Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a promising candidate for various applications, ranging from mobile phones to automobiles, due to its high efficiency, moderate operating temperature, and quick start-up. On the verge of achieving commercialization, durability is one of the main concerns. Carbon-based support materials have been proposed as catalyst supports for PEMFCs to maximize the utilization of nanocatalyst. However, the sluggish oxygen reduction reaction causes a large over-potential during the start-up/shut-down operation, fuel starvation, and reversal decay of electrodes which lead to electrochemical oxidation of the carbon support. This electrochemical oxidation (corrosion) leads to destruction in the catalyst layer (CL) that leads to separation of Pt electrocatalyst particles which then become electronically isolated, leading to increased particle size(Ostwald ripening) and degrades their performance. On the other hand, there have been few efforts made by employing inorganic-based support materials to overcome the stability issues. Even though these materials possess high stability toward electrochemical corrosion, they suffer from inadequate porosity, solubility in an aqueous environment, less electronic conductivity, high cost, low thermal stability, and less surface area. This review aims to provide a clear understanding of the connection between structural changes in CL and performance degradation under normal and accelerated conditions which helps to develop robust hybrid nanostructured materials with proper utilization of catalyst and increased durability.