Common 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu Problems

Some of the worst issues 5th generation Malibu owners have to deal with.

  1. What Are We Missing?

    We know there's more problems than this. Let us know which one you'd like to see us cover next.

    Continue A red SECURITY warning illuminated above the tachometer.

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

5th Generation (1997–2003) Malibu Key Numbers

  1. 7 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 2,036 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 68th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 80 eligible generations.