RoadVitals

1997 Chevrolet Malibu Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints 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.
14
Latest Jan 25, 2006
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 443 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistance
Filed Jan 25, 2006

I OWN A CHEVROLET MALIBU,1997 MODEL AND EVERY TIME I GO OUT TO START IT, I VEHICLE WILL START AND THEN DIE. I WILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO START IT AT LEAST 6 TIMES BEFORE IT WILL START AND STAY RUNNING. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO MECHANICS AND THEY DON'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT IS THE PROBLEM. THE LAST MECHANIC I TOOK IT TO CALLED A GM GARAGE AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS THE THEFT LOCK SYSTEM. I KINDLY SUGGEST THAT THIS PART BE RECALLED, BECAUSE IN TALKING WITH THE GM GARAGE THEY MENTIONED THAT THEY WERE SEEING A LOT OF THE SAME PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID
10148529
Incident
Dec 1, 2005
Mileage
93,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 4, 2004

WHILE DRIVING ACCELERATOR CABLE BROKE. CONSUMER PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CALLED A TOW TRUCK. *AK *NM

NHTSA ID
10067422
Incident
Apr 16, 2004
Mileage
95,797 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 6, 2002

CABLE NEARLY SEVERED. HAD REPORTED ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS IN PAST TO DEALER. WAS DISMISSED AS FLOOR MAT CATCHING THE PEDAL.*AK

NHTSA ID
766778
Incident
Sep 5, 2002
Driver assistanceElectricalFuel system
Filed Oct 1, 2001

5 DIFFERENT TIMES, VEHICLE STALLING IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC CAUSING EXTEME ANXIETY AND STRESS, REPLACE THE PCM. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON, DUE TO CAP CRACKED, REPLACE FUEL CAP, CLEAN CODE ROAD TEST OK. GAS PEDAL LOOSE, REPLACE ACCEL PEDAL SHAFT AND BRACKET ASSEMBLY

NHTSA ID
9004520
Incident
Aug 1, 1997
Driver assistanceInterior & seats
Filed Jun 29, 2001

WHILE DRIVING AND FOOT REMOVED FROM BRAKES, VEHICLE WOULD ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, DASHBOARD LIGHTS WOULD FLASH ON/OFF. WOULD NEED TO SLAM ON BRAKES TO STOP VEHICLE. WILL BE TAKING TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE MECHANIC CHECK IT. *AK

NHTSA ID
891721
Incident
Jun 13, 2001
BrakesDriver assistanceSteering
Filed May 21, 2001

ANTI- THEFT SYSTEM ACTIVATES RAMDOMLY AND THE IGNITION WILL NOT START. HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR REPAIRS NUMEROUS TIMES WITHOUT SUCCESS. THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON AT RANDOM. THE ROTORS WEAR OUT EXCESSIVELY ON THIS CAR. THE CRUISE CONTROL CUTS ITSELF OFF WHILE DRIVING. WE HAVE ALSO HAD SENSORS REPLACED ON THE AIR CONDITIONER TWICE. THOSE ARE JUST THE MAJOR PROBLEMS.*AK

NHTSA ID
745616
Incident
Mar 29, 2001
Driver assistance
Filed Oct 13, 2000

ACCELERATOR CABLE FAILED WHILE CONSUMER WAS ACCELERATING. NLM

NHTSA ID
556047
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 21, 2000

THROTTLE CABLE FROM PEDAL TO ENGINE BROKE

NHTSA ID
728542
Incident
Aug 18, 2000
Driver assistance
Filed Aug 7, 2000

ACCELERATOR CABLE BROKE AT THROTTLE BODY CAUSING THE GAS PEDAL NOT TO WORK. NLM

NHTSA ID
553566
BrakesDriver assistance
Filed Dec 14, 1999

THROTTLE BODY WAS CLOGGED, CAUSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO STICK. ALSO, THE VEHICLE HAS EXPOERIENCED PREMATURE BRAKE WEAR. *AK

NHTSA ID
854039
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 1, 1999

CRUISE CONTROL FAILED.

NHTSA ID
607043
Incident
Jul 1, 1997
Driver assistance
Filed Sep 21, 1998

VEHICLE SURGES, AND RPMS JUMP UP AND DOWN, CAUSING THE ABS TO KICK IN AND ROLL FORWARD, HAPPENED TWO TIMES. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER CONTACTED AND ARE NOT AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
828058
Incident
Aug 10, 1997
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 23, 1998

THE ACCELERATER STICKS AND THE ENGINE ACCELERATES. . THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IS TO TURN THE KEY OFF. HAS BEEN TO DEALER 4 TIMES FOR SAME PROBLEM. *AK

NHTSA ID
821114
Incident
Feb 2, 1998
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 9, 1997

WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH. ON THE RIGHT LINE THE VEHICLE ACCELARATED BY ITSELF, COMSUMER COULDN'T DEACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE SHOP FOR THREE DAYS, THE MECHANIC SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE THROTTLE CABLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
814007
Incident
Jul 3, 1997

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .