Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. 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. 32 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.
The 25 most recent of 32, in the owner's own words
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
MY CAR IS A 1998 MALIBU LS. IT HAS 49,500 ORIGINAL MILES ON IT. IN 2006 I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, IT DIDN'T WANT TO SWITCH GEARS RIGHT AWAY. I TOOK IT TO OUR GM DEALER AS I HAD A WARRANTY. THEY PUT IT ON A COMPUTER, COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING, THEY STATED IT WAS DOING THE THINGS I SAID, BUT THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A GLICH AND WOULD GO AWAY. 5-17-07, SOMETHING FINALLY HAPPENED TO THE TRANSMISSION,THE CAR DIDN'T WANT TO GO ANYWHERE. I COASTED MY CAR TO THE GM DEALER AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED. THEY CALLED AND STATED THEY OPENED THE TRANSMISSION AND FOUND IT WAS A STUCK BODY VALVE. I TOLD THEM TO FIX IT AS IT WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THEY ALREADY HAD THE TRANSMISSION OPENED UP, THEY CALLED ME BACK AND SAID THE WARRANTY COMPANY SAID MY WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED 1-14-07. CAN'T BE, I HAD TILL AUGUST. I CALLED THE WARRANTY COMPANY. I BOUGHT MY CAR 8-8-98, I PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY (5 YEARS) I HAD TILL 8-8-93. IN JANUARY OF 93, I GOT CALLS FROM MVP (MOTOR VEHICLE PROTECTION CORP) TELLING ME THAT I SHOULD START THINKING ABOUT A NEW WARRANTY AS MINE WAS TO EXPIRE THAT YEAR. I TOLD THEM I WAS OKAY TILL AUGUST. A GAL NAMED ABBEY TOLD ME THAT I COULD SIGN UP FOR THE WARRANTY AND THEY WOULD NOTE MY ACCOUNT, PUT ON HOLD TILL AUGUST WHEN MY WARRANTY WITH GMAC RAN OUT. I NOW COULD MAKE PAYMENTS ON THE NEW WARRANTY, IT WOULD BE PAID FOR BY AUGUST. I AGREED. NOW THIS COMPANY IS DENYING ME COVERAGE FOR THE REPAIRS TO MY CAR. THEY STATE THE WARRANTY EXPIRED 4 YEARS FROM THE DAY I MADE MY FIRST PAYMENT TO THE WARRANTY COMPANY. THAT WAS NOT WHAT ABBEY TOLD ME. SHE SAID THAT IT WOULD NOT GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL MY GMAC WARRANTY WAS DONE. NOW I HAVE TO PAY $1,300 FOR AN REM VALVE THAT WENT BAD IN MY TRANSMISSION PLUS LABOR. I FEEL I HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY THE DEALERSHIP AND WARRANTY COMPANY AND NO ONE WILL HELP ME. I'VE TRIED TALKING TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO, I HAVE TO PAY IT. THE WARRANTY COMPANY IS RUDE TO ME & I FEEL THIS IS FRAUD.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AT 80,000 MILES. *AK
WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN THE VEHICLE STALLED. CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, POWER STEERING, AND A/C CONTROLS. *AK
THE CONSUMER PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WITHOUT A DIP STICK, THEREFORE THE MECHANIC HAD NO IDEA WHERE TO POUR THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. *JB
I PURCHASED NEW 98 MALIBU AND TRADED BACK IN W/IN ONE MONTH FOR ANOTHER BECAUSE OF SEVERE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS. THIS AUTOMOBILE WAS IN FOR SERVICE ON 11/23/01 FOR TRANSMISSION LEAK AND ALL GASKETS & SEALS REPLACED. I HAD IN FOR SERVICE ON 8/5/02 FOR $1146 WORTH OF WORK ON VARIOUS PARTS. I REPORTED THAT VEHICLE LOST POWER ON HIGHWAY BUT FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED FOR THAT PROBLEM. I POINTED OUT THAT I THOUGHT CAR HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AT THAT TIME AND WAS TOLD THAT CAR DID NOT HAVE HISTORY OF TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS EVEN THOUGH AUTO HAD ALL TRANSMISSION SEALS REPLACED IN 2001 BY DEALERSHIP. ALL WORK WAS DONE BY DEALERSHIP THAT AUTO (#2) WAS PURCHASED FROM. REGULAR MAINTENANCE DONE ON CAR WITHOUT FAIL. JUST REPLACED FRONT ARMS ON VEHICLE LESS THAT 1 MOS. AGO FOR $400 AND WAS TOLD BY SALES THAT THIS WAS AN EARLIER PROBLEM ALSO W/98 MALIBU. DT
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY TRAVELLING APPROXIMATELY 70MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. TS
UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, IT VIBRATED SEVERELY, AND ENGINE CHECK LIGHT WOULD BLINK ON/OFF. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER ON SEVEN OCCASIONS, AND THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. THE CONSUMER STATES THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A HARD START AND SOMETIMES HAS TO PUMP THE PEDAL. *SCC
DEALER DECLARES CAR " UNSAFE TO DRIVE ". I FEEL TRANSMISSION MOUNTS SHOULD LAST LONGER THAN 40,000 MILES.*AK
IN POURING RAIN THE W/S/W TRANSMISSION BROKE, TWO DAYS AFTER RECIEVED A RECALL LETTER, REIMBURSEMENT REFUSED.
WHEN THE TRANSMISSION WENT BAD IT WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO FIRST GEAR,MECHANIC SAID THE TRANSMISSION WAS ALMOST OUT OF ITS CASE. THEY ALSO SAID THEY HAD 2 OTHER MALIBUS,SAME YEAR, WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. ALL 4 TIRES WERE REPLACED IN JANUARY BY LEN STOLER. THEY WERE ALSO SUPPOSED TO FIX THE PROBLEM IN THE LEFT FRONT TIRE, BUT IT HAS SINCE REOCCURRED.THEY ROBBED ME OF ABOUT $900 AND WERE VERY RUDE ABOUT THE SITUATION. THEREFORE I TOOK THE CAR TO A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST TO REPAIR THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I HAVE NOT GOTTEN THE STEERING PROBLEM FIXED YET.*AK
ALTHOUGH MY CHEVORLET MALIBU IS ONLY 2 YEARS OLD. MY TRANSMISSION IS SHOT. I HAVE REPORTED BRAKE PROBLEMS TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES. THEY CHECKED IT TWICE, TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG. I CAN HARDLY STOP MY CAR. THE REAR [R] BRAKE LIGHT HAS BEEN FIXED TWICE IN TWO MONTHS DUE TO A LEAK AND WIRE SHORTS. HOWEVER THERE IS STILL A PROBLEM. *AK
VEHICLE HAD EXPERIENCED STRONG VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE DRIVING DUE TO ROTORS FAILURE. *YH
PIVOT DRIVE ASSEMBLY SEIZED CAUSING THE WIPERS/ TRANSMISSION TO FAIL BUT THE DEALER STATED IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 01V068000. *AK
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
ENGINE STALLS WHEN DRIVING OR PARKED DEALER COUDN'T REMAKE PROBLEM, ROUGH ENGINE VIBRATIONS WHEN CAR IS AT IDLE, TRANSMISSION SLIPS ON NUMERUSE OCCASIONS. *AK
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TRANSMISSION RELATED PROBLEMS, CONSUMER STATED WHILE PUSHING ACCELERATOR FROM A COMPLETE STOP, ENGINE WOULD REV UP BUT VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE, AFTER A COUPLE OF SECONDS, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD ENGAGE, THIS WOULD ALSO HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING, TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED SLIPPING, DEALER REBUILT TRANSMISSION, ALSO, LEFT FRONT AXLE BOOT WAS TORN, DEALER REPLACED THE LEFT INNER TRIPOD JOINT BOOT. GAS CAP TETHER BROKE, DEALER REPLACED GAS CAP. VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE WHILE BRAKING, DEALER REPLACED WARPED ROTORS AND FRONT BRAKES, THE RIGHT FRONT CALIPER WAS LATER REPLACED DUE TO A TORN PISTON BOOT. OIL WAS LEAKING FROM THE FRONT CRANKSHAFT SEAL, DEALER REPLACED SEAL. STEERING COLUMN TILT HOUSING BOWL ASSEMBLY MACHINED IMPROPERLY FROM FACTORY CAUSING TILT WOBBLE, ALSO CAUSED A POPPING NOISE. CONSUMER HEARD A CLUNK NOISE FROM REAR WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS, DEALER REPLACED BOTH LOWER CONTROL ARMS. *SLC
LEFT SEAT BUCKLE INOPERABLE. *SLC
STARTER MADE RATTLE WHEN STARTED. NOSE CONE SHEARRED OFF STARTER AND BORED THROUGH TRANSMISSION. NEED TO REPLACE WHOLE TRANSMISSION.
WHILE DRIVING ON ROAD OVER 45MPH VEHICLE WILL SWAY/WON'T STAY IN ITS LANE. ALSO, FACTORY BATTERY HAD STARTED MELTING THROUGH THE PLATE/ABS LIGHT CAME ON WHEN STARTING VEHICLE/ UPON APPLYING BRAKES THEY SQUEAKED, AND VEHICLE WON'T GO IN REVERSE.*AK THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE A/C IS INOPERABLE. BRAKES FAILED FOUR TIMES. *YH
WWINDSHIELD WIPERS/ TRANSMISSION BROKE. (HAVE DEFECTIVE PART). *AK
TIMING CHAIN FAILED. YH
TRANSMISION SLIPS, TEMP/ELEC. PROBLEMS, MAJOR VIBRATION WHEN APPLYING BRAKES-HI & LO SPEEDS
TRANSMISSION MOUNTS NEED REPLACING. YH
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
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