1998 Chevrolet Malibu Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 50 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu, 5% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 60,000 miles.
- 50power train complaints
- 60,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 39%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 10 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 50 complaints, 1 mention a crash.
Chevrolet Malibu power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Malibu | 1 | 9% | — |
| 2024 Malibu | 6 | 14% | 45,000 |
| 2023 Malibu | 8 | 11% | 30,310 |
| 2022 Malibu | 23 | 23% | 38,000 |
| 2021 Malibu | 28 | 31% | 60,000 |
| 2020 Malibu | 58 | 29% | 72,500 |
| 2019 Malibu | 67 | 35% | 48,000 |
| 2018 Malibu | 171 | 24% | 43,150 |
| 2017 Malibu | 139 | 20% | 48,875 |
| 2016 Malibu | 166 | 20% | 42,000 |
| 2015 Malibu | 31 | 11% | 83,000 |
| 2014 Malibu | 52 | 15% | 51,890 |
| 2013 Malibu | 54 | 6% | 66,500 |
| 2012 Malibu | 49 | 5% | 74,500 |
| 2011 Malibu | 112 | 11% | 78,225 |
| 2010 Malibu | 133 | 10% | 74,200 |
| 2009 Malibu | 121 | 8% | 88,000 |
| 2008 Malibu | 86 | 9% | 88,000 |
| 2007 Malibu | 47 | 5% | 88,921 |
| 2006 Malibu | 43 | 4% | 100,000 |
| 2005 Malibu | 65 | 7% | 88,500 |
| 2004 Malibu | 64 | 6% | 100,000 |
| 2003 Malibu | 13 | 2% | 54,500 |
| 2002 Malibu | 5 | 1% | 114,045 |
| 2001 Malibu | 18 | 2% | 50,000 |
| 2000 Malibu | 26 | 3% | 47,597 |
| 1999 Malibu | 21 | 3% | 60,000 |
| 1998 Malibu | 50 | 5% | 60,000 |
| 1997 Malibu | 9 | 2% | 57,800 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train 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.
Only when its cold outside the shifter doesn't shift out of park till the car warms up for 15 to 20 minutes. *js
I was on interstate 95 going home when the steering wheel suddenly locked up on me and i started losing horsepower until i completely stopped!. So there i was in the middle lane stopped!, with cars swerving around me at high speeds!... Not to mention the cars stopped behind me trying to get…
Car would be running stepped on gas and wouldn't move, had it back when it was new, but wouldn't happen when bonner chevrolet in kingston, pa mechanics would test drive it. Vehicle continued until i couldn't get it out of park, then i had to have the transmission replaced 2003. Itwas a 1998 ls…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1998 Chevrolet Malibus have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 50 owner complaints about power train for the 1998 Chevrolet Malibu (5% 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 power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 60,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
Other 1998 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 1998 Chevrolet Malibu problems or power train problems across all Malibu years.