2001 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Malibu years
- About as many complaints as other years 15th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 721 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Chevrolet Malibu. That ranks 15th out of 29 Malibu model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (285 complaints, 40%), typically at around 88,000 miles. Complaints mention 36 crashes, 1 fire, 29 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
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- 721owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 36complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2001 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 285 | 40% | 88,000 | “anti theft” (26%) | $700 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 149 | 21% | 52,745 | “intake manifold” (32%) | $1,550 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 108 | 15% | 63,600 | “turn signals” (43%) | $310 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 78 | 11% | 34,567 | “front brake” (13%) | — |
| Steering | 41 | 6% | 94,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 26 | 4% | 109,740 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 25 | 3% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 24 | 3% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 21 | 3% | 116,750 | — | — |
| Equipment | 20 | 3% | 59,148 | — | — |
| Suspension | 20 | 3% | 52,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 20 | 3% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 18 | 2% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 15 | 2% | 26,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 14 | 2% | 98,239 | — | — |
| Visibility | 12 | 2% | 59,148 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 9 | 1% | 126,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 9 | 1% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 8 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 1% | 125,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 1% | 100,936 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 4 | 1% | 52,975 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 0% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 0% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 1 | 0% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 0% | 166,100 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2001 Chevrolet Malibu recalls (2)
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.
Exterior lighting:hazard flashing warning lights:switch
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles have hazard warning switches that may experience solder joint cracking caused by rapid temperature transitions and the soldering process. If solder joint cracking occurs and results in an open circuit, the turn signals/hazard lamps become intermittent or inoperative.
Risk: When the turn signals are inoperative, the driver cannot use them to signal intent to turn that could result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the hazard warning switch. Owner notification began on february 5, 2004. Owners should contact chevrolet at 1-800-630-2438, pontiac at 1-800-620-7668, or oldsmobile at 1-800-630-6537.
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 (EA02037) — opened Dec 23, 2002, closed Sep 5, 2003, led to recall 03V327000.
- Erratic fuel gauge (EA02028) — opened Sep 30, 2002, closed Dec 30, 2003.
- Turn signal failure (PE02064) — opened Aug 22, 2002, closed Dec 23, 2002.
- Erratic fuel gauge (SQ01002) — opened Jan 26, 2001, closed Sep 30, 2002.
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 2001 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 03V327000 (Exterior Lighting) and 14V400000 (Electrical System) and would like to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.
The blinkers randomly work; most likely needs a new hazard switch. The car's temperature gauge would rise when sitting in idle; needed a new water pump and thermostat as of 11/2020.
When starting the malibu the dashboard lights illuminate and when the key is turned to start the car the lights go out and the fuel gauge drops to zero or empty and the car will not start. This problem also occurs when driving the car and the ignition system shuts down leaving you with no steering…
Tl* the contact owns a 2001 chevrolet malibu. While driving various speeds, unknown warning indicators illuminated. When the vehicle was started, the ignition had to be turned to the on position and the contact had to wait for the instrument panel to light up completely for the vehicle to start…
Vehicle starts and fully operates properly for an indefinite period of time, then it stalls abruptly (and at very embarrassing and perilous times). When it does, all the gauges are non-operational, with the fuel gage reading, empty. Vehicle will crank but will not restart. After a period (as long…
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 | 721 | 2 |
| 2000 Malibu | 922 | 3 |
| 1999 Malibu | 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 2001 Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine and engine cooling, exterior lighting problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 285 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2001 Chevrolet Malibu?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2001 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 2001 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.