10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
79,780 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

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problem #5

Aug 012016

Malibu

  • miles
Takata recall: My sons antitheft constantly turns on causing the car not to start or shut off and disables his keyless remotes which than need to be reprogrammed. After searching online I was able to find a way to get it started due to many people having the same issue had some tricks. My son is in college and has been stranded many times due to this malfunction. He's had 2 accidents where the car won't fully stop causing him to hit a car. His ac light constantly shuts off making the ac not work proper. This is the worse car!

- Saint Cloud, FL, USA

problem #4

Apr 252015

Malibu 4-cyl

  • 160,000 miles
Ignition switch has been getting loose and difficult to turn on for a long time. Received ntsb recall letter about unintentional key rotation for the 1999 Chevy Malibu. I followed the ntsb instructions and removed the key from the key ring. On April 21, 2015 the Chevy dealer glued a plastic housing to my keys. After receiving my keys back I could hardly get the key to rotate the ignition lock, I had to jiggle the key quite vigorously to get the ignition to operate. Four days later the key fell out of the ignition and the engine shut down while I was driving about 40 mph. Although difficult to steer and brake I was able to safely bring the car to the side of the road, locate the key on the floor and after reinserting the key restarted he car. I had a roll of tape in the glove box and I used it to tape the key in position. No further difficulties. On April 27, 2015 I replaced the lock core successfully. The recall fix for this problem is not acceptable or safe. I knew the ignition lock was getting bad but was not aware that the engine would shut down if the key fell out. This fix gave me a false sense of security that a problem was taken care of. When I took the car to the dealer I thought they would replace the lock core and keys and not just glue a housing onto my worn-out keys. My replacement of the lock core solved the problem the way the dealer should have. A letter needs to go out to all that received the recall letter that this is not an acceptable fix if the lock core is not replaced. When the dealer showed me the fix I laughed at the time and said you have to be kidding me that I've wasted 1:45 of my time waiting for the glue to dry. I do not know who thought this would solve anything or approved it but I think they are an idiot and should be fired from any position of responsibility for the safety that these recalls are suppose to address.

- Idaho Falls, ID, USA

problem #3

Jun 022014

Malibu

  • 86,000 miles
The contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the anti theft warning indicator illuminated and the engine stalled while at a traffic light. The contact had to wait ten minutes before the vehicle restarted. The failure occurred numerous times. An independent mechanic stated that a sensor failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was unavailable. The approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

- Palm Springs, FL, USA

problem #2

Apr 142004

Malibu 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 1999 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was taken back to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ignition switch was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 65,000 and the current mileage was unknown. Updated 7/9/14 the consumer stated on a regular basis it was extremely difficult to switch the vehicle off and remove the key from the ignition causing the battery to drain. For this reason the consumer opted to "junk" the vehicle instead of trading it in. Updated 07/14/2014

- Brooklyn , NY, USA

problem #1

Jun 082012

Malibu 6-cyl

  • 87,900 miles
The theft system, passlock, fails causing the car to not start for 10 minutes. This can and has happened consecutively, sometimes causing a wait of 30 minutes, before the car can be started. Apparently the theft deterrent system is defective, known issue with GM, and does not read the key properly when inserted in the ignition system. So, it will shut off the fuel pump to the engine, disabling the engine.

- Orlando, FL, USA