Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2001 record →
FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WARPED AND BRAKING EFFECTED. FRONT BRAKE ROTORS HAD TO BE REPLACED. THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN TO A NEW CAR WITH 5,200 MILES. SERVICE DEPT SAID THIS IS NOT A UNCOMMON PROBLEM. BRAKES ROTORS SHOULD BE MADE BETTER! *AK
AFTER VEHICLE SITS FOR AWHILE, THE BRAKES GRAB AND SQUEAL, DEALER HAS REPLACED THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS, REAR BRAKES ARE NOISY, DEALER REPLACED REAR DRUM ASSEMBLY, CLEANED AND ADJUSTED REAR BRAKES, AND GREASED BACKING PLATES, BRAKE PROBLEM IS NOT REMEDIED. *SLC
TURN SIGNALS WORK INTERMITTENLY. AT TIMES, TURN SIGNALS GO COMPLETELY OUT. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER STATED IF TURN SIGNALS WORK IN SHOP THEY CAN'T FIX PROBLEM.*AK
ENGINE PINGS WITH NO REASON, ROTORS ARE LOOKING BAD EARLY ON. *AK
CAR REPEATEDLY FAILS TO MAINTAIN SET SPEED AND ACCELERATES RAPIDLY WITHOUT WARNING WHICH ALMOST CAUSED SEVERAL ACCIDENTS. I HAD DEALER LOOK AT THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THEY SAID THIS IS NORMAL ON THIS MODEL. I CONTACTED CHEVROLET DIRECTLY (CASE: C04708022) AND THEY AGREED SAYING IT WAS SOMETHING I WOULD JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH.
WHILE TRAVELING AT 50-55 MPH AND WHEN DEPRESSING BRAKES CONSUMER HEARD A POPPING NOISE, AND THERE WAS EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE ROTORS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES. PLEASE PROVIE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE FOR ONE MONTH AND HAD BALANCED TIRES TWICE, WHILE DRIVING OVER 55 MPH THE VEHICLE SHAKES, CONSUMER PULLED INTO TRAFFIC WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, VEHICLE FISHTAILED AND EXPERIENCED ROLLOVER, CAUSING ONE INJURY, POSSIBLY FAULTY TIRES, FIRESTONE AFFINITY TOURING T-2, P215/60R15, CLAIM 53-C796-229. *SLC
CONSUMER HAD VEHICLE FOR ONE MONTH AND HAD BALANCED TIRES TWICE, WHILE DRIVING OVER 55 MPH THE VEHICLE SHAKES, CONSUMER PULLED INTO TRAFFIC WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, VEHICLE FISHTAILED AND EXPERIENCED ROLLOVER, CAUSING ONE INJURY, POSSIBLY FAULTY TIRES, FIRESTONE AFFINITY TOURING T-2, P215/60R15, CLAIM 53-C796-229. *SLC
THE MALIBU WAS STRUCK IN THE REAR AT APPROXIMATELY 40MPH CAUSING A FRONT COLLISION AS WELL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTSDOWN WITHOUT WARNING, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK
AUTOMATIC WENT FROM PARK TO REVERSE AS I WAS ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE. DRAGGED ME SOME 30 FEET BEFORE CROSSING I-8 EAST OF SAN DIEGO, CA. I HAD A CHEST CONTUSION, BROKEN TOE ON RIGHT FOOT, AND SEVERE BRUISING WITH BLEEDING.*AK
PROBLEM FIRST REPORTED ON 5 JUNE. CAR SPENT ALL DAY 6 JUNE AT THE DEALER THEY COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM.JUNE 9 TRANSMISSION HAD PROBLEMS SHIFTING. JUNE 14 TRANSMISSON AT LOW SPEEDS IN HEAVY SHIFTED IN AND OUT OF GEAR.JUNE 14 CAR WENT TO THE DEALER AND AT THIS TIME IT IS STILL AT STAN ROBERTS CHEVROLET. I SHOULD NOT BE HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH LESS THAN 3000 MILES ON THE CAR. *AK
ENGINE PISTONS REPLACED AT 2395 MILES DUE TO" PISTON SLAP". REPLACED ALL SIX PISTONS WITH TEFLON COATED ONES. PATCH AREAS ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF PISTON IN AREA WHERE THE MOST VIBRATION AND WEAR OCCURS. ALL SIX PISTONS SHOWED SIGNS OF SIGNIFICANT WEAR IN AREAS WHERE TEFLON ADDED. ADVISED BY DIFFERENT DEALER ASE CERTIFIED MECHANICS & SERVICE MANAGER THAT INSTALLING TEFLON COATED PISTONS IS JUST A SHORT-TERM STOP-GAP MEASURE AND THE PROBLEM WOULD RETURN. PHOTOS WERE TAKEN OF OLD PISTONS. BRAKES CONTINUE TO MAKE POPPING NOISE, LIKE CALIPERS ARE STICKING AND THERE IS NOTICABLE REDUCED BRAKING ON WET SURFACES. DEALER SAYS "NOTHING IS WRONG". RACK AND PINION FAILED INITIALLY AT 4044 MILES . REPLACED AND THE SAME SOUNDS AND FEEL HAS RETURNED. 24 DAYS OUT-OF-SERVICE TO DATE. WILL TAKE ACTION VIA LEMON LAW AFTER 6 MORE DAYS OUT-OF-SERVICE.*AK
THIS CAR HAS STOPPED IN TRAFFIC 3 TIMES. THE FIRST TIME WAS APRIL 25, 01. THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR WENT DEAD SOMEONE RAN OVER AND ASSISTED ME IN GETTING THE CAR OUT OF THE STREET. IT WAS TOWED TO CRAIN CHEVROLET. THEY REPROGRAMMED THE CAR AND I GOT IT BACK THE NEXT DAY. MAY 4, 01 THE CAR STOPPED AGAIN IN TRAFFIC ON A MAIN THOROUGHFARE I PULLED OVER AND A FEW MINUTES LATER IT STARTED BACK UP AND IT STOPPED AGAIN. IT WAS TOWED TO GWATNEY CHEV. THEY REPAIRED IT AND I GOT IT BACK ON MAY 10, 01 AND IT STOPPED AGAIN IN TRAFFIC ON A MAIN THOROUGHFARE ON MAY 11, 01. IT IS NOW AT GWATNEY CHEV. I ALSO CONTACTED GM AND INFORMED THEM THAT I AM A RISK TO ME AND TO OTHER MOTORIST. GM CALLED TODAY AND SAID THAT THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM AND ARE HAVING TO ORDER A PART. IT WILL TAKE A FEW DAYS FOR ME TO GET IT BACK. HAS ANYONE ELSE REPORTED PROBLEM OF THEIR 2001 MALIBU STOPPING IN TRAFFIC. THE MANUFACTURER IS WORKING WITH ME HOWEVER, I THINK THAT OTHERS SHOULD BE MADE AWARE.*AK
FROM THE INITIAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE IT SMELLED AS IF IT HAD A SLIGHT OIL LEAK ON THE EXHAUST. THE VEHICLE EMITTED A SLIGHT ODOR THAT CONTINUED TO GROW STRONGER AS THE CAR WAS DRIVEN MORE. AT NO TIME COULD AN OIL LEAK BE FOUND. THE CAR WAS EVENTUALLY TAKEN IN FOR THIS PROBLEM AND OTHERS ON MARCH 17, 2001. BY APRIL 24, 2001 CHEVROLET STATED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DETERMINED TO BE RELATED TO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AND THEY COULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO BE USED SINCE MARCH 7, 2000 DUE TO THE ACRID SMELL OF BURNT OIL INSIDE THE CAR. THE SMELL CAUSED ME TO BE UNABLE TO OPERATE THE CAR DO TO IRRIATION TO MY SINUS AND EYES. I AM CONCERNED THAT THIS PROBLEM COULD CAUSE SOMEONE TO BE SERIOSLY ILL AND POSSIBLY LEAD TO A COLLISION AS A RESULT OF IMPAIRMENT TO THE DRIVER. *AK
POWER DRIVER'S SEAT TRACKS AND ADJUSTORS ROCK BACK AND FORTH WHEN STOPPING AND STARTING. THIS CREATE A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WHERE DRIVER CAN LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE OR HAVE REDUCED BRAKING FORCE.*AK
ITEM#1) BROUGHT VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE FOR ENGINE NOISE. ADVISED PISTONS NEEDED REPLACMENT. ADVISED CAR WAS "SAFE TO DRIVE". PISTONS ON NATIONAL BACKORDER. LEFT COPY OF SERVICE REPAIR ORDER WITH SALESWOMAN AND ADVISED HER TO CONTACT GENERAL MANAGER OF DEALERSHIP AND CHEVROLET OF PROBLEM. ITEM#2) BRAKES, BROUGHT IN VEHICLE FOR SERVICE ON 02-14-2001 FOR BRAKE INSTABILITY ON WET PAVEMENT. ADVISED BRAKES WERE "NORMAL" AFTER TEST DRIVE. NO ON HOIST INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED . BROUGHT IN VEHICLE ON 03-21-2001 FOR BRAKES AND ENGINE NOISE. ADVISED BRAKES WERE "NORMAL" AGAIN, NO ACTION WAS TAKEN REGARDING BRAKES AFTER ROAD TEST BY DEALERSHIP. PISTONS NEEDING REPLACMENT CONSTITUTES A FAILURE OF MAJOR DRIVETRAIN COMPONENTS AND THIS VEHICLE WILL NOT BE CONSTRUED AS "SAFE". A REPLACEMENT VEHICLE MUST BE PROVIDED OR REFUND OF ALL EXPENSES AND RETURN OF TRADE-IN VEHICLE WHICH WAS RELIABLE.*AK
WHEN VEHICLE WAS LEAVING HIGHWAY STEERING WAS LOST. CONSUMER SAID THAT WITH A FINGER COULD TURN STEERING WHEEL, BUT VEHICLE WILL NOT GO ANYWHERE.*AK
ENGINE CHECK LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AND TRANSMISSION HAD PROBLEMS SHIFTING. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO CORRECT PROBLEM.*AK
AFTER COMING OFF FREEWAY STEERING WHEEL SUDDENLY BECAME LOOSE, CAUSING DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND WANDER ACROSS CENTER LANE. DRIVER APPLIED BRAKES TO IN ORDER TO STOP VEHICLE. DEALER HAS VEHICLE CURRENTLY. *AK
IN THE MORNING ON VERY SUNNY DAYS, CONSUMER HAS TROUBLE SEEING OUT THE BACK WINDOW, IN THE AFTERNOON, CONSUMER HAS TROUBLE SEEING THROUGH THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. *SLC
NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Full record for the 2001 Chevrolet Malibu → · Every Malibu year → · How the figures are calculated →