1997 Chevrolet Malibu Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 60 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu, 14% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 70,500 miles. The words owners use most often: “intake manifold” (13% of reports).
- 60engine and engine cooling complaints
- 70,500median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,150typical repair cost reported by owners
- 33%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Intake manifold: mentioned in 8 of 60 complaints (13%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu at $2,150, and half of them between $1,050 and $2,800.
Based on 5 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (1999–2008), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 28 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 60 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 an injury.
Chevrolet Malibu engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Malibu | 4 | 6% | 85,000 |
| 2022 Malibu | 10 | 10% | 82,010 |
| 2020 Malibu | 3 | 2% | 80,000 |
| 2019 Malibu | 1 | 1% | 62,000 |
| 2018 Malibu | 6 | 1% | 103,167 |
| 2017 Malibu | 5 | 1% | 60,500 |
| 2016 Malibu | 2 | 0% | 117,750 |
| 2015 Malibu | 1 | 0% | 91,500 |
| 2014 Malibu | 3 | 1% | 105,670 |
| 2013 Malibu | 11 | 1% | 30,000 |
| 2012 Malibu | 4 | 0% | 113,000 |
| 2011 Malibu | 12 | 1% | 19,005 |
| 2010 Malibu | 11 | 1% | 989 |
| 2009 Malibu | 9 | 1% | 60,000 |
| 2008 Malibu | 12 | 1% | 56,650 |
| 2007 Malibu | 7 | 1% | 78,060 |
| 2006 Malibu | 25 | 2% | 68,000 |
| 2005 Malibu | 17 | 2% | 40,000 |
| 2004 Malibu | 20 | 2% | 31,376 |
| 2003 Malibu | 41 | 7% | 65,824 |
| 2002 Malibu | 63 | 11% | 62,396 |
| 2001 Malibu | 149 | 21% | 52,745 |
| 2000 Malibu | 174 | 19% | 61,010 |
| 1999 Malibu | 138 | 17% | 56,000 |
| 1998 Malibu | 144 | 15% | 60,000 |
| 1997 Malibu | 60 | 14% | 70,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Intake manifold on my 1997 chevy malibu has started to go bad i know its the lower gasket i called chevy after seeing so many other people with the same problem i was told chevy would not replace it due to it being over ten years old well it seems like with was a problem waiting to happen as soon…
Car engine overheating not due to thermostat or water pump. *tr
I have a 1997 chevy malibu (54,000) miles that seized up in traffic due to antifreeze in the oil. I have recently learned that the antifreeze (dexa-cool) use by gm has a long history of causing premature engine failures by eating away the gaskets, water pumps and other associated engine cooling…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Chevrolet Malibus have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 60 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu (14% of the 443 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 70,500 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,150 (half paid between $1,050 and $2,800), from 5 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1997 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “intake manifold”, in 8 of 60 complaints.
Other 1997 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 1997 Chevrolet Malibu problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Malibu years.