2004 Chevrolet Malibu Classic Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Malibu Classic years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 116 complaints with NHTSA about the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Classic. That is the most of any Malibu Classic model year in the database (11 years). The most reported problem area is electrical system (59 complaints, 51%), typically at around 100,000 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 2 fires, 13 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 116owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 8complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Classic problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 59 | 51% | 100,000 | “ignition switch” (20%) | $700 |
| Steering | 24 | 21% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 11 | 9% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 8 | 7% | 113,788 | — | — |
| Engine | 6 | 5% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 4% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 3% | 195,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 3% | 105,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 3 | 3% | 89,564 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 3% | 66,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 2% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 2% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | 165,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 1% | 130,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 50,200 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 1 | 1% | 89,564 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 89,400 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2004 Chevrolet Malibu Classic recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:ignition
Problem: This defect can affect the safe operation of the airbag system. Until this recall is performed, customers should remove all items from their key rings, leaving only the ignition key. The key fob (if applicable), should also be removed from the key ring. General Motors LLC (GM) notified the agency on July 3, 2014, that they are recalling 5,877,718 model year 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala and Monte Carlo, 1997-2003 Chevrolet Malibu, 2004-2005 Malibu Classic, 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero, 1998-2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue, 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am and 2004-2008 Pontiac Grand Prix vehicles. In these models, the weight on the key ring and/or road conditions or some other jarring event may cause the ignition switch to move out of the run position, turning off the engine.
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.
Fix: GM will notify owners, and dealers will install two key rings and an insert in the key slot or a cover over the key head on all ignition keys, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2014. GM's number for this recall is 14350.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Loss of electric power steering (EA04018) — opened Jul 1, 2004, closed May 10, 2005.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Classic. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light, the vehicle lost motive power and abnormal noises were heard coming from the dashboard. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle when the door locks began to lock and unlock inadvertently…
I was driving my 2004 malibu classic , when all the vehicle , turned off ,causing me to hit the vehicle in front of me and that vehicle hitting another car , there where 3 vehicle involved with injury's, my vehicle was tolled and was sent to a tow yard , at the time of the incident i was working as…
Well my ignition switch went out i replace that.now it's shortages in wiring and lights heat on an off sometimes shocks
On 01/14/2012 i was driving a 2004 malibu classic in which i ended up in a crash involving 3 vehicles, i was driving on a street about 30 miles per hour when my malibu had suddenly turned off without power steering and breaks i hit the car in front of me, then that car hit the car in front of him…
The anti theft gas cut off feature has rendered my vehicle unable to start. I have tried many methods but the problem persists. It starts when it wants too, but not when i do. *tr
Other Chevrolet Malibu Classic years
← 2003 Malibu Classic · 2005 Malibu Classic →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 Malibu Classic | 21 | 0 |
| 2007 Malibu Classic | 15 | 0 |
| 2005 Malibu Classic | 92 | 1 |
| 2004 | 116 | 1 |
| 2003 Malibu Classic | 16 | 0 |
| 2002 Malibu Classic | 16 | 0 |
| 2001 Malibu Classic | 13 | 0 |
| 2000 Malibu Classic | 11 | 0 |
| 1999 Malibu Classic | 4 | 0 |
| 1998 Malibu Classic | 5 | 0 |
| 1997 Malibu Classic | 3 | 0 |
See all Chevrolet Malibu Classic problems by year, every Chevrolet model, or the Chevrolet VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Classic?
Owners most often report electrical system, steering, exterior lighting problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 59 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Classic?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2004 Chevrolet Malibu Classic a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Malibu Classic model years, the 2004 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.