RoadVitals

1998 Chevrolet Malibu Classic

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
5
Latest May 8, 2018
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
0
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
2
3 injuries, 1 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu Classic, most frequently naming the electrical, airbags and brakes categories. 8 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Electrical444.4%
  • Airbags222.2%
  • Brakes111.1%
  • Engine111.1%
  • Steering111.1%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Electrical
Filed May 8, 2018

IGNITION WORT TURN AT TIMES, HAVE TO WIGGLE.

NHTSA ID
11092597
Incident
May 7, 2018
Mileage
25 mi
Electrical
Filed Jul 11, 2015

I COMPLETED RECALL NHTSA-14V400, GM-N140350 ON OCT 30, 2014 AT DUBLIN CHEVY WHERE THEY INSERTED THE SPACERS IN MY 2 IGNITION KEYS. SINCE THEN I HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED 4 MORE TIMES TO COME IN, BY GM, CONCORD CHEVY AND DUBLIN CHEVY. . I HAVE CALLED DUBLIN CHEVY 2 TIMES AND THEY VERIFY I HAVE HAD THE RECALL PERFORMED AND SAID THEY WILL SEE THAT IT IS TAKEN CARE OF AND I WILL NEVER BE CONTACTED AGAIN. AS OF JUL 11, 2015 IT IS STILL LISTED AS RECALL INCOMPLETE ON YOUR SITE. PLEASE CORRECT YOUR RECORDS.

NHTSA ID
10733393
Incident
Oct 30, 2014
Engine
Filed Oct 28, 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU CLASSIC. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

NHTSA ID
10650832
Incident
Sep 20, 2014
Mileage
100,000 mi
AirbagsElectrical
Filed Oct 16, 2014
Crash reported1 injury reported

1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU CLASSIC. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO AIRBAGS AND IGNITION PROBLEMS. *SMD THE CONSUMERS SON WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT, AND THE AIR BAG FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED IGNITION PROBLEMS SEVERAL TIMES. *JB

NHTSA ID
10644035
Incident
Jun 1, 2014
AirbagsBrakesElectrical+1 more
Filed Sep 18, 2014
Crash reported2 injuries reported1 death reported

THIS VEHICLE HAD A CRASH WITH FATALITIES IN 2006. GENERAL MOTORS NEVER ISSUED A UNINTENDED IGNITION TURNOFF ON THIS VEHICLE UNTIL AUG2014. THE CRASH BEGAN WITH AN UNCONTROLLABLE AND UNEXPECTED SPINOUT, THERE WAS NO ABILITY TO STEER, BRAKE AND AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THESE ARE THE EXACT CONDITIONS LISTED IN THE GM RECALL. GM WILL NOT ACCEPT A FILING FOR THIS MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE AND SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE GM IGNITION CLAIM PROGRAM. AN INNOCENT PERSON HAS A BEEN CONVICTED OF MANSLAUGHTER AND THIS SHOULD BE CORRECTED IMMEDIATELY AND COMPENSATION PROVIDED BY GM. THIS IS THE EXACT WORDING ON THE GM RECALL WEBSITE: THE FOLLOWING RECALLS HAVE BEEN FOUND FOR YOUR 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU RESULTS LAST UPDATED: SEP 16, 2014 GM RECALL #: N140350 NHTSA RECALL #: 14V400 DATE ISSUED: AUG 12, 2014 UNINTENDED IGNITION KEY ROTATION RECALL DESCRIPTION: GENERAL MOTORS HAS DECIDED THAT A DEFECT WHICH RELATES TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXISTS IN 2000-2005 MY CHEVROLET IMPALA AND MONTE CARLO, 1997-2005 MY CHEVROLET MALIBU, 1999-2004 MY OLDSMOBILE ALERO, 1998-2002 MY OLDSMOBILE INTRIGUE, 1999-2005 MY PONTIAC GRAND AM, AND 2004-2008 MY PONTIAC GRAND PRIX VEHICLES. IF THE KEY RING IS CARRYING ADDED WEIGHT AND THE VEHICLE GOES OFF ROAD OR EXPERIENCES SOME OTHER JARRING EVENT, IT MAY UNINTENTIONALLY MOVE THE KEY AWAY FROM THE RUN POSITION. IF THIS OCCURS, ENGINE POWER, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKING MAY BE AFFECTED, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH. SAFETY RISK DESCRIPTION: THE TIMING OF THE KEY MOVEMENT OUT OF THE RUN POSITION, RELATIVE TO THE ACTIVATION OF THE SENSING ALGORITHM OF THE CRASH EVENT, MAY RESULT IN THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING, INCREASING THE POTENTIAL FOR OCCUPANT INJURY IN CERTAIN KINDS OF CRASHES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10637270
Incident
Nov 12, 2006
Mileage
80,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

PIT3227S

STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have slack in one of the tailgate cables. Technician should not replace any parts for this concern. Please communicate to the customer this condition is a normal operating characteristic of their vehicle.

17-NA-073

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

This warranty administration bulletin provides information regarding the field action courtesy transportation policy.

PIT3227R

STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have slack in one of the tailgate cables. Technician should not replace any parts for this concern. Please communicate to the customer this condition is a normal operating characteristic of their vehicle.

PIT3227Q

EQUIPMENT

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have slack in one of the tailgate cables. Technician should not replace any parts for this concern. Please communicate to the customer this condition is a normal operating characteristic of their vehicle.

PIT3227P

STRUCTURE:BODY:TAILGATE

This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about vehicles that may have slack in one of the tailgate cables. Technician should not replace any parts for this concern. Please communicate to the customer this condition is a normal operating characteristic of their vehicle.

16NA260

EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC.

THIS TECHNICAL BULLETIN PROVIDES A PROCEDURE TO REPROGRAM THE MEDIA DISC PLAYER WITH THE LATEST CALIBRATIONS TO CORRECT A CONDITION OF THE REAR ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM NOT OPERATING AS INTENDED IN COLDER AMBIENT TEMPERATURE AREAS DUE TO CALIBRATION CONCERNS.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet Malibu Classic by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2008210035.5
2007150027.9
2005921039.2
20041161144.8
2003160035.0
2002160028.7
2001130030.0
2000110037.4
1999400
1998Viewing500
1997300
1978010

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.