Your vehicle report
1998 Chevrolet Malibu
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 976
- Received Jan 1998 to Jun 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Front brake rotors warp and wear early193 complaints · 20% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Tires blow out or tread separates52 complaints · 5.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant51 complaints · 5.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #14V400000This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
- Recall #03V527000Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 34 crashes, 5 fires, 24 people injured, 3 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1998 | 42 |
| 1999 | 185 |
| 2000 | 181 |
| 2001 | 154 |
| 2002 | 73 |
| 2003 | 86 |
| 2004 | 91 |
| 2005 | 43 |
| 2006 | 19 |
| 2007 | 25 |
| 2008 | 18 |
| 2009 | 10 |
| 2010 | 11 |
| 2011 | 6 |
| 2012 | 5 |
| 2013 | 0 |
| 2014 | 13 |
| 2015 | 6 |
| 2016 | 2 |
| 2017 | 3 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 976 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 193 | 20% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 52 | 5.3% | – | |
| Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant | 51 | 5.2% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 46 | 4.7% | – | |
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 38 | 3.9% | – | NHTSA recall #14V400000 |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 37 | 3.8% | – | NHTSA recall #01V068000 |
| Coil springs break and puncture tires | 30 | 3.1% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 26 | 2.7% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 26 | 2.7% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 22 | 2.3% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 21 | 2.1% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 21 | 2.1% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 21 | 2.1% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 20 | 2.1% | – | |
| Tail light sockets melt and burn | 20 | 2.1% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 19 | 1.9% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 18 | 1.8% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 15 | 1.5% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 13 | 1.3% | – | |
| Power steering rack leaks fluid | 12 | 1.2% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #14V400000July 3, 20145,877,718 vehicles affected
electrical system: ignition
This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
If the key is not in the run position, the air bags may not deploy if the vehicle is involved in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
NHTSA recall #03V527000December 11, 2003750,283 vehicles affected
steering: rack and pinion
Certain passenger vehicles have lower pinion bearings in the power rack and pinion assembly in which the retainer tabs were not crimped properly. These retainers could fail and permit the ball bearings to escape.
If this occurs, the pinion shaft Can be forced upward during left turns and back down as the steering wheel is moved back and to the right. If the pinion shaft moves further, the driver will need to exert more effort to turn the steering wheel, similar to a vehicle without power assisted steering. If the pinion shaft moves even further, the driver will require much higher effort to turn left and may not be able to turn the wheel as much as intended. With the maximum pinion shaft movement, which requires internal gear component damage, the driver Can encounter high resistance to turning left, followed by unintended power assist to the right. In any of these conditions, a crash could occur.
Remedy
Dealers will install a new lower pinion bearing unless inspect of the existing bearing indicates that replacement of the gear assembly is necessary. Owner notification began on february 5, 2004. Owners should contact Buick at 1-866-608-8080; Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438; Oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537; or Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668.
NHTSA recall #01V068000March 8, 2001129,427 vehicles affected
visibility: windshield wiper/washer: linkages
On certain passenger vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the "salt belt" states: alaska, colorado, connecticut, delaware, idaho, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, montana, nebraska, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, north dakota, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, south dakota, utah, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and wyoming. If a buildup of snow or ice restricts the movement of the passenger side windshield wiper arm, the pivot housing Can crack and the wipers will not operate.
Reduced visibility in inclement weather could lead to a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the passenger side windshield wiper pivot housing. Owner notification began august 14, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020 or Oldsmobile at 1-800-442-6537.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN