2003 Chevrolet Malibu Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Malibu years
- Fewer complaints than other years 18th of 29 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 569 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Chevrolet Malibu. That ranks 18th out of 29 Malibu model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (289 complaints, 51%), typically at around 80,000 miles. Complaints mention 35 crashes, 4 fires, 23 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year.
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- 569owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 35complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 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 | 289 | 51% | 80,000 | “anti theft” (29%) | $860 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 85 | 15% | 70,000 | “included control” (12%) | — |
| Engine | 47 | 8% | 85,600 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 45 | 8% | 15,330 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 41 | 7% | 65,824 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 28 | 5% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 27 | 5% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 24 | 4% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 23 | 4% | 44,635 | — | — |
| Steering | 21 | 4% | 67,623 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 16 | 3% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 2% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 13 | 2% | 106,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 13 | 2% | 54,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 9 | 2% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 7 | 1% | 46,173 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 5 | 1% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 4 | 1% | 549 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 1% | 14,900 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 1% | 6,750 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 1% | 51,645 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 0% | 54,950 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 32,073 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 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.
Vehicle speed control:accelerator pedal
Problem: Certain passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 124, 'accelerator control systems.' in hot ambient conditions, the accelerator pedal arm may stick at the attachment to the bracket and not return to the engine idle position when the operator lifts his foot from the accelerator pedal.
Risk: Failure to return to idle could result in a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the accelerator pedal arm and replace the accelerator and brake pedal assembly with a new assembly, if necessary. The recall began on december 20, 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.
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 2003 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact discovered that while driving at various speeds, the key could be removed from the ignition while the engine was still running. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V400000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The vehicle was…
Unknown
Multiple times, the vehicle, while driving, electrically shuts down. security light comes on, sometimes, many attempts to restart will work. These shutdowns cause me to revet to manual bakes and steering.
The contact owns a 2003 Chevrolet Malibu. The contact stated that the ignition switch was inoperable and had been replaced three times by the dealer; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with ignition switch failure. The contact was…
Car shuts off while driving.Will start up when fuel gauge gets power also windows ,radio,lightening work airbag light&service engine soon light on
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 | 569 | 2 |
| 2002 Malibu | 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 2003 Chevrolet Malibu?
Owners most often report electrical system, vehicle speed control, engine problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 289 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Chevrolet Malibu?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2003 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 2003 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.