared to later model years.
0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.
Independent road tests for the Malibu of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Classic Landau Coupe 5.0L V8 | 10.80 sec | 18.40 sec | 145 hp | RWD |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The federal record provided spans 1997 through 2025 and contains no entries for 1975 or any adjacent model year, which means there is no year-by-year trend data available to contextualize the target year within its generation. The only data available for the 1975 Malibu itself shows just two total complaints — one related to Tires and one to Engine & Engine Cooling — with zero crash complaints and zero fire complaints, suggesting an extremely thin federal paper trail that likely reflects the age of the vehicle and the limitations of NHTSA's historical database rather than an inherently trouble-free model. Without comparable figures for surrounding years, it is impossible to identify a complaint or recall trend or to position 1975 within any generational arc. The data does not specify root causes for either of the two recorded complaint areas. **Takeaway:** The federal record offers insufficient evidence to either endorse or caution against a used 1975 Malibu on safety grounds; any purchase decision should rely instead on a hands-on mechanical inspection and the specific condition of the individual vehicle rather than on this sparse historical dataset.
All 2 complaints on record, top 2 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 1 of 1 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
CERTAIN HONEYWELL FRAM RACING BRAND HP4 AND HP8 OIL FILTERS THAT WERE MANUFACTURED FROM MAY 25, 2006, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 14, 2007, AND SOLD FOR USE AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR VEHICLES LIST ABOVE. THE AFFECTED FILTERS… Remedy: HONEYWELL WILL REPLACE THE AFFECTED OIL FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN DURING NOVEMBER 2007. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FRAM CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-800-890-2075.
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.