Problems · by component

2001 Chevrolet Malibu exterior lighting problems

111 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Chevrolet Malibu cite exterior lighting, 15% of all 739 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 2 recalls on this component.

Complaints
111
15% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the exterior lighting

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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
“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
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 22, 2017Electrical system, Exterior lighting, EngineODI 11019030
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU CLASSIC. AFTER INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. IN ADDITION, THE TURN SIGNALS AND HAZARD LIGHTS WOULD RANDOMLY NOT OPERATE. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE LOCAL DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 62,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 29, 2017Electrical system, Exterior lightingODI 11002103
“THEFT SYSTEM KEEPS COMING ON CAN'T START CAR COMES ON WHILE I DRIVE, TURN SIGNAL HAS A MIND OF ITS OWN WORKS WHEN IT WANTS TO,RPMS GO UP REAL HIGH WHILE I DRIVE AND WHEN IT PARK, TAKE FOOT OFF GAS PEDAL BUT CAR SEEMS TO SPEED UP KIND OF HARD TO STOP A CAR THAT SPEEDS UP WHEN NOT GIVING GAS TO IT, BREAK LIGHTS DON'T WORK WHEN TURN SIGNAL DOESN'T WORK ALL THIS HAPPENS AS I AM DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD WITH MY TO SMALL CHILDREN AND OF COURSE IN MY DRIVEWAY WHEN THE CAR DOESN'T WANT TO START AS IT THINKS I'M STEALING MY CAR WITH THE KEY THEFT SYSTEM BREAK LIGHTS DON'T WORK WHEN TURN SIGNAL WON'T WORK EXCELS IN SPEED ON ITS OWN ALL STARTED IN MARCH 2016 AS I JUST BOUGHT IN FEBRUARY 2016.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 22, 2016Exterior lighting, Vehicle speed control, Unknown or otherODI 10861025
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 CHEVROLET MALIBU. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND REINSERTED THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION IN ORDER TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. ALSO, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE TURN SIGNAL LIGHTS AND HAZARD LIGHTS FAILED TO WORK INTERMITTENTLY AND THE ABS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. A DAY LATER, WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP. THE CONTACT HAD TO APPLY EXCESSIVE FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER AND TURN SIGNAL RELAY SWITCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 12, 2015Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Service brakesODI 10671896

Showing 6 of 111 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 10, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

2 recalls on this component

Exterior lighting

Free remedy

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Exterior lightingReported Apr 7, 2009NHTSA 09E012000

Exterior lighting: switch

Free remedy

CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES HAVE HAZARD WARNING SWITCHES THAT MAY EXPERIENCE SOLDER JOINT CRACKING CAUSED BY RAPID TEMPERATURE TRANSITIONS AND THE SOLDERING PROCESS. IF SOLDER JOINT CRACKING OCCURS AND RESULTS IN AN OPEN CIRCUIT, THE TURN SIGNALS/HAZARD LAMPS BECOME INTERMITTENT OR INOPERATIVE.

Exterior lightingReported Aug 28, 2003NHTSA 03V327000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 10, 2026

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