Problems · by component
2001 Chevrolet Malibu engine and engine cooling problems
148 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Chevrolet Malibu cite engine and engine cooling, 20% of all 739 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
148
20% of all complaints
Crashes
2
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
What owners say about the engine and engine cooling
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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”
“THIS CAR IS AN ABSOLUTE LEMON,IT FORCES YOU TO USE DEXCOOL ANTIFREEZE AND THIS EATS AWAY THE RUBBER IN THE LINES,HAVE SPENT THOUSANDS FIXING HEAD GASKETS AND REDOING THE WHOLE COOLING SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO USE THE OLD GREEN ANTIFREEZE AND AFTER ALL OF THE PROBLEMS(CANT AFFORD NEW CAR!) I HAVE LOOKED ON LINE AND I AM NOT ALONE,THOUSANDS HAVE HAD SAME PROBLEM,THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE WITH CHEVY ABOUT THE ANTI THEFT SYSTEM,YOU HAVE TO PUT KEY IN ON POS. AND WAIT TEN MINS FOR IT TO RESET. I HAVE LOST A JOB B/C I WAS LATE FOR WORK TOO MANY TIMES,HAVE HAD IGNITION REPLACED TWICE,IT HAS NOTHING TO DO W/IGNITION. I GET STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE CAR WONT START AND GOTTA FREEZE TO DEATH (IN MICHIGAN!) WAITING FOR IT TO RESET. THIS IS RIDICULOUS. AND CHEVY DOES NOTHING! *TR”
“I WOULD LIKE ALL THE RECALLS FOR THIS CON OF A CAR AND I WOULD LIKE TO GET IN ON ANY LAWSUIT AGAINST GM FOR THEIR DRUG DEALING BUSINESS ETHICS OR LACK OF THESE CARS ARE A DEATH TRAPWAITING TO STRIKE GET GM OUT OF BUSINESS AND BAIL OUT THE CONSUMER NOT THE GREEDY LIARS THAT SELL TRINKETS FOR 50K OR MORE GIVING US LESS THAN SAFE GARBAGE THEY CALL A CAR. MY SKASTES RUN BETTER 2100.00 2X FOR REPLACED ENGINES AND 375.00 PARTS AND LABOR FOR ALARM FIX NOT WORKING PROPERLY FROM FACTORY YOU KNOW IT AND YOU ASK FOR A BAIL OUT I WANT YOU IN PRISON EVERY WORKER AND THE CEOS NO BAIL OUTS BAIL US OUT YOU ROBBING LIARS THAT SELL GARBAGE THAT CAN KILL HUMANS BAIL OUT MY REAR END. *TR”
“MY CAR SEEMED TO BE RIDING ROUGH AND MY RADIATOR LIGHT CAME ON. TODAY I WENT FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND THE MECHANIC SAID I HAD AN "INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET LEAK." MY OIL IS LEAKING INTO MY COOLANT. HE TOLD ME THERE WAS A RECALL FROM GM FOR DEXCOOL. I CAN'T SEEM TO FIND ANY INFORMATION ON THIS BUT TO HAVE IT FIXED WILL BE VERY COSTLY. *TR”
“PASSCODE ANTITHEFT SYSTEM - 2 SEPARATE REPAIRS, LATEST OCT, 2011 INVOLVING THE IGNITION/THEFT SYSTEM. THE SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONS AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. *TR”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT ANTIFREEZE WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET FAILED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 69,000 AND THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.”
Showing 6 of 148 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.