1979 Chevrolet MalibuProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 4 owner complaints about the 1979 Chevrolet Malibu, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 5 safety recalls.

CarFlaw IndexNot enough dataHigher is better (0–100)

Safety recalls5Free fix at dealers Owner complaints40 with a crash, fire or injury Top problem3Service brakes, hydraulic

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through May 19, 2005. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1979 Chevrolet Malibu has problems

4 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

3Service brakes, hydraulic

1Seat belts

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.

Complaints by system
System	Complaints	Crash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic	3	0
Seat belts	1	0

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

5 recalls

1979 Chevrolet Malibu recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

no report yet

Drum: wheel cylinders

Recall 85V-048 · Apr 29, 1985 · 1,810,000 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Axle assembly: axle shaft

Recall 84V-149 · Nov 24, 1984 · 3,100,000 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Suspension: rear

Recall 81V-025 · Feb 25, 1981 · 5,821,160 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Visibility: glass, side/rear

Recall 81V-022 · Feb 11, 1981 · 67,350 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall

no report yet

Front assembly: head restraint

Recall 79V-196 · Aug 28, 1979 · 491 vehicles

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Best & worst years

1979 vs. every other Malibu year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Malibu median. How we score

0 1 2 0 2 4 5 3 2 1 1 3 4439767899227215675691,1489751,1199779891,5111,36397890783735127084170570119320390 10073 46 12

'73'74'75'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'86'89'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25

Avoid
Caution
Solid
Best
Not rated

1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1979 Chevrolet Malibu, and the recalls they led to.

Nov 27, 1985
BRAKE BACKING PLATEEA86006 · closed Nov 28, 1988
No recall

In owners' words

What Malibu owners report

Recent service brakes, hydraulic complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

BRAKE CYLINDER RUPTURED THE HYDRAULIC BRAKE LINE CAUSING BRAKE FAILURE, NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL DUE TO LOCATION OF ASSEMBLY.
Complaint 526035 · Dec 8, 1997

REAR WHEEL BRAKE FAILURE OCCURRED DUE TO BRAKE CYLINDER ONLY BEING ATTACHED TO BACKING PLATE AT ONE POINT, ALLOWING IT TO TURN/RUPTURE BRAKE LINE. *DSH
Complaint 484924 · Aug 9, 1995

Own a 1979 Malibu?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.