Owner-reported complaints naming the body or structure system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 19 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I OWN A 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU AND MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE TRUNK DOES NOT STAY UP IN THE AIR ON WINDY DAYS OR SOMETIMES BY JUST PUTTING GROCERIES INTO THE TRUNK. I CAN NOT RECALL THE AMOUNT OF TIMES MYSELF OR ANOTHER PERSON HAS BEEN HIT ON THE HEAD WITH THE TRUNK LID. I FIND THIS TO BE VERY DANGEROUS AND THINK THE SOME SORT OF HYDRAULICS (LIKE IN MOST HATCHBACKS) SHOULD BE INSTALLED. *JB
TRUNK STRUTS WORE OUT, AND CAUSED THE TRUNK LID TO FALL ON THE CONSUMER. CONSUMERS SUSTAINED NECK/BACK OF THE HEAD INJURIES. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED , BUT WAS UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK *MR
WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE LOST ITS RACK AND PINION STEERING AND ALL POWER OF THE STEERING WHEEL. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK THE POWER WINDOW CONTROL PANEL ON THE DRIVER SIDE ARM REST POPPED OUT, THE VEHICLE PULLED SEVERELY TO THE RIGHT (DEALER COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM). THE DEALER FINALLY REPLACED THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS, BRAKE ROTORS, 2 SETS OF TIRES/ALMOST COMPLETELY BALD AT THE TIME ONLY 13K MILES. THE RIMS HAD TO BE FORCED OFF, THE FRONT ROTORS HAD BECOME RUSTED AT 20K MILES, THE IGNITION WIRE HARNESS HAD COME APART, THE POWER STEERING HOSES HAD COME LOOSE, LOST FLUID AND POWER STEERING WHILE IN MOTION, THE TRUNK LEAKED, THE ABS LIGHT HAD COME ON TWICE A WEEK, THE FRONT END SQUEAKED AND RATTLED, THE ANTENNA WIRE WAS LOOSE, THE RIGHT HEAD LAMP HAD PERMANENT MOISTURE WITH NO CRACK, THE A/C WOULD SHUT ON/OFF INTERMITTENTLY, THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AT 60K MILES AND THE WANING LIGHT HAD COME ON FOR ONLY FIVE MINUTES, THE ENGINE LEAKED OIL, AND THE RIGHT WINDSHIELD WIPER PIVOT HOUSING HAD BROKEN. *SCC *JB
THEFT PREVENTION LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY, UNABLE TO START VEHICLE AT THAT TIME. DEALER REPLACED PASSENGER'S LOCK SENSOR/CYLINDER, AND SWITCH TWICE. AT THIS TIME LIGHT COMES ON WHILE DRIVING. *AK DEALER HAS ALSO REPLACED THE PASSLOCK SYSTEM AND OXYGEN SENSOR. *JB
FRONT TRANSMISSION MOUNT FAILED. *YH
A DESIGN FLAW IN THE BRAKING SYSTEM CAUSED THE BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS TO WEAR PREMATURELY, THE NEW DESIGN CREATES TOO MUCH HEAT FOR THE ROTORS TO DISSIPATE THEREFORE THE ROTORS WARP PREMATURELY, THIS DESIGN FLAW ALSO CAUSES VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING FROM HIGH SPEEDS. NLM
AIR CONDITOIN PANEL HAS GONE OUT TWICE AND HAS BEEN REPLACED NOW IT IS GOING OUT A THIRD TIME. @ HAD REPLACE BRAKES TWICE IN ONE YEAR AND ALSO REPLACE THE ROTERS, REAR SUSPENSION MAKES A NOISE A CRAKING SOUNS LIKE THE SHOCKS ARE BAD. TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS ,CAR WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OR CHANGE GEAR. IT HAS BEEN PUT ON THE COMPUTER 2 TIMES AND NO CODE IS SHOWING UP IN THE TRANSMISSION. PLEASE HELP I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR SINCE DAY ONE. AND I HAVE NO EXTENDED WARRENTY.*AK
SQUEAKING NOISE CAME FROM STEERING, DEALER REPLACED STEERING RACK ASSEMBLY AND POWER STEERING HOSES. RIGHT FRONT SHOULDER BELT WOULD NOT ADJUST UP OR DOWN, SEATBELT STOP BUTTON WAS MISSING, LEFT SIDE DRIVER'S SHOULDER BELT RETRACTS SLOWLY, RIGHT FRONT SHOULDER BELT RETRACTS SLOWLY AND JAMS AT TIMES. REAR BUMPER COVER AT LEFT SIDE AT TAIL LIGHT OPENING HAS POOR FIT. EXCESSIVE WIND NOISE AT THE LEFT FRONT DOOR GLASS OPENING WHILE TRAVELING HIGHWAY SPEEDS. STEERING SHIMMIES WHILE BRAKING, DEALER FOUND WARPED ROTORS. IDLE QUALITY IN GEAR AT STOP IS POOR, TRANSMISSION MOUNTS WERE WEAK, ENGINE RUNS ROUGH AT TIMES. FRONT HEAD LIGHT FOGGED UP, DELAER FOUND INSIDE LENS CRACKED. RATTLE NOISE HEARD UNDER VEHICLE WHILE TRAVELING ON ROUGH ROADS. *SLC
WHILE APPLYING BRAKES, THE CAR PULSATES AND JUMPS WHEN COMING TO A STOP. THE CAR WAS TAKEN IN SEVERAL TIMES TO HAVE THE ROTARS TURNED, THEN LATER REPLACED, THEN REPLACED AGAIN WITH 99 MODEL ROTARS, THE BRAKES ARE STILL PULSATING TO CURRENT DATE. THE ALTERNATOR WENT OUT WHILE DRIVING, LOST ALL POWER TO BRAKES, ABS SYSTEM, AND AIR BAGS. THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED. LATER HAD TO HAVE BATTERY REPLACED DUE TO ALTERNATOR KILLING IT. THE A/C LIGHT WOULD BLINK ON AND OFF, THE COMPRESSOR WOULD CUT ON AND OFF. HAD TO EVENTUALLY REPLACE THE PANEL ON THE INSIDE OF THE CAR AFTER HAVING A NEW COMPRESSOR PUT ON. THE A/C PANEL SEEMED TO HAVE DONE THE TRICK, THOUGH IS HAS SOME NEW PROBLEMS FROM THE BEGINNING. THE BUSHINGS SQUEAK AND SQWAUK WHILE DRIVING OVER BUMPS, THEY HAVE NOW STARTED IN THE REAR OF THE CAR.
ENGINE IDLING ROUGHLY DUE TO FAULTY ENGINE MOUNT. NLM
TRANSMISSION MOUNTS NEED REPLACING. YH
LEFT CUP HOLDER UNSTABLE. AS THE RESULT IT TOPPLED OVER AND SPILLED THE COFFEE ON THE DRIVER. YH
A FRAME IN PROCESS OF BEING REPLACED AGAIN JUNE 9, 1999 FOR THE SECOND TIME. MAJOR VIBRATIONS IN FRONT END OF CAR. BEZELS REPLACED. CUP HOLDER REPLACED. BUMPER PEELING - DEALER WILL NOT FIX. FRONT OF DASH PLASTIC HAD TO BE REPLACED-BROKE. CONSOLE LID COVER REPLACED. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS CAR TO ANY PERSON. EVEN THE GENERAL MOTORS TECHNICIANS STATE THIS IS THE WORST CAR FOR PROBLEMS. IT TOOK ALMOST SIX MONTHS TO GET THE A/C SWITCH REPLACED. IT KEPT TURNING ITSELF OFF AND COULD NOT GET BACK ON. FINALLY 06/05/99 IT QUIT ALL TOGETHER. THEY PUT IN A RELAY SWITCH. THIS CAR IS A BIG DISAPPOINTMENT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO REMEMBER THE OLD MALIBUS. *AK
FRONT ROTORS EXPERIENCING PULSATION UPON BRAKING. NLM
WIRING HARNESS CHIME SWITCH FAILED. YH
EXHAUST FAILURE/HEADLIGHTS FAILED/CONTROL PANEL MALFUNCTIONED/FLOOR BOARD/RAIN INSIDE OF VEHICLE AND TICKING UNDERNEATH HOOD.
RAIN LEAKS IN TRUNK.
THE DASHBOARD POPPED UP WHEN LEAVING THE PARKING LOT OF THE DEALER AFTER PURCHASING THE CAR. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE THREE TIMES, MECHANIC STATES IT IS UNDER THE DASH THAT IS WARPED. AN EXTENSIVE OVERHAUL OF THE VEHICLE IS NEEDED. DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
INBOARD FRAME SUPPORT FOR BALL JOINTS: WELDS TO FRAME FAILED TO SUPPORT BRACKET.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .