2002 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Malibu years
- Fewer complaints than other years 19th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 567 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu. That ranks 19th out of 29 Malibu model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (259 complaints, 46%), typically at around 78,000 miles. Complaints mention 18 crashes, 1 fire, 19 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 567owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 18complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 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 | 259 | 46% | 78,000 | “anti theft” (27%) | $940 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 143 | 25% | 61,000 | “turn signals” (46%) | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 63 | 11% | 62,396 | “intake manifold” (32%) | $1,500 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 41 | 7% | 29,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 22 | 4% | 95,666 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 22 | 4% | 62,570 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 19 | 3% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 18 | 3% | 103,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 14 | 2% | 46,353 | — | — |
| Equipment | 13 | 2% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 13 | 2% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 12 | 2% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 12 | 2% | 52,290 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 11 | 2% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 10 | 2% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 9 | 2% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 1% | 128,090 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 1% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 5 | 1% | 114,045 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 3 | 1% | 8,650 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 2 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 142,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 21,338 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 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:headlights
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." some of these vehicles were produced with a left low-beam headlamp that does not meet the photometric performance requirements of the standard.
Risk: Light intensities below the minimum intensity requirements cause reduction in visibility down the road for the driver of the vehicle and intensities above the maximum intensity requirements cause increase in glare for drivers ahead of, or approaching, the vehicle.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the left low-beam headlamp and replace it if it does not meet requirements. Owner notification began may 23, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact chevrolet at 1-800-222-1020.
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 (PE05055) — opened Sep 27, 2005, closed Jan 13, 2006.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2002 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic, who reported the mileage at 105,000. The key was stuck in the ignition, but was replaced. It was discovered that…
The anti-theft/ passlock system fault in this generation of GM vehicles is very widespread and effects a large percentage of vehicles in this generation. I am sure there have been hundreds if not thousands of complaints about same issue and GM refuses to fix the problem. The problem causes the car…
The turn signals work sometimes and sometimes they don't work. I researched this on the internet and it seams to be a serious problem with this car make. If there are no recalls on this there should be. This is a major safety hazard. I just bought this car for my teenage son.
The hydraulic brake lines between the front and rear of the car corroded and quickly leaked fluid out so the brakes no longer functioned. The fluid leaked out when the car was parked after driving on the highway the night before. If this happened when i was driving the results could have been…
The characteristics of the problem are as follows: the engine just dies randomly. When the engine dies, i noted the gauges all indicated the key was in the off position, even though the key had not been touched. They by turning the key to the off position and wiggling it only after bringing the…
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 | 567 | 2 |
| 2001 Malibu | 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 2002 Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners most often report electrical system, exterior lighting, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 259 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 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 2002 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.