Your vehicle report
2001 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
- 721
- Received Jan 2001 to Jan 2023
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Ignition key sticks or will not turn164 complaints · 23% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Turn signals work intermittently or fail64 complaints · 8.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant50 complaints · 6.9% 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 #03V327000Certain 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.
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: 36 crashes, 1 fire, 29 people injured, 2 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
- Front brake rotors warp and wear early
- Brakes make grinding or squealing noise
- Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines
1 more problem
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 |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 30 |
| 2002 | 53 |
| 2003 | 88 |
| 2004 | 79 |
| 2005 | 61 |
| 2006 | 51 |
| 2007 | 66 |
| 2008 | 31 |
| 2009 | 36 |
| 2010 | 31 |
| 2011 | 25 |
| 2012 | 22 |
| 2013 | 15 |
| 2014 | 65 |
| 2015 | 32 |
| 2016 | 12 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 6 |
| 2019 | 5 |
| 2020 | 2 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 721 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ignition key sticks or will not turn | 164 | 23% | – | NHTSA recall #14V400000 |
| Turn signals work intermittently or fail | 64 | 8.9% | – | NHTSA recall #03V327000 |
| Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant | 50 | 6.9% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 31 | 4.3% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 31 | 4.3% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 27 | 3.7% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 22 | 3.0% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 17 | 2.4% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 15 | 2.1% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 13 | 1.8% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 10 | 1.4% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 10 | 1.4% | – | |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 10 | 1.4% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 9 | 1.3% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 7 | 1.0% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 7 | 1.0% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 7 | 1.0% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 6 | 0.8% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 6 | 0.8% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 6 | 0.8% | – |
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 #03V327000August 28, 2003670,740 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: hazard flashing warning lights: switch
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.
When the turn signals are inoperative, the driver cannot use them to signal intent to turn that could result in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the hazard warning switch. Owner notification began on february 5, 2004. Owners should contact Chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, Pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or Oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
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 2001 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