1998 Chevrolet Malibu Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 144 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu, 15% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 60,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “intake manifold” (27% of reports).
- 144engine and engine cooling complaints
- 60,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,450typical repair cost reported by owners
- 54%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 39 of 144 complaints (27%)
- Gasket leaking: mentioned in 11 of 144 complaints (8%)
- Coolant leak: mentioned in 11 of 144 complaints (8%)
- Anti freeze: mentioned in 8 of 144 complaints (6%)
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 1998 Chevrolet Malibu at $1,450, and half of them between $1,050 and $1,700.
Based on 13 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2001–2005), 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 52 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 144 complaints, 1 a fire.
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 1998 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.
This is the second time i have replaced my lower intake manifold seal. This is outrageous that chevy will not fix a known defect. *tr
I bought a certified used car from bill heard in plant city before they closed down,from day 1 i had a problem with the car ignition not starting and the anti theft,i have been left stranded several time s cause of this problem,i have taken it back to them twice and they kept telling me there is…
The intake manifold on my 1998 chevrolet malibu is leaking for a second time. The first occurred at 36,000 miles. The second time is now at 120,000 miles. There are a large number of occurrences of this gasket leaking but no recall by gm to address the issue. *tr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Chevrolet Malibus have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 144 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu (15% of the 976 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 1998 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 60,000 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 1998 Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,450 (half paid between $1,050 and $1,700), from 13 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “intake manifold”, in 39 of 144 complaints, followed by “gasket leaking” (11).
Other 1998 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 1998 Chevrolet Malibu problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Malibu years.