1999 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Malibu years
- About as many complaints as other years 14th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 789 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu. That ranks 14th out of 29 Malibu model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is service brakes, hydraulic (292 complaints, 37%), typically at around 41,348 miles. Complaints mention 44 crashes, 2 fires, 40 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 5 defect investigations involving it.
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- 789owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 5NHTSA investigations
- 44complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 Chevrolet Malibu 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 292 | 37% | 41,348 | “brake pads” (14%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 144 | 18% | 86,000 | “anti theft” (18%) | $460 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 138 | 17% | 56,000 | “intake manifold” (33%) | $1,250 |
| Suspension problems | 82 | 10% | 70,000 | “coil spring” (30%) | — |
| Tires problems | 75 | 10% | 41,695 | “p215 60r15” (40%) | — |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 58 | 7% | 60,000 | “turn signals” (12%) | — |
| Air Bags | 40 | 5% | 132,681 | — | — |
| Steering | 37 | 5% | 68,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 29 | 4% | 49,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 29 | 4% | 77,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 29 | 4% | 41,695 | — | — |
| Power Train | 21 | 3% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 20 | 3% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 17 | 2% | 65,262 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 13 | 2% | 83,936 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 13 | 2% | 64,215 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 1% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 7 | 1% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 5 | 1% | 86,950 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 1% | 87,900 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 4 | 1% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 1% | 155,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 3 | 0% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 0% | 191,400 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | 0% | 119,676 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 Chevrolet Malibu 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
- Turn signal failures (RQ04005) — opened Jun 18, 2004, closed Nov 30, 2004.
- Front suspension coil spring fracture (EA03021) — opened Nov 4, 2003, closed Oct 19, 2004.
- Front suspension coil spring fracture (PE03031) — opened Jul 14, 2003, closed Nov 4, 2003.
- Engine coolant boils over (DP02008) — opened Sep 3, 2002, closed Sep 24, 2002.
- Stop lamp assembly overheat (EA00010) — opened Mar 27, 2000, closed Aug 9, 2001.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Yes it was on and off kept having computer issues and other issues
My 1999 Chevy Malibu 3.1 V6 engine won,t turn on the engine whend i try to turn the ignition switch and key lock cylinder on and the fuel pressure regulator won,t work whend i try to turn the ignition switch and key lock cylinder on and the airbag srs system comes on in the spring time and in the…
Takara recall ..front and passenger airbags did not deploy in accident. I was stopped in traffic when a car struck me from behind going highway speed , impact caused the car to get stuck in my trunk pushed me down the highway sideways and stuffed the nose of my car into the guardrail breaking the…
Started my drive to work in the took a left turn, then applied brakes and the pedal went to the floor. Thankfully i was still going slow and didn't panic, put the car in neutral and slowly applied the parking brake. Parked the car and opened door and looked under car. Could see brake fluid near…
I located a recall that my car has not been fixed and took it to the gmc dealer in laramie why where my car sat for 2 weeks and endless calls no call back for the ignition recall and other issues that my car had i have emailed and called and all i have gotten was a bill for non sence and headacks…
Other Chevrolet Malibu years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Malibu | 11 | 1 |
| 2024 Malibu | 43 | 2 |
| 2023 Malibu | 71 | 2 |
| 2022 Malibu | 98 | 1 |
| 2021 Malibu | 90 | 2 |
| 2020 Malibu | 198 | 1 |
| 2019 Malibu | 192 | 1 |
| 2018 Malibu | 700 | 6 |
| 2017 Malibu | 703 | 4 |
| 2016 Malibu | 838 | 9 |
| 2015 Malibu | 270 | 3 |
| 2014 Malibu | 351 | 6 |
| 2013 Malibu | 836 | 10 |
| 2012 Malibu | 907 | 2 |
| 2011 Malibu | 978 | 3 |
| 2010 Malibu | 1,362 | 3 |
| 2009 Malibu | 1,509 | 5 |
| 2008 Malibu | 989 | 4 |
| 2007 Malibu | 977 | 3 |
| 2006 Malibu | 1,116 | 6 |
| 2005 Malibu | 975 | 3 |
| 2004 Malibu | 1,147 | 6 |
| 2003 Malibu | 569 | 2 |
| 2002 Malibu | 567 | 2 |
| 2001 Malibu | 721 | 2 |
| 2000 Malibu | 922 | 3 |
| 1999 | 789 | 1 |
| 1998 Malibu | 976 | 3 |
| 1997 Malibu | 443 | 4 |
See all Chevrolet Malibu 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 1999 Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners most often report service brakes, hydraulic, electrical system, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, service brakes, hydraulic, accounts for 292 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 Chevrolet Malibu a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Malibu model years, the 1999 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.