Your vehicle report
2003 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
- 569
- Received Mar 2003 to Jun 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Ignition key sticks or will not turn202 complaints · 36% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Unintended acceleration despite braking46 complaints · 8.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Front brake rotors warp and wear early27 complaints · 4.8% 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 #04V528000Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 124, 'accelerator control systems.' in hot ambient conditions, the accelerator pedal arm may stick at the attachment to the bracket and not return to the engine idle position when the operator lifts his foot from the accelerator pedal.
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: 35 crashes, 4 fires, 23 people injured, 1 death.
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
- Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines
- Brakes make grinding or squealing noise
1 more problem
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
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 |
|---|---|
| 2003 | 24 |
| 2004 | 46 |
| 2005 | 29 |
| 2006 | 16 |
| 2007 | 29 |
| 2008 | 42 |
| 2009 | 26 |
| 2010 | 41 |
| 2011 | 36 |
| 2012 | 24 |
| 2013 | 21 |
| 2014 | 113 |
| 2015 | 56 |
| 2016 | 24 |
| 2017 | 12 |
| 2018 | 7 |
| 2019 | 9 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 5 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 1 |
| Total | 569 |
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 | 202 | 36% | – | NHTSA recall #14V400000 |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 46 | 8.1% | – | NHTSA recall #04V528000 |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 27 | 4.8% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 23 | 4.0% | – | |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 20 | 3.5% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 17 | 3.0% | – | |
| Plastic intake manifold cracks and leaks coolant | 16 | 2.8% | – | |
| Turn signals work intermittently or fail | 14 | 2.5% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 12 | 2.1% | – | |
| Fuel pump fails and engine stalls | 9 | 1.6% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 8 | 1.4% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 7 | 1.2% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 5 | 0.9% | – | |
| Head gasket leaks coolant into engine | 5 | 0.9% | – | |
| Horn fails with airbag warning light | 4 | 0.7% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 4 | 0.7% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 4 | 0.7% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 4 | 0.7% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 0.5% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 0.5% | – |
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 #04V528000November 1, 200492,863 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control: accelerator pedal
Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 124, 'accelerator control systems.' in hot ambient conditions, the accelerator pedal arm may stick at the attachment to the bracket and not return to the engine idle position when the operator lifts his foot from the accelerator pedal.
Failure to return to idle could result in a vehicle crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the accelerator pedal arm and replace the accelerator and brake pedal assembly with a new assembly, if necessary. The recall began on december 20, 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 2003 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