2002 Chevrolet Malibu Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 63 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu, 11% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 62,396 miles. The words owners use most often: “intake manifold gasket” (25% of reports).
- 63engine and engine cooling complaints
- 62,396median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $1,500typical repair cost reported by owners
- 50%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 gasket: mentioned in 16 of 63 complaints (25%)
- Engine coolant: mentioned in 7 of 63 complaints (11%)
- Anti freeze: mentioned in 5 of 63 complaints (8%)
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 2002 Chevrolet Malibu at $1,500, and half of them between $1,150 and $2,100.
Based on 13 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2004–2014), 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 44 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
None of the 63 complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
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 2002 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.
2002 chevrolet malibu. Consumer writes in regards to vehicle just would not start. *smd the cam shaft sensor was replaced. *jb
2002 chevrolet malibu. Consumer writes in regard to intake manifold gasket leaking.* ld the consumer stated gm used dex-cool engine coolant which caused problems with the engine. The repair shop flushed out the dex-cool and replaced the coolant, with a different type of coolant. Also, the intake…
I was driving down the road at 35mph when the car just started smoking. *tr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2002 Chevrolet Malibus have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 63 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2002 Chevrolet Malibu (11% of the 567 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 2002 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 62,396 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 2002 Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners report a typical cost of $1,500 (half paid between $1,150 and $2,100), 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 2002 Chevrolet Malibu?
The most frequent phrase is “intake manifold gasket”, in 16 of 63 complaints, followed by “engine coolant” (7).
Other 2002 Chevrolet Malibu problems
See all 2002 Chevrolet Malibu problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Malibu years.