RoadVitals

1989 Chevrolet Malibu

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.
3
Latest May 19, 2008
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.
0

Overview

Our database contains 3 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 1989 Chevrolet Malibu, most frequently naming the brakes, engine and suspension categories.

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

  • Brakes133.3%
  • Engine133.3%
  • Suspension133.3%

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

Engine
Filed May 19, 2008

MY AUTO MECHANIC TOLD ME ABOUT THE GM RECALL ANTIFREEZE DXCOOL THE ANTI FREEZE THAT'S ON RECALL. THAT I HAVE INTAKE GASKETS SEEPING FROM THE RADIATOR. IT HAS THE DXCOOL. ITS NOT THE NORMAL ANTIFREEZE. ITS GOING TO COST 800 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. MY PARENTS CAR HAS SAME ANTIFREEZE. BECAUSE OF THE LEAKAGE I HAD TO GET MORE OF THAT STUFF. I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY LETTER. IT HAD THIS PROBLEM FOR AWHILE. THIS PROBLEM DRAINS FROM THE ENGINE WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONING IS ON MOSTLY. *TR

NHTSA ID
10228152
Incident
May 19, 2008
Mileage
96,887 mi
Suspension
Filed May 27, 2007

WHILE MAKING A TURN THE RIGHT FRONT COIL SPRING SNAPPED AND PUNCTURED TIRE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10191814
Incident
May 26, 2007
Mileage
100,000 mi
Brakes
Filed Jul 30, 1999

WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKES TO THE FLOORBOARD BRAKE FADE AWAY, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

NHTSA ID
843853
Incident
Jul 22, 1999

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Chevrolet Malibu by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2025101051.5
2024342060.0
2023582062.9
2022911051.5
2021842054.7
20201941152.4
20191881045.4
20186946054.5
20176984049.9
20168359051.6
20152683054.8
20143496053.9
201383510053.2
20129053049.6
20119764050.4
20101,3594049.1
20091,5096154.7
20089875048.8
20079776051.0
20061,1159051.9
20059756157.7
20041,1479460.1
20035693049.5
20025674152.9
20017214457.9
20009225760.0
19997893558.2
19989765658.5
19974436759.6
1989Viewing300—
1986100—
1983130—
1982230—
1981331—
1980561—
1979461—
1978281—
1977020—
1975210—
1974110—
1973010—
1964100—

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.