Problems · NHTSA complaints

2001 Chevrolet Malibu problems

Owners filed 739 complaints about the 2001 Chevrolet Malibu with NHTSA between Jan 2001 and Jan 2023. The most-cited component is electrical system (297).

Complaints
739
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
37
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
29
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system297
  2. Engine and engine cooling148
  3. Exterior lighting111
  4. Service brakes, hydraulic79
  5. Steering43
  6. Engine27
  7. Vehicle speed control26
  8. Equipment26
  9. Fuel system, gasoline24
  10. Air bags22
  11. Suspension21
  12. Power train19
  13. Tires16
  14. Structure14

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
200131
200253
200388
200480
200562
200651
200767
200831
200936
201032
201125
201222
201315
201470
201533
201616
201713
20186
20195
20202
20210
20220
20231

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

297 reports4 crashes1 related recall
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 9, 2020Electrical system, Exterior lighting, EngineODI 11373867

Engine and engine cooling

148 reports2 crashes
“OVER THE PAST MONTH, THE MALIBU HAS STALLED OUT WHILE DRIVING. IT HAS OCCURRED BOTH ON ACCELERATION AND DECELERATION ONE TIME ALMOST CAUSING A BROADSIDE IMPACT AS MY SON PULLED OUT TO MAKE A LEFT ONTO A BUST STREET. HE WAS FORTUNATE AND THE ONCOMING DRIVER WAS ABLE TO BRAKE IN TIME. WE TOOK IT TO A GARAGE THAT SAID OUR IGNITION SWITCH HAD TO BE REPLACED, WHICH WE HAD DONE. CURIOUS BECAUSE THIS IS THE EXACT PROBLEM THAT HAS OCCURRED WITH THE OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THE CHEVY RECALL, BUT OUR VEHICLE HAS YET TO BE RECALLED FOR THIS OBVIOUSLY HAZARDOUS DEFECT. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 24, 2014Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10593904

Exterior lighting

111 reports2 related recalls
“The contact owns a 2001 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 03V327000 (Exterior Lighting) and 14V400000 (Electrical System) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 31, 2023Exterior lightingODI 11504789

Service brakes, hydraulic

79 reports3 crashes
“DANGEROUS BRAKE ROTOR WARPAGE EVERY 16,000 MILES LIKE CLOCK WORK. CAUSES WEAK BRAKES AND EXTREME WARE TO FRONT END MOVING PARTS. NEW TOP OF THE LINE ROTORS AND PADS WILL NOT CURE PROBLEM. IT IS AN ENGINEERING SCREW UP. THIS IS AN ONGOING ENGINEERING PROBLEM AND WHY GM IS GOING BROKE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 16, 2008Service brakes, hydraulicODI 10248911

Steering

43 reports7 crashes
“WHEN I HAD MY RIGHT INNER AND OUTER TIE RODS REPLACED I LEFT THE SHOP AND I HEARD A CLUNCKING WHEN I WOULD MAKE A TURN I TOOK IT BACK TO THE SHOP AND THEY SAID A SCREW HAD WORKED ITS WAY HALF WAY OUT AND THERE IS NO WAY TO GET IT IN OR OUT BECAUSE IT'S WEDGED UP AGAINST THE RACK AND PINION WITHOUT REPLACING THE RACK.AND WAS TOLD (OFF THE RECORD) WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM STILL DRIVING IT. I ASKED IF IT WAS SAFE AND WAS TOLD THAT WHEN THE SCREW BREAKS I WILL FEEL A JERK BUT WILL BE ABLE TO CONTROL THE CAR.SO I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND LOST MY STEERING ALMOST COMPLETELY .MANAGED TO GET IT OFF THE ROAD AND TOWED HOME. I HAD ANOTHER SHOP REPLACE MY POWER STEERING PUMP AND MY RACK AND PINION.I WAS TOLD THAT THE DECREPIT A HOLE IN THE RACK AND WAS JUST SITTING THERE AND MY RACK AND PINION BRACKET HAD BROKEN AND THE RACK WAS ALSO JUST SITTING THERE.AND I WAS LUCKY I WASN'T KILLED.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 6, 2018SteeringODI 11083717

Engine

27 reports3 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, UNKNOWN WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE IGNITION HAD TO BE TURNED TO THE ON POSITION AND THE CONTACT HAD TO WAIT FOR THE INSTRUMENT PANEL TO LIGHT UP COMPLETELY FOR THE VEHICLE TO START. THE PROCESS WORKED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START EVERY TIME THE CONTACT WOULD ATTEMPT TO START THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE IGNITION SWITCH; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 9, 2019EngineODI 11287911
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.