1998 Chevrolet Malibu Powertrain (other) Problems

ONLY WHEN ITS COLD OUTSIDE THE SHIFTER DOESN'T SHIFT OUT OF PARK TILL THE CAR WARMS UP FOR 15 TO 20 MINUTES. *JS

NHTSA ID

10464188

Incident

May 1, 2009

Mileage

90,000 mi

I WAS ON INTERSTATE 95 GOING HOME WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY LOCKED UP ON ME AND I STARTED LOSING HORSEPOWER UNTIL I COMPLETELY STOPPED!. SO THERE I WAS IN THE MIDDLE LANE STOPPED!, WITH CARS SWERVING AROUND ME AT HIGH SPEEDS!... NOT TO MENTION THE CARS STOPPED BEHIND ME TRYING TO GET AROUND!. I THOUGHT I WOULD BE BADLY REAR ENDED FOR SURE!!. LUCKILY, A TOW TRUCK HAPPENED TO BE PASSING...AND STOPPED TO HELP. SOMEONE COULD OF BEEN KILLED!!!!!. AND FROM ALL THE TESTIMONIALS I'VE HEARD...I THINK GENERAL MOTORS SHOULD MAIL EVERYONE WHO OWNS A CHEVY MALIBU A BIG FAT CHECK!.

NHTSA ID

10371648

Incident

Sep 5, 2010

CAR WOULD BE RUNNING STEPPED ON GAS AND WOULDN'T MOVE, HAD IT BACK WHEN IT WAS NEW, BUT WOULDN'T HAPPEN WHEN BONNER CHEVROLET IN KINGSTON, PA MECHANICS WOULD TEST DRIVE IT. VEHICLE CONTINUED UNTIL I COULDN'T GET IT OUT OF PARK, THEN I HAD TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED 2003. ITWAS A 1998 LS CHEVY MALIBU FULLY LOADED, BOUGHT NEW. MY SON HAD THE SAME CAR AND IT HAD DONE THE SAME.*AK

NHTSA ID

10195000

Incident

Jan 3, 2003

Mileage

60,000 mi

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 CHEVROLET, MALIBU. THE FRONT COIL SPRING BROKE. THERE WAS NO SHIELD GUARD, AND IT CAUSED THE RIGHT FRONT CV SHAFT TO BREAK. ALSO, HAD TO DO OTHER REPAIRS. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC VEHICLE COULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN SERIOUS ACCIDENT IF SHE DROVE THE VEHICLE AFTER THE COIL SPRING BROKE. THE COIL SPRING COULD HAVE GONE THROUGH THE FRONT TIRE, CAUSING CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

10125964

Incident

Jun 10, 2005

1) NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, MOSTLY HIGHWAY. 2) FAILURE OF THE HUB ASSEMBLY. VERY NOISY, REDUCED NOISE AROUND CORNERS. 3) THIS HUB HAS BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AGAIN. I HAVE SEARCHED FOR ANY RECALLS ON THIS AND COULD NOT FIND ANY. IT HAS BEEN 25000 MILES SINCE IT WAS REPLACED LAST AND THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND EXPENSIVE. WAS TOLD THAT CONTINUED DRIVING COULD CAUSE MORE DAMAGE INCLUDING ABS SYSTEM. INCIDENT DATE BELOW CORRESPONDS TO THE LASTEST TIME HUB FAILED. HAVE NOT HAD IT REPLACED YET, SO PART IS STILL AVAILABLE.*AK

NHTSA ID

10118160

Incident

Apr 19, 2005

Mileage

139,400 mi

WHILE MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING MY 1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU WHICH HAS APPROXIMATELY 87,000 MILES ON IT, HE HEARD AN UNUSUAL NOISE THAT INDICATED SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE ENGINE. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY LOST POWER WHILE MOVING AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. THERE WAS A LOT OF RATTLING AND VIBRATIONS. UPON HAVING THE CAR TOWED TO A GARAGE FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, HE WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAR HAD TO HAVE A NEW ENGINE. THE ENGINE REPAIR COMPANY STATES THAT THE HARMONIC BALANCER FAILED WHICH IN TURNED MESSED UP THE INTERNAL WORKINGS OF THE ENGINE. THIS WILL COST US APPROXIMATELY $3600 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. *NM

NHTSA ID

10093899

Incident

Sep 7, 2004

Mileage

87,000 mi

WATER IS LEAKING INTO ENGINE FROM THE HEAD GASKET. WATER PUMP STARTED SEEPING AFTER HEAD GASKET WAS REPLACED. THE FRONT BRAKES WAS REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES WITH FINALLY THE ONES MENTIONED ON THE BULLETIN. FIRST THE LEFT SIDE WHEEL BEARING/ SPEED SENSOR ASSEMBLY CHANGED THEN A COUPLE OF THOUSAND OF MILES LATER THE RIGHT SIDE. AIR CONDITION WAS GOING ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. *LA

NHTSA ID

10041485

Incident

Apr 5, 2001

Mileage

58,000 mi

THE HEAD GASKET FAILED, WITHOUT WARNING. *JB BAD AXLES IN FRONT DID NOT FEEL SAFE. *TT *JB

NHTSA ID

10022467

Incident

Mar 5, 2003

Mileage

13,860 mi

THE VEHICLE VIBRATED ALL THE TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO REPAIRED THE MOTOR MOUNTS AND THE TRANSMISSION MOUNTS. THE WHEEL BEARINGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT THE PARTS WERE ON BACK ORDER. *JB

NHTSA ID

10017570

FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS ARE PREMATURELY WEARING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK *JB

NHTSA ID

886990

THE STRUT AND SHOCKS DAMAGED, AND VEHICLE NOCKS AND WOBBLES CAUSE OF LOOSENESS IN FRONT RIGHT DRIVE SHAFT. *AK

NHTSA ID

743355

Incident

Mar 26, 2001

CAR STILL MADE NOISE AFTER HUB/BEARINGS REPLACED. 2ND TIME HUB/BEARING REPLACED NOISE WAS LOUDER. GOT 2ND OPINION, WAS BACK PLATE RUBBING AGAINST ROTOR. DID I EVEN NEED MY HUB/BEARING REPLACED. 3/23/01 SAID I NEED ROTORS RESURFACED, 2ND OPINION - ROTORS FINE. CHEVY IS RIPPING ME OFF. CHARGED ME FOR NEW SERPENTINE BELT & NEVER REPLACED IT. MOISTURE IN HEADLIGHTS.

NHTSA ID

743136

Incident

Jan 24, 2001

BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS ARE BAD. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CHEVY MALIBU'S WHEN THEY REACH 50,000 - 60,000 MILES. IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, SHOULDN'T THIS REPAIR BE COVERED? I HAVE NOT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER/DEALER YET, BUT I PLAN ON DOING SO. I ALSO HAD THE FRONT CONTROL ARMS REPLACED IN 1998.( DOT NUMBER: ? TIRE SIZE: P215 93T )

NHTSA ID

723094

Incident

May 23, 2000

TIMING CHAIN FAILED. YH

NHTSA ID

551217

THIS VECHILE WAS BEEN IN THE SHOP A MINIMUM OF 9 TIMES.THIS IS THE 2ND MALIBU THAT I HAVE OWNED THE FIRST ONE WAS IN THE SHOP JUST AS MUCH IF NOT MORE.THE CHEVROLET DEALER TRADED ME OUT, AND UPGRADED ME FOR NO EXTRA MONEY ,BUT THIS CAR IS NO BETTER THATN THE FIRST ONE. I FEEL THAT THIS THE WORST CAR THAT WE HAVE EVERY OWNED AND WOULD TELL ANY ONE NEVER TO BUY ONE. I FEEL VERY UNSAFE IN THIS CAR. NO MY STEERING RACK IS GOING AND THE CV BOOT IS LEAKING.*AK

NHTSA ID

717527

Incident

May 28, 1999

WHEN I AM DRIVING THE CAR, ALL THE LIGHTS ON THE DASH(PANEL) LIGHT UP AND THE SPEEDOMETER STARTS GOING CRAZY. ONE MINUTE IT SHOWS THAT I AM TRAVELING 10 MILES AN HOURS THEN IN A SPLIT SECOND IT SHOWS THAT I AM GOING 110 MILES AN HOUR. ALL THE OTHER GAUGES START GOING BACK AND FORTH AS WELL. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW FAST I AM GOING OR IF MY CAR IS ABOUT TO JUST QUIT COMPLETELY. WHEN I FIRST BROUGHT MY CAR, ABOUT A YEAR LATER OR SO (AND I AM JUST ESTIMATING) THE DASH BOARD STARTED ACTING CRAZY BUT I JUST BLUE IT OFF. THEN I WAS TRAVELING TO DALLAS TO LOOK FOR A PLACE TO LIVE AND THE LIGHTS ALL COME ON AND THE SPEED WENT CRAZY THEN THE CAR STARTED TO DIE. I MADE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP BEFORE IT DIED. THEY STATED IT WAS THE ALTNERATOR, THAT WAS REPLACED. IT WORKED FINE FOR A WHILE THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP IN SAN ANGELO AND THEY SAID THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT. THAT WAS FIXED AND IT DIDN'T HAPPEN FOR A WHILE THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN YESTERDAY (10/3/99). I AM A SINGLE PARENT AND I TRAVEL A LOT BACK AND FORTH FROM DALLAS TO SAN ANGELO. I AM ABSOLUTELY A NEVEROUS WRECK WHEN DRIVING MY CAR. I NEVER KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO ACT UP AND LEAVE MY DAUGTHER AND I STRANDED ALONG THE HIGHWAY. PLEAS HELP ME....... HAS THIS HAPPENED TO OTHER MALIBU OWNERS???????

NHTSA ID

712771

ODOMETER JUMPED 1,000 MILES TO BRING MILEAGE FROM 34527 TO 35587 IN ONE DAY. ONLY DROVE CAR 150 MILES MAX THAT DAY.

NHTSA ID

711437

Incident

Sep 12, 1999

MY ODOMETER DOES NOT READ THE MILES CORRECTLY. IT IS DIGITAL AND I DO NOT WANT TO BRING TO THE DEALER WITHOUT FIRST REASERCHING IF THIS COULD BE A FRAUD CASE

NHTSA ID

711034

WHILE GOING 25MPH RIGHT FRONT AXLE BROKE. LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND HIT CURB & THEN A POLE. BOTH AIR BAGS DEPLOYED UPON IMPACT. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER. *AK

NHTSA ID

838186

Incident

Mar 18, 1999

1.}FRONT BRAKES ARE PREMATURLEY WEARING OUT WITHIN 20 MILES. 2.}TRANAXLE SHAFT SEAL IS LEAKING OIL,PART WAS REPLACED. 3.}RADIATOR COOLANT RESERVOIR BUSTED, CAUSING THE COOLANT TO LEAK. 4.}INTAKE MANIFOLD IS LEAKING. 5.}IGINTION WIRING HAD TO REPLACED. 6.}AIR DISTRUBUTOR COMPLETELY FAILED WHICH IS NOT PULLING IN AIR. *AK

NHTSA ID

835165