Menu

1999 Chevrolet MalibuProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 789 owner complaints about the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu, most often about the service brakes, hydraulic. It is covered by 1 safety recall, and for recall 14V-400 the manufacturer reports only 22% of affected cars repaired.

49
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.1× the Malibu median · #13 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Lowest repair rate 22%Owner complaints78976 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage41kService brakes, hydraulic, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through April 19, 2024. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu has problems

789 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, hydraulic29216
Electrical system1445
Engine and engine cooling1383
Suspension822
Tires754
Exterior lighting580
Air bags4024
Steering374
Equipment290
19 other systems17215

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

1 recall

1999 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 →

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?

41kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 50 service brakes, hydraulic complaints. 92% were reported before 100,000 miles.

Only 34% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
14under 30k miles46under 100k miles4100k 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

10 owners mentioned a cost

$700median

Middle half: $525 – $950

Electrical system

8 owners mentioned a cost

$300median

Middle half: $241 – $400

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

1999 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

1999 Chevrolet Malibu safety ratings

1999 Chevrolet Malibu 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
5 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ENGINE COOLANT BOILS OVERDP02008 · closed Sep 24, 2002
    No recall
  2. STOP LAMP ASSEMBLY OVERHEATEA00010 · closed Aug 9, 2001
    No recall
  3. FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTUREEA03021 · closed Oct 19, 2004
    No recall
  4. FRONT SUSPENSION COIL SPRING FRACTUREPE03031 · closed Nov 4, 2003
    No recall
  5. TURN SIGNAL FAILURESRQ04005 · closed Nov 30, 2004
    No recall
In owners' words

What Malibu owners report

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

WHEN PARKING BRAKE WAS APPLIED, A LOAD POPPING NOISE WAS HEARD. THE LEFT REAR CABLE POPPED OUT OF THE PARKING BRAKE EQUALIZER SINCE THE PART WAS RUSTED OUT. I AM VERY CONCERNED AS I AM WELL AWARE OF THE HIGH MILEAGE OF THIS VEHICLE. IT IS STILL A POPULAR CAR ON THE ROAD TODAY. *TR
Complaint 10450656 · Mar 7, 2012 · 191,400 miles
I BOUGHT THIS CAR FROM A PRIVATE OWNER NOT A DEALERSHIP. THE ONLY PROBLEM IT HAD WHEN WE BOUGHT IT WAS THE FUEL GAUGE DID NOT WORK. NOW ALMOST A YEAR LATER I HAVE MULTIPLE PROBLEMS. THE WORST IS WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 65 MPH MY CAR JUST SHUTS OFF, NO WARNING, THE STEERING LOCKS UP AND THIS…
Complaint 10438536 · Dec 5, 2011
WHILE DRIVING MY 1999 CHEVROLET MALIBU MY BRAKE PEDAL FELL TO THE FLOOR NO BRAKES FORTUNATELY I WAS CLOSE TO MY REPAIR SHOP MY MECHANIC FOUND A RUSTED THRU BRAKE FLUID LINE CAUSED BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK OUT LOOSING BRAKING ACTION A PARTIAL LINE WAS INSTALLED THE REMAINING BRAKE & GASOLINE LINES ARE…
Complaint 10427054 · Sep 24, 2011 · 82,000 miles

Own a 1999 Malibu?

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