Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2001 Chevrolet Malibu submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 287 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 287, in the owner's own words
THE BLINKERS RANDOMLY WORK; MOST LIKELY NEEDS A NEW HAZARD SWITCH. THE CAR'S TEMPERATURE GAUGE WOULD RISE WHEN SITTING IN IDLE; NEEDED A NEW WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT AS OF 11/2020.
WHEN STARTING THE MALIBU THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS ILLUMINATE AND WHEN THE KEY IS TURNED TO START THE CAR THE LIGHTS GO OUT AND THE FUEL GAUGE DROPS TO ZERO OR EMPTY AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. THIS PROBLEM ALSO OCCURS WHEN DRIVING THE CAR AND THE IGNITION SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN LEAVING YOU WITH NO STEERING ASSIST AND THE ENGINE IS NOT RUNNING. SO THIS PROBLEM IS BOTH IN A STANDING START AND WHILE OPERATING THE CAR. I HAD INITIALLY BROUGHT THE CAR TO DEVAN LOWE GM DEALER AND SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR REPAIRS AND THEY DISCOVERED THE FUEL PUMP WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THEY REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND THE PROBLEM WITH THE IGNITION IS STILL PERSISTING. THIS CREATES A DANGEROUS CONDITION FOR THE DRIVER AND OTHER CARS ON THE ROAD. I WOULD REQUEST THAT GMC HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEVAN LOWE SERVICE DEPARTMENT FOR TROUBLESHOOTING PURPOSES IN COORDINATION WITH GM TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT AND REACH A RESOLUTION AS TO THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND ISSUE A RECALL FOR ALL AFFECTED CARS.
VEHICLE STARTS AND FULLY OPERATES PROPERLY FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD OF TIME, THEN IT STALLS ABRUPTLY (AND AT VERY EMBARRASSING AND PERILOUS TIMES). WHEN IT DOES, ALL THE GAUGES ARE NON-OPERATIONAL, WITH THE FUEL GAGE READING, EMPTY. VEHICLE WILL CRANK BUT WILL NOT RESTART. AFTER A PERIOD (AS LONG AS HALF AN HOUR) THE FUEL GAGE WILL JUMP TO ITS PROPER LEVEL, AND ONLY THEN WILL THE VEHICLE RESTART AND RUN FOR YET ANOTHER INDETERMINATE PERIOD. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING PROBLEM FOR MONTHS, BEFORE I WAS MADE AWARE OF POTENTIAL RE-CALLS ON THIS VEHICLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S PASS LOCK SYSTEM FAILED AND SHUT OFF THE FUEL PUMP. WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH, THE PASS LOCK SYSTEM WOULD SHUT OFF THE FUEL PUMP SYSTEM, WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO SEIZE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH JAMES CHEVROLET OF JOHNSTOWN (108 S COMRIE AVE, JOHNSTOWN, NY 12095, 518-762-5555) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE PASS LOCK SYSTEM. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED A COST ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN A RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED FRIENDLY CHEVROLET (7501 HWY 65 NE, FRIDLEY, MN 55432, (612) 276-2955), BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
TURN SIGNALS DO NOT WORK INTERMITTENTLY WHILE DRIVING. DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY WILL WORK OR NOT WORK. IT CAN HAPPEN ANY PLACE, AND TIME. DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. BELOW DATE IS THE MOST RECENT TIME IT HAPPENED. WILL FOR LONG TIME, THEN OUT OF NO WHERE, TURN SIGNAL WILL NOT WORK. THEN WORK AGAIN, UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN.
IN NOV 2017 MY 2001 MALIBU WAS STARTING TO OVER HEAT DO I REACHED THE THERMOSTAT I AM STILL HAVING ISSUES WITH THE CAR GETTING TO HOT I HAVE TO ALWAYS PUT MY HEATER ON DEFROST HOT AND ON AND THE FAN ON WHICH ONLY GOES UP TO NUMBER 3 AND THERE ARE HIGHER SETTINGS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IF I HAVE TO REPLACE THE MANIFOLD GASKET . AND I'VE BEEN DURING DEXCOOL COOLANT . IS THERE A RECALL YET? IF NOT WHY? I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS .
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. UPON ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT FAILED TO START AND THE THEFT SYSTEM WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SHIFT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO HAVE IT PUSHED HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC OR DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE CONTACT RESEARCHED THE FAILURE ONLINE AND FOUND MANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE FAULTY THEFT SYSTEM WITH THE CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED RANDOMLY. THE CONTACT READ ONLINE TO PLACE THE IGNITION IN THE RUN POSITION FOR TEN MINUTES BEFORE STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,450.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. AFTER INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH, THE VEHICLE REMAINED IN THE THEFT MODE AND THE ENGINE COULD NOT BE STARTED. THE CONTACT ALSO INDICATED THAT THE KEY WOULD SOMETIMES BECOME STUCK INSIDE THE IGNITION SWITCH AND, ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE HAZARD AND TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS WOULD NOT OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER AND LOCAL DEALER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 205,000.
2001 CHEVY MALIBU WON'T START IN AUGUST, 2013 CAR WOULD NOT START. IT WAS TRYING TO TURN OVER, BUT WOULD NOT. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED IN TO DEALER. THEY FOUND PASSLOCK SENSOR NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THEY REPLACED CYLINDER KIT (INCLUDED PASSLOCK SENSOR) AND IGNITION SWITCH. PAID $800. IN OCT. 2, 2017, CAR WOULD NOT START IN PARKING LOT. SAME THING HAPPENED. AS BEFORE, BATTERY WAS NOT AN ISSUE. TOWED TO SAME DEALER. THEY SAID SECURITY SYSTEM GOT SET SOME HOW. THEY REPROGRAMMED THE SYSTEM. SAID IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN, MAY HAVE TO PUT IN NEW SYSTEM. PAID $125. DEC. 2, 2017 IT HAPPENED AGAIN. CAR WOULD NOT START IN GARAGE. THIS TIME, AFTER FINDING ON-LINE FROM MANY POSTS ABOUT THE SAME PROBLEM, FOUND A WAY TO GET THE CAR STARTED (10 MINUTE WAIT FOR THE 'ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM' LIGHT TO GO OUT. -THIS MAY HAVE BEEN THE SAME WAY THE DEALER STARTED THE CAR IN OCT.) THIS TIME DEALER SAID NEED PASSLOCK SENSOR REPLACED, AGAIN. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN ANOTHER $500+. SINCE CAR WAS RUNNING, AND AFTER READING WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT ISSUE, DECLINED REPAIR AT THE TIME. HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON NUMEROUS BLOGS AND WEBSITES, INCLUDING NTSHA, ON JUST THIS SPECIFIC CAR AND SPECIFIC ISSUE (2001 MALIBU WON'T START). MANY OF THEM SAYING THE PASSLOCK SENSOR DOES NOT LAST VERY LONG (SOMETIMES FAILS IN 2-4 MONTHS). ALSO SAW SAME PROBLEM ON NUMEROUS OTHER YEARS OF MALIBU, AND OTHER GM CARS. WITH ALL OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THE SYSTEM, THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OF AT LEAST THE PASSLOCK SENSOR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE, WHETHER OR NOT THERE HAVE BEEN ANY INJURIES OR DEATHS. SOMEONE COULD BE FOLLOWED TO THEIR CAR AND/OR ATTACKED LATE AT NIGHT IN A PARKING LOT, OR ALONG A STREET, NOT ABLE TO DRIVE AWAY. IT COULD BE VERY SERIOUS. THIS ISSUE NEEDS TO BE FIXED. PLEASE ISSUE A RECALL.
2ND CYLINDER IS MISFIRING AND SOMETHING SEEMS TO BE LEAKING ANTIFREEZE, CAUSING MY ENGINE TO OVERHEAT, WHICH I SEE IS A LARGE ISSUE IN CHEVY MALIBUS. MY TURN SIGNAL/HAZARDS ALSO DON'T WORK 85% OF THE TIME, WHICH IS A RECALL FOR MY MAKE, MODEL, AND YEAR (CHEVROLET, MALIBU, 2001) BUT NOT MY VIN NUMBER. ANOTHER ISSUE I SEE IS MY LEFT HEADLIGHT SHINES OUT FROM THE SIDE, WHICH I ALSO SAW TO BE AN ISSUE IN SEVERAL OF THE SAME MODELS OF MY CAR. KEEP IN MIND I BOUGHT IT RECENTLY, USED, SO THE DATE I NOTICED THE ISSUES WAS FAIRLY RECENT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE STATIONARY, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START WHEN PROMPTED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SECURITY WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. ON ONE OCCASION, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. AN UNKNOWN DEALER IN SANDIS, CALIFORNIA WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND EXTENDED THE KEY RING WITH AN ADDITIONAL RING TO HAVE THE IGNITION KEY HANG SEPARATELY FROM THE OTHER KEYS. FURTHERMORE, THE SECURITY SYSTEM WAS REPROGRAMMED TO RECOGNIZE THE NEW KEY AFTER THE IGNITION WAS REPLACED ON ANOTHER OCCASION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,000.
I BACKED UP MY CAR, PUT IT IN DRIVE AND THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM DISABLED THE MOTOR. I STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS AND LOST MY PERSPECTIVE. I ROLLED BACKWARDS INTO A TELEPHONE POLE CAUSING A HUGE DENT ON MY REAR DRIVERS SIDE QUARTER PANEL. THANK GOD THE POLE WAS THERE OR I MIGHT NOT HAVE REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING. BEHIND ME WAS A ROUT IRON FENCE AND BEYOND THAT WAS A 20 FT DROP (DRIVEWAY HAS A RETAINER WALL THAT IT IS BUILT ON TOP OF. I HAD FILED ANOTHER COMPLAINT. THE CAR HAD DISABLED ITSELF ON A BRIDGE THAT HAS NO SLOW LANE TO STOP IN. I CAN TAKE PICTURES OF THE DAMAGE IN THE DAYLIGHT IF NEEDED
THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM DISABLED THE CAR ON THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE, WITH NO PLACE TO STOP AND 18 WHEELERS GOING BY ME AT 60+MPH. I HAD TO SHUT THE IGNITION OFF, TURN IT BACK ON AND WAIT 10 MINUTES FOR THE ANTI-THEFT TO DISABLE, SO I COULD TURN THE IGNITION OFF AND RESET THE ANTI-THEFT AND START THE CAR. TALKING ABOUT SCARED TO DEATH. HAPPY I AM STILL ALIVE TO REPORT THIS. IT WAS IN MOTION 55MPH AND STOPPED RUNNING, ANTI THEFT STARTED TO BLINK
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING AND THE AIR BAG INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.
WHEN TRYING TO START THE ENGINE, THE ANTI THEFT SECURITY SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN ENGINE OPERATION. YOU MUST WAIT 10 MINUTES WITH THE IGNITION ON WHILE THE SECURITY TELLTALE LIGHT SHUTS OFF BEFORE YOU CAN START THE ENGINE. THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER SEEMS TO BE AT FAULT, BUT THE DEALER SAID THIS IS NOT PART OF THE CURRENT RECALL INVOLVING UNINTENDED ROTATION OF THE CYLINDER. THEY SAID THEY WILL PUT A KEY CAP ON MY KEYS TO KEEP THE RING CENTERED TO PREVENT OFFSET ROTATION. THE CYLINDER OBVIOUSLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, BUT THIS IS AT AN EXTRA ADDED COST. IF THE CYLINDER IS SO WORN OUT AND WANTS TO ROTATE ON IT'S OWN, WHY IS IT NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL? I AM THE SECOND OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE WITH CURRENTLY 134,000 MILES ON IT. *TR
HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE ANTI THEFT SECURITY HAS A DEFECT. THE CAR WILL ENTER INTO ANTI-THEFT MODE AND YOU CAN'T START THE CAR FOR 10 MINUTES AFTER YOU PUT IN THE ON POSITION ,THEN YOU TO WAIT 5 SECONDS AND THEN START THE CAR. YOU CAN BUY A AFTERMARKET MODULE TO GET AROUND THIS PROBLEM FOR $300,IT IS A $1000 REPAIR AT DEALER.MY DAUGHTER IS 4 MONTHS PREGNANT AND IS DRIVING THIS CAR NOW. *TR
THE PASSLOCK SENSOR DOES NOT WORK. THE FLASH MEMORY ON THE BODY CONTROL MODULE ALSO APPEARS TO MALFUNCTION. THESE TWO ISSUES CAUSE THE THEFT SYSTEM TO NOT RECOGNIZE THE KEY'S RESISTANCE PROPERLY, TO CONSIDER THE CAR AS BEING STOLEN, AND TO TURN OFF FUEL INJECTORS AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. THIS HAPPENED 3 TIMES TO ME WHILE DRIVING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. GM DID NOT MAKE A RECALL FOR THE PASSLOCK ISSUE, WHICH IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE! RECENTLY, THE TURN SIGNALS ALSO STOPPED WORKING.
THE AC BUTTON TURNS ITSELF OFF FREQUENTLY DURING OPERATION AND WON'T TURN BACK ON UNTIL IT CHOOSES TO DO SO. REPAIR IS OVER $300 BECAUSE BEING A FAULTY BUTTON REQUIRES TOTAL REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE BUTTON PANEL. (HAVE SEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS LODGE.) THIS PROBLEM OCCURS REGARDLESS OF WHETHER DRIVING OR STATIONARY (PARKED).
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE REPAIRS WERE MADE, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE, IT MADE A STARTING SOUND, BUT FAILED TO START. THE CONTACT HAD TO MAKE NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO START THE VEHICLE. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE CONTACT HAD TO WAIT FIVE MINUTES OR MORE BEFORE THE VEHICLE WOULD START. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 213,000.
I OWN THE CHEVY MALIBU 2001- THE CAR SHUTS OFF WHILE IT IS DRIVING-THE THEFT LIGHT GOES ON AND THE CAR SHUTS DOWN. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE IGNITION PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. I PAID $500 TO HAVE THE IGNITION MODULE REPLACED. ALSO, GM SENT ME A RECALL 14350-THE NEW CAR WORKED FOR A LITTLE BIT OF TIME BUT WITHIN THE LAST MONTH-THE PROBLEM IS WORSE THAN EVER.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND ATTEMPTING TO TURN, THE VEHICLE STALLED AS SEVERAL UNKNOWN WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WAS THE FIRST OCCURRENCE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHORTLY AFTER THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER START. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
FOR SOME REASON WHEN I, THE OWNER, GO TO START THE CAR IT GOES INTO A THEFT LOSS MODE AND THE CAR IS INOPERABLE FOR TEN MINUTES. THE CAR WAS MY PARENTS FOR 14 YEARS AND I FIRST HEARD ABOUT THE PROBLEM IN JULY 2014. THEN THE GARAGE CHANGED OUT FUEL PUMPS FOR MY MOTHER. I INHERITED THE CAR THIS SUMMER AND AM HAVING THIS THEFT LOSS TRIGGERED SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. IT REQUIRES WAITING AT LEAST 10 MINUTES TILL ATTEMPTING A RESTART. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND NOT BEING JOSTLED OR BUMPED, SO IT IS UNKNOWN WHEN OR WHY THIS "LOCK UP"OCCURS. INCREDIBLY ANNOYING!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED. THE FAILURE HAPPENED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS REMEDIED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE OCCURRED APPROXIMATELY FOUR TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.
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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