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2001 Chevrolet MalibuProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 721 owner complaints about the 2001 Chevrolet Malibu, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 2 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-400 the manufacturer reports only 22% of affected cars repaired.

2001 Chevrolet Malibu
51
CarFlaw IndexSolid year6% below the Malibu median · #16 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Lowest repair rate 22%Owner complaints72159 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage88kElectrical system, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through January 31, 2023. Updated daily. Photo: MercurySable99, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2001 Chevrolet Malibu has problems

721 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
Electrical system2854
Engine and engine cooling1492
Exterior lighting1080
Service brakes, hydraulic782
Steering418
Engine263
Vehicle speed control254
Fuel system, gasoline241
Air bags2116
18 other systems15216

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

2 recalls

2001 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

Hazard flashing warning lights: switch

Recall 03V-327 · Aug 28, 2003 · 670,740 vehicles

Risk. WHEN THE TURN SIGNALS ARE INOPERATIVE, THE DRIVER CANNOT USE THEM TO SIGNAL INTENT TO TURN THAT COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

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 electrical system problems start?

88kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 189 electrical system complaints. 60% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
12under 30k miles113under 100k miles76100k 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.

Electrical system

22 owners mentioned a cost

$500median

Middle half: $300 – $650

Engine and engine cooling

16 owners mentioned a cost

$900median

Middle half: $775 – $1,200

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

2001 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

2001 Chevrolet Malibu safety ratings

2001 Chevrolet Malibu 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2001 Chevrolet Malibu frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2001 Chevrolet Malibu side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2001 Chevrolet Malibu, and the recalls they led to.

  1. ERRATIC FUEL GAUGEEA02028 · closed Dec 30, 2003
    No recall
  2. TURN SIGNAL FAILURESEA02037 · closed Sep 5, 2003
    Led to recall 03V-327
  3. TURN SIGNAL FAILUREPE02064 · closed Dec 23, 2002
    No recall
  4. ERRATIC FUEL GAUGESQ01002 · closed Sep 30, 2002
    No recall
In owners' words

What Malibu owners report

Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

THE BLINKERS RANDOMLY WORK; MOST LIKELY NEEDS A NEW HAZARD SWITCH. THE CAR'S TEMPERATURE GAUGE WOULD RISE WHEN SITTING IN IDLE; NEEDED A NEW WATER PUMP AND THERMOSTAT AS OF 11/2020.
Complaint 11373867 · Nov 9, 2020 · 135,000 miles
WHEN STARTING THE MALIBU THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS ILLUMINATE AND WHEN THE KEY IS TURNED TO START THE CAR THE LIGHTS GO OUT AND THE FUEL GAUGE DROPS TO ZERO OR EMPTY AND THE CAR WILL NOT START. THIS PROBLEM ALSO OCCURS WHEN DRIVING THE CAR AND THE IGNITION SYSTEM SHUTS DOWN LEAVING YOU WITH NO STEERING…
Complaint 11363209 · Oct 7, 2020 · 108,227 miles
VEHICLE STARTS AND FULLY OPERATES PROPERLY FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD OF TIME, THEN IT STALLS ABRUPTLY (AND AT VERY EMBARRASSING AND PERILOUS TIMES). WHEN IT DOES, ALL THE GAUGES ARE NON-OPERATIONAL, WITH THE FUEL GAGE READING, EMPTY. VEHICLE WILL CRANK BUT WILL NOT RESTART. AFTER A PERIOD (AS LONG…
Complaint 11279249 · Nov 10, 2019 · 160,000 miles

Own a 2001 Malibu?

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