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1998 Chevrolet MalibuProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 976 owner complaints about the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 3 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-400 the manufacturer reports only 22% of affected cars repaired.

45
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.2× the Malibu median · #8 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls3Lowest repair rate 22%Owner complaints97657 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage58kService brakes, hydraulic, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 4, 2023. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu has problems

976 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Service brakes, hydraulic3478
Engine and engine cooling1441
Electrical system1309
Suspension1080
Exterior lighting792
Steering748
Visibility631
Tires580
Power train501
20 other systems23934

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

3 recalls

1998 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.

22%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 →

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.

Mileage at failure

When do service brakes, hydraulic problems start?

58kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 26 service brakes, hydraulic complaints. 96% were reported before 100,000 miles.

Only 23% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
5under 30k miles25under 100k miles1100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

9 owners mentioned a cost

$900median

Middle half: $600 – $1,500

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

1998 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

'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

1998 Chevrolet Malibu safety ratings

1998 Chevrolet Malibu 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

1998 Chevrolet Malibu frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
6 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu, and the recalls they led to.

  1. STOP LAMP ASSEMBLY OVERHEATEA00010 · closed Aug 9, 2001
    No recall
  2. WINDSHIELD WIPEREA00019 · closed Mar 6, 2001
    Led to recall 01V-068
  3. WINDSHIELD WIPERPE00009 · closed Jul 12, 2000
    No recall
  4. STOP LAMPPE99071 · closed Mar 27, 2000
    No recall
  5. POWER RACK AND PINION STEERING FAILURERQ03001 · closed Sep 15, 2003
    No recall
  6. 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.

1998 CHEVROLET MALIBU. CONSUMER WRITES TO EXPRESS DISCONTENT WITH LOCAL DEALERSHIP. *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE BRAKE WAS SPONGY, THE ABS LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE AC WORKED ERRATICALLY, DEPENDING ON THE BLOWER SPEED AND WOULD SOMETIMES QUIT BLOWING COLD AIR AND WOULD START TO BLOW WARM AIR. THE…
Complaint 10639977 · Oct 1, 2014
I BOUGHT A CERTIFIED USED CAR FROM BILL HEARD IN PLANT CITY BEFORE THEY CLOSED DOWN,FROM DAY 1 I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR IGNITION NOT STARTING AND THE ANTI THEFT,I HAVE BEEN LEFT STRANDED SEVERAL TIME S CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM,I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO THEM TWICE AND THEY KEPT TELLING ME THERE IS…
Complaint 10270034 · May 27, 2009 · 68,700 miles
I PURCHASED MY MALIBU IN 2000 AS A USED VEHICLE. IT HAD 24,000 MILES ON IT. I HAVE REPEATEDLY HAD TO REPLACE THE FRONT BRAKES ON THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE HAD THE ROTORS TURN AND REPLACED THE ROTORS ABOUT 5 TIMES. THERE IS DEFINITELY A PROBLEM WITH THE BREAKING SYSTEM. I UNDERSTAND THAT BRAKES NEED TO…
Complaint 10168797 · Sep 20, 2006

Own a 1998 Malibu?

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