1997 Chevrolet MalibuProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 443 owner complaints about the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 4 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-400 the manufacturer reports only 22% of affected cars repaired.

CarFlaw IndexSolid year42% below the Malibu median · #20 of 28 years by complaints

Safety recalls4Lowest repair rate 22%Owner complaints44335 with a crash, fire or injury Typical failure mileage72kService brakes, hydraulic, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 19, 2021. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu has problems

443 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

100Service brakes, hydraulic3 crash/fire/injury

87Electrical system4 crash/fire/injury

80Steering4 crash/fire/injury

60Engine and engine cooling1 crash/fire/injury

55Suspension1 crash/fire/injury

41Visibility1 crash/fire/injury

40Exterior lighting1 crash/fire/injury

25Air bags

17Tires

10316 other systems6 crash/fire/injury

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	100	3
Electrical system	87	4
Steering	80	4
Engine and engine cooling	60	1
Suspension	55	1
Visibility	41	1
Exterior lighting	40	1
Air bags	25	13
Tires	17	1
16 other systems	103	6

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

4 recalls

1997 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.

repaired · 2016 Q2

Electrical system: ignition

Recall 14V-400 · Jul 3, 2014 · 5,877,718 vehicles · 1,318,487 repaired

Risk. 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.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Steering: rack and pinion

Recall 03V-527 · Dec 11, 2003 · 750,283 vehicles

Risk. 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.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Windshield wiper/washer: linkages

Recall 01V-068 · Mar 8, 2001 · 129,427 vehicles

Risk. REDUCED VISIBILITY IN INCLEMENT WEATHER COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

no report yet

Air bags: frontal

Recall 97V-107 · Jun 28, 1997 · 16,099 vehicles

Risk. IF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYS, THE MODULE COULD SEPARATE FROM THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STRIKING AND INJURING AN OCCUPANT.

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

1997 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

NHTSA crash tests

1997 Chevrolet Malibu safety ratings

1997 Chevrolet Malibu 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

1997 Chevrolet Malibu frontal crash test, NHTSA

Frontal crashNot rated

Stability control: No
Forward collision warning: No
Lane departure warning: No

7 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu, and the recalls they led to.

Mar 27, 2000
STOP LAMP ASSEMBLY OVERHEATEA00010 · closed Aug 9, 2001
No recall
Jul 12, 2000
WINDSHIELD WIPEREA00019 · closed Mar 6, 2001
Led to recall 01V-068
Apr 4, 2002
POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILUREEA02003 · closed Dec 10, 2002
Led to recall 02V-286
Feb 22, 2000
WINDSHIELD WIPERPE00009 · closed Jul 12, 2000
No recall
Nov 14, 2001
STEERING RACK AND PINIONPE01038 · closed Apr 4, 2002
No recall
Jan 2, 2003
POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURERQ03001 · closed Sep 15, 2003
No recall
Jul 7, 2004
WINDSHIELD WIPER FAILURERQ04006 · closed Jan 13, 2005
No recall

In owners' words

What Malibu owners report

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

I WOULD LIKE TO GET A REPLACEMENT,DISCOUNT OR FREE SERVICE ON MY 1997 MALIBU. I'VE HAD MY CAR SINCE 2004 AND HAD TO GET ANOTHER MOTOR IN 2005 WHICH IS NEEDED NOW.THIS CAR HAS PUT ME DOWN A LOT NOT ONLY PROBLEMS WITH THE MOTOR BUT THE IGNITION LOCKED UP AND I HAD TO REPLACE THAT AS WELL AS THE…
Complaint 10227398 · May 12, 2008 · 74,000 miles

I HAVE OWNED MY MALIBU SINCE IT WAS NEW IN 1997. IN ITS LIFETIME IT HAS HAD 4 OR 5 SETS OF ROTORS AND AT LEAST 7 SETS OF BRAKE PADS. IT IS NOW READY FOR A NEW SET OF ROTORS AND BRAKES. THE LAST TIME THESE WERE REPLACED ON THE CAR WAS 2 YEARS AGO. GM KNEW ABOUT THE BRAKE PROBLEM FROM DAY ONE. THE…
Complaint 10205348 · Oct 10, 2007 · 10,000 miles

I HAVE A 1997 CHEVROLET MALIBU AND MY SISTER HAS A 1997 CHEVROLET VENTURE. WE BOTH EXPERIENCE THE SAME INSTANCES WITH OUR VEHICHLES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON FREQUENTLY, THE ABS BRAKE LIGHT WILL COME ONE FREQUENTLY. IT HAPPENS TO MY CAR, THE 97 CHEVROLET MALIBU EVERY OTHER TIME I TURN ON…
Complaint 10108185 · Jan 28, 2005

Own a 1997 Malibu?

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